Chioma Umeha

By: Chioma Umeha Studies show that that 20 per cent often die when they are attacked by stroke, while 40 per cent are at risk of being disabled with 25 per cent chance severely disabled. Confirming this, Dr. David Spence, director of the Stroke-Prevention Center at the Robarts Research Institute in Canada, said that one of approximately 600,000 Americans who have stroke dies. Spence also added that if you have stroke, then, “your chance of dying is 20 percent-but you have a 40 percent chance of being disabled and a 25 percent chance of being severely disabled.”  An ischemic stroke—the kind that affects most men—occurs when an artery to the brain is blocked by arterial plaque that has broken loose and caused a blood clot. In fact, it is just like a heart attack, only instead of heart cells dying for lack of blood, brain cells are kicking off-thousands of brain cells. Perhaps paralyzing half of your body; or slurring your speech; or even plunging you into senility. But a “br

By: Chioma Umeha FG should be committed to their new roles The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has urged the committee set up by the federal government to redress the grievances of health workers on controversial professional issues to be committed and impartial in tackling the various issues. A statement yesterday signed by Olumide Akintayo, national president, PSN, noted that the demands of the health workers are their human rights and should be respected. Akintayo stressed the need for government to recognise the different hierarchical order, professionalism, application of nomenclatures such as consultants and directors in hospitals, among other issues. He said: “The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria wishes to urge the Committee of the Federal Government set up to redress the grievances of health workers on contentious professional matters to be steadfast, bold and upright in tackling the various matters arising without fear or favour.” “Pharmacists u

By: Chioma Umeha  After 34 years of existence, the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Ijanikin, Lagos has cried out for financial help to upgrade current facilities at the college.  In its 31st pre-convocation ceremony briefing yesterday in Lagos, the College President, Prof. Victor Wakwe said the institution has been financially struggling for survival since inception in 1979, pointing out that the unhealthy development has constrained the college from optimal performance. He explained that the reason the college had been neglected and its inability to access funds from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) was tied with its establishment under the Ministry of Health, while TETFUND was planted to handle education affairs. The president however argued that the postgraduate college was a tertiary institution that should benefit from such purse to enable it meet with international standard.   “This is a tertiary education, therefore, TETFUND needs to relea

By: Chioma Umeha Many dismiss avocado as too fattening forgetting that is also packed with natural health goodness. Avocado has been called the world’s most perfect food. It has achieved this distinction because many nutritionists claim it not only contains everything a person needs to survive — but it has also been found to contribute to the prevention and control of Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other health conditions.  The avocado (Persea gratissima or P. americana) originated in Puebla, Mexico and its earliest use dates back to 10,000 years B.C. Since AD 900, the avocado tree has been cultivated and grown in Central and South America. In the 19th century, the avocado made its entry into California, and has since become a very successful commercial crop. 95 per cent of U.S. avocados are gown in Southern California.  Here are other health benefits of avocado:   Helps control blood pressure  It contains potassium which is known to help contr

By: Chioma Umeha Last Tuesday’s news about the discovery of a substance which will eliminate malaria, one of the world’s most deadly diseases, is no doubt cheery to many across the world, especially Nigerians. This is not surprising as Nigeria is one of the world’s endemic malaria countries.  This report is coming on the heels of a recent report published in Science – a scientific journal, which announced the success of a phase 1 trial of the early-stage clinical evaluation of an investigational malaria vaccine known as the PfSPZ Vaccine, conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health. In reaction, global researchers had observed that preliminary studies have confirmed that the vaccine is safe to generate an immune system response, and to offer protection against malaria infection in healthy adults. Experts in Nigeria also described this as a welcome development. However, it is believed th

Mrs. Itoro Eze Anaba the Executive Director/Managing partner, Partnership for Justice in an interview recently decried the plight of rape survivors. Anaba spoke to CHIOMA UMEHA (HEALTH EDITOR) on the goals of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) which will provide respite for survivors. Excerpts:  Recently, your organisation announced that it was going to establish a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Give details of your plans.  We have commenced training for medical practitioners on forensic medical examinations and provision of other support services for victims of rape and sexual assaults. Partnership for Justice is setting up a sexual assault referral centre that will provide timely professional and victim friendly services for survivors of sexual assault. And one of the major aspect of the project is to train doctors and nurses to provide them with adequ

By: Chioma Umeha A new study which has caused fresh debate, on Monday proposed that women should begin routine breast cancer screening before age 50 to reduce deaths from breast cancer. This new recommendation flies in the face of concerns that screening women for breast cancer increases their risk of ‘overdiagnosis.’ The study which was conducted by Harvard University researchers stated; “mammograms before age 50 could dramatically cut deaths from breast cancer.” According to an agency report, a team of researchers led by Dr. Blake Cady of Massachusetts General Hospital identified women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1990 and 1999 at two Boston hospitals and tracked their cases until 2007. They found that out of 609 confirmed breast cancer deaths, 395 of these women — 71 per cent — never had a mammogram prior to diagnosis.  Moreover, half of the breast cancer deaths in the study were in women younger than 50. Only 13 per cent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women 70 o

