The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has underscored the therapeutic role of art in healing, wellness and public health, describing it as a powerful tool for social and behavioural change in the healthcare system.
Speaking at Arts and Heath Festival held in Ikoyi, Professor Abayomi noted that Lagos was adopting a multidimensional approach to healthcare delivery by embedding art into infrastructure design, patient care and health communication.
Recounting his personal experience, the Commissioner revealed that art helped him decompress during his grueling medical residency in the United Kingdom and later inspired his intervention during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Professor Abayomi said the same approach proved valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when isolation centres in Lagos were infused with paintings, music, poetry and creative activities under the state-backed “Art for Life” initiative.
He added that the state government was now deliberately designing new facilities such as the Massey Children’s Hospital with architectural and artistic flair, while also using graphics and animation to drive social behavioural change in preventive healthcare campaigns.
Writing by Gladys Haruna