The Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) to enhance family nutrition and the health of the populace.
The acting President of SOFPON, Dr. Miss Dankyau, at the signing and handing over ceremony of the MoU in Abuja said the partnership would enhance the processing of poultry products by the farmers and ensure they are safe for consumption.
Dankyau said the MoU was part of the commemoration of the 2018 World Family Doctor Day marked on May 19 globally with the theme: “Family Doctor-Leading the way to better health”.
Dankyau told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the event that nutrition was part of the critical issues around health.
He emphasised that for nutrition to be appropriate, people need to be careful with what they eat in order to avoid undernutrition and over nutrition.
According to him, the poultry farmers produce eggs and other products that are vital for good nutrition but taking them in the wrong proportion or at the wrong dimension or wrong ways can also lead to bad health.
“If you do not take them in enough proportions you could also have health problems.
“So, we are partnering with them so that we can use our expertise in medical field, in science to appropriately educate people on the right way to use these products that poultry farmers are producing to enable people benefit from it optimally,†Dankyau said.
He explained that family physicians are group of doctors that are interested in the health of families, individuals within these families and the health of the nation in general.
Similarly, the National President of PAN, Mr. Ezekiel Man, said they decided to partner with SOFPON to clear the misconception about poultry products, particularly egg consumption.
Mam described the family doctors as playing critical roles in disease prevention and cure, among others, in the society.
The president noted that over the years, people believed that egg consumption from age 50 predisposed one to health challenges.
He, however, emphasised that egg consumption was vital and important for the body system from birth till one departs this earth.
Mam further said that egg contains the entire nutrient that the body required to live healthy.
According to him, the partnership was necessitated for family physicians to enlighten the public about the health benefits of egg consumption.
“Whenever we farmers tell people about diet, their perception is that we are out to market our products simply because we are not scientists or medical experts.
“Through this engagement, family physicians will further go into research and educate the public rightly on their diet.
“It is their profession to actually know and understand what families should consume to enhance their health and general well-being; for us in the industry we are consuming eggs and seeing good results.
“We decided to enter into this MoU because they render comprehensive care to family,†Mam said.
