Participants at the 4th Lecture Series of SSANU. Inset, Guest Lecturer, Dr. Christopher Adesina, delivering the Lecture

The Guest Lecturer at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB) 4th Lecture Series of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Professor Charles Olutayo Alebiosu, has attributed the sharp rise in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Nigeria to the socio-economic transition in the country.

The Professor of Medicinal Science made this disclosure while delivering a Lecture titled: Non-Communicable Diseases (Hypertension, Diabetes and others): A Ticking Time Bomb.

According to Professor Alebiosu, the nation’s transition from rural agrarian communities to urban industrialized cities has prompted the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle and diets such as less physical activities, pollution from industries as well as tobacco and excessive alcohol intake, which he attributed to be major risk factors of NCDs.

Professor Alebiosu of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OSUTH), Sagamu, represented by Dr. Christopher Adesina, highlighted NCDs to include cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary artery dysfunction and stroke. Others are diabetes, stress, cancer, obesity, blindness, among others.

He hinted that hypertension remained the world’s leading silent killer, with a warning that any rise in human blood pressure above 140/90 mark, should be taken seriously, as such is usually indicative of hypertension.

Professor Alebiosu noted that hypertension could be hereditary and easily triggered by a high salt or saturated fat diet, obesity, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption as well as low potassium and vegetable diet.

The Guest Lecturer admonished people to take heed of the warning by the World Health Organization which projected that between 2006 and 2015, death due to NCDs (half of which will be due to cardiovascular diseases) would increase by 17% while death from infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies and maternal conditions would decrease by 3%.

He also warned on the potential dangers of diabetes which he said could also be hereditary and common in people who are overweight, above 45 years old and physically inactive, while observing that stress and depression usually resulted into suicidal tendencies.

He admonished participants at the Lecture to imbibe the practice of a regular medical check- up and promote healthy life style by exercising, consuming diets low in salt and cholesterol and checking their blood pressure at every opportunity.

Earlier in his Welcome Address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun commended the executives of SSANU on the theme of this year’s lecture, which adequately articulated a genuine concern for the well-being of their members.

Professor Balogun said that high poverty rate, low standard of living and ignorance amongst Nigerians have contributed significantly to the country’s mortality upswing.

The Vice-Chancellor, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development, Professor Segun Lagoke, also lauded the initiative of the Union in organizing free medical tests for their members and therefore called on other Unions to take a cue from the gesture.

Professor Balogun expressed Management’s appreciation of the robust relationship with SSANU, describing the Union as worthy partner in progress.

The SSANU Chairman, (UNAAB Branch), Comrade Abdussobur Salaam in his address, stated that the Union’s Lecture Series was conceived with a view of enlightening its members and the entire University community on various aspects of life.

He noted that the choice of this year’s topic was informed by the analysis of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which put the probability of a Nigerian not attaining the 40-year mark at 37.4%.

According to him, “the breakdown of our health institutions due to poor funding and lack of facilities have led to our hospitals not performing up to par in terms of service delivery”.

Comrade Salaam therefore called on Nigerians to assist in detonating the ticking time-bomb by voting for responsive, responsible, accountable and dedicated leaders, in the next election.

The Lecture was attended by the National President of SSANU, who also doubles as the Deputy National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Barrister Promise Adewusi, the Ogun State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Adewumi Alayaki, the Acting Registrar, Mr. Adeleke Adeboye. Other dignitaries included the Acting Bursar, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, represented by the Director of Final Account, Mr. Emmanuel Yemtet, the Director, Internal Audit, Mrs Taiwo Aroyeun and Executive members of other Unions.