A Professor of Family Medicine at the College of Health Sciences, Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Professor Isaac Olusayo Amole, has called on governments at all levels and healthcare authorities to intensify efforts toward improving Nigeria’s healthcare system and aligning it with global standards.
Amole made the call while delivering the university’s 30th inaugural lecture, titled “When Prevention Meets Restoration: A Family Physician’s Journey from Risk Reduction to Rehabilitation.”
The professor said his research focused on disease prevention and the rehabilitation of individuals affected by illnesses and disabilities, stressing that Family Medicine remains critical to public health and healthcare security.
Speaking during the lecture, Amole said his interest in disease prevention stemmed from years of clinical experience, particularly in emergency medicine, where he frequently treated patients suffering from strokes, hypertensive emergencies, diabetic complications, and cardiovascular diseases.
According to him, his findings revealed that abdominal obesity is often a stronger predictor of health risks than Body Mass Index (BMI).
“My research findings revealed that abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference, is often a more important predictor of health risk than Body Mass Index (BMI). Many individuals who appear healthy or have a normal BMI may still have excessive abdominal fat that places them at risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature death,” he said.
Amole urged Nigerians to pay closer attention to waist circumference as a health indicator, noting that simple lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and routine medical check-ups could help prevent chronic diseases.
The professor also highlighted findings from his research on Hansen’s disease (leprosy), warning that the disease remains present in Nigeria despite widespread assumptions that it has been eliminated.
He said many patients continue to suffer from stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion even after successful treatment.
“Although modern treatment can successfully cure the infection, many patients continue to live with deformities that result in stigma, discrimination, and social isolation,” Amole stated.
He explained that reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation programmes have helped many affected individuals regain physical function, confidence, and economic independence.
The professor further expressed concern over the occurrence of Hansen’s disease among children, describing it as evidence of ongoing transmission within communities.
Amole called on healthcare institutions to place greater emphasis on prevention, early diagnosis, and rehabilitation.
He recommended that waist circumference measurements be incorporated into routine patient assessments alongside blood pressure and BMI checks.
“The healthcare sector should therefore institutionalize waist circumference measurement as a standard component of routine patient assessment,” he said.
He also called for stronger community-based healthcare programmes, lifestyle counselling, and greater investment in rehabilitation services for people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
According to him, healthcare providers must recognise that “healthcare must not stop at cure; it must include restoration.”
Addressing government policies, Amole urged authorities to increase healthcare funding, strengthen primary healthcare systems, and support preventive healthcare programmes.
“The major message from my research to government is that healthcare investment should not focus only on treating diseases after they occur. Greater emphasis should be placed on preventing disease, detecting health risks early, and restoring the lives of those already affected by disease and disability,” he said.
He advocated nationwide screening programmes for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and other non-communicable diseases, while also calling for improved welfare packages for healthcare workers to reduce brain drain.
The professor further urged government to sustain efforts against Hansen’s disease through surveillance, public awareness campaigns, early diagnosis, and rehabilitation support.
Amole described Family Medicine as a cornerstone of an effective healthcare system, citing its role in prevention, early diagnosis, chronic disease management, and coordinated patient care.
According to him, family physicians provide comprehensive and continuous care that helps reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and healthcare costs.
He advised young medical professionals to consider Family Medicine as a career path, describing it as a specialty that combines clinical practice, research, teaching, leadership, and public health.
“The future of healthcare lies not only in curing diseases but also in preventing them and restoring affected individuals to productive living,” he said.
In his remarks, Bowen University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jonathan Babalola, called on government to adopt evidence-based policies and make greater use of research findings generated by Nigerian universities.
Babalola argued that universities across the country have produced solutions capable of addressing challenges in key sectors of the economy, including security and healthcare.
“If our policy makers would make use of Nigerian Universities’ research findings to develop a workable blueprint to run Nigerian economy system, the action will bring out the desired development in the nation,” he said.
He added: “Nigerian government has no problem except its failure to recognize the essentiality of universities’ research findings to solve problems in every sector in the economy.”
The vice-chancellor maintained that stronger collaboration between policymakers and academic institutions would help drive sustainable national development and improve governance outcomes.
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