Chioma Umeha

…PSN inaugurates new boss, pledges support  for local  industries It was a historic event with pleasant memories for the new President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, as the elites of the health industry, friends and colleagues gathered at the prestigious Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, to witness his inauguration and the investiture of new fellows of the society which took place penultimate Thursday. 70 new fellows were inducted to the board of fellows of the society, the same day. Yakasai, the 20th President of the 89-year-old association was elected at the 88th annual national conference of PSN November, last year. While delivering his inaugural address, Yakasai promised to serve humanity through public health, expansion of the knowledge base of Pharmacists and protection of the rights of the patients. He emphasized the need for cooperation among all healthcare professionals and urged the Minister of Health to organize an inter-profe

Imagine a patient reporting to a hospital with lymphoma, a potentially curable disease. Unfortunately, given its clinical similarities to tuberculosis (TB), lymphoma was misdiagnosed and the patient treated unnecessarily with potentially harmful TB medication. Research has shown that about 70 per cent of the indices required for effective disease management or surveillance emanating from the medical laboratory. A patient who visits the hospital expects that the symptoms presented will prompt the proper diagnosis, leading to a successful treatment and recovery. But, negligence leads to misdiagnose of a condition, creating additional health concerns for the patient. The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has therefore embarked fresh regulatory exercise towards achieving quality laboratory diagnosis across the country. MLSCN has also restated its vows to shut down any facility which are illegally operating without the council’s certification and below its s

Lagos State Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode today at the Federal Palace Hotel Lagos launched a groundbreaking campaign to end violence against children. By doing so, Lagos became the first State in Nigeria to respond to the call of the President and Commander in Chief of the country, Muhammadu Buhari, for every State to initiate their own campaigns during the national Year of Action to End Violence against Children, which was launched on September 15, last year. Yesterday’s launch was collaboration between Lagos state, the US Mission in Nigeria, UNICEF and other development partners.  “We have a clear moral, legal and economic imperative to end violence against children” says Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, “We cannot allow the findings or the priority actions to remain on paper.” Millions of children suffer violence every year in Nigeria – approximately six out of every 10 children experience some form of physical, emotional and sexual violence before the age of 18 years, according

The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has said that the one per cent health provision from Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) in the National Health 2014, was not too late for current appropriation, stating that the committee would critically scrutinise the budget to work out the modality to accommodate the allocation to provide for effective health care services at all levels. The Chairman made this known during an advocacy visit to Speaker of the House, Hon. Yakubu Dogara by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and a developmental partner, primarily to advocate for fund mobilisation and adequate budgetary allocation to child and family health in the country. “While the whole essence of advocacy is to educate and inform the legislature of important issues affecting the country, the issues affecting budgetary allocation to child and family canvassed by the group have informed the Committee to without further delay, co

As more winners continue to emerge every day in the Astymin Get Alert Promo, more accolades have continued to trail the Astymin brand from many Nigerians, including winners who emerged and are being rewarded by the brand. The promo which commenced on the 1st of February to reward Nigerians for their loyalty and support, as part of the celebration of its fifteen years of existence in the country, has seen many Nigerians smiling to the bank courtesy of the promo. Many of the winners believe that Astymin is not only delivering positively on their health and well-being through its essential amino-acid and multivitamins; it is also putting smiles on their faces by subtly touching their lives where it matters. One of the lucky winners, InuolajiBukolaAjara shared her experience on the Astymin Get Alert Promo and how she intends to improve her business with her prize reward. She said she has been using Astymin with her family after trying it the first time, following doctor’

Nescafé , a brand of Nestle products, recently identified with social media week in Lagos, Nigeria to boost and share ideas, innovations and insights into how social media and technology are changing business, society and culture worldwide. A statement signed by Dr. Sam Adenekan, Head of corporate communications, Nestle Nigeria plc, said that the fourth West African edition of the annual international conference takes place from February 22-26, 2016, highlighting this year’s theme of ‘The Networked African: Technology’s Impact on Africa (and How We Can Harness it for Good)’. Social Media Week brings together global brands, agencies, publishers, start-ups and platform companies to promote engagement through creative ideation and strategy, experiential design, original content, product and brand integration, campaign launches, video production and community management from across the continent. As part of Nescafé’s partnership with Social Media Week, the brand will lead

•Calls for increase funding, timely release Paucity of funds that is rocking major institutions in the country and have been taken crippling effect on proper health care delivery would soon nosedive to public health crisis, unless there is urgent government’s intervention in strengthening of health care financing as concerns 2016 budget. Raising the concern on Tuesday, were stakeholders, experts and civil society organisations who decried the continued absence of budgetary provisions for key and essential line items for child and family health, even in the highly debated 2016 budget. The group expressed grave concerns over what it considers a disparagingly rising low health budget, indices in the country as well as the missing N60 billion in the 2016 budget, equivalent of one per cent of consolidated revenue guaranteed by the National Health Act to fund basic health. These were part of the issues which took centre stage at a workshop on 2016 budget with regards to healthcare,

Each month, Titi Delani, aged 17, undergraduate, often misses her lectures at least for two days because of complaints from painful menses. Worse still, the pain relieving drugs recommended by her doctor could not ameliorate the situation. Titi as she is fondly called represent millions of women and girls, who are monthly, trapped by the debilitating disorder, medically termed – endometriosis. Simply put, endometriosis is related to the excruciating pains that some women experience during menstrual flows. How many times have your wife, sisters, daughters, granddaughters and great grand daughters have had to skip work, business or social functions and even school because of menstrual pains that have defied pain relief medication? The name which is jaw-breaking is not also common, but the symptoms are rampant. One in every 10 women of reproductive ages, suffers symptoms of the health disorder, which is inexplicably unknown to several people. Even some of those in the med

… