My interest in the academics and love for the Obafemi Awolowo University could be traced to my early days in the primary school at All Saints School, Abiri, a village of a few kilometers from Ile-Ife, the present-day Osun State. I came first in the very first examination that I wrote in life during my primary school education. This success attracted several gifts from the school management and my grandma then killed a big fowl to celebrate the success of her grandson with the fellow villagers. The memory of the occasion is still fresh in my mind and has been helping me to always be the best.
During my secondary days, my friends and I decided to hunt for bats inside the Obafemi Awolowo University Campus, after a long break. We were armed with catapults and stones for our expedition. We were deeply engrossed in the hunting of bats at the Faculty of Agric Biological Garden, when some security officers suddenly appeared from nowhere and gave us a hot chase. The pace at which the security men were running could not match our youthful sprint as we disappeared into the bush in the speed of light. Even Hussain Bolt could not have been able to run past us. Suddenly we hit the staff quarters somewhere on Road 10.
The atmosphere and serenity of the environment were quite different from that of the town from where we came. It was our first time in such an environment that could be described as a mini London. After securing a good position in the jungle, I started appraising the beauty of the staff quarters. Right there, a seed was sown into my spirit; that I would not only study but would also be a member of staff of the institution, one day.
I’m sincerely grateful to the Almighty God who has given me the grace and favour to realise my ambition today as a Professor in one of the best Universities in Africa and the world at large. My coming into Physiotherapy profession is a divine call from God, as Physiotherapy was not a popular course some decades ago. As a believer in divine direction, I committed my career into the hands of God and indeed I’m blessed and fulfilled to have chosen a right course. It couldn’t have been so better!
It is a known fact that chronic diseases (CDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. While efforts are directed to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases in advanced nations, prevention of CDs and other chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rarely on the public health agenda in Africa. Priority has been on infectious diseases. The World Health Organisation’s African Regional Office documented that chronic non-communicable diseases are on the increase and already represent a significant burden on public health services.
The epidemiologic transition to chronic disease is said to be happening at a much faster rate in sub-Saharan Africa than ever witnessed in other regions of the world. Nigeria, being the Africa’s most populous country with over 170 million people, probably has the highest prevalence of chronic diseases in Africa. Inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle, poorly functioning digestive system, poor dietary habits, tobacco consumption, among others, are the common risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases.
Non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, was reported to be an emerging health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region some decades ago. The condition was not considered as a major public health issue in SSA at this period. In fact, the world congress that was saddled with the prevention and control of CVD in SSA demanded for explanation and justification for the action on CVD prevention. Concern was placed on the major infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other diseases including maternal mortality and nutritional deficiencies. This might be partly due to the fact that cardiovascular disease was not listed among the top seven leading factors which accounted for more than 45 percent of the total disability-adjusted life years in SSA region. Consequently, it is being recognised as an important public health issue with coronary artery disease shown to rise in incidence; and it has been projected that mortality from CVD would increase tremendously by year 2030.
Physical inactivity, therefore, is one of the leading problems in international health watch. It is reported by WHO to be the fourth leading cause of death with most of those deaths in low and middle income countries. Hundreds of millions of people are living inactive lifestyles and therefore putting themselves at risk for numerous chronic diseases. According to Sallis (2011) changes in technology are making profound alterations to people’s activity patterns, where mechanization and computerization at work, over many years, have dramatically reduced occupational physical activity. In the same vein, automobiles have become the dominant form of transportation in most countries, severely reducing active modes of transportation. Adoption of this western lifestyle, coupled with increased rate of smoking, poor diet and high salt intake have contributed significantly to the reasons for increase in the prevalence of CVD in SubSaharan Africa.
Inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle, poorly functioning digestive system, poor dietary habits, tobacco consumption, among others, are the common risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases
Heart attacks and strokes are usually acute events and are mainly caused by a blockage that prevents blood from flowing to the heart or brain. The most common reason for this is a build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the blood vessels that supply the heart or brain. Strokes can also be caused by bleeding from a blood vessel in the brain or from blood clots. The most important behavioural risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, salt, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol. The effects of behavioural risk factors may show up in individuals as raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, and overweight and obesity.
Cardiovascular diseases are very costly diseases economically, both in terms of medical related expenses and the costs of lost productivity. A 2012 American Heart Association report estimated that the direct and indirect cost of cardiovascular disease was $297.7 billion nationally, in 2008.
*Being excerpts from an inaugural lecture delivered by Prof. Adedoyin of the Deparment of Medical Rehabilitation, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on June 5, 2017
