Top 10 Most Deadly Diseases In Nigeria Now!

Health is wealth! It is important for all Nigerians to be informed about the most deadly diseases in Nigeria, and how they can be prevented or treated. It is important to have adequate information about these diseases so that you can protect yourself and your loved ones. Vaccines should always be taken where available, and you should take special care of your general lifestyle to prevent diseases like diabetes, HIV/AIDS, etc. Below are the top 10 most deadly diseases in Nigeria now.

1. Malaria

Malaria is said to cause 11% of maternal deaths in Nigeria and also kills more people than HIV, leprosy and tuberculosis according to premiumtimesng.com. TheRoll Back Malaria Partnership said 40% of Malaria deaths all over the world occur in Nigeria and Congo alone and malariaconsortium.org also reported that around 250,000 Nigerian children are said to die yearly due to Malaria. 

2. HIV/AIDS

Ranked as the second and third most deadly disease by answersafrica.com and Centre For Disease Control And Prevention respectively, AIDS deaths in Nigeria is also the second largest in the world in 2012 according to UNAIDS. The disease is majorly caused by an STI; it attacks and causes the immune system to fail progressively thereby opening doors for a myriad of infections.

3. Cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the chief causes of sudden deaths in Nigeria; they include heart attack, heart failure, hypertension etc. According to theageonline.com, over 100 million Nigerians are plagued by hypertension without knowing. Cardiovascular diseases are caused majorly as a result of poor diet, stress and overwork.

4.Cancer

Nigeria has the highest cancer records in Africa according to WHO. 10,000 deaths are recorded annually with 250,000 new cases every year.Vanguardngr.com also reported that one in 25 women in Nigeria dies of cancer. Another report from punchng.com says 26 women die daily in Nigeria from cervical cancer.

5. Diarrheal diseases

Diarrhoea is described as the passage of stool more frequently than is normal. The disease is said to kill 194,000 Nigerian kids under age five annually according to UNICEF. It is more prevalent in poor living conditions where there are unsafe water and food items. Open defecation is also said to be one of the causes of the disease.

6. Pneumonia

Pneumonia is said to be the second highest killer of children in Nigeria according to healthnewsng.com. Contrary to what many believe about Pneumonia, it’s not contacted by drinking cold drink or from being exposed to cold weather; although those may aggravate the condition, they are not the primary causes. Pneumonia is a communicable disease which is caused by bacterial, fungal or viral infection as a result of inhaling germs from a dirty environment. The disease spreads through coughs and sneezes.

7. Diabetes

Nigeria has the highest record of diabetes in Africa according to World Health Organization and the International Federation of Diabetes and Diabetes Association of Nigeria (thenationonlineng.net). Punchng.com also reported that Type-2 diabetes kills Nigerians more than HIV/AIDS. The Health Reform foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) has also declared diabetes as the top cause of deaths arising from Non-communicable disease in 2015 (vanguardngr.com). Eating unhealthy food for human consumption is said to increase the tendency of being diabetic.

8. Stroke

Punchng.com reported that experts link the increase in stroke cases inNigerians to ignorance as people who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol content and end-stage diabetes are predisposed to stroke. According to vanguardngr.com, “statistics shows that 20 per cent of people who died of stroke are confirmed patients of hypertension”.

9. Tuberculosis

According to thisdaylive.com, Nigeria ranks as the 11th country in the world with the highest prevalence of TB. This disease can be contracted when a person inhales droplets from a cough or sneeze by an infected person. It has killed several people but can be curtailed and cured when detected early.

10. Meningitis

Meningitis is not only a killer disease in Nigeria but in some other parts of Africa as well. It is usually prevalent during the dry season and particularly in Northern Nigeria. It is said to have high mortality rate. The disease kills up to 10% of its patients and up to 20% of its survivors suffer permanent brain damage and other physical impairments.