AN environmental and public health expert, Dr Samuel Akingbehin, has warned against the dangers of self-medication without consulting a doctor, saying it can pose serious risks to an individual’s overall well-being.
Akingbehin, who is also the President of the Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Association of Nigeria (EPHPAN), gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.
He noted a rising trend in the use of medications, especially antimalarial drugs, without proper diagnosis, which he said could harm internal organs such as the lungs and potentially lead to organ failure.
“If malaria is not properly treated due to self-medication, it can lead to organ failure,” he said, adding that such cases posed even greater risks for pregnant women and their unborn children.
Akingbehin stressed the need for proper diagnosis before any treatment, especially for conditions like malaria, where symptoms often overlapped with other illnesses.
“Every day in Nigeria, people take medicines without seeing a doctor, particularly malaria medicines.
“Instead of going to the hospital, they buy drugs from roadside chemists or untrained sellers, or even take advice from friends,” he said.
He warned that taking the wrong medicine could worsen health conditions, cause serious complications, or even lead to death.
“Many people have lost their sight, damaged their kidneys, or suffered life-threatening conditions due to self-medication.
“Yet the habit persists because hospital care is costly, hard to access, or time-consuming.”
He described the practice of buying drugs at the first sign of fever, commonly a symptom of many illnesses, as dangerous and a form of drug abuse.
Akingbehin advised Nigerians to seek medical attention and undergo proper diagnostic tests at health centres whenever symptoms arose.