Professor Innocent Ujah is the Director-General (DG) and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos. Ujah recently addressed journalists on the efforts of the institute since the past three years when he assumed duty. CHIOMA UMEHA (HEALTH EDITOR) was there and has the details. Excerpt: Professor Innocent Ujah Discuss the link between the recent expansion in the services of human virology laboratory (HVL) and improvement health care delivery by the institute? In order to expand and improve the quality services of the Human Virology Laboratory (The Only ISO Certified Laboratory in the country), we had to carry out extension of the Laboratory.   I am delighted to report that the building extension is completed, fully furnished and have been commissioned by the former Minister of State for health, Dr Mohammed Ali Pate. It is also necessary to state that in the HVL, is a newly procured COBAS 4800 MACHINE, a machine used for screening for

By: CHIOMA UMEHA  The Chief Medical Officer, National Polio Emergency Operations Centre, Andrew Etsano, yesterday,  said Nigeria has witnessed a 50 per cent reduction in wild polio cases as at the third quarter of 2013. Announcing this, Mr. Etsano in an agency report observed that “as at August 16, 2013, Nigeria confirmed 43 wild polio virus in nine states compared to 86 cases in 11 states for the same period in 2012.  “So we can say we have 50 per cent reduction in polio cases and over 80 per cent particularly in states where there are security challenges.” He listed the states as Kano, Yobe, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Benue and FCT. He said that strategies had been put in place to ensure that the country did not witness polio case again; assuring that every child would be reached with vaccine. Mr. Etsano said the agency had deployed additional personnel for its operation to improve team performance and enhance supervision and “concurrent monitoring’’. He also said

By: CHIOMA UMEHA  As part of its humanitarian services to reduce infant mortality rate in Nigeria, the Rotary Club of Omole Golden, District 9110, has donated an incubator machine and two phototherapy machines to the Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital in Lagos.  The donation was made during the visit of Mr. Oluwagbemiga Olowu, the District Governor, District 9110, to the Rotary Club of Omole Golden. Speaking during the donation ceremony, which took place at the hospital’s premises, Mr.  Oluwagbemiga Olowu said maternal care and safe child birth are the key focus of the club for this Rotary year, adding that Rotary as a humanitarian organization places a great premium on human life, hence the efforts in saving lives.  He said: “Globally, the Rotary Club focuses on impacting the society. In this District, we are running with this vision. As a humanitarian organization, we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that lives are saved. That is the reason we are here this afternoon to f

By: CHIOMA UMEHA  To curtail the growing incidences of disasters, health professionals under the umbrella of the West African College of Nursing, WACN, have advocated for a Federal Emergency Plan that will be adopted at State and Local Government levels. According to the nurses, the Federal Emergency Plan will address the recurring gap between events and efforts to save lives.  Making the call during a 2-week certificate course on Disaster Nursing entitled: “Emergency Preparedness for Nurses” in Lagos, Director, Nursing Services, Lagos State, Ministry of Health, Lagos, Mrs. Jokotade Adebusola Agunbiade, said a Federal emergency plan would specify steps to be taken in certain identified emergencies. “There is need to organise morbid meeting of aftermath of events, embrace universal safety precautions that guarantee proper physical, protection of members of the rescue team as well their equipment in such a way as to prevent access by unauthorised individuals as well as the n

Basic guidelines for good digestion Continued from last week By: Chioma Umeha Eat in a certain order Eat raw fruits or vegetables with live enzymes first and then proteins before the starches. The enzymes in the fruits and or vegetables aid the digestive enzymes in the stomach in digesting the incoming proteins. Remember carbohydrates are not digested in the stomach except momentarily in the upper part of the stomach. If you swallow your starch first and chew your meat till it is liquid as we grew up to do in Nigeria, your protein which is now in liquid form will move to the bottom of the stomach and leave the stomach partly undigested as it flows out with the next batch of chyme. Fruit and vegetables add bulk and force you to chew which prompts peristaltic movement and elimination time is shortened. Eat several small portion meals Know your portion sizes. Find out what a potion of certain foods look like. Eating large meals puts a burden on your digestive system. If y

Wrapping babies can damage their hips – Experts By: Chioma Umeha Experts on Tuesday, warned against swaddling babies, noting that this can break the hips. One of them, Prof Nicholas Clarke, an orthopaedic surgeon, said; “parents are risking their babies’ health because of a surge in the popularity of swaddling.”  The technique involves binding the arms and legs with blankets and is used to help calm a baby and prevent crying. But Prof Clarke, of Southampton University Hospital, said swaddling was damaging developing hips. Also, the Royal College of Midwives and other experts advised parents to avoid tightly swaddling a child. Swaddling has been widely used in many cultures globally. It is thought the blanket wrapping can simulate the feelings of being in the womb and calm the child. But the technique holds the legs out straight and restricts movement, which can alter the development of the hip joint.  Writing in the journal; Archives of Disease in Childhood, Prof Clarke

Pharmacists want implementation of national drug prescription policy By: Chioma Umeha Nigerians who are in the habit of buying drugs and other forms of medications at pharmaceutical shops without doctor’s prescription and the authentication of a qualified pharmacist may no longer be allowed to do so.  This is because life imprisonment now awaits any person found engaging in counterfeit and fake drugs in the country, if the proposed legislation before members of the House of Representatives which sails through. The proposed policy, under proposition, would take prompt implementation in the country whenever the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) is reconstituted, as the plan cannot be implemented without the council. This development formed the thrust of the deliberations of members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) at their 86th annual conference tagged “Harmony 2013” holding in Ilorin, Kwara from Nov 5-8. The PSN National President, Olumide Akintayo, has ther