Chioma Umeha

As global leaders gather in Addis Ababa for the 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD), the malaria community has outlined a vision for a malaria-free world and, in order to achieve it, called for increased investment in malaria control and elimination efforts around the world to bring an end to this costly scourge. Government leaders, UN officials and development stakeholders at the conference highlighted malaria as a cost-effective investment for development and urged greater commitment to build on the unprecedented progress seen under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  This call comes just months before the UN Member States plan to adopt a new set of Global Goals for Sustainable Development which calls for malaria elimination by 2030. As part of the conference, a special side event titled; Malaria Financing for a New Era: An Exceptional Case for Investment, which was convened by the Prime Minister HailemariamDessalegn of the Federal Democratic Re

Do you often struggle with acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and heartburn? No matter what you call it, it all comes down to the same uncomfortable symptoms: belching, regurgitation, indigestion, nausea – even chest pain. You may find it embarrassing or frustrating to talk about your heartburn symptoms, but you’re far from being alone in your discomfort. It’s estimated that 14 to 21 per cent of American adults are affected by heartburn and together they spend $14 billion annually to treat it. If it is more than occasional heartburn – your GERD symptoms can be serious. The acid and digestive enzymes from the stomach that back up, or reflux, into the esophagus can damage the tissues in the esophagus and in the adjacent organs such as the mouth, throat, voice box and lungs. Left untreated, heartburn can lead to complications – esophageal ulcers, esophageal strictures and esophageal cancer. If you have symptoms of heartburn, it’s important to learn everythi

Neighbours call him Rasak. He told our reporter that he is nine and an escapee from Dalori camp in Maiduguri, Borno State. Beside him were women with children appearing dejected and not sure of what tomorrow will bring for them. These women were seen at Egbeda Bus-stop, Lagos with tattered, worn-out clothes together with their belongings which appeared worthless and plates begging.  One of the women who spoke to our reporter confirmed that they were escapees from Dalori camp in Maiduguri, adding that the boy escaped with them. In smattering pidgin, she said that the boy lost his parents in a recent skirmish involving Islamist insurgents, known as Boko Haram and local hunters who attempted to ward them off. Rasak made it to the camp with a group of internally displaced persons, IDPs, who have no home or place to go after the militants sacked their villages and towns in Maiduguri. She also said that they were being taken care of by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) along w

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been an issue of serious global concern with international health organisations and professionals advocating for the implementation of the system which is believed to provide health care and financial protection for all. The issue was the focus at a one-day symposium on the National Health Act, entitled: ‘‘Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria,’’ organised by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, to mark the fifth year anniversary of Prof.  Innocent Ujah as Director-General of the institute. Making their presentations at the symposium, experts and researchers from various public health institutions urged government to implement the recently passed National Health Act, saying that it would lead to the achievement of universal health coverage in Nigeria. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Universal coverage (UC), or universal health coverage (UHC), is defined as ensuring that all people can use the promot

Recently, seven leading medical societies, including the American Heart Association and the American College of Physicians jointly published revised clinical practice guidelines for treating patients with stable ischemic heart disease — that is, coronary heart disease (CHD) with manageable symptoms.  CHD is a narrowing of the coronary arteries caused by plaque build-up, which impairs the body’s ability to pump sufficient blood to the heart. CHD can lead to serious complications, such as chest pain (angina), heart attacks, heart failure and irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias). What works if you have CHD Lifestyle interventions and drug therapies: The first step toward keeping heart disease stable is to eliminate unhealthy lifestyle behaviours.  The guidelines mostly stick with the tried and true: Eat a healthy diet, control your weight, get regular physical activity, quit smoking, avoid second-hand smoke, manage stress and depression. The new guidelines also add a warning to avo

• ‘Impose 20 % Import Adjustment Tax, 0% raw materials imports to save us’ The ailing Nigerian health sector may be heading for another brouhaha if the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)) and the Nigerian government do not jettison the recently adopted Common External Tariff (CET), the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group, an affiliate of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has warned. In view of this, the PMG-MAN weekend raised an alarm over what it perceived as the dangerous implications of CET among other government policies, which it also said has dire consequences for the industry, national security and access to essential medicine. Fidson Healthcare Plc, Fidelis Ayebae, Managing Director/CEO; Sam Pharm Ltd, Ashwin Sagir; Former Managing Director, NEIMETH Pharm Plc, Sam Ohuabunwa; Chairman, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers group (PMG) Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) and MD, SKG Pharm, Okey Akpa and Vice President, PMG-MAN as well a

As the Mirabel Centre, a sexual assault referral centre clocks two years, the centre said it has provided free services to 737 clients who were sexually assaulted, the youngest being 10 months old and the oldest 70 years old. At a media conference on the operations of the centre during the two years, Itoro Eze-Anaba, managing partner, Partnership for Justice, disclosed that this number is made up of 720 female clients and 17 male clients. Briefing the press in Lagos last week, Eze-Anaba also said 16 of the male clients are minors while one is an adult. On the location of the sexual violence of the 727 clients, she said, “all of them are living in Lagos and neighbouring Ogun States, though it is not all the cases that happened in Lagos and neighbouring Ogun State. For some of them, the cases happened when they were abroad. One of the clients was living in Benin, Edo State when she was sexually assaulted. L-R:RosemaryAkaette Board member, Mirabel Centre; Mrs. Bernice

New research has shown that the effects of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) goes beyond the mind and put women’s hearts and brains at risk. An online report on Tuesday said: “Post-traumatic stress disorder wreaks havoc on a person’s ability to deal with small disturbances, such as a loud noise or an upsetting story in the news, and it can keep them from getting good sleep. In addition to these problems, and perhaps because of them, PTSD might also increase women’s risk of heart attack and stroke, according to new research.” Researchers looked at nearly 55,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II, a long-term study of young women that began in 1989. In 2008, the researchers asked the women to fill out surveys about traumatic events they had experienced in the last 20 years, including physical assault or a natural disaster as well as whether they had PTSD symptoms such as recurring thoughts about the event. The researchers found that women who were exposed to a trauma a

