The Ekiti State Government has urged residents to make personal and environmental hygiene a daily priority as part of efforts to prevent diseases and promote healthier living.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, also advised residents to undergo routine medical examinations and seek prompt treatment whenever health concerns arise instead of waiting until their conditions become severe.
Filani, who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, gave the advice during the flag-off of a three-day Health Awareness and Medical Outreach.
The programme was organised by Optimal Health and Peacemakers Community Development Foundation in partnership with the Ekiti State Government.
According to the commissioner, keeping the environment clean requires the collective efforts of government, community leaders, health workers and residents. He noted that while government must provide sanitation infrastructure, waste management systems and access to safe water, community leaders should help mobilise residents towards maintaining clean surroundings.
Filani also encouraged residents to utilise the free medical screening services offered during the outreach and consult healthcare professionals about any health conditions identified.
“Please check yourself. Don’t wait until you are bedridden before you seek to know your health status”.
The Chief Medical Director of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Prof Kayode Olabanji, said disease prevention remained a major component of the state government’s health priorities.
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Olabanji explained that preventing avoidable infections could reduce household spending on healthcare, limit school absenteeism and improve productivity, while also allowing health facilities to channel more resources towards specialised medical services.
The CMD urged residents “to make personal and environmental cleanliness a daily habit by washing your hands properly, keeping your bodies and clothes clean, maintaining hygienic toilets and safe water sources and disposing of waste responsibly”.
He further advised residents to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water around their homes and ensure food was adequately prepared and protected.
The Chief Executive Officer of Optimal Health, Dr Abraham Hollist, shared his experience of caring for his first son, who was born with sickle cell disease, saying effective management and a comprehensive approach to care kept the child from being hospitalised during his first five years.
Hollist said the experience had strengthened his commitment to preventive healthcare and influenced his efforts to apply similar approaches to the management of other chronic illnesses, including hypertension, diabetes and stroke.
He encouraged residents to take responsibility for their health by regularly checking their health status and obtaining medical care at an early stage when necessary.
A beneficiary of the programme, Julianah Ojo, praised the organisers for providing the intervention, saying it would help improve the health and wellbeing of residents.
The outreach included health education sessions, free blood pressure and blood sugar checks, eye examinations and the distribution of drugs to beneficiaries.