By Gabriel Ameh
The Foundation for Integrated Care (FIC), in partnership with The WURA Hope Women Initiative (WHWI), has organised a community health outreach in Lugbe, Abuja, featuring free medical screening and a 10,000-step fitness walk to raise awareness about diabetes and encourage healthier lifestyles.
The outreach, held on November 14, 2026, at Abuja Technology Village, was organised to commemorate World Diabetes Day, with a focus on promoting early detection, preventive healthcare and physical activity among residents.
Participants benefited from free blood glucose tests, blood pressure checks, height and weight measurements, Body Mass Index (BMI) assessments and medical advice based on their screening results.
Speaking during the event, the Founder and Team Leader of FIC, Kamal Afolabi, said the initiative was designed to bring essential health information and screening services closer to members of the Lugbe community.
He explained that the organisation incorporated a fitness walk targeting 10,000 steps to encourage physical activity while providing participants with opportunities to understand their health status through basic medical examinations.
Afolabi urged Nigerians, irrespective of age, to monitor their blood sugar levels regularly and adopt healthier lifestyles, stressing that early detection could help people take appropriate steps towards managing potential health risks.
He also emphasised the importance of moderation in food consumption and other lifestyle habits.
The FIC founder appreciated Abuja Technology Village for providing the venue and acknowledged the contributions of partner organisations, including The WURA Hope Women Initiative, Oura Hope Foundation, the International Diabetes Federation and World Diabetes Walk.
WURA Hope highlights importance of early diabetes detection
The Executive Director of The WURA Hope Women Initiative, Rasheed Adeniyi Yusuf, said the organisation partnered with FIC to promote diabetes awareness, encourage early detection and draw attention to the growing health challenges associated with the condition.
Yusuf described diabetes as a serious health concern in Nigerian communities, noting that early detection could make its management easier and help affected individuals take appropriate medical and lifestyle measures.
He said the partnership was informed by the need to address health challenges affecting communities, particularly those linked to changing lifestyles, poor dietary habits and limited physical activity.
According to him, the initiative provided an opportunity to educate residents about diabetes while encouraging them to make healthier choices in their daily lives.
Yusuf explained that The WURA Hope Women Initiative is a women-led organisation focused on strengthening community accountability and serving as an interface between communities and institutions responsible for providing essential services.
He said the organisation considers community health an important part of its development and accountability work, adding that partnerships with organisations such as FIC provide opportunities to address issues affecting people’s wellbeing.
The WHWI executive director identified excessive consumption of processed foods, sugary drinks and other unhealthy dietary choices, alongside prolonged periods of sitting at workplaces, as lifestyle factors that could increase people’s vulnerability to diabetes.
He also expressed concern about work routines that leave people spending 10 to 12 hours in offices with little opportunity for walking, exercise or other physical activities.
Yusuf encouraged Nigerians to pay closer attention to what they consume, reduce unhealthy dietary habits and incorporate regular physical activity into their routines.
He added that community awareness programmes should help people recognise potential health concerns early and seek appropriate medical attention.
FIC urges Nigerians to embrace active lifestyles
Also speaking, FIC Programme Coordinator, Ajiboye Paul, described diabetes as an important public health concern and urged Nigerians to take preventive healthcare seriously.
Paul encouraged people to incorporate regular exercise into their daily routines, including morning and evening walks, while reducing excessive consumption of sugary drinks, sweets and junk food.
He noted that simple physical activities could help people maintain healthier lifestyles despite demanding work schedules.
Paul also stressed that regular medical checks could help identify potential health problems before they become more complicated and expensive to manage.
Sedentary lifestyles raise health concerns
The Programme Coordinator of FIC, Aisha Yinusa Lawal, also highlighted the dangers of sedentary lifestyles, particularly among people who spend long hours sitting at computers and workplaces.
She described exercise as an important component of maintaining good health and explained that the outreach combined physical activity with free medical screening to encourage participants to pay attention to their health.
Lawal said participants received blood glucose tests, blood pressure checks and basic assessments involving their height and weight.
She added that individuals whose screening results required attention received guidance on appropriate next steps and the importance of further medical assessment.
Participant shares experience, calls for greater awareness
One of the participants, Luma Greg, commended FIC and its partners for organising the outreach, describing diabetes as a condition that many Nigerians may have without knowing.
Greg recounted how he discovered that his blood sugar level had reached 300mg/dL after spending considerable amounts of money treating other health conditions without identifying the underlying problem.
He said he experienced blurred vision, muscle weakness and difficulties with physical coordination before someone advised him to check his blood sugar.
According to him, regular screening and awareness could help people understand their health conditions earlier and make informed decisions about treatment and lifestyle adjustments.
He urged the government and relevant organisations to support more community-based diabetes awareness and screening programmes.
Another participant, Fasasi Sadiq, highlighted the importance of physical activity and healthier eating habits, particularly reducing excessive consumption of sugary drinks and other unhealthy foods.
The World Diabetes Day outreach brought together health advocates, community members and partner organisations to promote preventive healthcare through physical activity, medical screening and public education.
Through the collaboration, FIC and The WURA Hope Women Initiative reiterated the importance of community participation, early detection and healthier lifestyle choices in addressing diabetes and improving public health.
Source: Media360Impact – Interviews and observations at the World Diabetes Day outreach organised by FIC in partnership with The WURA Hope Women Initiative, Abuja.
