The International Agency for the Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation (IARC-WHO) has announced that it recorded an impressive 82% turn out of participants drawn from Ogoni for the HYPREP funded ongoing 3 year human biomonitoring study.
Ann Olsson, the Lead Researcher, made the disclosure, yesterday, when she led members of the team, including Mike Cowing, to the PCO to debrief the Project Coordinator, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey on the progress so far.
Olsson noted that the turn up rate is indicative of the enthusiasm and community inclusiveness that has greeted the novel study- one that does not only hold the potential for the collective good of the people, but also a targeted sustainable public health management and intervention models for the region and beyond.
The UN Environment Programme Report (UNEP) on Ogoni Environment had recommended a health inventory to establish a correlation between disease patterns and exposure to hydrocarbon contaminants in Ogoni.
While the study is underway, HYPREP has taken proactive measures to embarking on other public health intervention initiatives, including the strengthening of public health facilities in General Hospitals in Bori, Khana LGA, Terabor, Gokana LGA, Nchia, Eleme LGA, and Primary Health Centre, Kpite. The latest of this intervention is the Primary Health Centre, Onne, where the Project has installed state of the art medical equipment and reliable power supply with solar power. Those of General Hospital Bodo, Gokana LGA, Primary Health Centre, Nonwa, Tai and Lumene-Bangha, Khana LGA are equally being upgraded.
Similarly, the Project is constructing the 100 Bed State-of-the-Art Ogoni Specialist Hospital, Kpite Tai LGA. It will have special units, including Oncology and Infectious Diseases Departments, with the latest MRI machine. The 43 Bed Cottage Hospital in Buan, Khana LGA is ready for commissioning, while 5 Emergency Medical Ambulances have been donated to some public health facilities in Ogoni. There is also the ongoing construction of a hostel facility and renovation of the K-Dere Health Centre in GoKana LGA to promote community medicine
