Oyo State Government is set to screen Three Hundred and Forty-seven thousand, three hundred and four (347, 304) individuals as ‘Project 10 million Know Your Numbers, Control Your Numbers’ commences in Ibadan.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi stated this at the unveiling of the Project 10 Million with the members of the State Executive Cabinet at the office of the Governor.

According to the Commissioner, the Project 10 Million is a nationwide screening initiative, aimed at screening 10 million Nigerians for hypertension and diabetes across the 36 States of Nigeria and the FCT within a 7 days period in October, 2024.

Dr. Ajetumobi explained that the objective of the project is to screen 10 million Nigerians for hypertension and diabetes, promoting early detection, prevention, and control of cardiometabolic diseases, using the slogan – “Know Your Numbers, Control Your Numbers”

She added that “knowing your vital health metrics empowers you to take timely actions and make the right decision concerning your health, while controlling them prevents complications that may arise from ignorance or neglect”.

The Commissioner added that the screening will include blood pressure and blood sugar tests to detect hypertension and diabetes, alongside other anthropometric measurements that pertain to the health of the heart, blood vessels and general body metabolism processes.

She stressed that the screening process is safe and uses standard, point-of-care testing.

“The Nigerian Health Commissioner’s Forum is initiating the project and executing in partnership with professional bodies, developmental agencies, and Donors. Project 10 Million will utilize a team of trained healthcare workers who will visit various communities within each State.

They will set up temporary screening stations at designated locations, making the screening accessible to the community”, she said.

The Commissioner concluded that everyone aged 18 years and above are eligible for the screening and the screening is absolutely free.

“This means that you do not have to make any payment for the registration as well as other services accessed during the screening exercise”.

Dr. Ajetumobi said participants will receive their test results and counseling on the spot.

People who have abnormal results will receive some first contact care or be referred to nearby Government-owned health facilities for further evaluation, treatment and follow-up care, she said.

E-signed:

Prince Dotun Oyelade,

Commissioner for Information and Orientation,

Oyo State.

… As initiative aims to reduce childhood blindness

Stakeholders have urged parents and guardians to prioritize their children’s eye health, preventing trauma and distance vision impairment.

The call was in commemoration of World Sight Day, observed annually on the second Thursday of October. This year’s theme, “Love Your Eyes Kids,” highlights the need for awareness and action.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaseremi Ajetunmobi, represented by Dr. Babalola Johnson, emphasized the public’s role in preventing vision impairment through proper eye care

She explained the Common causes of visual impairment in children include uncorrected refractive errors, corneal diseases, and retina disorders.

Dr. Ajetunmobi stressed the importance of stakeholders supporting prevention and reduction of blindness in the State Chairman of the Oyo State Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria, Dr. Yinka Ologunsua, noted that parents often punish children for poor performance without addressing underlying eye issues.

She stated that “The day is significant as it conveys the message of commitment to taking action for global eye health care which is an integral part of universal health coverage and ensuring we meet the SDGs target.

“This commemoration is an opportunity to create awareness on importance of eye sight for all especially the vulnerable children with poor eye sight which lead to poor performance in school and dropout.

“The present administration has made health one of its major pillars and ensured that the citizens have access to quality and affordable health care services particularly through Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA) which is present in all the 33 local Government areas of the State.

“Eye sight care is an essential component of service for which OYSHIA provides care.

“The prevalence of distance vision impairment in low- and middle-income region to which Nigeria belongs is estimated to be four times higher than in high income region.

“The most common causes of visual impairment in children worldwide were uncorrected refractive error followed by amblyopia, corneal diseases and retina disorder. Therefore, attention need to be paid to eye health in children.

“It is therefore important for stakeholders in child rearing to support the move towards preventing and reducing the burden of blindness in the State.

“This year’s commemoration activities involve awareness, debate and screening for secondary school children.

“Thereby restoring hope to all with eye challenges among our children. This will improve their academic performance and productiveness, said.

Dr. Ologunsua advised parents to Examine newborns and monitor eye health, encourage children to wear corrective Lense, limit screen time and promote a healthy diet.

