How to solve Nigeria’s health problems —Adewole

AS dignitaries celebrate the life and times of Professor Joshua Adeniyi, the pioneer dean of the Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, in Ibadan, Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has stressed the need for an interdisciplinary approach to solving the many health challenges faced by Nigerians.

Adewole spoke at a faculty lecture in honour of late Professor Joshua Adeniyi, the pioneer dean of the Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, in Ibadan.

The minister, who spoke through Professor Akin Osibogun, a community health physician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, stated that the problem confronting the health of the populace can never be solved by a single discipline.

According to Adewole, “the root cause of these problems are generally multifaceted and therefore can only be successfully tackled using an interdisciplinary approach.”

While appreciating late Professor Adeniyi’s efforts and foresight at promoting interdisciplinary public health, he urged that public health experts in the country come up with innovative ways of improving health of Nigerians.

Earlier, the guest lecturer, William Brieger, a Professor of Health Systems Programme at The John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health highlighted many interdisciplinary public health interventions that Professor Adeniyi was involved in to better health of people at the community level.

While public health promotes the health of people and the community, Brieger said good health at the community is only achieved when multiple disciplines come together to work as a team.

According to him “while Joshua will be very much missed, his legacy will live on in the colleagues and students from many disciplines that his life has touched.”

A foremost public health expert, Professor Oladele Kale also described late Professor Adeniyi as an epitome of public health and a man of exceptional quality, who had been a great mentor.

He added, “If he had failed in this quest, probably there would be no Faculty of Public Health at the Ibadan College of Medicine today.”

Eminent health experts and groups in attendance, included Professor ABOO Oyediran, Professor Abiodun Ilesanmi, Dr Diran Olabisi and members of the Oke Ogun Development Council.