A new study published in the European Heart Journal has revealed that almost one-third of people living with HIV (PLWH) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, were unaware they had high blood pressure, highlighting a pressing need to integrate cardiovascular screening into the HIV care system.
The research, conducted by the Managing Hypertension among People Living with HIV: An Integrated Model (MAP-IT) study team, including Daniel Henry, Anyiekere Ekanem, and Dike Ojji, found that 31% of HIV-positive individuals screened during the 2023 World AIDS Day activities were newly identified with elevated blood pressure.
The study, which was published on 6 May 2025 under the title, ‘Integrating Non-Communicable Diseases Awareness Campaign into Periodic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Awareness Campaign: Lessons from Events of World AIDS Day in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, pointed to the growing importance of integrated care models in resource-limited settings.
A statement from the team reads, “Leveraging the 2023 World AIDS Day platform, the MAP-IT team, supported by the Akwa Ibom State Agency for the Control of AIDS, implemented a nurse-led, community-based hypertension screening initiative across the state.”
“The intervention utilised 22 community-based organisations (CBOs) previously identified for their active roles in HIV care. These CBOs, trained and equipped with semi-automated blood pressure monitors and educational materials, screened individuals accessing HIV-related services, provided lifestyle counseling, and facilitated referrals to local primary healthcare centres for further evaluation.”
A Professor of preventive cardiology, and lead investigator, Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja, Dike Ojji said “Our findings point to a significant gap in cardiovascular disease (CVD) awareness and care among PLWH and draw attention to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in this population.”
Traditionally focused on HIV testing, treatment, and anti-stigma campaigns, the researchers argue that future World AIDS Day efforts must incorporate screening for CVD risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia to achieve maximum health impact.
“The longevity afforded by access to antiretroviral therapy is now revealing the hidden toll of comorbid conditions such as hypertension among PLWH,” the authors noted. “Without early detection and treatment, these risk factors could compromise the health gains achieved through HIV care.”
According to Ojji, as the burden of non-communicable diseases continues to rise alongside infectious diseases, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the MAP-IT findings offer a compelling case for revisiting public health campaigns as multi-disease platforms that save time, resources, and ultimately, lives.”
