Chioma Umeha

BY CHIOMA UMEHA Lagos – A birth registration programme implemented by the National Population Commission (NPopC), with support from UNICEF, has increased the number of children between the ages of zero and 17 years registered in Nigeria by about 29 million. According to the evaluation report launched today, for children under one year of age, the programme increased by more than 100 per cent the number of children registered -   from 3 million in 2012 to 11 million in 2016. “Low rates of birth registration are a challenge in Nigeria,” said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “In 2011, the birth registration rate was 41 percent, which means that three in every five children were not registered. This lack of birth registration negatively affects a child’s ability to access his or her right to health care, education and many other rights.” It was in this context that the programme was initiated to accelerate birth registration rates – particularly for children u

Lagos – With Nigeria contributing 20 million to the global 300 million people affected by fungal infections, scientists have urged the Federal Government to establish    Mycology Laboratories in the country. Making the call were researchers from the fields of Mycology, Parasitology, Haematology, Microbiology, others, who stressed that it would forestall fungal epidemic. They said, it is unacceptable for a country like Nigeria, the most populous African country not to have Mycology Laboratories. The practitioners made this and other submissions at the Cancer Research Centre, of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) at the first Annual International Conference of the Medical Mycology Society of Nigeria (MMSN). Commenting, Dr. Rita Oladele, a microbiologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the situation in Nigeria is really appalling, where there is no single reference laboratory for fungal infections, saying it is not a good one for the country and

It is of paramount importance for one to visit doctors at least twice a year for a proper checkup. As the saying goes; “Prevention is better than cure.” In line with this old axiom, experts are increasingly advocating preventive healthcare to confirm that ‘a stitch in time saves nine.’ Dr. Jide Idris, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, has restated government’s commitment to promoting preventive health care in the state. According to Wikipedia, preventive healthcare consists of measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Just as health comprises a variety of physical and mental states, so do disease and disability, which are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices. Idris stressed on preventive healthcare during a sensitisation walk and symposium, part of activities to mark World Health Day in Lagos on Monday. The event was organised by the state Ministry of Health in conjunction wit

A normal menstrual cycle is usually 28 days plus or minus seven days, meaning that anything from 21 days to 35 days is normal. So those who complain that they get theirs twice a month could see how this is possible, especially if you fall into the 21-day cycle. Subtle variations are acceptable, like 21 days here this month, 25 days there next month, etc. but wide swings from days to 35 days will seem abnormal. Even then, unless this happens at least three times consecutively, it should not be concerning. This is because a woman’s menstrual cycle is subject to stress hormones so things like sadness as in death, joy as in travelling abroad, purchasing a car, etc. can trigger events that can lead to heavy flow, scanty flow or even cessation. As such, any alteration unless life-threatening is not significant until it happens through three menstrual cycles in a row. The typical thing is for the Nigerian female to start worrying about the little aberration and even having sleepless night

Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, former Nigerian Minister of Health and president of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, is billed to address an Executive Dialogue on Public and Private Sector Collaboration for Economic Growth in the Pharmaceutical Sector. This dialogue will hold in Sandton, South Africa, on February 14. Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi who is also the founder and Chairman of Juli PLC will speak on “Solutions and measures to combat counterfeit medicines”. The problem of fake and counterfeit medicines has plagued Nigeria and many developing countries for decades. According to Adelusi-Adeluyi, “the problem of fake and counterfeit medicines has grown increasingly complex over the years and only a multi-pronged approach that has both the private and public sectors acting in concert is best placed to address it effectively.” He added that “an executive dialogue of this nature that seeks to inspire multi-sector collaboration, therefore, is clearly in the right d

Chioma Umeha Research has shown that knowing one’s HIV status can help in making healthy decisions to prevent acquiring or transmitting the Human Immune Virus (HIV). Nigeria is home to 10 per cent of Adolescents Living With HIV(ALHIV) globally, that is about 240,000, according to a project initiated in response to the 2016 National Adolescents and Young Peoples (AYP) HIV strategy. However, this number is not reflected in HIV Testing Services (HTS) and Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) services, hence the need to identify Adolescents Living With HIV and put them on treatment. To this effect, a new study seeks to find adolescents living with HIV, link them to treatment, and ensure they remain in treatment. It also seeks to observe and document factors that facilitate successful scale - up in identification and treatment of AYP living with HIV in service programmes in three States in Nigeria including, Lagos State. However, the study uses family-based and index case finding a

Nursing and pregnant women waiting to receive care at   Agbongbon Primary Health Centre, Ibadan Oyo State, recently. Efforts to reduce out-of-pocket payments for healthcare, a huge burden on households and individuals remain a mirage in view of the poverty level of Nigerians which is put at 70 per cent. However, health insurance provides financial protection for pregnant women, spreading risks and pooling funds which would make maternal healthcare affordable and accessible, writes CHIOMA UMEHA. Every day, Nigeria loses about 145 women of childbearing age, making her the second largest contributor to the maternal mortality rate in the world, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). When this statistic was released in 2017, it generated different responses from different people even as many disputed the figure. Though pregnancy and child birth supposed to be safe and normal, so many women and their new born die due to pregnancy and child birth rela

Chioma Umeha The Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition in conjunction with Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) have domesticated the National Policy on Food and Nutrition to Lagos specific. Speaking during the opening remark of the validation meeting of the Lagos State Specific Plan on Food and Nutrition (SSPFN) and State Multi-Sectorial Plan of Action for Nutrition (SMSPAN), Mr Shola Fadorun, representing the State’s Permanent Secretary,   Ministry of Economy Planning and Budget, Abayomi Adebisi Kadiri said malnutrition is a key health challenge in the State. He said the validated policy will serve as a direction for the execution of programmes and projects that will address nutrition matters in the State. Kadiri said the main objective of the validation exercise is to cross the‘t’s, dot the ‘I’s and confirm the data referred to in the document, adding that the exercise will address the cross cutting issues among the lines Ministry,

...Says It’ll Provide Free Surgeries For 1000 Women To tackle   the growing prevalence of fibroids among women, Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation (BOF), weekend unveiled its Love story to offer free fibroids surgeries to 1000 women free of charge. The Executive Director of the Foundation,   Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu   who   announced this in Lagos described fibroids as a benign mass that grows in the womb even as he regretted that fibroids ranks among one of the conditions affecting women across Africa. According to him, a lot of these superstitions, myths and fallacies surrounding the condition are the main reasons women are dying from fibroids. He said, however, the risk of developing fibroid could be reduced if a woman married early and there was a break in their menstrual flow. He said the major challenge contributing to the reason many people seek for other alternatives was due to the cost of surgery which he said ranges from half a million, adding that