In response to the current outbreak of cholera in some parts of the country including Lagos State, the Nigerian Society of Travel Medicine (NSTM) alongside the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Lagos State Government (LASG) have called for behavioural change among Nigerians.
The call was made on Wednesday at the second edition of the Adetokunbo Alakija Memorial Lecture held in Lagos with the theme, ‘Collaborative Platforms and Networks:Strengthening Travel Medicine in Nigeria’ and the sub theme ‘Revolutionising Travel Medicine Insurance: Adapting to Changing Needs and Complexities’.
Director General of NCDC and the keynote speaker, Dr. Jide Idris, said it was important Nigerians pay attention to personal hygiene and adopt prevention as a lifestyle, stressing that it cost more to cure than to prevent diseases.
Idris stated:”Generally like people say, ‘prevention is better than cure’, this is because what we need to do requires a lot of resources, which we don’t have. So it’s better to prevent than to start fighting this disease. Prevention is key.
“For infectious disease, you need to find out what is causing the disease-how diseases are being transmitted or spread. What can we do to stop the spread? So if you understand the nature of what is causing the disease, you can address these issues. It however depends on the type of disease.
“Cholera, for instance, has to do with the issue of access to water; clean and portable water. Also the issue of sanitation, both individual and environmental. Likewise personal hygiene.”
He, noted that government has a role in providing source of clean water and sanitary facilities for people especially those in slums.
On the theme of the lecture, he said that challenges around travel medicine can be solved through collaboration between local and international networks.
Also noting that government is putting a lot of priority on the health sector, he added: “Health is everybody’s business, not only government. Nigerians have to play a positive part to change their behaviours.”
NSTM President, Dr. Nkechi Ilodibia, said that the lecture was to commemorate the legacy of one of Nigeria’s foremost travel physicians and bring in like-minds in the field of travel medicine to advance travel medicine, to create the awareness and to have discourse on how to promote travel medicine in Nigeria and in turn boost the nation’s economy.
On the outbreak of Cholera and other health areas, she the “health sector is going through a very difficult period”, saying that individuals should be vigilant do all they can to take good care of themselves.
She also called on travellers to make health findings and harm themselves with adequate information before embarking on any journey.
Ilodibia stated: “Be very careful about your health. Listen to what the doctors tell you…Before you come into Nigeria, find out about the cholera vaccines that are available in Nigeria because we have the problem now. Then try and get information about where you can eat, where you can drink.Also, get insurance before you come to Nigeria. If you can afford it…”
On her part, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. Mrs Kemi Ogunyemi, urged Nigerians to take charge of their health and regularly observe hygiene rules like washing of hands.
The cholera outbreak she said is about “the environment, water, what people eat, defecating and it finding its way to the water system. The Ministry of health can’t work in isolation, we are trying our best. We are trying to get clean water across… Start from your household, wash your hands and tell your people to wash their hands. Let’s take responsibility, government will do its part and we should do our part.”
Guest speaker, Managing Director and CEO of AXA Mansard Health Limited, Mr. Tope Adeniyi, further added to the call for growing Nigeria’s travel medicine, contextualising preventive health, seeing nutrition, adequate rest and exercise as keys to healthy living.
Also, he made known that Nigerians adopt going for homegrown and affordable foods that will give same nutritional value as foods that are usually expensive or imported and out of reach to an average citizen.
