HMO Restates Commitment to Promoting Healthy Living among Nigerians

Martins Ifijeh

The Managing Director, Avon HMO, Adesimbo Ukiri, has reiterated her organisation’s commitment to promoting healthy living amongst Nigerians while announcing the commencement of the second season of its radio programme, ‘Practical Tips for Healthy Living’. The show which airs at 5.15pm every Thursday on Smooth 98.1 FM, Lagos, was conceived as a platform to demystify the various health issues that Nigerians often contend with in their everyday lives.

During the first season, topics demystified include depression, infertility, hypertension, addictions and diabetes. Ukiri said, “The nature of our business demands that we remain at the forefront of promoting awareness and understanding about simple lifestyle choices people can make to improve their overall health and quality of life.”

“We introduced ‘Practical Tips For Healthy Living’ to bridge the knowledge gap of the average Nigerian when it comes to keeping healthy and managing most common health conditions that if, untreated shorten lifespan and limit the ability to live well. We are extremely pleased that people have responded to the programme so positively.

“We took a break after season one to listen to feedback provided by our listening audience via our social media handles and in season two, we will be featuring the topics that have been most requested for. We are excited to present the second season of the programme to our radio audience who have told us that they eager to have us back on air.” She added that various experts and specialists from the medical profession will be featured on air to discuss these identified health topics. Ukiri emphasised that Avon HMO’s value goes beyond the usual HMO model of offering curative healthcare services in exchange for premiums; rather, the company operates a managed health model which empowers people with a holistic healthcare approach so that they are enabled to live healthier and fuller lives.

Since its inception, Avon HMO has been in the forefront of driving innovative initiatives in the Nigerian health management sub-sector. It was the first HMO in Nigeria to enter into the retail market segment as well as the first to offer Nigerians the opportunity to subscribe and pay for health plans online via their mobile phones. It is also the HMO with the largest following on social media, where its platforms are used as active tools for audience engagement and feedback.