The Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Kwara Chapter, on Thursday sensitised the deaf community on the need to care for the environment to promote healthy living and hygiene society.
The programme was part of the activities organised by MWAN in collaboration with the Association of Sign Language Interpreters in Nigeria (ASLIN), to celebrate the World Health Day, at Kwara School for the Special Needs.
Speaking at the event, Dr Oluwayemisi Adegboye, the Care Coordinator/Case Manager, Kwara Health Insurance Agency, said the need to sensitise everybody on the health and the planet is critical.
She observed that the planet earth is sick, saying “this automatically means that our health is in danger.
“Something should be done instead of keeping quiet. We decided as medical women association to go out and create awareness because you don’t have to be in government to do something about it.
“Those little ways that can be sometimes help; what to cook, eat, energy consumption. These little ways go a long way in helping planet earth,” Adegboye said.
On the need to plant trees, she said that people must learn the importance of trees as they absorb Co2 and breathes out oxygen needed by humans.
Adegboye said that all parts of trees are very important for humans, animals and the planet as a whole.
Also speaking, Mr Julius Olaolu of the Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf, University of Ilorin, commended the medical women for such laudable intervention.
He observed that often times the deaf communities don’t get such information, adding that the issue of health and environment concerns everyone.
“I want to encourage the organisers to always generalise their programmes, instead of localising to only those who can hear, because there are many hearing impaired in the society,” Olaolu said.
Dr Bilqis Muhammad-Alatishe, the state MWAN President, had earlier noted that the deaf community are often times neglected in the society due to their hearing impairment.
She explained that the association felt these people are part of the society and must be carried along in whatever happening in the world”.
She therefore appealed to the society to always factor these people with special needs in their activities.
(NAN)
