Development of Guidelines for Management of Hypertension in Rural Areas in Delta State, Nigeria

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is presently one of the most important risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Several developed and developing nations including Nigeria have adopted various initiatives to prevent and/or manage hypertension. This article entails the development of guidelinesby means of integrated and collaborative approach involving experts knowledgeable in the field coupled with community actionin rural settings in Delta State Nigeria. Using the Nominal Group Technique meeting, a group of seven key stakeholders knowledgeable in the field were brought together to harmonize their ideas and experiences within a period of three days. The meeting lasted six hours each day.Each round addressing a topic lasted for an hour and 45 minutes.Major concepts addressed were: optimal diagnosis and appropriate medical evaluation for high blood pressure, principles of blood pressure measurement and different steps in blood pressure measurement. Others are management options (routine baseline investigations, pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures) and prevention of high blood pressure as well as community screening programmes. This simple guideline will not only serve as a vade mecum but will also have a strong impact on the health, quality of life and mortality rate among rural communities in Nigeria.