Protect your heart this festive season - El-Halabi
Baboki Kayawe | Tuesday December 23, 2025 12:40
El-Halabi, in her capacity at the World Health Organisation (WHO), was officiating at a reporting workshop on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which was part of the sessions for journalists and science communicators at the tenth Science Forum South Africa in Pretoria.
She believes that unmasking the NDC statistics is one of the effective ways to humanise the story. El-Halabi personalised the moment when she put her face to the “figures” making global hypertension statistics. She too is living with hypertension.
Although she was diplomatic when asked to comment on the state of Botswana’s public health system in terms of the burdens of NCDs, El Halabi offered guidance on managing hypertension this festive season, as celebrations, rich meals and seasonal stress place added pressure on communities.
Mmegi: What motivates you to speak publicly about having hypertension as a renowned health professional? El-Halabi: Hypertension is a condition that often remains silent for years. Many people discover it only by accident during a routine check or after experiencing complications. My intention when speaking about hypertension publicly has always been to highlight this reality. While personal treatment routines vary, the most important message is the broader set of principles that can help anyone maintain healthy blood pressure and reduce risk. A single routine blood pressure check can change a person’s trajectory, yet too many of us wait until symptoms appear, and by then hypertension may already have caused harm.
Mmegi: What key things do you deem critical for hypertension management? El-Halabi: Hypertension and other non-communicable diseases continue to be leading causes of illness and death globally. Addressing them requires early action, sustained prevention and a whole of society approach. Individuals must understand their risks and take proactive steps.
Families must encourage healthy habits. Communities must promote supportive environments. Health workers must offer accessible quality care. Governments must prioritise preventive health services.
And journalists play a vital role in ensuring that accurate health information reaches the public in ways that inspire action.
Mmegi: Please highlight the importance of routine screening and early detection of hypertension and other NCDs? El-Halabi: Early detection is not a matter of chance. It requires habits and systems that make regular screening part of everyday life. This becomes even more important during festive periods when eating patterns shift, schedules change and self-care practices are often forgotten. A simple, quick blood pressure test at a clinic, pharmacy or community event can provide invaluable information. It is one of the most cost-effective interventions available to any health system and one of the most empowering steps an individual can take.
Mmegi: As a high-blood patient and health-care practitioner, what is the most important post-hypertension detection management advice would you offer to the public? El-Halabi: Once diagnosed, managing hypertension effectively requires commitment. Regular monitoring, adherence to prescribed medicines and healthy lifestyle choices form the foundation of successful control. Globally, we see that people who stay connected to their health care providers maintain physical activity, manage stress, eat mindfully and reduce tobacco and harmful alcohol use achieve far better outcomes.
Mmegi: What lessons do you have for Botswana’s public health system as it is in a difficult situation, characterised by drug supply value chain management challenges? Does this not threaten the fight against NCDs, especially as they are already a somewhat neglected cause? El-Halabi: While I do not comment on any specific country’s health system, my experience across the region has shown that strong primary health care, reliable access to essential medicines and diagnostics, a well-trained health workforce and community-based prevention efforts are the blocks that improve outcomes everywhere. These principles remain essential during the festive season when health risks tend to spike, and systems can experience increased pressure.
Hypertension and other non-communicable diseases continue to be leading causes of illness and death globally.
Mmegi: The season that we are in is synonymous with food and alcohol indulgence, lack of exercise and an unrestrained freedom to break healthy dietary habits among other vices. Please recommend best practice amid the joviality. El-Halabi: The festive season is a time that fills many of us with joy, celebration and connection. Yet it is also a period when many people unintentionally place additional strain on their health. Days become busier, routines shift, and the excitement of gatherings often comes with richer foods, higher salt and oil intake, increased alcohol consumption, emotional stress and a drop-in physical activity.
For individuals living with hypertension, and for many who may not even know they have it, this combination can significantly increase the risk of dangerous spikes in blood pressure.
In contrast, the festive season provides a powerful opportunity to raise awareness. When people are relaxed, reflective and spending time with loved ones, they may be more open to small lifestyle adjustments that protect their future health.
This is a time when public messages about routine screening, healthier food choices, stress management and medication adherence can have an especially meaningful impact.