Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has commissioned the School of the Public Health of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo.
The School of Public Health, Centre For Herbal Medicine and Drug Production is located at Bolorunduro, Ondo East Local Government Area of the state.
The Governor also performed the foundation-laying of Hon. and Dr (Mrs) Abiola Makinde’s Health Center at the school.
Reiterating his commitment to the growth of UMIMED, Governor Akeredolu noted that the take-off of the School Of Public Health perfectly accords with his administration’s vision of improving the health of the people and boosting educational development.
Governor Akeredolu identified health and education as the two major pillars of human development.
He said health and educational advancement are key elements in his government’s visionary plan to move the state to the next level, noting that the School of Public Health provides a strategic nexus to his vision.
The Governor explained that with the health problems confronting the people being mostly preventable or easily treatable, public health, with its strong focus on prevention and high emphasis on empowering community and households to make healthy choices, holds a strategic place in the mission of ensuring that the population and communities are healthy.
“Indeed, conditions like malaria, diarrhoea, and malnutrition are, unfortunately, still common causes of illness and death among our under-5 children in Nigeria.
“Pregnancy-related complications, including unsafe abortions, remain leading causes of death among our women.
“Drug abuse and mental health problems are currently growing at an alarming rate among our youth, while the rate of non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes is increasing among our elderly population.
“This situation calls for vigorous public health interventions and thus, challenges government at various levels in Nigeria to make greater investments in public health infrastructure and manpower development,” he said.
Governor Akeredolu expressed the belief that the research output of the school will also help in addressing some of the major health problems confronting the people.
He called for the support of indigenes of the state as well as public-spirited individuals and corporate organisations across the country and beyond to help support the institution.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Adesegun Fatusi, appreciated the commitment of Governor Akeredolu to the development of the institution.
“Mr Governor, Sir, without your kind and pragmatic action of approving this facility, originally designed to host a model secondary school, and provision of some financial support to undertake some renovation, the dream of starting this School would still have remained a “paperwork”, he said.
