2013

WEST AFRICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS (NIGERIA CHAPTER)
37th ANNUAL GENERAL AND SCIENTIFIC MEETING (VENUE: OSOGBO, STATE OF OSUN, NIGERIA)
DATE: 16TH - 19TH JULY, 2013

COMMUNIQUÉ

PREAMBLE

  • The 37th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the West African College of Physicians Nigerian Chapter was held at Osogbo, the State of Osun, Nigeria from 16th -19th July 2013.
  • The Deputy Governor of the state of Osun, Otunba Titi Laoye-Tomori declared the meeting open on behalf of the Governor, Ogbeni Abdulrauf Adesoji Aregbesola on Wednesday, the 17th of July, 2013.
  • The main theme of the conference was “Medicine and Climate Change”
  • The sub-themes were:

1.  Disaster Preparedness and Management, Eradication of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospect,
2.  Postgraduate Medical Training: Ensuring Standards and Quality Assurance.

  • A total of three hundred and sixty-nine (369) registered participants from across Nigeria attended the conference. Dignitaries including the Secretary to the State of Osun Government, Ten Honourable Commissioners including the commissioners for Health, Information and Strategy, Justice, Women Affairs, Environment as well as Permanent Secretaries and members of the house of assembly. The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Vice-Chancellor,  Osun State University, the Chief Medical Director, LAUTECH Teaching hospital, Osogbo graced the opening ceremony.
  • The academic activities of the meeting included the following:
    • The Sir Manuwa  Lecture, titled “Changes in Pathology Practice: Possible Outcomes” was delivered by Dr. John Olufemi Ogunbiyi on behalf of the Faculty of Laboratory Medicine.
  • The conference symposium discussed several topics including “Health Management Issues in Disaster management, climate change, and GIT disorders.
  • The effect of global warming on Respiratory diseases, Climate change, and the skin, Vaccine-preventable diseases: The way forward in Nigeria
  • Postgraduate Medical Education: Demystifying the Myth and the way forward.
  • Thirty-seven (37) abstracts were presented on health and health-related issues

OBSERVATIONS

  1. There is an inadequate preparedness and framework for a response to disaster management in the country
  2.  Air pollution is the progenitor of climate change
  3. Climate changes have affected the distribution, breeding, and emergence of uncommon agents which has in-turn altered the pattern of morbidity and mortality of diseases such as diarrhea, tuberculosis, skin conditions and cancers.
  4. The challenges of climatic change and diseases are enormous and could pose a threat to world health.
  5. The spectrum of vaccine-preventable diseases has increased tremendously from the traditional neo-natal to geriatric age group.
  6.  That Nigeria is still dependent on external donors for our vaccination
  7. The challenge of accessibility and affordability to vaccination and Health generation still remains a major one.
  8. The postgraduate medical education in Nigeria is challenged by poor funding, inadequate infrastructure and these pose threat to standards.

RECOMMENDATIONS

General

Build systems and sustain the capacity to prevent, monitor and prepare adequately for disasters and other effects of climatic change.

Recommendations to Governments

  1. Inclusion of Health management personnel and institutions in resource plan, surveillance and response to a disaster
  2. Adequate sensitization of the general population to the effects of climate change
  3. There is a need to include post-disaster rehabilitation programmes and maintenance of the integrity of the ecosystem in disaster response
  4. To develop a strong interagency relationship. (Collaborations between meteorological agency with the health sector, security agents, town planners, etc.) in the development of early warning systems and response to disaster management
  5. The promotion of the health of the peoples of Nigerian through vaccination of vulnerable groups like healthcare workers, elderly, school children and victims of disasters
  6. Breastfeeding  policy should be enhanced as an immunization tool
  7. Adequate funding of Postgraduate Medical Education in Nigeria

RESOLUTIONS

The West African College of Physicians(Nigeria Chapter) reaffirms its commitment to:

  1. Addressing challenges posed by climate-related health issues.
  2. The immediately set up an advisory committee on Vaccination for the improvement of health care by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
  3. Review of Immunisation and vaccine policy to include new vaccines
  4. Immediate machinery towards setting-up a Health Trust Fund (HTF)
  5. Playing an advisory and consultative role to the Governments in the planning and the delivery of health services in Nigeria.
  6. The provision of infrastructural facilities for the training of Medical Specialists in Nigeria.