Chioma Umeha

Role of bacteria in pancreatic cancer By: Chioma Umeha Health Editor A new research has shown that bacterial infections may play a role in triggering pancreatic cancer. There is growing number of studies which suggest the role of infections —primarily of the stomach and gums — in pancreatic cancer.  The disease is a particularly deadly cancer, which the American Cancer Society estimates will kill nearly 38,500 Americans in 2013. “Pancreatic cancer is the worst form of cancer that people can have,” said Dr. Wasif Saif, director of the gastrointestinal oncology programme at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. “It’s the cancer with the highest mortality rate – 96 percent mortality,” he said. Although pancreatic cancer is extremely fatal, researchers don’t really know its main causes, Saif said. The known major risk factors account for less than 40 percent of all cases.  Known risk factors for the disease include tobacco smoking, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, alcoholism and chronic

Cardiovascular summit kicks off By: CHIOMA UMEHA  The sixth edition of the cardiovascular (CV) summit, an educational platform for healthcare practitioners to engage in a robust discussion on the current trends in cardiovascular disease and its management, organised by Pfizer NEAR (Nigeria and East Africa Region) kicked off yesterday. The 2013 edition has the theme ‘’Preventive Strategies for Cardiovascular Diseases’’   features both foreign and local distinguished resource persons who are highly respected in their field of practice.  A statement yesterday, signed by Mrs Margaret Olele, Director Communications, Pfizer, said that the summit has witnessed growing popularity among healthcare professionals. In 2011, the CV summit was endorsed by the medical and Dental Council of Nigeria as a continuous professional development (CPD) program provider for the award of class medical education (CME) points to attending clinicians. In a bid to continuously improve the outlook of the su

Teenagers risk kidney transplant failure – Study By: CHIOMA UMEHA  Global research has discovered that teenagers who receive kidney transplant is at risk of transplant failure even as African patients accounts for the highest number. An agency report yesterday, said that teenagers who receive a kidney transplant may be at increased risk of transplant failure, and the risk is especially high among African patients.  Researchers analyzed data from nearly 169,000 patients in the United States who received a first kidney transplant between 1987 and 2010. Patients who were aged 14 to 16 when they received their first transplant had the highest risk of transplant failure, beginning at one year after transplant and increasing at three, five and 10 years after transplant, said Dr. Kenneth Andreoni, of the University of Florida, Gainesville, and colleagues. In this age group, the risk of transplant failure was highest among African patients, according to the study published online Ju

Pregnancy, abortions cause high death of young girls By: Chioma Umeha Adolescent pregnancy has been identified as one of the reasons why young females don’t realise their full potential and experts have called for action to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health education on this year’s world population day.  United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in his message for the world population day 2013 expressed the need to devote attention and resources to the education, health and wellbeing of adolescent girls for sustainable positive change in society. “On this World Population Day, let us pledge to support adolescent girls to realize their potential and contribute to our shared future,” he said. Globally, about 16 million girls under age 18 give birth each year and 3.2 million undergo unsafe abortions.  Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations In Nigeria, young people contribute more than 60 per cent of unsafe abortions annually, according to a st

Memory decline, sign of mental problem – Experts By: Chioma Umeha Global findings have revealed that memory issues could be dangerous signal of mental problems and no just normal part of aging. An agency report during the week said: “Memory problems that are often dismissed as a normal part of aging may not be so harmless after all. “Noticing you have a decline beyond the occasional misplaced car keys or forgotten name could be the very earliest sign of Alzheimer’s,” several research teams have reported.  Doctors often regard people who complain that their memory is slipping as “the worried well,” but the new studies show they may well have reason to worry, said Maria Carrillo, a senior scientist at the Alzheimer’s Association. One study found that self-reported memory changes preceded broader mental decline by about six years. Another tied these changes to evidence on brain scans that dementia are setting in. “Maybe these people know something about themselves” that their doc

Senate erred on underage marriage – FIDA By: CHIOMA UMEHA  International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigeria, has condemned the resolution recently passed by the Senate to retain the constitutional provisions that considers a married underage girl as an adult.  A statement issued yesterday and jointly signed by the National President, Hauwa Evelyn Shekarau, and National Secretary, Chigoziri Ojiaka, said the decision of the lawmakers contradicts the views of Nigerians as expressed during the recent constituencies consultations, which was part of the ongoing constitutional review process.  “FIDA, Nigeria, expresses her utter dissatisfaction with the resolution passed by the Senate to retain the provisions of section 29 (4) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which deems a married underage girl as an adult, contrary to the general views of Nigerians as expressed during the recent constituencies consultations conducted as part of the ongoing

WHO, NAFDAC partners to end fake drug menace By: CHIOMA UMEHA  It may no longer be business as usual for fake drugs in Africa, Nigeria included, as World Health Organisation, WHO, has teamed with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administrative Control, NAFDAC, to adopt a new strategy to put surveillance system to detect any form of fake drugs in countries across the continent.  The system, Rapid Alert System, is a surveillance system aimed at monitoring of substandard, spurious, falsely labelled/ falsified Counterfeit (SSFFC) medical products, with the intention of training focal persons from different countries’ medicine regulatory authorities on the use new WHO initiative for SSFFC reporting – The Rapid Alert System. The Director General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii said, at the opening of a three-day workshop, in Lagos last week, that it has become imperative to continually fight the scourge of fake drugs, not only in Nigeria, but also in other neighbouring countries in Afric