Hundreds of elderly women, men, traders, students and community leaders on Friday flooded the Civic Centre, Bolorunduro, headquarters, Ondo East Local Government Area of Ondo as the Medical Aid and Advocacy for the Vulnerables Foundation (MAAVF) staged a massive World Diabetes Day outreach that offered free screening, consultation and medications.
Dr Mofeoluwa Akinbogun
(University of Wisconsin, Medical School, USA) and Dr Modesire Akinbogun founded MAAVF.
Speaking at the event, the co-founder, Dr Modesire Akinbogun, said the foundation was determined to curb rising diabetes-related deaths in rural communities.
She revealed that during the five-day outreach, MAAVF would pick two patients with dangerously high blood sugar and fund their full treatment for at least six months.
“This outreach is not a one-off. We will pay for their tests, drugs and follow-up. We don’t want preventable deaths anymore,” she declared.
Akinbogun said the programme, funded by donors and family supporters, gulped over ₦1 million, covering drugs, logistics and refreshments.
She recalled that last year’s outreach exposed alarming cases, including one beneficiary who later died from complications.
“That loss jolted us. It shaped this year’s programme. Here, passion meets purpose,” she said.
The foundation also brought in students from nearby schools, warning that many were dropping out due to poverty and lack of motivation.
“Some don’t take JAMB or even finish SS3. We want them to think big and not be limited by their background,” she added.
Her father, Prof. Tolulope Akinbogun, who attended to support his children, said bringing the initiative to Ondo East was deliberate.
“Charity begins at home. I want my children grounded in our culture before they travel abroad,” he said.
“Ignorance is a disease. People die because they lack knowledge. That’s why advocacy matters.”
The Executive Chairman, Ondo East Local Government, Hon. Joshua Ogunduyilemi, praised the move as “a true humanitarian rescue,” saying many residents cannot afford basic healthcare.
“Where the foundation stops, the local government will take it up,” he vowed, adding that the outreach report would be presented to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Ogunduyilemi said local health centres had improved under the present administration, with renovations, drug restocking and new facilities underway.
Former Vice Chancellor of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Prof. Chief Sunday Ogunduyile, also endorsed the outreach.
He admitted he initially doubted its feasibility but changed his position after seeing the turnout.
“The crowd convinced me. This is a huge success,” he said.
He warned that the “Japa syndrome” continues to cripple the health sector.
“Hospitals where 20 doctors once worked now struggle with one. That doctor is overstretched,” he lamented.
Another health practitioner and partner, Mariam Waziri supporting the programme said many residents were taking their blood sugar test for the first time.
“That’s unacceptable. Government must prioritise rural healthcare,” she said.
The outreach featured a four-phase structure, including consultations, referrals, and sponsorship of critical patients.
As of the time of filing the report, the Civic Centre had become a hive of activity as inhabitants from Bolorunduro, Bagbo, Owena, Kajola and neighbouring communities lined up for tests.The foundation said it hopes to reach between 400 and 500 people before the exercise ends.
