By Rasheed Sobowale

Dr Olutoyin Lawal has been honoured for leading large-scale, community-based cardiovascular and metabolic health screening programmes across Ondo State, reaching more than 7,000 residents in underserved and medically marginalised communities.

The implemented initiatives focused on early detection of hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes, conditions that account for a significant share of preventable morbidity and mortality in the state.

According to programme records, the outreach activities covered urban, peri-urban and rural communities in Akure South, Akure North, Ondo West, Ondo East, Owo, Idanre, Ifedore, Okitipupa and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Areas, extending preventive healthcare beyond hospital-based services.

Data from the exercise showed that many participants had previously undiagnosed cardiovascular or metabolic risk factors, allowing for timely referrals to primary healthcare centres and specialist clinics before the onset of advanced disease.

Speaking on the initiative, Dr Lawal said it was designed to close gaps in early diagnosis that disproportionately affect low-income and rural populations.

“Many of the individuals we screened had never had their blood pressure, blood sugar, or kidney function checked before,” she said. “By taking screening services directly into communities, we were able to identify risk early, link patients to care, and prevent avoidable complications that often present too late in hospitals.”

Officials at the Ondo State Ministry of Health said the interventions supported the state’s broader non-communicable disease prevention strategy by reducing late-stage presentations and easing pressure on tertiary health facilities.

A senior official in the ministry noted that the screenings strengthened referral pathways between communities and formal health institutions.

“These outreach programs complemented our public-health objectives by improving early detection and referral for hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease across several local government areas,” the official said. “The scale of coverage and the proportion of newly identified cases demonstrate measurable impact on preventive healthcare delivery in Ondo State.”

Health authorities added that the initiative improved health-seeking behaviour and increased awareness of cardiovascular risk factors at the community level.

Public health analysts said the data-driven, community-outreach model could be scaled to support non-communicable disease control efforts in other states across Nigeria.