The Ondo State Government has inaugurated a 30-man committee to screen 300,000 residents for non-communicable diseases under a Federal Government (FG) programme tagged ‘Poject 10 Million’.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, who inaugurated the committee on Friday in Akure, said that the FG programme was to screen 10 million Nigerians for non-communicable diseases.
Ajaka said that the non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, mellitus and hypertension, contributed 27 per cent to the mortality rate in the country.
According to him, it is pitiable that many people are ignorant of such diseases which has led to many untimely deaths, while some will come up with complications such as stroke and renal failure.
“The FG programme will screen 10 million Nigerians at random, out of which 300,000 people will be screened in the state.
“The exercise will be a week long, from Oct.13 to Oct. 19, and the screening will hold at markets and health centres in the 18 local government areas of the state.
“We have to put in place a committee that will plan, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the project and write a report. That is where all of you come in.
“We are expected to align with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and key stakeholders, including development partners, to secure endorsement and resources.
“We will also identify and secure central locations in the communities to make sure it is accessible and have space for health stations and education,” he said
Responding, Dr Adeniran Ikuomola, the Chairman of the committee, lauded the FG for their efforts in ensuring that Nigerians were free from communicable diseases.
Ikuomola, also the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Health, said the project would help the people to know their status and learn how to control communicable diseases.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee comprises permanent secretaries in the health and education sector in the state, and the secretary, Ondo State Drug and Health Commodities Management Agency.
It also includes Chief Medical Directors, and representatives of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Nigerian Medical Association, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, and Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, amongst others. (NAN).
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