UMUAHIA – The wife of Abia Governor, Mrs Odochi Orji, on Thursday, urged the people of the state, especially women, to take issues concerning their health seriously.
She made the call at a health sensitisation embarked upon to educate the people at the grassroots to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Orji said that the sensitisation, tagged “Abia State Health Fair’’ held at the headquarters of Bende Local Government Area, was aimed at educating the people toward healthy lifestyle and nutritious meals.
She said “you should endeavour to live a healthy life by eating nutritious meals, fruits and vegetables and other nutrients that will help to keep you healthy.’’
She advised the people to exercise regularly, keep their surroundings clean and visit health centres in their areas regularly for medical check-up.
The governor’s wife also advised the people to be mindful of the kinds of foods and drinks they consume and to seek relevant information that could help them to stay healthy.
She commended Gov. Theodore Orji for making healthcare delivery in the state one of the cardinal objectives of his administration.
She said the state government’s commitment in providing health facilities in the state had led to a significant decline in the child and maternal mortality rate.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Okechukwu Ogah, described the health fair as “an educational and interactive event organised to provide the people with basic preventive medicine and medical screening.
“The objectives of this programme include health education on the rising burden of HIV/AIDS in the state, non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, health screening and sensitisation on the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.’’
The commissioner expressed concern that diabetes and hypertension have become an alarming health concern globally, describing them as “the leading causes of most deaths in the world.
“We know that hypertension is a significant risk factor for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. [eap_ad_1] “In view of this, we need to increase awareness about the disease because of the lack of knowledge among hypertensive patients.’’
He listed some of the achievements of the present administration in the state in the health sector to include the construction of 250 primary healthcare centres, the state’s Specialist and Diagnostic Centre and the Dialysis Centre, among others.
Ogah thanked the governor’s wife for collaborating with the ministry to organise the fair, which he said had taken place in Umunneochi, Aba South, as well as Umuahia North and South, respectively.
Health lectures were delivered to the people, coordinated by Mrs Alice Chukwuocha, a retired health officer in the state.
The governor’s wife later distributed food supplements and nutrients to hundreds of the participants, who were mainly women. (NAN)
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