Chioma Umeha

Anxiety has continued to heighten over tracing all the contacts of the Italian man who repo rtedly imported the Convid-19 deadly disease to Nigeria as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has set up a monitoring team to track all the passengers of Turkish Airlines. The Italian who is now in isolation arrived the country on board of Turkish Airlines Tuesday, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, where other airlines often arrived the airport simultaneously. Stakeholders are worried that identifying the contacts appear to be a herculean task. Specifically, there’s a serious concern that passengers of KLM and Air France who are now at large may equally be tracked and monitored as the two airlines arrived at the airport almost the same time with the Turkish Air. There are fears that the passengers of the three aircraft may have mixed or interacted with one and other at the immigration counters and the baggage reclaimed area of the a

Many Nigerians rushed to buy hand sanitizer and face masks at the wake of the announcement of the country’s confirmed case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the weekend, as part of personal hygiene and sanitary measures to protect themselves from a deadly infection. It is fashionable to see people wearing facemask as a form of protection against the dreaded virus across the country. However, Prof. Dimie Ogoina, a Professor of Medicine and Consultant, Infectious Diseases at the Niger Delta University and Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Bayelsa State has advised that people should only use a face mask if they have respiratory symptoms. Prof. Ogoina, who spoke in a recent chat room organised by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) said, people don’t need face masks except if they have respiratory symptoms to protect disposal of droplets during coughing or sneezing. He advised; “If you have someone who has been coughing or sneezing and you need to assist that

Stakeholders and experts are worried that some key indicators to improved child health and survival, being part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set to be achieved by 2030 have shown marginal increase in nearly three decades following the release of 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) writes CHIOMA UMEHA.   Research indicates that reducing childhood mortality and improved nutrition, survival and health of the Nigerian child is crucial to any country’s socioeconomic development and quality of life. Yet, important indicators in the 2018 NDHS like, breastfeeding, immunisation and provision of Insecticide-treated Nets (ITNs), maternal healthcare, health insurance coverage, among others, shows slow progress against the actualisation of the SDGs. Breastfeeding According to the 2018 NDHS, the percentage of Nigerian children who started breastfeeding within one hour of their birth only increased by nine percentage points since 2013, from 33 percent to 4

Many Nigerians were gripped with fear when Lagos confirmed a case of new coronavirus at the wee hours of penultimate Friday. The news stimulated memories of anxiety generated six years ago when West Africa’s Ebola epidemic hit the busy megacity. Prior to the importation of the dreaded disease, many had asked; Is Nigeria prepared for an eventual outbreak of Coronavirus (Convid19) in the country? The Federal Government had assured citizens that it is prepared to combat the deadly Coronavirus in the advent of an outbreak in the country and urged non-stigmatisation of infected persons should the case arises. Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), at a one-day sensitisation programme on the spread of Coronavirus and Lassa fever noted; “We have been informed by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that they have set up their response centres and mounting surveillance. Medical personnel have also been put on standby to attend to any em

LAGOS – Nigeria is still behind the global target of 50 per cent in exclusive breastfeeding despite recording 29 per cent, the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS 2018) new report has revealed. The development is worrisome to experts in view of many benefits of breast milk. World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that breast milk contains all of the nutrients needed by children during their first six months of life. The United Nations health body recommends that children should be exclusively breastfed in the first six months of their life; that is, they should be given nothing, but breast milk. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is known to improve the health, growth, and survival status of newborns (WHO 2003). Among its benefits, exclusive breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk for many early-life illnesses, including diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Nigeria, in tandem with international best practices recommends exclusiv

LAGOS – Medical laboratory scientists (MLS), also known as clinical laboratory scientists, play a crucial role in the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients. They perform complex tests on pa­tient samples using sophisticated equip­ment like microscopes. The data they find plays an important role in identi­fying and treating cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other medical conditions. Other medical practitioners depend on medical laboratory scientists for ac­curate diagnosis to effectively manage any health condition. With the emergence of various com­municable and Non Communicable Dis­eases (NCDs) worldwide, including Lassa fever, cancers, Ebola, Covid-19 and many others, especially in the West African re­gion, the need for sophisticated and well trained medical laboratory scientists at the highest level is now a necessity. This is to enable them have the needed knowledge and competence to confront and provide the right diagnostic outputs fo

LAGOS – The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has called on the Federal Gov­ernment to restrict inter­national air travels to Murtala Mo­hammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe Inter­national Airport, Abuja, as part of efforts to contain the rampaging Coronavirus in the world. This is just as it asked President Muhammadu Buhari to nominate another chairman for the Pharma­cists Council of Nigeria (PCN). Comrade Biobelemoye Joy Josi­ah, JOHESU National Chairman, made the call Tuesday, March 10, 2020, when he led a delegation of JOHESU/AHPA national leader­ship on a courtesy visit to President Buhari in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Josiah told the President that be­cause of the challenges of COVID 19, there was also a need to restrict movements at the Lagos seaports, as well as unhindered movements via land as the country, step up the total surveillance on all ports of entry. Josiah thanked the president for prompt release of N600 million to tackle the