A significant number of Nigerian men are battling with health issues that often go undiagnosed and untreated. The societal expectation for men to embody strength and resilience is creating a dangerous stigma around vulnerability for menfolk, leading many to shy away from vital health checks. However, as experts stress, embracing regular health check-ups is crucial for not only individual health but also the nation’s well-being.
Traditionally, Nigerian men have been viewed as the providers and protectors of their families, who often prioritise work and familial obligations over personal health. While deeply ingrained, this cultural narrative has resulted in poor health-seeking behaviours among men. Many men regard physical symptoms as signs of weakness, opting to dismiss them rather than seeking medical attention. This mentality can have dire consequences, as undiagnosed conditions can escalate into major health crises, contributing to Nigeria’s chronic health challenges.
While providing an insight into the issue, a general medical practitioner, Dr Charles Adedamola Adeogun, emphasised the urgent need to shift this mindset, stating that ‘In Nigeria, conversations around men’s health often remain hidden, overshadowed by cultural expectations of toughness and silence.
‘Yet, men face unique health challenges ranging from hypertension, diabetes, and prostate disorders to mental health struggles that demand early recognition and proactive care for favorable outcomes.’
Cost of neglecting health issues
The statistics surrounding men’s health in Nigeria are alarming. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases are on the rise, with men disproportionately affected. These conditions significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality rates across the country, and what’s particularly troubling is that many cases could have been prevented or managed effectively if diagnosed early.
Dr. Adeogun highlighted this as a critical issue, saying ‘Research indicates that Nigerian men are less likely to seek routine medical check-ups compared to women, often presenting late with advanced complications.’
This troubling trend is driven by a variety of factors, including fear, stigma, and the entrenched belief that ‘real men don’t complain.’ Unfortunately, these attitudes can have dire consequences, costing lives that could have otherwise been saved through simple screening and timely interventions.
While speaking with the Sunday Tribune, a renowned histopathologist and hepatologist and Chief Medical Director at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) Teaching Hospital, Professor Olusegun Ojo, explained that regular health checks contribute to the early detection of diseases that are prevalent among Nigerian men.
According to him, ‘The prevalent sex hormone in men, testosterone and other androgens, place them at higher risks of developing certain non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome as well as some cancerous diseases, like liver cancer especially from middle age onwards.
‘Unfortunately, most of these diseases are asymptomatic at onset. They often show up when complications of the full-blown disease supervene.
‘Thus, it behoves all concerned, the government inclusive, for economic reasons, to set up and make available routine preventive medical testing so that these diseases could be detected in their uncomplicated forms and thus save us from the drain on our collective economy and the personal and family losses as well as disruptions that they are known to cause.’
Professor Ojo added that, ‘Men also ought to be made aware of the risks of ill health that they possess by reason of their gender, genetic inheritance, and their lifestyles so that they could develop the right and proactive health-seeking behaviours that would embrace the concept of routine medical checks and screening to ensure that they remain healthy well into their advanced years.’
In a similar vein, Dr Adeogun harped on the need to redefine the concept of strength, asserting that it extends beyond the physical realm, adding that true strength also involves recognising when you need help and taking proactive steps to ensure your health.
He explained that ‘Good men’s health is not just physical; it is also mental and emotional. Stress, depression, and anxiety are rising but are rarely discussed. Left unchecked, these issues can weaken productivity, relationships, and overall quality of life.’
In addressing the specific health issues that Nigerian men should be particularly vigilant about, as well as how routine check-ups can help prevent these conditions, Professor Ojo categorised the health risks that men face into two broad groups: general and individualised.
‘Generally, men are at higher risk of developing the metabolic syndrome and coronary (or ischaemic) heart disease.
The metabolic syndrome is a conglomerate of disorders comprising raised body mass index (BMI) or overweight and obesity, insulin resistance, which ultimately manifests as diabetes, and systemic hypertension (raised blood pressure).
‘Coronary or ischaemic heart disease is a related disorder to the metabolic syndrome and it is a disorder where there is a disparity in the amount of blood available to support the heart, its crucial function, and how it meets the demands being made of it for the maintenance of life and associated activities. In coronary heart disease, the heart’s blood vessels suffer varying degrees of insufficiency, the ultimate of which is total blockage of the bores and, consequently, a ‘heart attack’ which leads to sudden death.’
He also emphasised that both the metabolic syndrome and coronary heart disease are associated with a raft of systemic disorders of the blood and blood vessels some of which are disorders of the blood clotting system (thromboembolism) and of the blood vessels themselves (atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis) to which men are predisposed. These disorders often presage sudden death.
‘Obviously, in preventing these disorders, first, men need to be made aware of the existence of these health risks that confront them. Appropriate health education would equip them to engage in self-care and to appreciate the concept of health screening and preventive care.
