By Ikenna Orioha
The Acting Rector of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Dr. Ibeaja Uzoma Friday, has urged individuals to value their health by regularly observing activities and eating food that improve their living.
The Rector stated this while addressing staff, students and other participants during the 2024 World Hypertension Day Commemoration held on the Campus Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics Conference Hall, on Friday.
The Health Awareness Program which featured Road Walk, Lectures, Medical Check and Treatment, was organized by PolyNek Coalition Against Hypertension in partnership with Nigeria Hypothesis Society, Know Your Number Campaign, Nigeria Cardiac Society and Omron, themed “Know Your Numbers”.
Represented by the former Acting Rector, C.C Onyemenonu, Ibeaja urged people to engage in physical exercise, know their health status to avoid High Blood Pressure (HBP) which he said is dangerous as it kills faster, saying “a heathy society is a wealthy society. We have had in the past deaths relating to HBP. And we lost one of our staff, Engr Chijioke Okoro to HBP. Management of the Polytechnic is fully in support of the Health Awareness Program on the Campus because we value the health of our staff and students and we will continue to promote good health. We thank all persons for participating in the event. The School will always meet its social cooperate responsibilities to host community especially on healthcare delivery”.
Thus, In his lecture, a Consultant Physician/Cardiologist, Dr. Nwako Okechukwu Francis, disclosed that HBP is a global health issue as 1.28 billion people in the world are hypertensive with South East having highest rate of the chronic disease which he posited is prevalent in males, hence he warned people to shun too much of fried food, sugar, high salt diet, alcohol intake, cigarette/tobacco smoking and physical inactivity as they increase HBP, just as he advised that vegetables, fruits be eaten, active physical exercise such as walking, running, swimming, dancing, weight lifting be practised to prevent HBP.
The physician further indulged people to take medicine as accurately “prescribed by healthcare professional, keep appointment with their healthcare professional, reduce and manage stress, check BP regularly and treat BP”.
In an interview after the program, President, Like Minds Recreation and Sports Club of PolyNek, Comr. Enete Uchenna, said the club advocates using exercise or sports to harness healthy life rather than using drugs, remarking that the club is open for all staff of the Polytechnic,
Describing the Health Awareness Program as a worthwhile and a huge success, Chairman of ASUP Engr. Stanley Nwadike and a Chief Lecturer, Anderson Ezeigwe, hinted that the school and their partners used the World HBP Day 2024 Commemoration to raise awareness on the dangers of HBP and urged people to fully and regularly observe active exercise to improve their health and living.
