Foundation Screens 1,000 Osun Traders, Residents For Hypertension, BMI

About 1,000 traders at Igbona Market in Osogbo, Osun State, and other residents of the area have been screened for hypertension and Body Mass Index during a medical outreach organised by the Femi Olutoye Foundation.

The exercise was held at the market as part of activities marking the second anniversary of the foundation.

The coordinator of the outreach, Kareemat Jolayemi, a nurse and lecturer at Adeleke University, Ede, expressed concern over poor adherence to prescribed hypertension medication among some of those screened.

She also disclosed that several participants who underwent BMI checks were overweight, a condition that could increase their risk of developing non-communicable diseases.

Jolayemi said the exercise was designed not only to screen participants but also to educate them about hypertension, its causes, prevention and the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyles.

According to her, some participants who reported having been placed on medication for hypertension admitted that they did not take their drugs as prescribed.

She advised such individuals to comply with their treatment and seek appropriate medical care, stressing that hypertension can have serious consequences if left unmanaged.

The medical team also counselled participants on proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices.

A market leader, Shakirat Ajibola, commended the foundation for organising the free medical outreach, saying it provided traders who might not regularly visit healthcare facilities with an opportunity to check their health status.

She encouraged traders to make routine medical examinations a priority even when free outreach programmes are unavailable.

The Femi Olutoye Foundation has also carried out a cervical cancer awareness and prevention campaign for selected women in Osun State.

The programme, organised as part of activities marking International Women’s Day, focused on the importance of early detection and regular screening for cervical cancer.

At a women’s health outreach in Iragbiji, participants were educated on cervical cancer prevention and the importance of seeking medical attention early.

Jolayemi, who served as the lead facilitator, called for stronger collaboration among individuals, organisations and government to improve access to cervical cancer screening equipment.

She said greater availability of screening services would help increase early detection and reduce preventable deaths associated with the disease.

The foundation said its health interventions form part of its broader commitment to improving community health awareness and encouraging residents to take preventive healthcare more seriously.