Think.Eat.Save is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that
encourages you to reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is
wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of
sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world
go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die
daily from hunger. Given this
enormous imbalance in lifestyles and the resultant devastating effects
on the environment, this year’s theme – Think.Eat.Save – encourages you
to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices you
make and empowers you to make informed decisions. -UNEP
Considering that majority of NIgerian hardly eat 3 times a day, do you
think this theme apply us? We do not have much in our house to eat let
alone to think and save, so, our government at all levels should know
that number one security in any country is 'food security' and gives
much importance in mass production of food, so that we can save.
How? government should support all agricultural program to farmers
accordingly. For Environmental Health Practitioners, they should try to
create awareness on the importance of 'ecological sanitation' on
agriculture, the importance of organic manure and the construction of
domestic bio-gas digester, which the end products are good for
agricultural activities. This will go in boosting production of food
without waiting for government by farmers for the supply of fertilizers.
Let us eat what we have. think of how to produce more, and save the excess.
“Global health” said Dr [Mrs] Ihuoma P Asiabaka is the
health of people in a global context and transcends the perspectives and
concerns of individual nations. It is about worldwide improvement of health,
reduction of disparities and protection against global threat that disregard
national borders.
“Exposure to transnational threat such as climate change,
poverty, violence, etc and a feeling of increase & shared responsibility
for iniquities present in the world today necessitated a more global approach
to improving the health of the world”.
It is based on these that the Centre for Women, Gender and
Development Studies, CWGDS, office of the Vice Chancellor, Federal University
of Technology, Owerri, FUTO, in collaboration with Institute of Environmental
Health Technology, IEHT, FUTO organizes an International conference on ‘Global
Health: Issues, Challenges and Management. The event took place from 20-22nd
May, 2013.
In his address, The Vice Chancellor of FUTO, Prof CC
Asiabaka declares “As a university which has school of health technology with a
clear mandate to research into health related issues and health technology, our
concern is not limited to the production of professionals and specialist in the
area of health technology, we are also expected to create fora such as this
where relevant information and awareness on health, environmental issues would
be examined, thoroughly discussed and implementable solutions proffered for the
benefit of mankind and the society at large.
In her opening address to the conference, The Ag Director of
CWGDS, Dr [Mrs] Ihuoma P Asiabaka said “Global health problems are as a result
of economic, social, environmental, political and health care inequalities and
thus require solution from interdisciplinary teams in such areas as health,
education, social sciences, science and technology.
“The global health challenges include among other issues,
HIV/AIDS, Malaria, emergency and refugee health, non communicable diseases,
injuries, etc.
“Thus there is need for collaborative national and
trans-national efforts including developing evidence-based policy research and
using such evidence-based information constructively in all countries to
improve health equity, and also using public health promotion strategies to
improve health and underlying social, economic, environmental and political
determinants of health”.
The lead paper was presented by Prof Linus Amobi Ilika of
community medicine department, Nnamdi Azikwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, titled
‘Global health: issues, challenge and management’ and Dr. I. E. Anigbogu of the faculty of Law,
Madonna University, Okija, which is ‘Sex, Sexuality and Gender imbalance’.
Prof Linus opined that “Global health has emerged as a
growing field, particularly over the past two decades. Greater recognition of
the global AIDS crisis, combined with the appearance and rapid international
spread of epidemics such as SARS, anthrax, the Ebola virus, swine flu (H1N1),
etc., have reinforced that health threats transcend national borders. While
much of the media attention has focused on epidemic of infectious diseases,
poverty, environmental pollution and degradation, social inequalities, global
health looks at a wider scope of health problems, determinants, and solutions,
such as chronic illnesses, accidents and
injuries. Other global health challenges include but not limited to poverty,
environmental and health emergencies, gender violence and abuse, substance use
and abuse, sex and sexuality, infant and maternal mortalities, terrorism etc”.
The Issues are that “For instance, health care systems
are still neither available nor accessible (when and if available) to a great
many people in Nigeria; infrastructural decay is common in the available
health care systems; non-communicable diseases (such as cardiovascular
diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung diseases) are still major threats
to Nigerians between the ages of 30 and above; hundreds of children under the
age of 5 die from malnutrition, diarrhoea, measles, respiratory diseases and
mostly preventable diseases, each year. It is on records that millions of
people die of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, pneumonia, diarrhoea,
tuberculosis and malaria annually”.
“The biggest challenge in global health” said Prof
Linus “is the lack of financial resources to combat the multiple scourges
ravaging the world's poor and sick. Today, more funds are needed for pressing
heath issues than ever before. Furthermore, funds are needed to support
research, build health facilities, train more health personnel, build capacity
and competence among health care providers……..”.
On the management he said “For the world to
begin to address health issues, three principles of action should be
considered, conditions of daily life have to be improved --- the conditions in
which people are born, grow up, live, work and age; the inequitable
distribution of power, money, and other resources has to be tackled; the
structural drivers of those conditions of daily life globally, nationally,
and locally; and problems have to be
measured, actions evaluated, knowledge base expanded; a workforce that is
trained in the social determinants of health has to be developed, and a public
awareness has to be raised about the social determinants of health. He also added Millennium Development Goals.
