By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam has said that the state government will commence screening a total number of 196,913 persons for non-communicable diseases.
Dr Amina El-Imam,.the Kwara Commissioner for Health stated this on Thursday in Ilorin during a news conference organized in preparation for the state-wide campaign on “Project 10 Million: Know Your Numbers Control Your Numbers”.
According to her, the screening will commence from October 28 to the 3rd of November 2024.
“The Ministry of Health will offer free screenings for these diseases at all the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) primary health facilities located in the 193 wards of the state and many of the secondary health centres,” she said.
The commissioner stated that trained healthcare professionals will measure blood pressure and blood sugar levels, offer personalised health advice, and provide resources for further care.
“We shall also launch a public awareness initiative to educate everyone about the risk factors associated with hypertension and diabetes,” she said.
She explained that the screening is for four non-communicable diseases wreaking havoc on the people, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, hypertension and diabetes.
According to her, there is already state-wide breast and cervical cancer screening exercise for women in the State which commenced from 21st October and ends 12th December 2024.
She explained further that the screening exercise will be strategically located across Primary Healthcare Centres and also in religious houses and universities.
Speaking further, El-Imam observed that the initiative of the Nigeria Health Commissioner’s Forum, aims to screen 10 million Nigerians for two of the deadliest non-communicable diseases; hypertension and diabetes, across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Hypertension and diabetes are often referred to as silent killers. They affect millions of people worldwide, often without any noticeable symptoms until serious complications like stroke arise.
“This is why early detection and proactive management are crucial. This is the main essence of Project 10 Million, enabling and empowering the citizens of Kwara with knowledge of their vital signs.
“Such as their blood pressure and blood sugar numbers and providing them with resources necessary to control these numbers, thereby improving health and well-being,” she said.
El-Imam therefore appealed to people in the state to get screened for these diseases, adding that it is free, while drugs will be available and referrals will be made.
