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‘My Birth Registration, My Right’

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Chioma Umeha  Birth registration is a right. Article 7 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child specifies, “Every child has the right to be registered at birth without any discrimination.” Therefore, birth registration is expected to be carried out immediately after birth. It should also be free and accessible to all, even if children are registered late. The United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) notes, “Children with no birth certificate don’t exist before the law, and are in danger of remaining on the margins of society, or being shut out altogether. “They are more likely to face major challenges in accessing healthcare, education and social assistance.” This issue was brought to the fore recently in Kano at a media dialogue on birth registration organised by UNICEF in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture (FMIC) and National Population Commission (NPopC). Mrs. Sharon Oladiji, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF, in her

Yakasai Calls For Cooperation Among Healthcare Practitioners

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Chioma Umeha Some-participants at the sixth National Cerebral Palsy Family Forum which held University of Lagos Teaching Hospital LUTH Idiaraba in Lagos Worried by the impact of recurring disagreement among   healthcare practitioners on the sector, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has said that collaboration among them is a must and not an option in achieving quality care for patients. Yakasai, who is also the Chairman/CEO, Pharmaplus Nigeria Limited, made this assertion in a paper he presented at the 13th Annual Scientific Conference and All Fellows Congress of National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, tagged, ASCAF Owerri 2018, weekend. Defining synergy as an interaction or cooperation of two or more organisations, substances, individuals or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects, Yakasai stressed the need for such cooperation in ending the differences among

Birth Registration: Nigeria Leads Among Eight African Countries With Lowest Unregistered Children

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Chioma Umeha The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has expressed worry over the alarming low level of birth registration in Nigeria as the country has the largest population of unregistered children among eight of the 10 countries with the lowest levels of birth registration are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mrs. Sharon Oladiji, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF, said this in Kano on Wednesday at a two-day Media Dialogue on Birth Registration. Oladiji also said that only eight per cent per cent of under-five children are registered in Nigeria, http:br.rapidsmsnigeria.org. She noted that birth registration is a key issue evidenced by a birth certificate and requires urgent attention. The Child Protection Specialist said, “A key issue that requires urgent attention is birth registration, evidenced by a birth certificate: “Currently only eight per cent of under-5 children are registered in Nigeria: http:br.rapidsmsnigeria.org. “Only 44 per cent

Nigeria Among Countries Where 78 Million Babies Miss Breastmilk After Birth

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Chioma Umeha With 32.8 per cent of early initiation of breastfeeding, Nigeria ranks 66th in the world as at 2016, a new report from the United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF) tagged, Capture the Moment, which analyses data from 76 countries. The report which was co-authored by the World Health Organisation(WHO) stressed that breastfeeding within an hour after birth is critical for saving newborn lives. However, it regretted, “An estimated 78 million babies -or three in five – are not breastfed within the first hour of life, putting them at higher risk of death and disease and making them less likely to continue breastfeeding. “Most of these babies are born in low- and middle-income countries,” the report added. It further noted that newborns who breastfeed in the first hour of life are significantly more likely to survive. Even a delay of a few hours after birth could pose life-threatening consequences. “Skin-to-skin contact along with suckling at the bre

Nigeria Army Begins Upgrade Of Medical Corps, Facilities

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Panel of discussants Left to right: Major Gen. O. A Ogunbiyi (rtd) keynote speaker, Brig. Gen. A Dada, Chief Medical Director 68NARHY, Maj. Gen. Ameh (rtd) and Brig Gen IU Babangida (rtd). Inset: Maj Gen Udoh General Officer Commandinding 81 Division Nigerian Army (lt) ....Says It Wants To Meet Quality Healthcare Demands, Emergencies Chioma Umeha In view of growing demand on human and material resources on the Nigerian Army(NA) to meet security challenges has embarked, NA has commenced restructuring and reequipping of its medical corps facilities to guarantee availability of world-class care for the safety of the lives of troops and effectively handle emergencies. Lt. Gen. Tukur Burutai, the Chief of Army Staff, revealed this during the opening ceremony of its 2018 Nigerian Army Medical Corps Training Week, with the theme: “Enhancing Quality Healthcare in Nigerian Army Medical Corps Facilities.” Burutai noted that the safety of the lives of troops is pa

