-As Victory Drugs Hosts Free Health Fair in Lagos
Medical experts, spiritual leaders, and community representatives have called for urgent action to curb the growing menace of heart disease. They made the call at the free Community Heart Health Fair, organised by the Victory Drugs Pharmacy, Festac Town, Lagos, on 1 October, to mark World Heart Day, globally observed every 29 September, and the birthday of its founder, Pharm. Folashade Lawal.
The outreach, hosted at the Church of the Pentecost, Festac, featured free cardiovascular screening, blood pressure and sugar checks, cholesterol tests, mental health and cardiology counselling, and oral care education.
Despite heavy rainfall, the programme drew a strong turnout, with about 200 people screened by mid-day and more expected before the close of the programme.
Consultant cardiologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Casmir Amadi, lauded Pharm. Lawal’s longstanding commitment to preventive healthcare, describing her as a “sister, collaborator, and tireless advocate for wellness.”
He lamented that heart disease remains the world’s number one killer, claiming 19.4 million lives in 2023 alone, despite being largely preventable. He listed physical inactivity, poor diet, excessive alcohol, smoking, and stress as the leading causes, urging Nigerians to embrace exercise, healthier diets, stress control, and consistent medical check-ups, stressing that no one should die of heart diseases in this age of abundant medical knowledge and effective drugs.
Also speaking, Dr Ilerioluwa Lawal, son of the convener, explained that the programme was conceived to provide holistic community care, with laboratories, specialist hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and the church working in synergy.
He emphasised the importance of follow-up after screenings, adding that participants’ details would be used with their consent for continued care. “Health is 360 degrees, not just physical, and that is why today combines medical, mental, and spiritual care,” he said.
The Vicar of the Church of the Pentecost, Venerable Oluwaseun Bolatito Dokunmu, commended Pharm. Lawal’s initiative, noting that such efforts fill critical gaps in government health services. He warned against confusing spiritual afflictions with negligence, stressing that prayers must be combined with medical responsibility. “As we commit our health to God, we must also use the doctors He has provided,” he remarked.
In his contribution, Dr Victor Obasi, dental surgeon at Raboni Dental Clinic, Festac, highlighted the link between oral health and cardiovascular diseases, warning that untreated gum infections can spread to the heart. He advised Nigerians to brush twice daily, attend routine dental check-ups, and reduce smoking and poor diet habits that damage both oral and heart health.
Lending his support, Hon. David Osagie, councillor representing Ward K, Amuwo Odofin LCDA, described the convener as “a mother in the community” and pledged to partner with Victory Drugs to expand the initiative. “Health is wealth, and a healthy country is a wealthy country,” he said.
Speaking earlier with Pharmanewsonline, the convener, Pharm. Lawal, who followed the programme virtually from abroad, explained that the initiative was inspired by the urgent need to raise awareness about heart health in Nigeria. She noted that the coincidence of World Heart Day with her birthday this year made the initiative especially meaningful.
“Our hearts deserve care, and our hearts deserve attention. That is why my team and I chose to come up with this initiative,” she said. “Health is a shared responsibility. When we empower people with knowledge and access, we are strengthening the heartbeat of our society.”
Lawal stressed that heart disease claims over 17 million lives globally each year, many of which are preventable. She identified unhealthy eating patterns, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and poor stress management as major risk factors Nigerians must urgently address.
“From excessive oil in our soups, to high salt and sugar intake, to carbonated drinks and lack of exercise—these habits are fuelling hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease,” she cautioned. “God didn’t create our bodies to be sedentary. We must move, eat right, and embrace preventive care.”
She emphasised that the fair was designed to highlight the multidisciplinary nature of healthcare, bringing together doctors, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists, and counsellors to address the community’s diverse needs.
For Pharm. Lawal, it was a celebration of life through service to humanity, reflecting her enduring belief that birthdays are best marked by giving back to society.
