The guest speaker at the 3rd Annual Edition of the D Bio Wellness and Safecare Summit, Mr Olayinka Rilwan Subair has tasked the government and policy makers on the introduction of mental health awareness in schools and work programmes.
Mr. Olayinka noted that the issue of mental wellbeing has become more critical in the Nigerian society of today.
In his keynote lecture at the Summit, Olayinka who is a renowned Phamacist of repute stated that there is need to normalise the talk about stress and sleep connection
in the society.
He called on people to avoid tobacco, alcohol abuse, unsafe practices, delayed screening among others.
The Pharmacist emphasised the need for the censuring of social media information on health issues as a lot of people are now dishing out unverified information to the public on health matters, expecially on male sex enhancement and performance matters.
Olayinka said it has become absolutetely necessary to make the office adaptable for wellness by adopting health and gym campaigns.
He stressed the need for regular physical exercise to maintain good health and reduction in drugs intake by avioding anti biotics misuse.
Olayinka urged Faith/Community Leaders to be the first responders for mental health, adding that a healthy mind is the engine of all other self-care.
He outlined remedies that can help to improve the quality of life in the society, like tax on sugar, subsidy on fruits/veggies, Pharmacists self-care counselling per customer, community weekly walk, mental health talk, healthy canteen, gym access, app for nutrition, 30 minutes movement five days in a week.
In her welcome address, the convener of the Summit, Dr Monica Hemben Eimunjeze, a Pharmacist of repute and retired Director of Drug Registration and Regulatory Affairs, Director of Drug Evaluation and Research at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, called for the management of stress and avoidance of risky situations.
Eimunjeze advised Nigerians to embrace self-care by being intentional and deliberate about it.
She said: “Taking care of yourself is not selfish. You have to be intentional, you have to be deliberate, you have to embrace those things that will help you. What you eat, how much you eat, you know, are you limiting your carbohydrates, are you eating more vegetables? if you have a non-communicable disease, for example, are you compliant with your medications? That’s all part of self-care. Are you compliant? Are you exercisable? Because the impact of exercise and loss of weight on some of these things has also been proven. So you have to be very intentional. Set goals for yourself, achieve those goals and move to different things. Because everybody is at a different point in their journey around self-care.
“It’s very important that we look at all these things and develop that ecosystem of self-care around us that help us in our journey to attain a very good health status”.
Eimunjeze noted that self-care is becoming a topic that people are getting more interested in as the understanding is growing around it.
She pointed out that the message of self-care is resonating across different spheres as people are understanding that there is an impact and benefit of being deliberate and intentional about self-care.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the event, Igwe Pharmacist Alexender Uzodinma Onyido of Ogidi Kingdom in Anambra state lauded the organisers of the health summit for their good works.
Igwe Onyido charged others to support the initiative so as to promote a healthy society.
He called for a holistic health environment for the promotion of physical and mental wellbeing.
In his remarks also, the Managing Director of Embassy Pharmaceutical, Chief Nnamdi Obi commended the organisers of the health summit for organising another sucessful event.
Chief Obi observed that a lot of things are taken for granted in health care matters in the country.
He emphasised the need for regular exercise to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of the people.
Speaking in the same direction, the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Mr. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim lauded the organisers of the programme for their excellent work.
He disclosed that the PSN will soon be celebrating its 100 years of existence in Abuja, including its annual seminar in Anambra state.
At the panel discussions, the panelist made up of prominent pharmacists and others called for attention on the issue of mental health for a better society.
They also called for phone usage regulation and internet access to prevent underage usage from abusing it.
They urged regulators to provide for identity to identy underage users and deny them access to certain unsuitable contents meant for adults.
The icing on the cake was the presentation of
Dr.Terfa Kene, President Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, APHPN, and Rays of Healthcare Project Manager,
on the deficiency of Vitamin D on a lot of people.
Dr. Kene called on people to be exposed to sunlight atleast 30 minutes or more in a day to aviod Vitamin D deficiency, instead of operating from airconditioned house to airconditioned car and
airconditioned offices.
The high point of the two days event which ends today was the induction of Igwe Onyido and another as the Bio Wellness and Selfcare Ambassadors and presentation of plaques to well derserving individuals.
