Why Nigeria Needs AEDs in Every Public Space And Trained Personnel to Use Them
In Nigeria today, sudden cardiac emergencies, including heart attacks and cardiac arrest, are no longer rare. According to SOS Emergency Response Technologies, hypertension affects over 40% of the adult population, and with cardiovascular diseases on the rise, the need for immediate lifesaving interventions is greater than ever.
Heart-Related Illness: A Growing National Concern
Heart-related illnesses have become a serious public health challenge. The Nigerian Hypertension Society and Nigerian Heart Foundation report that 76 million Nigerians live with high blood pressure, and only a fraction have their condition under control. Unmanaged hypertension often leads to sudden cardiac events that can be fatal within minutes.
Hypertension affects 38–42% of Nigerian adults, with only about 7% achieving effective control (The Guardian). Globally, heart disease claims over 20 million lives annually, most of them in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. These cases often result from undiagnosed or unmanaged heart conditions. Many of these deaths are preventable with timely detection and immediate intervention.
How AEDs Save Lives
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are critical in managing cardiac emergencies. When used with CPR, an AED can triple the chances of survival. Every minute without defibrillation reduces survival odds by 7–10%, making rapid response essential. Unfortunately, AEDs are rare in Nigerian public spaces.
The Nigerian Cardiac Society recommends AED installations in airports, malls, schools, event centers, high-rise buildings, hospitals, banks, and security posts. However, installing AEDs is not enough; trained personnel are needed to operate them effectively.
Every facility with an AED should train at least 10 staff members in Basic Life Support (BLS) and AED use. This simple step can turn a life-or-death situation into a success story.
PPC Healthcare’s Role in Life-Saving Access
At PPC Limited, we advocate for mandatory AED installations in public spaces and offer not just the deployment of AEDs but also CPR and AED training programmes for businesses, schools, and event centers. By integrating AEDs and training into Nigeria’s healthcare and safety infrastructure, we can save thousands of lives each year.
Saving lives is everyone’s business. Together, we can make AEDs a standard in every high-traffic public space and ensure that trained personnel are always ready to act in an emergency.
Want to learn more or request AED deployment and training for your organization? Contact us at marketing@ppcng.com or visit www.ppcng.com.