Nigerian public health scholars and industry practitioners have convened to seek ways to improve the collective health of people, animals, plants, and the environment in the country.
The public health stakeholders in Ibadan on Tuesday, through the 3rd Ibadan Public Health Conference (IPHC) organised by the Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, agreed that adopting health as a policy and as a way of life will ensure the sustainability of all forms of life, the food chain, and the environment in Nigeria.
The five-day conference, whose theme was ‘One Earth, One Life, One Health’ was organised in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the African Field Epidemiology Network, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and CARTA, among others.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, represented by the Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Professor Oyeronke Odunola, noted that the theme of the conference was a global yet locally relevant critical issue that should inspire collective action towards a healthier and more sustainable future for all.
The chairman of the local organising committee (LOC) of the conference, Professor Elizabeth Oloruntoba, noted that the conference will feature a pre-conference on leadership public health career mentorship trajectory, an in-conference on one health, a post-conference on biosafety and biosecurity considerations for a secured public space, paper presentations and exhibitions, and technical and social tours.
She stated that the essence of the conference underscores a universal truth ─: the health of the planet, the diversity of life it supports, and the well-being of humans are interconnected and interdependent.
“We should dare to envision a future where health and harmony prevail, because we have, as a species, a call to action to each contribute our quota to ensure we all have a healthy life on our dear planet,” Professor Oloruntoba said.
The Dean of the Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Professor G.R.E.E. Ana, in his address, lamented that conflicts, ethnic struggles, and wars, among others, are polarising the earth, causing settlement displacement, environmental pollution, climate change, and diseases.
“The aim of this conference is to engage different stakeholders, especially those in the scientific community and professionals, to share their experiences and to provide opportunities for mentoring upcoming scholars, as well as provide a veritable platform for networking and fostering new collaborations,” Professor Ana said.
In the course of the opening ceremony of the conference, Professor Kabiru Junaid, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, delivered a keynote address titled ‘Rapidly emerging and diverse food and health security challenges in Nigeria and one health’. Professor Jim McQuiad, University of Leeds, the United Kingdom, also delivered a keynote titled ‘Distributed air quality measurement in communities and modelling the impacts of ambient PM2.5’.
Furthermore, during the plenary sessions, Professor Godwin Aja, the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Calabarzon, Philippines, spoke on ‘The strong pillar towards achieving one health’. Dr. Oyeladun Okuronmade of the NCDC also spoke on ‘Ecological Disease: Preparation and Response to Disease Outbreaks.”
Representatives of WHO, Professor T. Ogundiran, Dean of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, representing the Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan; Dr. Ayodele Majekodunmi of FAO; Dr. Olusola Aruna of UKHSA; and Col. Dr. Okwuosa, commander and consultant pathologist at the 2nd Division Medical Service Hospital, among others, gave their goodwill messages.
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