“This huge base of the population pyramid has longer “vision years” hence requires full attention from all stakeholders, themselves, parents, teachers, health workers and Government at all levels.

“Childhood blindness is one of the leading causes of blindness. Prevalence of childhood blindness rages from 3 per 10000 to 10 per 10000 in high income to low income countries respectively.

“Of note is the fact that refractive errors which can be corrected accounts for the leading cause of childhood blindness.

“Several parents have unjustifiably, and with the highest level of ignorance punished their children for poor performance at school, sitting close to the television or holding books close to their eyes to read – all these are symptoms of refractive errors! To make matters worse, they also refuse their children wearing corrective lenses!

Earlier in her welcome address, Director of Food, Water Laboratory Sciences, Mrs. Afusat Akande, emphasized the importance of educating children on healthy eating habits from a young age and balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables is crucial for maintaining good eye health.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one person becomes blind every minute, and one child becomes blind every five minutes. Nearly one in 1000 children are blind globally.

The event was organized by the Oyo State Government through the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria, Nigeria Ophthalmic Nurse, Nigeria Optometrists Association, Lion Club, and Rotary International Club.

In a significant move to eradicate tuberculosis and leprosy in the State, the Oyo State Government has donated motorcycles to all Tuberculosis and Leprosy Supervisory (TBLS) Officers across the State.

The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, while handing over the motorcycles to the officers on behalf of the State Government, emphasized that the motorcycle donation through the support of Global Fund is a significant step towards enhancing the mobility of the TBLS Officers. This will lead to improved active surveillance, rapid detection of diseases, enhanced case finding and management, and increased access to remote and hard-to-reach areas, thereby making their work more effective and impactful.

Dr. Ajetunmobi reiterated the Ministry of Health’s unwavering commitment to the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program. The ultimate goal is to reduce tuberculosis in the State to a level where it no longer poses a public health problem in Oyo State and Nigeria at large. This donation is a clear demonstration of the Government’s determination to reach the grassroots level and eradicate these diseases.

The Commissioner, therefore, thanked the various health partners in the State for their efforts to complement the Government in the fight against tuberculosis and leprosy. She charged the TBLS officers to do their work with diligence and passion, adding that the Government is also striving to make their work easy by providing for their basic needs, part of which is motorcycle donations.

She said,

“I appreciate God for making today a reality, even though it has been in the pipeline for a long time. I want to also thank our partners for not waving the needs of our officers aside. This shows that the little we’re doing, they’re seeing it, and they appreciate us, which is the essence of making this to come. This will help us manoeuvre our way to the hard-to-reach areas where vehicles cannot get to.”

In his remark, the Chairman of the TBLS Officers in Oyo State, Prince Oyebamiji Akanbi, expressed his appreciation to the State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, for making this possible. He added that this is the first time such a donation will be made to the officers to ease their work. He added that this would go a long way to improving their work, thereby reducing the number of tuberculosis cases in the State.

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has called for innovation and collaboration as a way of advancing community pharmacy practice worldwide.

This was stated at the opening of the 43rd annual conference of the Association, held on Tuesday at the International Conference Center, University of Ibadan, Oyo State. The event had esteemed guests and pharmacology’s crème de la crème in attendance, including Oyo State Governor Engineer Oluseyi Makinde, represented by his Deputy, Barrister Adebayo Lawal, and the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi.

In his keynote address, Governor Makinde highlighted the establishment of the Oyo State Drug Management Agency, aimed at ensuring efficient procurement, distribution, and management of pharmaceutical and medical supplies across the state. He emphasized the significance of this initiative in strengthening healthcare infrastructure and upholding quality care for all citizens.

The Governor encouraged ACPN members to embrace innovation and collaboration to address challenges in community pharmacy practice in Nigeria. He envisioned a future where every Nigerian has access to quality pharmaceutical care, with community pharmacists empowered to deliver exceptional service standards.

Furthermore, Governor Makinde urged ACPN to ensure free, fair, credible, and safe elections to enthrone God-fearing and progressive leaders who prioritize the well-being of Oyo State citizens.

