Pageant crowns new Miss Health queens (Video)

By Victor Okoye/Magdalene Ukuedojoh

Olivia Uduma-Eze from Ebonyi State and Ivory Chidi of Abia State have been crowned 2018/2019 Miss Health Nigeria and Miss Health Africa Queens respectively.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prestigious pageant, which is in its third edition, took place at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers on Tuesday in Abuja .

A total of 30 contestants from different parts of the country took part in the pageant during which the contestants advocated for people living with various diseases in the country.

The contestants were judged in different fashion categories including swim suits, traditional attires and ball room gowns.

They also made presentations and answered questions from the judges and audience with regards to the various diseases they were advocating for.

Uduma-Eze, who was crowned the 2018/2019 Miss Health Nigeria Queen, advocated for Breast Cancer, while Chidi who was crowned Miss Health Africa Queen advocated for Hepatitis.

Olayinka Adu from Ondo State, who won the second runner up position, advocated for Cervical Cancer and was crowned the 2018/2019 Face of Health Queen.

The newly crowned queens are expected to embark on various health-related projects for the next one year.

Uduma-Eze, who spoke to NAN after the event, said she was overwhelmed and would begin her reign with some health advocacy projects.

“I feel overwhelmed, I am super excited and I can’t wait to start to advocate for health awareness and delivery in the country.

“This is because a healthy nation, they say, is a wealthy nation.”

Chidi, for her part, said she was elated to have clinched the Africa queen award, noting that there was a lot of work to be done in the health sector.

“It is a great pleasure and I am honoured to be chosen among so many other contestants to serve in this capacity.

“There is a lot of work to be done in the health sector and I have projects that will cut across all the states of the federation.

“I am going to be doing a whole lot of girl-child and health advocacy to ensure that maternal and infant mortality rates are reduced to the barest minimum.

“I am also going to be advocating for people suffering from mental illness, autism, and so on.

“There is just a whole lot of projects I will be embarking on and I want you all to join me on this journey as it is going to be a wonderful, power-packed, project-filled one year reign,’’ she said.

Also, Nick Bebiem, the Executive Director of the pageant said it was a great show and the winners were well deserving of their crowns as they worked really hard.

“Their job now is to begin to advocate for better health delivery in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.

“This is their immediate task,” he said.

Bebiem also said that they would be embarking on a medical outreach, which would focus on the fight against Malaria, to Guzape in December.

Each of the winners went home with a brand new car from the event which featured other attractions including music, comedy and presentation of awards to notable Nigerians.

Some popular movie stars, musicians and comedians also thrilled the audience. (NAN)