…Urges de-stigmatisation of persons living with HIV
Titilola Obilade, a professor and medical doctor, has highlighted the profound financial and societal benefits of effective health messaging.
Obilade made the disclosure at the first inaugural lecture of Nile University of Nigeria, titled ‘Health Messaging: Currency for Today, Savings for Tomorrow.’
According to her, health messaging, which simply means health sensitisation, when effectively executed, acts as a “currency” that yields significant “savings” by preventing diseases, reducing healthcare costs, and improving overall community well-being.
She noted that while the economic returns of health messaging may not be immediately tangible, they are substantial in securing a healthier future for all.
One of the key aspects of her lecture was the importance of visual literacy in health messaging.
Obilade stressed that incorporating visual literacy in education from the nursery level is crucial, given the ubiquitous access to smartphones among children. She argued that visual literacy can enhance the effectiveness of health messages, making them more accessible and impactful.
She said: “Visual literacy should be incorporated in the education curriculum from nursery school level. This should be easily achieved, since children now have access to smart phones from infancy. Without a deliberate effort to teach the subject, being able to navigate a smart phone does not necessarily translate to visual literacy.
“The information leaflets accompanying medications should be written in different grade levels, not just at grade 12 reading level. At best it should be written at a level that all can understand.
“Therefore, the information leaflets can just be written at grade 3 reading level or at an accessible language for all. This is a recommendation for our government.”
She also discussed the significance of tailoring health messages to the audience, using her extensive engagements with students and communities in Nigeria and the USA as examples.
Her recommendations included making medication leaflets understandable at a lower reading level, improving educational opportunities for the visually and hearing impaired, and increasing the availability of cochlear implants.
The professor also highlighted the need for community engagement that benefits both students and the community, suggesting that students should be taught corporate social responsibility to prevent community fatigue.
Obilade traced the history of health messaging back to ancient times, noting its evolution and the persistent challenges it faces today, including resistance to scientific directives—a challenge underscored by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Additionally, she called for the establishment of more Adult Day Care Centres in Nigeria, reflecting on her volunteer experience at Virginia Tech.
underscoring the importance of mental health awareness, especially at the tertiary education level, and the need to stop discrimination against people living with HIV in the job market.
Her lecture also included a passionate plea for increased public health campaigns on sickle cell disorder and the mandatory genotyping of newborns to combat the disease effectively.
In his opening remarks, Dilli Dogo, vice chancellor, Nile University, highlighted the importance of the inaugural lecture series in enriching the existing body of knowledge and contributing to the intellectual advancement of the university community and policymakers.
He said: “This inaugural lecture marks the beginning of a series of intellectual engagements that will not only showcase the scholarly achievements of our esteemed faculty but also add significant value to the existing body of knowledge.
“It is a testament to our commitment to academic excellence and our dedication to addressing real-world challenges through rigorous academic inquiries, research and innovation.”
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