Opobo Marathon: 500 Residents Benefit From Institute’s Medical Outreach

More than 500 residents of Opobo Kingdom received free medical care as part of a comprehensive community medical outreach organised alongside the 8th edition of Opobo Marathon, reinforcing the event’s growing impact beyond sports.

The outreach was carried out in partnership with the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), which served as sponsor and lead partner for the health intervention. Held on the sidelines of the marathon, the exercise provided beneficiaries with free medical consultations, health screenings and basic healthcare services, offering much-needed support to residents across the kingdom.

Speaking during the exercise, Henry Iyowuna Cookey, Project Lead of Opobo Marathon, expressed deep appreciation to IHVN for its commitment to community health, describing the intervention as both timely and impactful.

He noted that the initiative embodied the core values of the marathon, which seeks to use sport as a platform for development and service to humanity. Cookey also paid special tribute to the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of IHVN, Dr Charles Olalekan Mensah, whose leadership and institutional support, he said, were instrumental to the success of the outreach.

The medical exercise was coordinated by Dr Fabian Jaja, who highlighted the scale and significance of the intervention. According to him, a dedicated medical team comprising five doctors, nurses and medical volunteers was deployed to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

Dr Jaja added that the impressive turnout and level of medical need witnessed during the outreach underscored the importance of taking healthcare services directly to the grassroots.

Community leaders and beneficiaries equally commended the initiative. Senibo Hon. Solomon Ogolo, a respected community leader who participated in the exercise, praised both IHVN and the Opobo Marathon organisers after undergoing medical checks.

He described the outreach as a highly commendable effort, noting that access to free and quality healthcare meant a great deal to the people of Opobo, particularly at a time when such services are often out of reach for many.

The medical outreach stands as a strong testament to IHVN’s ongoing contribution to strengthening healthcare access at the community level, while further cementing the Opobo Marathon’s reputation as a purpose-driven event committed to health, unity and sustainable community development in the Niger Delta.