06032018 - Charge any Fulani man with AK-47 to court—BUHARI

44—Vanguard, TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 2018
Unchecked oral health disease can
lead to death — EXPERTS
•As Pepsodent kicks off World Oral Health Day celebration
As the world rolls out
thedrums to mark
this year's World
Oral Health Day, with the
theme: Say Ahh: Think
Mouth, Think Health,
experts have decried poor
public awareness on oral
hygiene, warning that oral
health disease left
unchecked can lead to
major negative health
consequences, including
death.
They also maintained that
individuals must
understand that good oral
health is much more than
a nice smile as it can impact
every aspect of life
including ability to perform
basic functions.
In his submission at a
press conference organised
by the Nigerian Dental
Association, NDA, in
partnership with Unilever
Nigeria Plc weekend, in
Lagos, the President of
NDA, Dr. Olabode
Ijarogbe, who observed that
poor public awareness on
oral hygiene was seriously
affecting dental care in
Nigeria, regretted that
simple things like daily oral
hygiene using fluoride
toothpaste are not yet a
common practice in
Nigeria.
Ijarogbe said individuals
must avoid risk factors such
as tobacco, harmful use of
alcohol and unhealthy
diets especially those rich
in sugar. "Avoiding these
risk factors not only helps
protect oral health but
prevent other conditions
such as heart disease,
stroke, cancer, chronic
respiratory diseases and
diabetes."
He announced that for
this year's oral health day
celebrations, the NDA will
be organising a week-long
activities including health
awareness walk, dental
outreaches in rural
communities, while the
grand finale would hold on
March 20, 2018 at the
Union Bank Sports Hall,
Surulere Lagos.
Speaking on the activities
for the year, the marketing
director, Unilever Ghana
Nigeria, Bunmi Adeniba
said: "This year, we will be
focusing on creating
awareness on tooth decay,
currently the most
widespread, chronic
disease in the world, that
affects three out of five
children, and almost all
adults. Tooth decay can be
prevented and avoided
through good oral hygiene
practices, and increased
support and funding for
prevention, detection and
treatment programs."
"From inception till date,
Pepsodent has reached a
total of 3.5 million children
with its Brush Day and
Night Schools Programme.
“In 2018, we intend to
directly reach 1.5 million
school children with our
products and educational
materials. This year, we'll
also be enlisting Nigerian
youths as oral health
advocates, who will take the
message of good oral
health to their communities.
Our vision and
commitment is to improve
the oral health of 10 million
Nigerian children by 2020
through the Pepsodent
Brush Day & Night Schools
Programme," she
concluded.
Speaking, the Minister of
Health, Prof. Isaac
Adewole, who was
represented by the Director/
Head of Dentistry in the
ministry, Dr. Bola Alonge,
noted that the World Oral
Health Day is celebrated
every March 20 globally to
educate the public on the
benefits of a healthy mouth
and create awareness on
issues surrounding oral
health, and to promote oral
hygiene among people.
Alonge commended the
initiative, saying that the
partnership between the
Federal Ministry of Health
and Unilever will help
deliver optimal oral health
care in the country.
Better days ahead for post-graduate
medical trainees — Prof. Opubo
By Gabriel Olawale Teaching Hospital
THE newly installed
President of the
National Postgraduate
Medical College of
Nigeria, NPMCN,
Professor Opubo Benedict
da Lilly-Tariah has
assured that his
administration would see
to the development of
competent and highly
skilled fellows. He made
this pledge during his
investiture as the 20th
President of the college in
Lagos.
Da Lilly-Tariah further
expressed his desire to
make the college a
renowned international
medical graduate training
centre with state-of-theart
training facility that
would support the
evolving needs of
specialist doctors and
dentists at all levels of
their career.
Professor Da Lilly-Tariah
who is also the Head of
ENT department at the
University of Port Harcourt
informed the audience
that the dream of the
founding fathers of the
institution, which among
others, was to reduce the
huge sums of money
being expended on
medical tourism and
overseas training, has
stood the test of time.
Da Lilly-Tariah further
stated that the successful
training and graduation of
5,773 Fellows by the
college since inception,
has saved the country a
lot of funds.
He said: "Our mandate
as a college is to produce
medical and dental
specialists of the highest
standards who will
provide world class
services in teaching,
research and healthcare.
"In pursuing this
mission, I will encourage
all faculties to develop
curricula in subspecialties
in line with the 21st
Century as the college
wishes to certify all
subspecialty training.
"The college will pursue
the disciplines of
Emergency Medicine and
Geriatric Medicine with
increased vigour. The
various faculties will be
tasked with drawing up
areas of issue-based
interests that will
generate research topics
and the college is willing
to collaborate with any
agency in funding this
project.
"Our ultimate goal of
investing in ICT is to run
online course and we are
not going to relent until
that is achieved.
He urged government
to invest a logical
percentage of the saved
fund to the college for
improvement of training
infrastructure,
educational facilities and
its overall development.
"Government should try
as much as possible to
prevent recurrent strike
in our teaching hospitals,
brain drain and ensure
universal health coverage
at all levels in Nigeria.