Experts Tell Govts: Clean Environment First, Vaccines Later

Public health experts have urged governments at all levels to focus more on environmental cleanliness and hygiene rather than depending solely on vaccination as a means of promoting healthy living.

The call was made during the 10th National Conference on Environment and Health, organised by the Living Sciences Foundation at the University of Ilesa, Osun State.

The two-day conference brought together researchers, academics, and policy experts to discuss the country’s growing environmental health concerns.

Speaking at the event, a former Vice-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University and meteorology expert, Professor Debo Adeyewa, emphasised that disease prevention begins with environmental health and proper nutrition.

“God has provided all that we need to build immunity. The food we eat serves as medicine and a form of natural immunisation. Our environment itself contributes to our body’s defence system,” Adeyewa said.

He cautioned against excessive dependence on vaccines, noting that while vaccination plays a vital role in healthcare, it can be misused or overemphasised.

“Vaccination is not bad, but its processes can be abused. We are not condemning it; we are only saying environmental health must not be neglected,” he explained.

Adeyewa also identified contaminated water and poor sanitation as major contributors to disease outbreaks, calling for collective efforts to promote a cleaner and safer environment.

In his remarks, former Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Professor Dapo Asaju, explored the link between health, environment, and spirituality.

“This Living Sciences Conference challenges us to be better healers of a sick world — to act rightly and promote health through good environmental practices,” he said.

The President of the Living Sciences Foundation, Professor Joshua Ojo, an environmental and health physics specialist, emphasised the need for collaborative and multi-sectoral approaches to environmental management.

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“Environmental health cannot be treated in isolation. We need collective and interdisciplinary actions, and that is why this conference brings together diverse stakeholders,” Ojo explained.

Representing the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilesa, the institution’s ICT Director, Oladipo Folorunsho, commended the organisers for hosting the event, describing it as a key platform for environmental awareness and sustainable health advocacy.

“The goal is to promote practices that make our environment healthier and encourage sustainable living. At the University of Ilesa, we practise green culture, discourage trampling on lawns, and promote health education and physical wellbeing,” Folorunsho added.

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The conference concluded with a renewed call for stronger environmental policies, public health education, and grassroots participation in maintaining hygiene and preventing disease.