THE HARSH ECONOMY & OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS OUR HEALTH

The economic peril of our time is so glaring that the blind can make a powerful sketch of it but worse still is the fact that many of us are not actively thinking of how to pull through both in the short and long terms.

For some time now, I have worked at an Anti-Retroviral Pharmacy Unit, at a Federal tertiary health institution in the South-Eastern part of Nigeria. I have felt fulfilled rendering Pharmaceutical Care and thus making real impacts in people's lives and helping them put aside the tears they came with and walk away with smiles and breaths of relief.

However, It is sad to note that whilst the ARV drugs and most of the associated services are ABSOLUTELY FREE, all thanks to the super-wonderful donors all over the world, an alarming population of my clients cannot afford to feed properly talk more of incorporating vegetables and fruits in their diets or even purchasing immune boosters to complement their ARV drugs. It is common to encounter a wife and husband who are on the State payroll and thus are being owed salaries for months and some few, years and some unlucky ones amidst the debt have had their services terminated leaving them in a terrible state of impoverishment. The hardship in the land is very palpable, disheartening and frightening too.

It is true that the country is witnessing a terrible moment of her life but it is also true that these sort of times are common to find in life and it takes the right attitude to still take one up to the altitude of self-sustenance and wealth. Thus, it is important for everyone to manage financial, natural, human resources and very importantly, health resources properly. 

Our attitude to our health at critical moments matters a lot and can affect the degree to which we are affected by the sickening economy. Whereas we cannot rely on our leaders who care less of the poor masses to help and secure us, we must help ourselves and take our destinies in our own hands.

To this end, the married must call to mind and benefit from the gains of the various methods of Family planning and bear the children that they can raise. This is also of security importance as abandoned and abused children pose a security threat. Also, steps must be steadily taken to prevent avoidable disease conditions as well as unhealthy lifestyles - avoid unprotected and dangerous sexual behaviours, avoid abuse and misuse of drugs and maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and sanitation. Proper diet/nutrition should be emphasized. Education is crucial to personal and national development and as such young people and older people must endeavour not only to be educated but to develop selves - transforming talents, hobbies and passion to gainful and profitable ventures, calling to mind the gains of entrepreneurship.

Finally, as these undesirable economic realities stare us in the face with our hearts hoping for divine intervention, our thoughts must be far from fear and blame games but channeled towards ingenious ideas for self-sustenance and prosperity. These times call for proper planning, discipline and action. It is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried. Indeed, this is a clarion call on my fellow compatriots to brace up to the challenges of the day. I love Nigeria, a fantastically talented and blessed nation challenged by corruption but hopeful of a transformation and redemption, the ideal CHANGE she earnestly needs. I am trying my best to be harsh to the harsh economy; would you rather chose to be the economy's victim or victor. You have heard the call, would you keep mute?

 - Pharm. Ebirim, Joseph O
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