Experts urge Nigerians to prevent pandemics by sustaining Ecosystems
Dr Edwin Isotu-Edeh, National Consultant, Public Health and Environment, WHO Nigeria, has called on Nigerians to shun unhealthy and unsustainable practices that destroy the nation’s ecosystems, forests and wildlife.
Isotu-Edeh, who made this call at the ongoing 5th International Medical Geologists Association (IMGA) National Conference in Abuja, said there was the need to promote a one-health approach in implementing health programs.
He said to live healthy and free from pandemics, unhealthy behaviours such as poor sanitary practices, deforestation and consumption of ‘bush meat’ and endangered species should be halted.
He noted that the effects of climate change were reflecting in our daily lives with occurrences of extreme weather conditions, floods and droughts.
According to him, civilization depends on human health, flourishing ecological systems, and the wise stewardship of natural resources.
He commended the current leadership of WHO Nigeria, led by Dr Walter Mulombo, for his unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability in health programmes.
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He called on relevant stakeholders to understand that health meant complete wellbeing and beyond the absence of diseases and infirmities, we must adjust our behaviors towards prevention; and invest in environmental and planetary health.
The WHO Lead Public Health/Environment Health Expert in Nigeria said to have a healthy society, the nation must fix and regulate food production system, water and sanitation. He said switching to sustainable agriculture, included safe management of dead bodies, and promote ecofriendly approach to mining of minerals, saying they were things that mattered.
Prof. Akinade Olatunji, the Chairman (Geology), IMGA, said the earth had the tendency to regenerate itself from man’s pollution and all other unwholesome activities.
Also, Dr Larai Salau, CEO, Initiative for Advancement of Mining, Earth Science and Environmental Protection (IAMESEP), said there was no mining activities that cannot be reclaimed. She said,“Therefore, we should plant both cash crops and food crops to balance the difference between carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange.’’
She added that the country could not wait to see how much carbon dioxide the atmosphere can handle before an environmental disaster occurred.
Prof. Abiodun Odukoya, Co-Chairman (Geology) IMGA said it was more expensive to cure diseases than to prevent them. She called on doctors, nurses, policy formulators, and all professionals in different fields to partner in building a pandemic-free environment.
