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By Gabriel Dike
An Associate Professor at University of Illinois College (UIC) of Medicine, USA, Prof. Morounkeji Akin-Olugbemi has disclosed that about 15million Nigerians are prediabetes and advised people to always go for early medical checkups.
She spoke at the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Oto/Ijanikin lecture series titled: “Workplace Wellness: Promoting Health and Preventing Diseases.”
LASUED Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye explained that the lecture is not about academic exercise but on health issues, which she described as appropriate to educate staff and students.
Dr. said there are medical issues that can be handled and treated if staff and students go for an early checkup.
She disclosed that UIC is in the process of formalizing their working relationship with LASUED, adding, the plan is done by both institutions signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which provides a formal framework for accessing the resources.
She said the objective of the MOA is toward collaboration initiative between the two institutions, identify areas of knowledge exchange and increase health literacy as well as prevent chronic disease.
On health, Prof. Akin-Olugbemi siad CDC provides an assessment tool to help employers promote employee health and well being and listed 18 different aras that employers can review and identify opportunities fr improvement.
The health scocard areas are organizational supports, prediabetes and diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical activity, weight mangement, nurtrition, depression, stress mangement, Alcolhol and other substance use, sleeep and fatigue, musculosketal disorders, occuptional health and safety, vaccine-preventable diseases, maternal health and lactation support, cancer, tobacco use and heart attack and stroke.
According to her, workplace wellness benefits result in improved quality life for faculty, staff, students, healthy employees and reduce disease risk.
Akin-Olugbemi said LASUED leadership has been in the forefront of supporting faculty, staff and students with staying healthy as well as being successful in their career.
The university don disclosed that wellness benefits at LASUED are staff and students’ clinic, cafeteria, GYM/recreation center and leave/vacation.
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She explained that UIC is only public research institution with 35,000 record enrollment of students, nearly $500million sponsored research and 16 academic colleges.
Prof. Akin-Olugbemi said the UIC/LASUED partnership will lead to degree and certification programmes with 95 bachelor’s courses, 1000 master’s, 65 doctoral, 84 certificate courses and 17-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio.
The partnership opportunities between the two universities include research and grant opportunities, joint publications, e-resources, student exchange programmes and co-teaching opportunities.
Prof. Lafiaji-Okuneye described the lecture as a strategic conversation about life, productivity, institutional excellence and sustainable development.
“It is a reminder that the workplace is not only a site of labour; it is also a site of living. It is where people think, plan, teach, research, mentor, serve, administer, innovate, collaborate, worry, celebrate and sometimes silently struggle.”
She stressed that any serious institution that cares about excellence must also care about the health and wellness of the staff whose daily efforts produce that excellence, adding, “a university that cares for knowledge must care for those who produce knowledge.”
The VC said good health is the foundation upon which meaningful learning, effective teaching, sound administration, creative research and social contribution are built. She added: “When health is weak, productivity declines; when wellness is neglected, institutions suffer; when prevention is ignored, disease becomes more expensive than death.”
Lafiaji-Okuneye described the theme of the lecture as timely, appropriate and consequential, noting, “in the modern workplace, wellness must go beyond the treatment of illness. It must embrace prevention, early detection, health literacy, physical activity, mental well-being, nutrition, ergonomics, safety, hygiene, social support, responsible lifestyle choices and a work culture that respects the dignity of the whole person.”
She noted that workplace wellness is not a luxury. It is an investment nor an act of charity. The VC argued that it is not only about avoiding disease but about enabling people to flourish.
“At LASUED, we are particularly conscious of this responsibility because we are a University of Education. The health of an educator does not end with the educator. It touches the classroom, the learner, the family, the profession and the future of the nation.
“A healthy teacher teaches better. A healthy administrator serves better. A healthy researcher thinks deeper. A healthy student learns better. A healthy university community contributes more meaningfully to society,” the VC stated.
Prof. Lafiaji-Okuneye hoped LASUED and UIC would collaborate in research, students exchange and provision of facilities.
