Ajayi’s data led approach offers fresh hope for Nigeria’s cardiovascular crisis

Nigeria’s worsening cardiovascular disease burden has placed renewed attention on the work of Dr Simeon Ayo Oluwa Ajayi, a public health scientist whose research focuses on prevention and community-based interventions.

As heart disease continues to claim millions of lives worldwide, Ajayi is emerging as one of the Nigerian voices shaping new strategies to tackle the crisis before it reaches critical levels.

Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of death, accounting for nearly 18 million fatalities each year, according to the World Health Organization. Nigeria mirrors this worrying trend.

Hypertension affects roughly one in three adults nationwide, yet more than half of cases remain undiagnosed. This gap in detection and long-term care has intensified calls for stronger preventive measures, an area in which Ajayi has built a growing portfolio of research and population-level work.

Before dedicating himself entirely to clinical research, Ajayi practised as a physician in Oyo State, witnessing firsthand the consequences of late detection and inadequate primary care.

Many of his patients arrived with preventable complications, including hypertensive heart disease, post-stroke disability, and uncontrolled diabetes.

Operating in a setting where non-communicable diseases accounted for the majority of emergency admissions, he introduced evidence-based protocols that reduced patient readmissions by 15 percent, signalling an early commitment to prevention and systems improvement.

His work expanded further during his tenure as a Clinical Research Coordinator and Co Investigator at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, where he supported cardiology related clinical trials.

These programmes contributed data that informed improvements in patient screening, adherence counselling, and follow-up systems. Under his leadership, patient retention in these trials increased by 20 percent through proactive engagement, a crucial advancement in a country where follow-up rates are often low.

His research aligns with global concerns about rising cardiovascular risks linked to lifestyle factors. Sedentary habits, high salt diets, and obesity continue to grow worldwide, with low and middle-income countries accounting for more than three-quarters of global cardiovascular deaths.

Ajayi’s published work calls for stronger primary care systems and broader access to community-focused preventive services. His studies also examine the role of digital health and telemedicine, which have grown rapidly since 2020 but remain underused in rural Nigeria.

Ajayi later deepened his expertise as a public health researcher at the Illinois Department of Public Health, where he applied early warning surveillance and predictive modelling to environmental health risks.

Although outside cardiology, the approach reflects his preventive philosophy, which prioritises identifying risks early and reducing harm through timely interventions.

As Nigeria confronts rising cardiovascular pressures and limited healthcare financing, Ajayi’s blend of clinical experience, data-driven research, and public health leadership offers a model for prevention in resource-constrained settings.