Polycarp Sola
A Professor of Health Sciences at Ebonyi State University, Henry Urochukwu, has raised a disturbing alarm over the increasing health risks posed by commonly consumed foods in Nigeria, warning that items such as palm oil, meat, and okpa are slowly killing Nigerians due to dangerous and adulterated processing methods.
He made the revelation during the official launch of an innovative online health platform called Nutric-Med Clinic, held Wednesday in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.The clinic is designed to promote safe nutrition, provide free nutri-medical therapy, and bridge the widening gap in health knowledge through interactive social media education.
“Virtually everything we eat is adulterated, and that’s why you see cancer everywhere,” Professor Uro-Chukwu lamented.
“Our lifespan today seems to be 48 for men and 52 for women, and it’s not because God doesn’t love us, but because of what we put into our bodies.
“Otherwise why should a person killing cow , use tyre to roast it? Why should someone selling palm oil use red dye which causes cancer to color it? Why should someone using newspaper use newspaper where there is ink to wrap it? Why should someone selling okpa use polythene to cook it?
“There is no way we live long when we indulge in this kind of practices” , he stated. Urochukwu, a consultant physician and multiple doctorate degree holder, said he was compelled to create the Nutric-Med Clinic to offer scientifically backed, locally adaptable solutions to Nigeria’s health crisis.
He noted that while every region of the world has contextualized its medical practices, Nigeria has failed to build a scientifically guided nutrition and healing system based on what is locally available.
“That is why you hear of Traditional Chinese Medicine,” he explained. “There’s nothing wrong with healing methods that are native to us, but they must be evidence-based and safe.
”To reach a wider and younger audience, the Nutric-Med Clinic will operate mainly on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok, using audio-visual content such as short films, educational skits, and expert Q&A sessions.
According to Uro-Chukwu, new episodes will be released weekly, with dedicated sessions for audience interaction and clarification.“We’ve written these things as books, but how many people will read them?” he asked.
“So we’ve moved to social media to simplify it, educate, and change habits, especially among youths who are the real drivers of behavioral change.
”The launch also featured the unveiling of over 10 books authored by Uro-Chukwu, covering various aspects of nutritional medicine and public health.He called on the government to urgently introduce and enforce food safety regulations to combat the rising tide of food-related diseases in the country.
“If government does not earmark those food safety rules, we are going nowhere,” he said. “Our institutional systems must wake up.
”The event was attended by academics in the medical and health sciences, traditional leaders, civil society groups, students, and concerned citizens, who hailed the initiative as a timely intervention in Nigeria’s public health sector.Urochukwu encouraged students, health-conscious individuals, and families to subscribe to the ‘Nutric-Med Clinic’ YouTube channel to gain access to life-saving information and improve their overall well-being.