Heart disease more potent killer 'Don'As Ondo commissioner raises alarm over malaria

A professor of psychology at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Adesanya Oluwatelure, has said heart disease kills more than other causes of death in the country.He added that between 20 and 25 per cent of the Nigerian population suffered from hypertension, saying 'although it is generally believed that the incidence of hypertension is higher than this.'Oluwatelure said this while delivering the sixth inaugural lecture of AAUA, entitled: 'Psychology and the Search for a Healthier Heart.'According to him, 'the World Health Organisation (WHO) submits that chronic diseases are responsible for 63 per cent of all deaths in the world, with cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death.'According to him, the disease had now spread to many parts of the world, contrary to claims in some quarters that hypertension was peculiar to the western industrialised communities.The don said psychologists were better in handling hypertension cases than doctors, while listing fear and egocentric nature of physicians as major problems confronting psychologists in their studies.Meanwhile, the Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, has raised the alarm over management of malaria in the country, saying 80 per cent of malaria cases are poorly managed by the people.He also said the state government had set aside N20 million for control of malaria in 2012.Adeyanju, who stated this while addressing newsmen on the 2012 World Malaria Day, with the theme: 'Sustain Gains,' in Akure, on Wednesday, said poorly-managed malaria cases arose from poor diagnosis.According to him, malaria had been identified as one of the most challenging health issues in Africa, as 70 per cent of out-patient cases in both private and public hospitals are malaria cases.
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