Aged and lonely receive Anambra first lady’s health supplies
Dr Nonye Soludo, the wife of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has given out no fewer than 27,000 cartons of multivitamin supplements to over 26,000 elderly people in the 326 wards across the state.
The elderly, comprising octogenarians and those above the age of 50, also received healthy living tips and bags of rice at the occasion, which took place at the headquarters of Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board conference hall in Awka, on Friday.
Speaking during the healthy living tips, which were also part of the celebration of International Women’s Day, Soludo stressed that multivitamins were designed to tackle poor dieting by supplementing vitamins and minerals the body needs to thrive.
She noted that the gesture was part of her “Healthy Living Initiative,” designed to make Anambra a livable and prosperous homeland for both the young and elderly.
She said, “With this, we are gradually tackling poor dieting in Anambra State. Old age is a blessing. It is a stage of life that we will all get to. It is just a matter of time. So, we need to plan and prepare to do better in taking care of the elderly in our society to improve their lives.
“Many aged persons are lonely, unhealthy and unkempt, this is why ‘Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo’ as part of its programmes is prioritising care for the elderly.
“These multivitamin supplements will help to increase the quality of life of the elderly in our communities so that they can age gracefully and successfully.
“Multivitamins are designed to fill gaps in your diet. Multivitamins are food supplements that combine different vitamins and minerals. They aim to fill nutritional gaps in the diet and are commonly taken in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, or liquids.
“Multivitamins aim to prevent or correct micronutrient deficiencies or to support the proper intake of nutrients when the diet alone is not enough to provide them.”
The governor’s wife added that the “Healthy Living Initiative” was also initiated in the state to take care of and maintain the elderly and indigent people, regardless of their political affiliation.
Speaking earlier, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike who appreciated the first lady for her generosity said, “We made provisions for 80 elderly persons in each of the 326 wards and our councillors will help to distribute the multivitamin supplements at their various wards.
“The multivitamin supplements are essential nutrients that they need for their body and brain to function well.
“This is part of the ‘Healthy Living’ campaign that our society should not abandon the elderly because they are still very relevant.”
The Anambra State Commissioner for Special Duties, Beverly Ikpeazu-Nkemdiche equally appreciated the governor’s wife for her kind gesture and urged the councillors to efficiently distribute the multivitamins to the elderly in their wards.
The councillors from the various wards received the cartons of supplements for onward distribution to the elderly people in their communities.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke to journalists, described the gesture as a work in progress, calling on successive governments to build on the successes of the incumbent administration.