In her address, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye said that Community Pharmacists are the first point of call in Nigeria for primary healthcare needs, and this put them at the forefront serving as the bridge between the patients and the healthcare system.

Professor Adeyeye reiterated that the conference served as an avenue for Community Pharmacists, manufacturers, and other stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry to network and share knowledge and also chart a course for the future of their practice worldwide.

She said,

“This conference provides a key opportunity for us to exchange knowledge, chart a course for the future of community pharmacy practice worldwide and also collaborate”

She, therefore, charged Community Pharmacists to leverage the evolving technological development to further create quality and affordable healthcare for all.

The conference, Oluyole 2024, chaired by Pharmacist Grace Ikani, had Remi Adeseun, Global Director of Salient Advisory as the keynote speaker. The conference also pledged to be a transformative event in strengthening ties between community pharmacists and the State Government.

In a concerted effort to reduce malaria by at least 90% by 2030, Oyo State Government has expressed its readiness to partner with the US Government through the Global Health Supply Chain to distribute over 5 million insecticide-treated nets to households across the State to prevent malaria.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi made this known in her office while receiving the US GHSC Team. She noted that malaria is a global disease and it is also a life-threatening disease with estimated annual cases between 300-500 million cases. Therefore the support from the US Government to distribute insecticide-treated nets across homes in the State is a welcome development, adding that this will go a long way toward the global target of eradicating malaria by 2030.

The net distribution campaign, which is a project under the Presidential Malaria Intiative (PMI) office, funded by the US Government to manage malaria across the Country, is set to distribute the insecticide treated nets across the State, as a way of contributing their own quota to the eradication of malaria disease in Oyo State

Dr. Ajetunmobi reiterated that one of the pillars of Omituntun 2.0 is proper healthcare delivery to all across the State, therefore the present administration is always ready to support Health partners to achieve the desired result in the healthcare system.

She therefore promised that the Ministry would do all within its capacity as regards the micro planning involved in the distribution of the insecticide-treated nets, such as the warehousing, funding of the distribution process, the human resources needed for the distribution of the nets and so on, so as to ensure that the distribution is smoothly carried out without any glitches and the end would also justify the means.

The Permanent Secretary, SMOH, Dr. Akintunde Ayinde who expressed delight at the gesture by the US GHSC, Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI), noted that although it is not the first of its kind, however this is the biggest so far in the series of net campaign in the State. He therefore assured the team of the Ministry’s maximum cooperation and adequate preparation ahead of the distribution so as to have better results than the previous ones.

The Acting Director of Malaria Programme for GHSC PMI Pharm. Oludayo Adekunle, expressed the gratitude of the Presidential Malaria Initiative as a project, for the privilege to Work with Oyo State through the Net Campaign. He noted that the net distribution is done almost every four years to be sure of its efficacy in each home.

Pharm. Oludayo added that Oyo State has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the US Government investment in terms of the malaria eradication programme, this is because Oyo State Government has been doing so much to prevent malaria in the State.

He noted that the net distribution campaign will commence in the first quarter of the year 2025, urging for a smooth collaboration with the Ministry as regards the effective distribution of the nets to ensure it gets to the appropriate households across the State.

Present at the meeting were the Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics, Dr. Gbolahan Abass; the Director of Secondary Health Care and Training, Dr. Adekunle Aremu; the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Pharmacist Moses Adewole; the State Malaria Implementation Officer, Mrs. Foluke Adeyemo and others.

Oyo State Ministry of Health and State Emergency Management Agency have teamed up to prevent flood disaster, Cholera Outbreak and other diseases in all the nooks and crannies of the State.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajerunmobi, while paying an official visit to the Administrative Secretary of Oyo State Emergency Management Agency, (OYSEMA), Mrs. Ojuolape Busari on Thursday, said the visit was to discuss the State’s preparedness plan for the flooding diseases and how to establish inter-Agency Collaboration.

The Commissioner, who was represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Babatunde Olaniyan, explained that the focus of the discussion was on preventing flooding and its adverse effects, such as Cholera and displacement of residents, that could lead to sanitation breaches.

