As the world commemorates the 2024 World Family Doctors’ Day, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmou , has called on Nigerians to adopt a healthy living condition.
The Minister also urged Nigerians to collectively invest more in afforestation and discourage deforestation, stressing that the health of the people is largely dependent on the status of the planet.
Mahmoud made these calls as a Special Guest of Honour at the commemoration of the World Family Doctors’ Day held in Abuja.
The Minister, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant on Administration and Strategy, Dr. Abdullahi Isah Kauramata, described the choice of the theme for this year, “Healthy Planet, Healthy People” as strategic and timely.
While stressing the importance of family doctors in any society, Mahmoud said, “The contribution of family physicians to the healthcare system especially in providing basic services is commendable.
“Most of the healthcare burden of Nigerian families are handled by the family physicians who are trained to handle all manner of diseases.
“A well trained family physician is expected to perform and assist in routine surgeries, provide emergency care, vaccinate patients to prevent and treat diseases, perform patient advocacy role, coordinate or manage primary patient care amongst others services”.
She, however, called on the family physicians to continue to support the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to actualize the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration, just as she pledged to continually support the family physicians.
On his part, President of Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria, Prof. Musa Dankyau, said family physicians recognized the interconnectedness of environmental health and human health, and the key role family doctors play in promoting both.
He revealed that Nigeria is currently witnessing the effects of environmental degradation on the health of the populations from air pollution and climate change to deforestation, and water contamination.
“These effects are real, affecting our daily lives from Sokoto to Lagos, Jos to Enugu, Maiduguri to Port Harcourt.
“However, as family physicians, we are uniquely positioned to address these challenges and advocate for the health of both our patients and families as well as our planet,” he stated.
Recall that since its declaration in 2010, the World Family Doctors Day (WFDD) has been celebrated annually to recognize the vital role of Family Doctors in delivering personal, comprehensive, and continuous health care to patients.
It also serves as an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of family doctors to the health of the planet and patients.