Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Chief of the Air Staff(CAS), Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, has told personnel of the Nigerian Air Force(NAF), to embark on periodic medical check-ups, saying the combat readiness of the service does not rely on the sophisticated aircraft and weapons but on the mental and physical fitness of personnel.
The CAS, who said the mental and physical fitness of personnel remains the only arsenal in defeating terrorism and other criminal groups terrorizing the peace of the country, noted that formidable armies across the globe have been brought to their knees by diseases.
Abubakar, gave the warning at the opening of a one day awareness lecture and screening exercise for Hepatitis B in Abuja.
Represented by the Chief Of Policy and Plans (COPP), Air Vice Marshall Napoleon Bali, Abubakar, who described Hepatitis as a dangerous disease, warned that it is capable of degrading the capacity of the Service.
He said it was for this reason that the NAF took it upon itself to educate its personnel on the deadly disease.
While noting the importance of good health, Abubakar, said “On assumption of office as the Chief of the Air Stahi we were faced with enormous responsibility of supporting the maintenance of peace in conflict environments both internally and externally, which required a robust medical coverage for NAF personnel engaged in’ operational and support duties.
“This necessitated my commitment towards upgrading the then NAF Directorate of Medical Services to a Branch status as well as upgrading the existing hospitals and constructions of new Reference Hospitals equipped with state-of-theart facilities to cater for the health care needs of NAF personnel and their families”.
“All these efforts are in realization of the fact that, the combat readiness of the NAF depends not only on the employment of various types of sophisticated aircraft, weapon systems and equipment, with aircrew who operate them, but also on the mental and physical fitness of its personnel due to the nature of their operating environment.
“Let me state that, the environment of the soldier includes everything in his daily life which may affect his health and thereby his military efficiency. The daily life of the soldier is in different shades; part is spent under peaceful conditions at home with periods of training camps, another part is spent away from home sometimes under harsh environmental conditions which may be very challenging to health.
“Historically, man y formidable armies have been brought to their knees by diseases such as the plague, smallpox and malaria. More recently, the operational effectiveness of some national armies were threatened by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus pandemic. These are few examples of why any serious fighting force must pay attention to prevailing health issues. The Nigerian Air Force appreciates the need to have healthy and well-motivated personnel in order to maintain operational readiness. This is why Headquarters Nigerian Air Force has always beams its light on contemporary health issues, hence viral hepatitis. “It would be recalled that the theme for the World Hepatitis day 2019 Campaign is ‘Invest in Eliminating Hepatitis’. It is for this reason that we are gathered here today to contribute our own quota to the WHO efforts at eliminating viral hepatitis.
“Hepatitis is a dangerous disease that is capable of degrading the capacity of the Service to deploy personnel for training and operations. It behooves on us individually and as a Service to be informed and contribute our quota to wards the control of hepatitis. Today, the Medical Services Branch has organized an awareness lecture and screening of personnel for Hepatitis B and C. This is our own way of fighting back the hepatitis scourge. This is appropriately captured in the theme for the event, which is ‘Empowering Personnel to Eliminate Hepatitis out of the Nigerian Air Force’.
“I have been informed that hepatitis is preventable treatable, and in the case of Hepatitis C, curable. This means that it is actually possible to eliminate hepatitis from the Nigerian Air Force.
“The Service has therefore taken measures to ensure that hepatitis and other similar diseases do not pose a challenge to our operational readiness. Some of these measures include ensuring that only healthy and fit individuals are recruited into the Service.
“Furthermore, over the years, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force has often directed units to provide appropriate information on disease control to personnel through enlightenment lectures. In addition this Headquarters has enhanced the capacity of our medical facilities to screen, detect, treat and manage hepatitis and other ailments.
“This was achieved through the recruitment of more medical professionals, provision of better infrastructure and procurement of more advanced equipment. Despite these efforts, it is important to remind you all that the fight against diseases such as hepatitis should not be left for the Medical Services alone. Each individual and Nigerian Air Force units have roles to play in controlling the spread of diseases.
“In view of these, I encourage you all to get empowered by listening attentively to the Guest Lecturer. In addition, you are expected to submit yourself for Hepatitis B and C screening, vaccination and treatment, as appropriate. Please ensure that the knowledge you would gain today is passed on to your colleagues and family members elsewhere. Let us all join hands to eliminate hepatitis from the Nigerian Air Force and make the country a healthier nation.”