Health experts have restated the need for healthy lifestyle focusing on physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual wellbeing to enable women live and support the economy productively.
During the event, they spoke at the 8th annual conference of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Women Group, themed: ‘Our Health, Our Wealth.’
President of the chamber, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, in his address noted that the theme of the programme was apt in today’s world, where the woman faces more health risks due to wearisome activities while catering for the men and children.
Welcoming the women, Olawale-Cole explained that at inflationary periods currently being experienced, women were also subjected to more money-making activities in the bid to support the men in keeping up the families, saying women have continued to take more space in business and government and have proven to be good managers and leaders.
“Women, therefore, need to be fit and alive to continue supporting the society, business and government.”
The LCCI boss called on women to pay more attention to their health to be alive to provide the most cherished support to the society, while urging government at all levels to allocate more funds to healthcare delivery and other components of the human development index.
Chairperson, Women Group of the chamber, Oluwatoyin Idowu, pointed out that the theme of the programme resonates with the popular saying “Health is Wealth, adding that the attention the women give to their health is proportional to thier overall wellbeing and attainments in life.
“Without good health, nobody can live a full life. The importance of health to a prosperous life is in fact underscored by the Millennium Development Goals, with three of the eight goals focusing primarily on health.”
She reiterated that a healthy life is not just being free from sicknesses, diseases or one form of infirmity or the other. “A healthy life demands an appropriate focus on our physical, emotional, social, spiritual and even intellectual wellbeing. It is a combination of all of these that could enable anyone to live a productive, meaningful, successful and fulfilling life.”
Idowu appealed to the Federal and state governments to focus more on how healthcare services could be brought within the reach of every Nigerian regardless of where they reside, even in the remotest villages.
Other speakers like Founder/CEO, Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital, Dr Modupe Elebute Odunsi; Mr Obafunmilayo Agusto, managing director, IBFC Alliance Limited and Dr Janet Adetu, Managing Director, JSK, Etiquette International Limited, threw light on how businesswomen, businesses can be financially strong and sustainable so as not to be unduly stressed; how various relationships in and outside businesses should be well handled for emotional stability and overall wellbeing.
They emphasised the need for women to maintain the body and take preventive measures to minimise susceptibility to diseases and ill-health of all sorts, including stress, depression and even suicide tendencies.