Many papers were presented on topical and current
contemporary global health issues which include some of th following, safe
motherhood, child survival strategies, sex and sexuality, Malaria, substance
use and abuse, poverty and health, environmental health in emergencies, etc. The
conference was well attended by FUTO principal officers, academia, and
participants across the nation, students inclusive.
Abdullahi Mustapha, from Sa’adatu Rimi college of Education,
Kumbotso, Kano who present 2 papers had this to say on the conference “I
appreciate the way the conference was organized, many participants across the
nation came, we interact, educative papers were discusses and solution
proffered”.
For John Kilakime, 500 level, Environmental Health
Technology “As an environmental health student, my eye is now to the current
global health issues, as there is no one single profession that has exclusive
monopoly over how the problems could be solve, all disciplines are important.
My interest in the conference is on environmental health in emergencies, for
wherever there is an emergency, environmental health issues shall arise, like
sanitary condition, water supply, food supplementation, food hygiene, etc.,
heavy metal resistance in microbes, health care financing & poverty and
safe motherhood”.
I feel highly delighted and honoured to welcome you all to
the 2013 International Conference on Global Health: Issues, Challenges and
Management.
Global Health is the health of people in a global context and
transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations.It is about worldwide improvement of health,
reduction of disparities and protection against global threats that disregard
national borders.
Exposure to transnational threats such as climate change,
poverty, violence etc and a feeling of increased and shared responsibility for
inequities present in the world today necessitated a more global approach to
improving the health of the world population.
In global health issues, it is important to emphasize that
the developed world does not havemonopolyof good ideas; and
therefore efforts mmust be made across cultures to develop better approaches
for the managementof common diseases,
the environment and more efficient means of food production and
distribution.It calls for a shift in
philosophy and attitude that emphasize real partnership, a pooling of
experience and knowledge, and a two-way flow of information between developed
and developing countries.Global health
uses the resources, knowledge and experiences of diverse societies to address
health challenges throughout the world.
The Global Health Strategy Report, released by the Centre for
Disease Control emphasized that the overall aim of global health is to ensure a
world where people live healthier, safer and longer lives.These could be achieved by protecting and
improving global health through providing technical expertise, translating
research into public health policies and practices, developing surveillance and
strategic information systems, conducting monitoring and evaluation activities,
improving emergency preparedness and response capabilities etc.
Global health problems are as a result of economic, social,
environmental, political and health care inequalities and thus require solution
from interdisciplinary teams in such areas as health, education, social
sciences, science and technology.
The global health
challenges include among other issues, HIV/AIDS, malaria, emergency and refugee
health, non-communicable diseases, injuries etc.
Thus there is need for collaborative national and
trans-national efforts including developing evidence-based policy research and
using such evidence-based information constructively in all countries to
improve health equity; and also using public health promotion strategies to
improve health and underlying social, economic, environmental and political
determinants of health.
This International Conference will x-ray the following sub-
themes:
·Safe motherhood
·Child survival strategies
·Sex and sexuality
·Gender violence and abuse
·Roll on, roll back malaria
·Community management and control of HIV/AIDS
·Aging and health
·Substance use and abuse
·Poverty and health
·Environmental health in emergencies
It is hoped that at the end of this Conference, suggestions
will emerge on how to;
·Translate researches into public health policies and
practices
·Form partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, research
institutes and agencies on the use of traditional plants and methods for the
management of health problems.
·Use vaccines for the management of health problems.
·Improve health capacities and resources
·Design health care-systems to promote population health.
·Improve global governance
·Co-ordinate actions across countries in response to disaster
and violence
·Eradicatediseases
I wish to most sincerely thank our assiduous Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. Chigozie C. Asiabaka KSM, JP and the University Management
for approving and financially supporting this conference.I also thank our lead paper presenters.Prof. Amobi LinusIlika and Dr. Barr. I.E. Anigbogu.I am very grateful to the Local Organizing
Committee for making this conference a reality.Finally, I appreciate in a very special way the entire staff and
students of the University for their love and support.
Once more I welcome you all to the 2013 International
Conference on Global Health: Issues, Challenges and Management.
The Society for Environmental Health of Nigeria (SEHON), in Collaboration with the Institute of Environmental Health Technology, Federal University of Technology; Owerri (FUTO) & Environmental Health Officers Registration Council Of Nigeria (EHORECON) is organizing an International Conference on the Role of Research in Improved Environmental Health Practice
Sub-themes :
i. The importance of research in Environmental Health
ii. Identification of Issues for research in Environmental Health Practice
iii. Epidemiology in Environmental Health
iv. Research design, organization and referencing in Environmental Public Health
v. Data gathering, analysis and interpretation in Environmental Health
vi. Proposal writing and grantmanship
vii. Instrumentation in Environmental Health
viii. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis in Environmental Health
EH Conference :
i. To equip participant with knowledge and skills to initiate and conduct research in Environmental Health field.
ii. To list areas of Environmental Health for immediate research focus in 2013 & 14.
iii. To identify resources available for research in Environmental Health in Nigeria
iv. To adopt a-5 year research agenda for Environmental Health in Nigeria
v. To develop a template for Environmental Health research inventory in Nigeria
The conference will hold in Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), from 13th to 15thJune
2013.
For more info, please call dr Kalu Obasi on 08036373731
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