‘Secondly, health care providers, principally, government and employers of labour need to embrace and incorporate the concept of preventive medicine. This should be seen as a wise economic imperative by them,’ he stated.
Regarding individualised risks, Professor Ojo noted that men may encounter health risks stemming from their genetic inheritance or family history.
‘Since these diseases are not common, their associated risk factors could only be identified by medical personnel and (family) physicians, who might have had the privilege of treating progenies or relatives of the concerned men. Thus, genetic profiling and counseling are the way to go to avoid such disorders. Obviously, we would need further development and provision of secondary and tertiary hospital care centres to address these risks.’
In discussing the cultural barriers that hinder Nigerian men from pursuing regular health screenings, Professor Ojo pointed out that, in contemporary Nigeria, there are no formal or structured cultural obstacles to screening.
However, he emphasised that the pervasive ‘culture’ of ‘medical ignorance’ poses a significant challenge when considering the introduction of medical screening in the country. This ignorance arises from a near-total absence of opportunities for the government to provide the public with adequate health education.
‘The lack of structured curricular inputs in schools not only allows this culture of pervading ignorance to subsist, but it also has given way for alternative theories of disease, allowing them to fester so that we now have a ‘culture’ of ‘teachers’ and vendors who peddle wrong and outrightly harmful products without any challenge, let or hindrance.’
Taking into account the lifestyle and dietary practices prevalent in Nigeria, Professor Ojo observes, ‘unhealthy lifestyles, of which poor diet is an integral part, and habits significantly increase the risk for the development of the disease which I have discussed above.’
He further explained that diets high in simple refined sugars and animal fats have been recognised as primary contributors to the current epidemic of metabolic syndrome and heart disease affecting our country.
He added that these dietary patterns are clearly influenced by Western habits and are linked to urban living and affluence.
Regarding the importance of regular health checks and their role in managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension in Nigerian men, Professor Ojo said that ‘diabetes and hypertension are lifelong health issues for those who experience them.’
‘In other words, they cannot be ‘cured’ but they can be controlled so that no untoward consequences occur and the patient can remain healthy despite their disease.
‘Screening is essential for the diagnosis and continuous management of these disorders. This is because since diseases are largely asymptomatic ab initio and their presence can only be unearthed through screening.
‘Also, to maintain the diseases in a state of remission, regular and routine screening needs to be put in place. The results of these screening tests form the empirical basis of sound management which would prevent the occurrence of complications and emergencies. From the above medical screening is the holy grail of the diagnosis and management of hypertension and diabetes mellitus,’ he explained.
In discussing the importance of regular health checks in addressing mental health issues among Nigerian men and the screening tools that could be useful for these evaluations, he noted, ‘Psychiatric and psychological disorders are not well recognised in this country as it currently stands. Ignorance and poor health provision conspire to make mental health issues a matter of taboo and stigma.
‘Psychiatrists are in dismal numbers as much as are institutions offering modern psychiatric services. It is difficult to talk of screening for mental health issues in the present scenario,’ he said.
Regarding how the accessibility of healthcare facilities in Nigeria impacts the frequency of health checks among men, Professor Ojo stated that ‘there are many factors that influence the accessibility to healthcare in our country.’
‘These include availability of health facilities, availability of appropriately qualified medical manpower, affordability of medical services, adequate regulation of medical and allied professions, and adequate ‘medical literacy’ among the population.
‘Taken together, these factors are not optimal in our country. This means that appropriate and uniform health coverage is lacking. This lack negatively impacts the optimal availability of medical screening for the whole population, men inclusive,’ he added.
The path forward
In discussing the way forward, both experts advocate adequate and appropriate health education. Dr Adeogun emphasised the need for a cultural change, saying ‘moving ahead necessitates a shift in perspective. Men must view preventive health care as a demonstration of responsibility, rather than a sign of weakness. Regular exercise, balanced nutrition, moderated alcohol intake, avoiding tobacco, and periodic screenings (blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and prostate checks after 40) are vital steps.
‘Health needs are survival needs that must be prioritised and budgeted for like other major living expenses. It is unwise and detrimental to wait for emergency or advanced stages of disease before seeking professional medical help. Time is of the essence in matters of health and with aging comes diverse health challenges which may come subtly or appear explosively without prior notice.
‘Nigeria needs its men healthy, present, and strong not in silence, but in wholeness. A healthier man means a healthier family and a stronger nation,’ he said.
Professor Ojo believes that prioritising adequate and appropriate health education is essential for the government.
He said: ‘This would reduce medical ignorance and equip the people with good health-seeking behaviour, such as embracing medical screening.’