Ondo Commissioner Advocates Regular Community Health Education to Improve Early Disease Detection
Korede Abdullah 
ONDO, Nigeria – The Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, has called for sustained community-based health education to improve public awareness, encourage early disease detection and promote timely access to medical care.
Ajibefun made the appeal during a two-day free medical outreach organised by the Augustus Adeniyi Fanoro Memorial Health Foundation in Ilutitun Osoro, Okitipupa Local Government Area, where residents received screening and treatment for diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and malaria.
Represented by a senior director in the ministry, Mr. Loye Akinbuwa, the commissioner commended the organisers for mobilising residents and bringing essential healthcare services closer to the community.
Ajibefun urged organisers of future health interventions to deliberately target informal-sector workers, including farmers, traders and artisans, noting that they constitute a significant proportion of Nigeria’s productive population.
“Their good health through programmes like this is critical because the government alone cannot provide every healthcare service required by the people,” he said.
The commissioner expressed concern over the high number of participants diagnosed with elevated blood pressure and malaria during the outreach, stressing that the findings underscored the need for regular health education, preventive care and routine medical screening.
Chairman of the event and Paramount Ruler of Ilutitun Osoro, Oba Ernest Idepefo, appealed to the Ondo State Government to upgrade the community’s Comprehensive Health Centre to a General Hospital.
He noted that the facility, established more than four decades ago, no longer adequately serves the healthcare needs of the rapidly growing population in one of Okitipupa Local Government Area’s largest communities.
Also speaking, the Bishop of the Diocese on the Coast, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Seyi Pirisola, encouraged residents to embrace modern healthcare while maintaining their faith.
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