Thursday, 23 March, 2017 will remain unforgettable for pupils of the Apostolic Nursery & Primary and Grammar School, Orishigun, Ketu, as members of the Association of Lady Pharmacists (ALPs) Lagos State Branch, thoroughly educated them on the prevention of public health diseases like Malaria, Diabetes, Hepatitis B and C, Tuberculosis, and HIV.
The enlightenment campaign, which was all-encompassing and quite engaging, was organised as part of the events for the 2017 Annual School Health Moral Programme of the association. It featured moral talk, environmental health and personal hygiene seminar, diabetes game, public health diseases seminar and lots more.
Top among dignitaries that graced the occasion were the newly elected Chairman of Lagos State PSN, Pharm (Mrs) B.F.O Adeniran; ALPs former National Chairman, Pharm (Mrs) Yetunde Moroundiya; the Apostolic Church Grammar School Administrator, Elder S.O. Ogunyemi; ALPs South West Coordinator, Pharm (Mrs) Hafsat Adeshina, and others.
Addressing the students and teachers at the event, the Planning Committee Chairman of the occasion, Pharm. Bunmi Laja appreciated the school management for granting the association the opportunity to address the youngsters on the importance of living healthy, adding that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.
Speaking on the theme of the programme, “Prevention is better and cheaper than cure”, Laja urged the participants to be meticulous about their health always, by keeping their environments clean and also avoid sharing personal items with the public.
Chairman, ALPs Lagos, Pharm. (Mrs) Modupe Ologunagba, explained the motive behind the programme, saying a large number of people in the country were ignorant of the importance of good health, thus, the interest group of PSN, had taken it upon itself to educate the populace on Diabetes, Hepatitis B and C, Tuberculosis, HIV, and others.
She advised the students to take the instructions and knowledge received from the event back home to their parents, neighbours, friends and well wishers, which would, in turn reduce the burden of public health diseases in our communities.
In an exclusive chat with Pharmanews at the programme, Ologunagba opened-up on the choice of the school for the association’s wellness campaign, stating that the Apostolic Church Grammar School was chosen for its high, mixed population and well-organised structure.
Highlighting the impact of the lectures on the students, she noted that ALPs had contributed to health literacy in a simplified way by teaching the leaders of tomorrow the importance of environmental health and personal hygiene, which will linger long in their memories.
Eager to expand the scope of the programme, the ALPs leader called for collaboration and sponsorship from well meaning Nigerians and stakeholders, adding that the association needs adequate funding to sustain the good work.
She appreciated Philips Consulting for the subsidised free screening, while some students were vaccinated on special arrangement.
Some of the lady pharmacists that facilitated the seminars were: Pharm. Folashade Lawal- An educative but very interesting game on diabetes; Pharm. Lara Ebitiga- moral education; Pharm. Olamide Oshoba-Environmental health and personal hygiene; Pharm. Toyosi Oyedara-Diseases of public health and others.