She emphasized on the importance of preventing cholera outbreak through proper sanitation and clean water provision.

She further noted that the public health campaigns are being launched to educate communities on hygiene practice, such as proper handwashing and safe food preparation.

In her response, the Administrative Secretary of Oyo State Emergency Management Agency, (OYSEMA), Mrs. Ojuolape Busari provided a comprehensive overview of the State’s emergency preparedness plan.

She hinted that the plan is included flood mapping, early warning systems and community sensitization programme.
She said in case of emergency, OYSEMA has established flood -prone areas to ensure quick evacuation and support.

The focal point of the discussion, and a key strength of the preparedness plan, is the Inter-Agency Collaboration. Both parties underscored the necessity of a robust collaboration between the Ministry of Health and OYSEMA. Regular joint meetings and information sharing were proposed to ensure a coordinated response. A dedicated team comprising members from both parties will oversee the preparedness plan’s implementation, especially the health-related component, further solidifying our united effort.

Also, at the end of their deliberations, the following urgent and significant recommendations were made, underscoring the importance of immediate action: To increase efforts to educate communities on flood risks and preventive measures through local leaders, media, and NGOs.; Ensure adequate resources, such as medical supplies, clean water, and sanitation facilities, are pre-positioned strategically; Implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of the preparedness plan and make necessary adjustments.

The Oyo State Government has issued a call for more vigilance and the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of a potential cholera outbreak in the State.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi gave the charge during her visit to a private hospital in Ibadan where two suspected cholera cases were receiving treatment.

Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi noted that Cholera is a bacterial infection spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the faeces (poop) of an infected person.

She explained that cholera is highly infectious and can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration, adding that it may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting, and fever.

The Commissioner described the two suspected cases in Ibadan, which had been tracked down to a private facility in the state as male workers at a construction site in Lekki Peninsula from Lagos State

She noted that there is no cause for alarm as the Ministry and other partners are on top of the situation.

Dr. Oluwaserimi therefore reiterated the response efforts of the State Government through the Ministry at ensuring that the State does not record casualties from the cholera outbreak from Lagos State.

According to her, the response efforts include; the deployment of LGA DSNO, promotional jingles in English and Yoruba running in different media houses, Immediate inauguration of the Cholera Technical Working Group, putting IDC Olodo into active mode for isolation and management, reaching out to all our surveillance rangers at the LGA level to intensify surveillance activities, re-posting of cholera case definition on the platform of community informants for updates, awareness, and sensitization of the gatekeepers and other well-established community structures.

The Commissioner therefore appealed to all to be safety conscious and always drink water only from clean sources, practice good personal hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap and water.

She maintained that anyone with the symptoms mentioned above should not partake in self-medication but present themselves at the nearest healthcare facility immediately.

The Oyo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating quackery and illegal health facilities throughout the State

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi stated this while monitoring various health facilities Statewide

The facilities sealed during the monitoring exercise include Ayinke Clinic and Maternity, Omowumi Hospital and Olajumoke Clinic Maternity at Saki respectively, and six others within the Ibadan metropolis

The Commissioner said that a huge number of health facilities have been sanctioned for committing different offenses ranging from the recruitment of unqualified medical personnel, non-registration of the facility, handling of cases beyond the facility,  among others

It would be recalled that the State Anti-quackery Task Force was set up by His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, headed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Adewumi Ajetunmobi, with qualified Medical Personnel as Team members with the aim of eradicating fraudulent practices within the health sector

Speaking during the exercise, the Chairman of the State Anti-quackery Task Force Committee, Dr. Adekunle Aremu reiterated that the State Government is making concerted efforts in monitoring various health facilities across the State to separate the quacks from professionals in the health sector

He urged the public to report any suspicious or illegal activities in health facilities to the State Ministry of Health or any security agency. He noted that the exercise which began in Ibadan would soon expand its tentacles to other zones including Oyo, Ogbomoso and Saki with a clear message that anyone found culpable will face the full wrath of the law.