By Mustapha Adamu, Kano
No fewer than 225 farmers have received free counseling on management of cardiovascular diseases and the various risk factors as well as the preventive measures to lower the risk.
The programme powered by Olam’s Nigeria Limited, is a community health awareness campaign initiative, aimed at complementing the state’s healthcare delivery system to farmers.
The programme took place in some parts of Jigawa state as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR).
Speaking to newsmen on the company’s efforts in strengthening its relationship with farmers in Kano yesterday, coordinator of the company’s CSR sustainability programme, Emmanuel Akoyibo, revealed that the campaign was geared at scaling up wellbeing among farmers.
He added that in Jigawa state, the company is scaling the wellbeing in communities in the Olam sesame supply chain with the hope of increasing awareness on the rising incidences of cardiovascular disease.
He explained that in Jigawa the program has successfully sensitized over 225 farmers so far adding that the programme is being implemented in partnership with the Jigawa State Ministry of Health.
He said medical experts in the field of cardiology were drawn from both the public and private sectors to participate in the program.
“The project entails the sensitization of the farmers about the basic causes of the disease, and steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of coming into contact with the disease.
“We had organized a 3-day sensitization program in which the Medical Team conducted free blood pressure tests to participants to ascertain their status and provided appropriate advice on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” he explained.
It was gathered that the company had done a similar intervention, known as ‘Sesame Sustainable Village Program’ which was designed to assists farmers with training on good agricultural practices, free improved sesame seeds, loan of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides as well as buying products from farmers at a premium price over the years.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
