The Women’s Wing of the Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih Society (NASFAT) has urged women and parents to prioritise preventive healthcare and seek early medical attention for conditions such as scoliosis and diphtheria.

The call was made during the organisation’s Women’s Week health talk and medical outreach on Saturday, October 17, which featured discussions on scoliosis management and physiotherapy, diphtheria awareness, free blood pressure checks and eye screening.

The chairperson of the 27th Annual Women’s Week Planning Committee, Alhaja Nurat Oluwatoyin Jolaoso, said the week-long celebration was designed to empower women through activities that promote health, faith, entrepreneurship, technology and financial independence.

One of the organisers, Dr Akinpelu Fausat Bolanle, said the health programme was designed to encourage women to take care of themselves and seek medical attention before their conditions became severe.

She said the women had been educated on the importance of preventive healthcare, adding that NASFAT would continue to support the wellbeing of its members.

During a presentation on scoliosis, consultant physiotherapist and Head of the Physiotherapy Department at Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Dr Adebowale Adedayo advised parents to watch for changes in their children’s posture, uneven shoulders, unusual walking patterns and persistent back pain.

She said parents should not dismiss such signs as misbehaviour but should seek medical assessment to establish the cause.

Adedayo explained that back pain could result from different medical conditions and that proper investigation was necessary before a diagnosis could be made.

She also warned that children living with scoliosis could experience stigma because of changes in their physical appearance. She urged parents to seek appropriate treatment and discourage the mocking of affected children.

Founder of The Scoliosis Focus Foundation and Senior Medical Officer II at Gbagada General Hospital, Dr Ayomide Akintan-Adejuwon, also shared her experience of living with scoliosis, having been diagnosed at the age of 12.

She spoke about using Milwaukee and Boston braces during her school years and the stigma she experienced from some of her peers.

Her experience inspired her to establish the foundation to support people living with scoliosis through counselling, medical referrals and assistance with treatment.

The programme also featured a presentation on diphtheria by the Head of the Department of Family Medicine at Gbagada General Hospital, Dr Abideen Gbolahan. 

Gbolahan said parents were educated on symptoms of diphtheria, which can resemble those of conditions such as tonsillitis and mumps.

He urged parents to seek prompt medical attention when the disease is suspected and ensure their children receive recommended vaccinations, noting that diphtheria is vaccine-preventable.

The outreach is part of NASFAT Women’s Week, held under the theme, “Empowered for Impact: Advancing Faith, Entrepreneurship, Technology and Financial Independence”.