The Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation and Prevention Bureau (AIB) has marked its fifth anniversary with a community health outreach that screened hundreds of residents in La and surrounding communities, uncovering a high prevalence of hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.
The exercise, organised in collaboration with Roselove Community Hospital and a team of medical professionals, formed part of the Bureau’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives within its operational catchment area.
Addressing residents at the event on Wednesday, the Commissioner of AIB, Mr John Wunborti, emphasised that the health and wellbeing of surrounding communities were central to the Bureau’s broader commitment to public service.
“As a public institution, we work with people and live on people’s land. The people around us are our key stakeholders and they help us do our work. Once we live with them, we must also take their health seriously,” he stated.
He noted that although the outreach coincided with the Bureau’s anniversary celebrations, it was deliberately targeted at the general public rather than AIB staff. In addition to the free health screening, some essential medications were provided at no cost to residents with outpatient conditions.
By mid-afternoon, approximately 400 people had been screened, with organisers projecting between 600 and 700 beneficiaries by the close of the exercise. Mr Wunborti described the turnout as “very encouraging,” adding that the response demonstrated the importance of bringing health services closer to the people.
Supervising the medical team, Dr Judith Armah of Roselove Community Hospital said the turnout far exceeded the initial target of 100 participants, highlighting significant unmet health needs within the community.
“Our initial target was 100 people, but so far we have screened about 400, and by the end of the day we may reach 700,” she indicated.
Dr Armah disclosed that the most common conditions detected during the screening were hypertension, diabetes, malaria and typhoid, with hypertension standing out significantly among adults.
“About 150 people, both men and women, were found with high blood pressure,” she revealed, attributing the trend to a combination of genetic factors and lifestyle habits prevalent within the community.
She advised residents to reduce salt intake, adhere strictly to prescribed medication and undergo regular medical checks to prevent complications such as stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
A Medical Laboratory Scientist, Mr Isaac Eshun, explained that laboratory tests conducted included malaria and typhoid screening, blood sugar checks, as well as HIV and Hepatitis B tests.
He noted that while malaria and typhoid cases were relatively few, a number of Hepatitis B and a small number of HIV cases returned reactive results. Affected individuals were referred to larger health facilities for confirmatory testing and appropriate treatment.
Mr Eshun emphasised that hypertension cannot be diagnosed based on a single reading and encouraged residents to undertake consistent blood pressure monitoring before confirmation and treatment. He also advocated lifestyle adjustments, including reduced alcohol intake, stress management and routine health screening to ensure early detection and prevention of diseases.
The health outreach forms part of a series of activities to commemorate AIB’s five years of operations, during which the Bureau has strengthened aviation safety oversight while reaffirming its commitment to social responsibility and community engagement.