Chioma Umeha

•Says It Should Accommodate Consumer Protection Directorate, Headed By Registered Pharmacist By Chioma Umeha From left: Idris Pada, member, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), National Executive Council (NEC); Olumide Akintayo immediate past president (IPP); Senator (Pharm) Matthew Uroghide, Chairman Senate Public Accounts committee and Ahmed Yakasai, President, PSN at Senate Public Hearing on the need to check the rising menace of drug abuse in Nigeria at the conference hall,Senate Building National Assembly (NASS), Abuja, recently. The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has advocated an amendment of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act to accommodate a new Directorate of Consumer Protection to be headed by a Registered Pharmacist. This is part of the recommendations of the PSN to the Senate Joint Committee On Drugs and Narcotics And Health at its one-day public hearing on “The need to check the rising menace of drug abuse among y

By Chioma Umeha An NGO, Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR), has appealed to rich Nigerians to emulate Alhaji Aliko Dangote by committing their resources toward the development of child health and primary healthcare in the country. The organisation made the appeal in a statement issued by its Knowledge Management Officer, Mr. Muhammad Auwal on Tuesday in Abuja. The organisation commended Mr Bill Gates and Dangote for supporting six Northern states on sustainable funding for Routine Immunization (RI) and child health. Auwal recalled that on March 21, Gates, Dangote and the governors of Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Sokoto and Bauchi states renewed agreement on strengthening funding for routine immunization. The renewed commitment, he said was aimed at ending vaccine-preventable child deaths in Nigeria. Auwal quoted CHR’s Director, Salisu Muhammad as saying that Gates and Dangote had actively supported efforts targeted at achieving sustainable funding

L-R: Mr Fortune Idu, Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV) Chairman; Dr Ola Brown, Flying Doctors Nigeria Founder and Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, Finland’s Ambassador to Nigeria, after Brown received ‘2017 Aviation Most Remarkable Medical Personality Award’ from NIGAV in Lagos, recently. •Win Aviation Award By Chioma Umeha Flying Doctors Nigeria has called on Nigeria and other African countries to incorporate air ambulance services into their health sector. Making the call in Lagos at weekend, Flying Doctors Nigeria Founder, Dr Ola Brown, stated that Nigeria, along with other African countries, needs air ambulance services more than developed countries, because of the various challenges bedeviling their health sector. Dr Brown said this   after receiving 2017 Aviation Most Remarkable Medical Personality Award from the Nigeria Aviation Awards (NIGAV) in Lagos. NIGAV is a prestigious annual award conferred on outstanding individuals and corporate bodies who have dis

By Chioma Umeha To meet international requirements as well as serve Nigerians better, Hon. Inuwa Abdulkadir, the Chairman, newly inaugurated Governing Council of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced plans to expand and upgrade the laboratory facilities of the agency. Addressing journalists   after a tour of NAFDAC facilities in Lagos, Abdulkadir, also pledged to prioritise staff welfare and motivate the workforce to give their best to the   agency in safeguards the health of the Nigerians. Abdulkadir, assured staff of NAFDAC that the Governing Council would ensure the agency got necessary support in order to discharge its regulatory functions effectively. “Our passion is to motivate our staff and provide them with working tools. We are so concerned and passionate about the welfare of the workforce because without motivating the staff, we cannot achieve anything”, he said. “We have seen the facilities and we c

By  Chioma Umeha A team of US-based kidney transplant surgeons and nurses have arrived Nigeria to carry out kidney transplants, which would be the third in the series of the medical exercise which commenced in 2017. Under the aegis of a charitable organisation known as United Kidneycare Foundation (UKcF), based in the United States of America (USA), the team has been at the forefront in tackling the menace of kidney disease in Nigeria. Its members include: Dr. Obi Ekwenna, Engr. James Ogbuka Umekwe and Dr. Iyore James. The team arrived in Lagos a few days ago to carry out more kidney transplants in the country. Early December 2017, the team carried out the first successfully kidney transplant at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State. The team was led by transplant surgeon, Dr. Obi Ekwenna, an assistant Professor of Transplantation and Urology   in partnership with the Federal Medical Centre(FMC)   under the leadership of the Medical Direc

By  Chioma Umeha Lions Club International in Nigeria has canvassed for total eradication of one of the most contagious viral diseases in the world, Measles, which can easily be prevented through routine immunisation services especially in schools. At a press conference on Measles Eradication campaign programme held at the Lions Secretariat, Yaba, the District 404B2, Lion Asiwaju Ayobola said the campaign is aimed at reducing mortality among children because available records show that Measles claims about 246 lives daily most of which are children. “The significant of this press conference is to underscore our concern for the eradication of the deadly disease and to drive home our belief and involvement in the mass mobilisation for immunisation as a potent weapon to fight and stamp out Measles from our land” she said. She said for those who survive the attack, nearly 30 per cent suffer complications such as pneumonia, hearing loss, brain damage, blindness

