Saddened by the alarming deaths recorded in the country to diseases such as pneumonia, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, malaria, poliomyelitis, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), amongst others, there are calls for government at all levels to engender public health education for the masses.

Prof. Olumuyiwa Odusanya made this call while delivering the 48th Inaugural Lecture Series of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

In his paper entitled: Health in the Interest of the Public, the Provost of Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) opined that ignorance brought about by poverty must be ameliorated by government through constant sensitization of the masses, if the fight against diseases leading to high death tolls must be successful.

Odusanya said "the strategies for tackling major health problems are not mutually exclusive but show the need to prioritize and select strategies that are in the best interest of the community and not the convenience of the state or health system.

"The health system must become an advocate for the health of the public and the nation needs to realize that the health of the public is a key to its socio-economic development."

The Professor of Community and Primary Health Care, in his 45 minutes interactive lecture, further explained that for the health sector to be driven towards the judicious benefit of the masses, government and other stakeholders must ensure that the health of the public is promoted through health education, qualitative and quantitative service improvement and advocacy for healthy public policies.