THE PREVALENCE OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (HYPERTENSION) AND ITS ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS IN NDU HEALTH DISTRICT, NORTH WEST REGION, CAMEROON

Introduction: Hypertension is estimated to cause 4.5% of the global disease burden and is as prevalent in many developing countries as in developed countries. There exist few data on hypertension epidemiology and associated factors both in urban and rural Cameroon. Accurate estimates of the prevalence rate of hypertension and its determinants in Cameroon are crucial to inform efficient prevention and control policies.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated risk factors in Ndu Health District, North West Region of Cameroon.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 10 randomly selected health Units in the Ndu Health District of the North West Region, from consultation registers to collect data on the prevalence of hypertension in the Health District. Data was collected on the number of consultation, the number of cases of hypertension identified and the number of hypertensive patients who came back for follow-up, within the period from 2013-2016.

Results: The prevalence of Hypertension in Ndu Health District was 4.1%. The result showed an increase trend in the number of cases of hypertension in Ndu Health District. It shows that most female (60%) as of 2016 suffer from hypertension and only 40% of male are hypertensive. The age group commonly affected was between 50–70 years. There was an increase trend in the number of hypertensive cases from 2013 – 2015 with a slight decrease in 2016.

Conclusion: Hypertension is a growing challenge in the North West Region of Cameroon and alcohol consumption and stress are important risk factors. Health promotion programs are needed to improve hypertension awareness and prevention strategies.