Continued from last week Red Meat A healthy eating plan should have only a small amount, if any, of saturated or trans-fats. Fatty foods are bad for both the heart and blood vessels. An 18 oz. ribeye at LongHorn Steakhouse without any sauce has about 1140 calories, 79 grams of fat and 1,500 mg of sodium. Whole Milk Hardly will anyone believe that milk will be in this list. Milk is a great source of calcium, but high-fat dairy sources, like whole milk, provides you with more fat than you need. One cup serving of whole milk has about eight grams of fat, five grams of which are saturated. Saturated fats are worse for you than other types and has been linked to heart diseases. Try using two per cent milk or, even better, one per cent or skim. Frozen Pot Pies A single serving of pot pie equals about 1,400 mg of sodium in addition to about 35 grams of fat. That is more than 50 per cent of your daily recommended intake for both, and in one serving. The fat also includes

Sir Nnamdi Obi is a Pharmacist and the Managing Director and CEO Embassy Pharmaceutical and Chemicals Ltd. Obi who is also President, Association of Pharmaceutical Importers in Nigeria during an interview with CHIOMA UMEHA (HEALTH EDITOR) bares his mind on a number of issues in the health sector. Four Nigeria drug companies have the World Health Organisation (WHO) Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification. What does it mean for Nigeria? What it means is that local pharmaceutical concerns are really coming up strongly and the certification will enable them bid for global businesses, global tenders, because they received such accreditation. There are only a few of them in Nigeria. Thanks to the DG of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, has contributed immensely in making the Nigerian Pharmaceutical industry attain such an enviable feat. Every other company is also gearing up to attain such a certification. Therefore, it will continue to get better for the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Indus

As part of its philosophy of completing families and to mark the 12th anniversary, Nordica Fertility Centre, one of the leading assisted conception Centre in the country, recently provided its clients unique opportunity to bond with their completed families through what it described as the ‘Babies Picture Competition.’ The competition was hosted on Facebook and opened to all families who submitted pictures of their babies between the ages of zero and two years. The baby with the highest number of votes (Likes) emerged winner of the competition. To get all and sundry interested and involved in the competition, it was widely promoted using social media sponsored stories and syndicated across blogs other online channels. The competition which started from first week of April to April 29, with over 100 entries from different families across Nigeria, saw baby Barry Joel Adefisuka winning the overall prize. In fulfillment of Nordica’s plan for the winning family, the Nordica team to

Over the past two decades, there has been increased concern on the plight of people living with disabilities and the need to foster social and developmental inclusion in the society. This is even as experts have continued to preach about inclusive society to benefit people living with disabilities, in line with the United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolutions 63/150 and 65/186. The United Nations General Assembly resolutions 63/150 and 65/186, calls upon States to ”…ensur[e] accessibility and reasonable accommodation to enable persons with disabilities to realize their right to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, as well as to be agents and beneficiaries of development.” There has been five United Nations world conferences held in the 1990s to emphasize the need for a ‘society for all,’ advocating the participation of all citizens, including persons with disabilities, in every sphere of society. These meetings were aimed to promote greater aw

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered and sealed a warehouse belonging to H&H Integrated Nigeria Limited following illegal importation and housing of 49 unregistered food products and non-adherence to good hygienic practices in Lagos. Newswatch Times gathered that the large warehouse located at N0. 30 Iman Dauda Street, Eric Moore, Lagos, was sealed following a tip-off and intelligence report which revealed that the company was involved in importation and storage of illegal food products, particularly snacks commonly consumed by children. The company was also accused of not adhering to good hygienic practices as most of the products were stored in an unhygienic environment. And out of its 50 different brands of products, one was registered. Some of the 49 unregistered products which are largely biscuits products for children include; Mr. Magic Soft Candy, Cracker soda biscuit, milk chocolate wafer roll, non-dairy creamer

Here is an alarming statistic: In Nigeria, about 22 per cent of the population are affected by high blood pressure (HBP) and it is called a silent killer, because it doesn’t show signs or symptoms till it becomes too late. Nigerians living with high blood pressure is estimated at about 56 million. One out of every three, or 77.9 million, adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, according to a report by the American Heart Association – and it is only getting worse. By 2030, it is projected that 41.4 per cent of U.S. adults would have high blood pressure. Why is this so serious? Nearly 28 per cent of Americans do not even know they have the disease. It’s called the “silent killer” because high blood pressure or hypertension is a cardiovascular disease that is very difficult to detect. The symptoms and signs are subtle. As a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, hypertension is the primary cause of death in Americans. It is one of the most preventable condit

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a silent affliction in some homes in Nigeria.  Many families of children with CP primarily take steps to shield the disability and remain in silence. This is one of the reasons Mrs. Alaba Gbadebo,a mother of a nineteen-year-old with CP co-founded a non-governmental organisation known as Benola, a cerebral palsy initiative with her husband. During this year’s business luncheon with health editors, the lecturer turned to CP advocate spoke to CHIOMA UMEHA (HEALTH EDITOR)  about the condition, Benola’s advocacy initiatives, among other things. Mrs Alaba-Gbadebo You are a co-founder of Benola, a cerebral Palsy initiative. What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy is actually brain damage in mostly children during or after delivery. This damage affects a child’s ability to control its muscles. Most times not all the brain is damaged. If a child with cerebral palsy can talk, then that part of the brain is not damaged. But you might notice something about the pos