L-R: Wife of Chief of Staff to Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Toyin Adaramodu; Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; and Special Adviser to the Governor on Millennium Development Goals and Development Relations, Mrs. Bunmi Dipo-Salami, during the Free Cancer and Metabolic Diseases screening awareness walk organised by the ministry of health, in Ado-Ekiti.
Ekiti State Government has commenced a one-week free Cancer and metabolic diseases screening programme for people in the State.
The programme which kicked off at the Governor’s Office on Monday in Ado Ekiti at about 8am with a health walk led by the Deputy Governor Prof.Modupe Adelabu and the wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi was officially flagged-off at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti Oba Rufus Adejugbe.
In his address at the event, the State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi who spoke through his Deputy, Mrs Adelabu reiterated the commitment of the State government to the general well-being of the people stressing that government decided to embark on the programme to prevent avoidable deaths from cancer and other metabolic diseases.
The Governor, who noted that preventive measures against the diseases cost less than managing them, stressed that some of the diseased are incurable when detected too late.
He said that his administration has risen to combat the trend of the deadly diseases to curb the possibility of diminishing the estimated life expectancy in the state which is currently estimated as the highest in Nigeria.
According to him, the State Government has paid over one hundred Million Naira as financial assistance to indigent citizens at various stages of presentation of some of the diseases, emphasizing that his administration would continue to invest human and material resources to avail the people the opportunity of preventing what he said can be prevented.
Fayemi noted that the reported increase in incidences of cancer and other metabolic diseases may not be unconnected to some form of westernization which he said has taken the people from working in the farms to sedentary lifestyle of sitting in the offices as well as consuming processed and refined foods rather than eating fresh vegetables and complex carbohydrates.
The governor added that excessive consumption of alcohol and sexual exposure of youths have also contributed to the increase in the reported cases of the deadly diseases emphasizing that unfortunately the greatest burdens of the diseases are on the vulnerable groups consisting of are on the valuable groups consisting of woman and the poor.
He therefore advised all stakeholders to make judicious use of the opportunity presented by the free screening exercise to know their health status adding that it is also imperative that the people cultivate a healthy lifestyle and eat healthy foods.
In her remarks, the wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi said that one of the silent objectives of the screening programme is to keep the memory of the late deputy governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka above by nipping imminent death of women through cancer related complication in the bud.
Erelu Fayemi noted that treatment of cancer is very expensive and almost unachievable when the disease is discovered at an advance stage.
The Governor’s wife assured that the Ekiti Development Foundation (EDF) will continue to collaborated with the State Government in its interventionist approach to attending to the myriad of social, medical and other problems confronting the people especially women in the State.
She implored all stakeholders not to make the programme one-off affairs stressing that tests should be regular and routine for
constant knowledge of individuals’ health status and reduce unnecessary risks.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Health, Professor Olusola Fasubaa noted that the exercise which is first of its kind in the country is an opportunity for people in the state to attend to their health issues at no extra cost.
Professor Fasubaa who stressed that health issues should not be treated as spiritual matters therefore urged the people to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the state government and shun quacks as well as unregistered facilities that may compound their health issues.
Last modified: May 28, 2013
