By Ige Adekunle
The Covenant University Postgraduate Student Council (CUPGSC) has partnered with Beulah World Initiative (BWI), Covenant Applied Informatics and others to provide essential healthcare services and awareness on deadly diseases in Ota, Ogun.
Other agencies that partnered with Covenant University, are Communicate Africa Centre of Excellent ,(CApICE-ACE) and Covenant University Community Development Impact Initiatives Committee (CU-CIDC)
Prof.Emeka Iwela,the Center Leader, CApICE-ACE,made this known on Tuesday in a medical outreach programme held at the Postgraduate Hall, Covenant University,Ota.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme’s theme:”Aspire 8.0 Medical Outreach 2025″
The services rendered to residents include health talk, prostate/breast cancer and malaria awareness/screening, general medical consultation, medical tests and treatment, eye test, treatment and distribution of glasses.
Iweala said that the outreach was aimed at sharing knowledge and information about critical health situations in the community, especially Malaria, Breast and prostate cancer which also happened to be the core research areas of CApIC-ACE.
“Another critical reason for this outreach is to get people screened on these health conditions, so that people can know their status and then know the next thing to do.
“Also, whether to go and see a doctor or the measures to take if they are screened negative.he said.
He explained that the center supports postgraduate students of the University, and the support would go a long way to help students in their research and educate them on health awareness.
“Post graduate (PG) students are very critical components of the University because they are active researchers conducting researches in this area and they need to understand those diseases and also have access to samples for their research.
“We are always ready to help in researches and so we conduct our researches to see how they can be improved on in diagnosis, treatment and management of these ailments.
“So our center is happy to be part of this programme because we are supporting PG students and also doing research on prostate cancer, breast cancer and malaria.
“In addition, one of our key activities in the center is outreach and whenever there is outreach, our center is interested in supporting because it goes a long way in helping to share critical health information that the community will require to stay healthy.he said.
Talking on ways to create more awareness and information on cancer which is increasing daily among Nigerians.
Iweala advised Nigerians to get accurate information concerning these diseases especially prostate for men and breast cancer for female.
He explained that if people have information about the causes of cancer, it’s prevention, treatment and they are screened, they would know what to do.
He added that it is important that the Nigerian community tries to access this critical information so that they can understand the diseases.
Iweala further said that if per chance they experience one or two symptoms associated with these diseases, they can quickly go to their medical doctor and receive further advice.
He enjoined Nigerians to make use of opportunity they have to ensure and participate in screening programmes so that they can know their status.
Iweala noted that early detection would help with the appropriate treatment.
He said that feedback was quite encouraging and this motivates the center to do more and will continue to organise and support this type of outreaches for community information on health related issues.
The Coordinator, Beulah World Initiative, Nigeria, Ms Chichi Ononiwu, said BWI was dedicated to promoting physical, mental, social and emotional well-being of Nigerians.
Ononiwu said that BWI would always be in support of outreaches like this to alleviate the burden of health maintenance of communities.
“We are a health based organisation; we have passion for building healthy communities, where people can be aware of the need to actually live healthy.
“Also because of that, we hold monthly medical outreaches in rural communities across Nigeria. We have done a lot, especially in the West, but we’re moving gradually towards the South.
She explained that BWI has had about 120 outreaches since inception and also collaborate with people who are doing the same thing in the area of health.
Talking on the vision of the organisation, Ononiwu said it is all out to support communities in terms of primary healthcare outreaches and had been to several communities, majority of them, being in the Western part of the Country.
“This is what we are called to do and we can’t wait to do more; to be able to spread the reach to more communities, especially, the East, South-South and the North as our vision is to touch the whole of Africa but we are starting from Nigeria.she said
She said that Nigerians should be conscious of their health especially in the area of lifestyle as this is the major solution to curb and reduce endemic diseases like diabetes, cancer and others to the barest minimum.
Dr. Lola Adebanjo, Covenant University Health Center, in her remarks,said the main objective of the outreach was to create awareness as regards cancer.and malaria because this is very rampant in the society.
Adebanjo speaking on the impact of health outreaches to the community, said that there are always different awareness programmes, depending on the target population of the time,
“However, today, we are bringing it closer to our own community because the Postgraduate students are amongst our community and they are very important to us as well.
“So we are seeing how we can create this awareness amongst them so that they can take the necessary measures to improve their health and the overall population at large.she said.
Speaking at the event, Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Covenant University, Prof. Conrad Omohinmi, commended the collaborators for the support given to the Postgraduate school on the outreach,.
Omohonmi adding that it will go a long way to improve the health awareness of the community and as well help in researches for postgraduate students of the University.
The Chairman, CU PG Student Council, Theophilus Nang Wakai, said that Aspire 8.0 medical outreach was part of the creative engagement of PG students.
Wakai said the outreach is aimed at reaching out to PG students, sensitising them about common ailments plaguing the community like malaria, and cancer.
He disclosed that there are over 600 students in the PG school but the target is 300 but with the turnout today, the number may increase.
Thanking the sponsors of the programme,
Wakai said the outreach is not a one off thing and they cannot actually intervene in all the problems health wise but this is just to show that they are concerned.(NAN)