Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Environment, Dr. Mrs. Minnie Oseji, on Monday called on family doctors to partner with the Delta state government in its desire to create an environment free of health hazards, and diseases and conducive for human existence in the state.
Dr. Oseji made the call while delivering a keynote address during World Family Doctors’ Day which was celebrated by executives and members of the Society for Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON) at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, the capital of Delta state. The theme of the family doctor’s day was Healthy Planet, Healthy People.
In the address, Dr. Oseji said the role of family doctors was critical to the attainment of a healthy society as they are the advisors to patients and families while delivering healthcare services to them.
She listed areas where government had and is intervening to ensure safer planet, what doctors and members of society could do in partnership with the government and the role of world organizations in ensuring a healthy environment and good health for all.
She identified partnership with companies for massive sensitization and awareness creation on waste recycling, greenhouse gas inventory programmes, celebrating world environment day, mitigating impact of flooding, tree planting, awareness creation on reducing carbon footprint, reducing use of generating sets, and others.
National president of SOFPON, Prof Musa Dankyau, in his address, said since the declaration of the World Family Doctors Day in 2010, the event has been celebrated annually to recognize the vital role of family doctors in delivering personal, comprehensive, and continuous health care to patients.
He said family doctors have played profound roles in the wellbeing and health of individuals, families, and communities around the globe. Speaking on the theme of the 2024 Family Doctors Day which is Healthy Planet, Healthy People, he said there is an interconnection between environmental health and human health.
He said Nigeria is currently witnessing the effects of environmental degradation on the health of Nigerians. He identified air pollution, climate change, deforestation, water contamination to dangerous and unnecessary chemical additions to food and soil as some of the challenges facing the planet.
Represented by Doctor Patience Omashor of the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Professor Dankyau said: “In our preventive care role, we can advocate for environmental policies that protect public health and educate our patients about sustainable living practices.
“Specific steps including encouraging patients to walk or bike instead of drive, promoting energy-efficient practices in our clinics and hospitals, advocating for sustainable clean air and water regulations, every action we take can make an enormous difference.
“Beyond advocacy, Nigerian Family Physicians must be models of sustainable living as we plant gardens even in our crowded city environments, reduce or eliminate single-use plastics, change to solar power backups, among others.
He called on family doctors to reaffirm their commitment to the health of “our planet and our patients. We must continue to be champions for environmental justice and health equity, recognizing that a healthy planet is essential for the well-being of all people, not just now, but for generations to come.”
Delta state chairman of SOFPON, Dr. Dele Ogunfowokan, while delivering welcome address, said every family ought to have family doctor in an ideal society. He noted that the healthier families are, the healthier the society will be.
He said it is imperative that family doctors collaborate with other sectors, Non-Governmental Organisations, so as to have a healthy environment. He called for advocacy, using the media, to propagate the essentials of a healthy environment.
National President of Association of Nigeria Private Medicine Practitioners (ANPMP), Kay Adesola, said a healthy planet sustains life by providing clean air, good water, safe food as well as supporting biodiversity and ecosystem that regulate climate and weather patterns.
Represented by Chairman of ANPMP in Delta, who is medical director of ~a Clinic in~ Warri, Dr. Chikaike Nnamdi Moses, he said when these natural systems are disrupted through pollution, deforestation. Climate change or by any other human activity, the consequences ripple through the environment and ultimately affect human health.
He noted that the health of a nation is the prosperity of the nation just as he said environmental factors constitute part of the major determinant of health
He said the theme of the World Family Doctors Day encapsulates a holistic approach to wellbeing that recognizes the interconnectedness of the human health and the impact of environmental disruptions.
Chairman of the day and medical director of Echos Hospital, Benin City, Dr. Matie Obazee, gave a rundown of the history of family doctors day globally. According to him, May 19 was approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to celebrate family doctors around the world.
He said for the past three years Delta state ~under the leadership of Dr Dele Ogunfowokan~ has taken this yearly celebration to a topnotch, adding that Nigeria has played critical role in recognizing family doctors day.
The event was a big day for family doctors to interact, share ideas and unwind away from the ever busy day for doctors arising from the continuous flow of patients to hospitals on daily basis.
