The Federal Ministry of Health has warned that Nigeria is facing multiple disease burdens at the same time, including communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, and lifestyle-related illnesses.
The warning was given during the official inauguration of the Nuparadigm Health Foundation, an organisation focused on health awareness and disease prevention.
Speaking at the event, a representative of the Ministry of Health, Abraham Emmanuel, said Nigeria’s health challenges have changed and now require urgent attention to prevention, education, and lifestyle choices.
“Nigeria is no longer facing only communicable diseases. We are now experiencing a double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and some even describe it as a triple burden when pandemics are included,” Emmanuel said.
He expressed concern that non-communicable diseases are increasingly affecting younger Nigerians.
“Conditions like hypertension, stroke and type 2 diabetes are now affecting people in their 30s,” he said.
Emmanuel explained that lifestyle choices remain the biggest risk factor, stressing that many of the diseases are preventable.
“These are mainly lifestyle-related diseases, which means they can be managed and prevented through increased awareness and better choices,” he said.
He also revealed that national survey data shows many Nigerians are unaware of the health risks they face daily.
“Many Nigerians are developing non-communicable diseases without knowing the risk factors, such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, tobacco use and even second-hand smoke,” Emmanuel said.
He warned that ignoring these risks could overwhelm families and the healthcare system if urgent action is not taken.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government announced that the final interview stage of the National Health Fellows Programme will begin on Monday, January 12.
The programme, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through the Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office, attracted over 150,000 applicants nationwide.
It is designed to select one health fellow from each of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to support health sector reforms at the grassroots.
The ministry said the programme aims to groom young Nigerians into health system leaders who will drive innovation, accountability and community-based healthcare interventions.
Speaking on the purpose of Nuparadigm Health Foundation, its founder, Dr. Omolara Olagunju, said her years of medical practice showed that true healthcare lies in prevention, not just treatment.
“Hospitals are not health care systems; they are more like disease parlours. Real healthcare happens outside the hospital, and you should not have to be sick before you start thinking about how to be healthy,” she said.
She noted that many Nigerians unknowingly damage their health due to lack of access to credible information.
“A lot of people are doing things every day that are damaging to their health, and they don’t even know it,” Olagunju said.
She added that economic hardship often forces people to neglect their health.
“People are trying to make ends meet in Nigeria. But sometimes we are winning the battle financially and losing the war because our health is steadily deteriorating,” she said.
Olagunju said the foundation plans to take health education directly to offices, schools and online platforms instead of waiting for hospital visits.
Consultant Physician and Interventional Cardiologist, Dr. Iseko Iseko, also warned that Nigeria spends more on treating illnesses than preventing them.
“Most of what we do is secondary prevention, treating diseases after they have happened. But primary prevention is where we should be investing more,” he said.
He warned that the combination of infectious diseases and lifestyle-related illnesses is placing huge pressure on Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system.
“We are still dealing with malaria, tuberculosis and HIV, but at the same time we are seeing increasing cases of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes,” Iseko said.
He added that many Nigerians die prematurely due to preventable illnesses.
“A lot of Nigerians are dying early, not because we lack potential, but because we have failed to prioritise preventive health,” he said.
On the National Health Fellows Programme, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the selection process has been transparent and merit-based.
“This process is about nation-building and empowering outstanding candidates from every local government area to transform our health system,” Pate said.
Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kachollom S. Daju, also said the programme would strengthen transparency and excellence in public service recruitment.
Successful candidates are expected to undergo a national residential training in Abuja before deployment to their respective local government areas.
