Korede Abdullah in Lagos
Long-term exposure to fine particle pollution is silently damaging vital organs, including the lungs and digestive system, President of the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN), Professor Jesse Otegbayo has warned.
Speaking at SOGHIN’s 17th Annual General and Scientific Conference on Thursday, Otegbayo, who also heads the University College Hospital, Ibadan, said: “The smoke you can see is made of very small particles that, when inhaled, cause diseases in the lungs and circulate all around the body through our blood. They affect the lining of the intestine and have been associated with oesophageal cancer and other diseases of the GIT like oesophagitis, gastritis, gastric cancer, and colon cancer.”
He called on the Nigerian government to enforce environmental standards to curb pollution-driven health risks.
In his keynote address, Professor Desmond Leddin from Dalhousie University, Canada, echoed these concerns, describing global warming, pollution, and biodiversity loss as “the three horsemen of the end times” that threaten human health by contaminating air, water, and food.
“If you look at the literature on how the changing environment, pollution, and biodiversity are affecting health, you will find publications on its effect on every aspect of human health and physiology,” Leddin noted.
The conference stressed the urgent need for robust research and improved diagnostic capacity to tackle the growing impact of climate change on digestive health.
Also speaking at the event, Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr. Temitope Ilori, represented by Dr. Okeyode, highlighted how the HIV programme’s resources could strengthen Nigeria’s fight against viral hepatitis.
“The hepatitis programme can greatly benefit from the HIV programme’s resources and structure,” Ilori said, urging gastroenterologists to gather reliable data to secure funding for hepatitis interventions.
Meanwhile, experts like Dr. Amrita Sethi and Dr. Kolawole Akande emphasised investing in skilled personnel and modern tools to advance endoscopy and gastroenterology practice in Nigeria.