Save The Children On Rescue Mission To Stop Diarrhoea

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Some participants during the hand over ceremony of 30 rehabilitated and new water facilities in two LGAs, Lagos, recently. •Hands Over 30 Water Facilities In Two Lagos LGAs Chioma Umeha To reduce high incidence of diarrhoea among children under five years, Save The Children International has handed over 30 rehabilitated and newly constructed water facilities to two Local Government Areas in Lagos, under its Stop Diarrhoea Initiative (SDI). At the handover ceremony to both Shomolu Local Government Area (LGA) and Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos recently, Save The Children said the aim is to reduce at least 50 per cent diarrhoea incidence among children under five years. Mr. Godfrey Iloha, the WASH Advisor of The Stop Diarrhoea Intitiative (SDI) explained that it is part of the SDI’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) implementation strategy to deliver community wide sanitation in Shomolu LGA, and ultimately increase access to improv

Doctors Unite With Pharmacists To Improve Healthcare

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Pharm. Emeka Duru (left), National Secretary, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria; Pharm. Ifeanyi Atueyi,Publisher Pharmanews, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Dr. Francis Adedayo, President, Nigeria Medical Association(NMA) during the NMA courtesy visit of the Pharmacy house, recently to end the interprofessional rivalry in the health sector. •Resolve To End Incessant Rift Among Health Workers Chioma Umeha To ensure quality healthcare delivery in the country, leaders of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have resolved to put an end to the conflict between both organisations and to work together. The bodies made this decision when Dr. Francis Faduyile, the President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), led his executive members on a courtesy visit to the PSN headquarters in Lagos, recently. During the meeting, Faduyile, pledged to work “harmoniously” with the PSN Presi

Hope Rises For Boy With Subdural Empyema, As Lagoon Provides Free Surgery

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Chioma Umeha For God Is Great, a 16-year-old boy, the success of his surgery from subdural empyema is a clear manifestation of the divine fulfilment of his name. Subdural empyema is an intracranial focal collection of purulent material located between the dura mater and the arachnoid mater. God Is Great was diagnosed with subdural empyema early this year. The CT scan showed a hypodense collection in the frontal region of the subdural space – space between the skull bone and brain – with a collection of gas above it. Based on clinical features and radiological findings, the diagnosis was a bi-frontal (involvement of both side of the anterior aspect of the subdural space) subdural empyema. It all began with a simple complaint of a headache and fever but was treated for typhoid. After being placed on admission and discharged from a hospital in Badagry, he still complained of the headaches and fever. He went back to the hospital and was asked to do an x-ray. Go

Fidson’s ABR Splashes Awards, Scholarships On Students For Academic Excellence

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Chioma Umeha L-R: Astymin School Program Coordinator, Mrs Yetunde Adesola; Mr Olalekan Hakeem of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board; Representative of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Folashade Ladiju; Marketing Manager, Fidson Healthcare Plc, Mr. Friday Enaholu and Head, Business and Corporate Development, Mr Oshoke Ayebae, during the 2018 Astymin Brilliance Reward (ABR) presentation at the Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos. Determined to improve on its annual reward for academic excellence, Fidson Healthcare Plc, under its Astymin Brilliance Reward (ABR) rewarded over 230 public and private schools pupils across the country and awarded scholarship to the three best students in the 2017 West African Examination Council (WAEC). The event, which held at Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, the company’s Marketing Manager, Mr. Friday Enaholo, said was aimed at celebrating and rewarding brilliant kids and ensuring their continuous academic de

Every Nigerian Should Have Access To Family Planning, Basic Healthcare – Jega

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Dr. Farouk Jega is Senior Country Director of Pathfinder in Nigeria, where he oversees technical and administrative aspects of a multi-million dollar portfolio of projects in maternal health, family planning, HIV and AIDS, and advocacy. In this interview with CHIOMA UMEHA , he speaks on family planning and sundry issues. Experts: Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates in the world, 235 million in 2013, what is the significance of this prediction in the face of the contending family planning services issues in the country? The significance is in many different ways, but we need to make a clarification. First, the absolute population number is not a bad thing if it goes at pace with the level of development but unfortunately, Nigeria’s population growth has not really been in pace with our level of human development. So, we have this huge population and very bad infrastructure in terms of educational and healthcare facilities, even employment and that i