By Atinuke Alao
The Chairman of the Kwara State Chapter of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Munirat Kikelomo Bello, has identified arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases among the conditions that could be prevented or better managed through appropriate dietary choices and healthy lifestyles.
She stated this at a one-day health sensitisation programme organised by the Kwara State Chapter of the National League of Veteran Journalists (NALVEJ).
In her lecture themed “Nutrition, Diet and Healthy Ageing,” Mrs Bello said proper nutrition and healthy living were essential to preventing diseases and managing health conditions commonly associated with old age.
She urged older Nigerians to prioritise balanced diets, regular medical examinations and healthy lifestyle choices to prevent age-related diseases and improve their quality of life.
The pharmacist said ageing should not be regarded as a stage of life when people must resign themselves to ill health, stressing that adequate nutrition, physical activity and regular medical care could improve the well-being of older adults.
She called on veteran journalists and other elderly Nigerians to pay greater attention to their nutritional needs and adopt healthy habits that would enable them to remain active and enjoy a better quality of life.
Also speaking at the programme, immediate past Editor-in-Chief of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Muftau Ojo, urged members of the league to make their health a priority, warning that ignorance of one’s health condition could have serious consequences.
Ojo stressed the importance of regular medical examinations, early detection of health problems and prompt attention to unusual symptoms.
He encouraged the veteran journalists to take advantage of available healthcare services and embrace preventive healthcare practices to sustain their health and productivity in old age.
The participants commended the organisers and the PSN for the initiative, describing the health education programme as relevant to journalists who had spent several decades in active service.
The Assistant Secretary of NALVEJ Kwara, Felix Ajide, who also spoke at the event, said members had learnt useful lessons from the sensitisation programme and urged them to apply the knowledge by making their health a priority.
Ajide thanked Bello for honouring the league’s invitation and delivering the lecture, while praying for God’s continued blessings upon her.
In his remarks, the Chairman of NALVEJ, Kwara State Chapter, Alhaji Tunde Akanbi, described the lecture as timely and insightful.
Akanbi said the league organised the sensitisation as part of its welfare package to keep members fit and informed them about health issues associated with ageing.
He commended the PSN Chairman for honouring the invitation and pledged that the league would sustain health programmes for its members.
