LASUED Staff, Students Urged to Prioritize Early Medical Checkups as UIC Don Raises Prediabetes Concerns

Staff and students of LASUED are being encouraged to embrace regular medical checkups as UIC Professor Morounkeji Akin-Olugbemi highlights the growing prevalence of prediabetes and the importance of workplace wellness.

The advice was given by Associate Professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine (UIC), USA, Prof. Morounkeji Akin-Olugbemi, during a lecture series organized by LASUED with the theme, “Workplace Wellness: Promoting Health and Preventing Diseases.”

Speaking at the event, Prof. Akin-Olugbemi revealed that an estimated 15 million Nigerians are currently living with prediabetes, emphasizing the importance of early detection and preventive healthcare measures.

She noted that many health conditions can be effectively managed or treated when identified early through routine medical examinations. According to her, workplace wellness programmes play a critical role in improving quality of life, reducing disease risks, and boosting productivity among employees and students.

The UIC scholar explained that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides assessment tools that help employers promote employee health and well-being. She highlighted key wellness areas including diabetes prevention, high blood pressure, nutrition, physical activity, mental health, stress management, sleep, occupational safety, cancer prevention, and cardiovascular health.

Akin-Olugbemi commended LASUED's leadership for prioritizing the welfare of staff and students through initiatives such as the university clinic, cafeteria, gymnasium and recreation facilities, as well as leave and vacation policies.

She also disclosed that UIC and LASUED are currently working towards formalizing their partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). The proposed agreement is expected to facilitate collaboration in health literacy promotion, chronic disease prevention, research, student exchange programmes, and academic development.

According to her, the partnership could open opportunities for degree and certification programmes, joint publications, grant applications, co-teaching initiatives, and access to electronic learning resources.

In her remarks, LASUED Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye, described the lecture as more than an academic exercise, noting that it focused on issues directly affecting the health and productivity of members of the university community.

She described the event as a strategic conversation about life, productivity, institutional excellence, and sustainable development, stressing that a healthy workforce is essential for achieving educational goals.

"The workplace is not only a site of labour; it is also a site of living," she said, adding that institutions committed to excellence must also invest in the health and wellness of those who drive their success.

The Vice-Chancellor emphasized that good health remains the foundation for effective teaching, learning, research, and administration.

"When health is weak, productivity declines; when wellness is neglected, institutions suffer; when prevention is ignored, disease becomes more expensive than treatment," she stated.

Lafiaji-Okuneye described workplace wellness as an investment rather than a luxury, stressing that it should encompass prevention, early detection, health literacy, physical activity, nutrition, mental well-being, workplace safety, and supportive work environments.

She further noted that LASUED, as a university dedicated to teacher education, recognizes the broader impact of healthy educators on students, families, and society.

"A healthy teacher teaches better. A healthy administrator serves better. A healthy researcher thinks deeper. A healthy student learns better. A healthy university community contributes more meaningfully to society," she said.

The Vice-Chancellor expressed optimism that the emerging collaboration between LASUED and UIC would strengthen research, student exchange opportunities, and institutional development for both universities.