2 hours ago
3 ARTICLE AD
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, said on Monday that the state government was targeting 200,000 residents of the state for free screening for hypertension and diabetes.
Oyebanji said the state had already set up 161 screening centres for the ongoing exercise held in the state between October 28 and November 3, 2024, as part of the Federal Government’s ‘Project 10 Million- Know Your Number, Control Your Number’ campaign.
The governor was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, at the campaign flag-off in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
He said, “There is a 70 per cent chance of dying from hypertension and diabetes between the ages of 30 and 70 years in Nigeria. Despite these alarming statistics, a lot of people are not aware of their status as far as these health conditions are concerned, making them silent threats to their health and well-being.
“We hope to conduct free screening for about 200,000 people in Ekiti State for hypertension and diabetes within the weeklong campaign in 161 screening centres across the state from Monday, October 28, to Sunday, November 3, 2024, with a focus on adults from 18 years.
“Ekiti is combining the ‘Project 10 million’ initiative with an innovative state intervention to rapidly increase the demand for primary healthcare services in Ekiti State, which is key to achieving Universal Health Coverage for the people.”
Oyebanji expressed worries that there is an increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases in the country due to various factors including change in lifestyles, saying 27 per cent of deaths in the country are caused by NCDs.
Oyebanji said that his government, through the ‘Ilera Wa’ initiative, expanded free ante-natal care services, free delivery and post-delivery care services for all pregnant women, free immunisation services, among others.
The state Health Commissioner, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said, “The free screening is to checkmate the frightening and spiralling level of hypertension and diabetes across the country, Ekiti inclusive.”
“Our mission in Ekiti State is to spread this campaign to as many people as possible, to know the number of victims and to be able to control it.”
The Commissioner added that the programme would be extended to palaces of traditional rulers, schools, market places and faith-based institutions, where citizens can access without inhibition.
