The University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo has inducted its first set of community-health scientists into the profession.

The ceremony held at the Laje Campus of the institution with the theme “Community Health Science: Nurturing a New Generation of Innovators for Sustainable National Health”.

The guest lecturer, Professor Gimbason Daniel Mairafi of Nasarawa State University, Nasarawa, described community health science“ as a multidisciplinary field that focuses on promoting, protecting, and improving the health of populations at the community level.

He said Nigeria continues to face significant health burdens such as malaria, tuberculosis, maternal and child mortality, malnutrition, non-communicable diseases and periodic outbreaks due to systemic gaps in Primary Health Care (PHC), limited access to services, socio-economic inequalities and inadequate community engagement.

To this end, Gimbason, the first Professor of Community Health Science in Nigeria, submitted that the country requires the services of Community Health Scientists to “Strengthen primary healthcare systems, ensure early detection and prevention of diseases, support rural and underserved populations, implement community-led health initiatives and advocate for policies that promote health equity”.

Earlier in her address, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIMED, Professor Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, represented by the Chairman, Committee of Deans, Professor Ezekiel Adebayo, said that community health science is yet to be fully appreciated because people do not know how critical it is in the healthcare industry.

“Many people do not know how critical community health science is within the health sector. It is a discipline the world needs to address its health challenges from the grassroots,”she noted.

The VC urged members of the public to take advantage of the several market-ready programmes available at UNIMED.

The highlight of the induction ceremony was the administration of oath and admission of the 35 new community health scientists into the profession by the Registrar of Community Health Practitioners Registration Board of Nigeria, Dr Bashir Idris, with Adegeye Victor emerging as the Overall Best Graduating Student.