By Chioma Umeha Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on all stakeholders to double their efforts ensure that by 2030 Tuberculosis would be eradicated throughout the country. Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the PSN President, made the call in a release to mark this year’s World Tuberculosis Day. Yakasai reaffirmed PSN’s commitment to improving the quality of health of all Nigerians and urged the stakeholders to join hands to achieve the daunting task. The theme of World TB Day 2018, “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world,” focuses on building commitment to end TB, not only at the political level with Heads of State and Ministers of Health, but at all levels from mayors, governors, parliamentarians and community leaders, to people affected with TB, civil society advocates, health workers, doctors, pharmacists, or nurses, NGOs and other partners. Yakasai explained that the theme is a critical one given the political importance of the forthcoming UN General

By Chioma Umeha In support of initiatives that are aimed at eradicating cancer in Nigeria, GE (NYSE: GE), the premier digital industrial company, has donated $75,000 to Run For A Cure Africa (RFCA) Nigeria, a non-profit organisation. The donation which was made as part of GE’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative will help to expand and improve RFAC’s early cancer detection initiatives and reduce cancer mortality rates in Nigeria. The donation will go towards the opening and equipping of a Women’s Cancer Diagnostic Center that will cater to women living in Nigeria. The center will be equipped with a multipurpose ultrasound imaging system that will be used for cancer screening as well as diagnostic services at the RFCA Women’s Cancer Diagnostic Center. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Executive Director RFCA Nigeria, Mrs. Ebele Mbanugo expressed the organization’s gratitude to GE. She stated that “As a result of this donation, RFCA Nigeria will be ab

By Chioma Umeha Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), has commended Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, Managing Director, Pharmanews Limited, and his media team for their commitment and dedication to their duties. Yakasai made the commendation when he led the PSN executive on a courtesy visit to the corporate headquarters of the Pharmanews Limited, Lagos, recently. He said that besides the managing director of the media outfit, he was privileged to come across Pharmanews reporters, adding that whether health or pharmaceutical event, they were always there and timely too. He lauded them for the professionalism they bring to bear in their work saying, “At a point, many people think all your reporters are pharmacists because of their in-depth analyses and active participation at such event.” Sir Atueyi, who appreciated Pharm. Yakasai for the visit praised him for what he described as his commitment to the cause of pharmacy and pharmacist

By  Chioma Umeha A new report by National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS), has said that neonatal mortality constitutes more than half of under-five deaths (50 per cent) in South Western States in Nigeria. Neonatal is the probability of a child dying within 28 days after birth. But, the report which was made available to Daily Independent by NBS with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), showed that neonatal mortality rate in Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states are higher than the national average. The report which is contained in the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS), revealed that in Nigeria, the probability of a child dying within 28 days is 39 per cent, within one year is 31 per cent and within five years is 50 per cent, meanwhile in South-West Nigeria, the probability of a child dying within 28 days is 36 per cent, within one year is 16 per cent and within five years is 15 percent. The MICS also stated that child mortality, which is t

•May Attain UN 2025 Target By Chioma Umeha If any zone in Nigeria would attain the United Nations global targets to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition by 2025, the South West States is not far from taking the lead. This is because the latest report of the Multiple Indicators Cluster (MIC) survey of 2016/2017 showed that there are sharp increase in the number of women breastfeeding their infants exclusively for six months. The MIC survey is an international household survey on a wide range of indicators on situation of children and women. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) member States had in 2014 endorsed global targets for improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition and are committed to monitoring progress. According to them the targets are vital for identifying priority areas for action and catalysing global change. The global nutrition targets 2025 focuses on increasing the rate of exclusive   (EBF) breastfeeding in the

L-R: Dr. Esther Ohihoin, wife to the author; Hon. Justice Funmilayo Atilade; Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie;, Dr Aigbe Gregory Ohihoin of NIMR, author; and Hon. Justice Y.O Idowu during the book launch. ...Seek Boost In Antenatal Care To Curb It By Chioma Umeha To curb the high rate of infant and maternal mortality in the country, researchers, mainly eminent obstetricians and gynaecologists weekend, canvassed for increased attendance in antenatal care classes by pregnant women. The call was made by the experts at the formal presentation of the four books written by Aigbe Gregory Ohihoin, a Chief Research Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos. They described the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rate as unacceptable and blamed the ugly trend on myths and misconceptions, saying this prevent women from seeking care during pregnancy, until complications set in. The experts strongly believe that the presentation of the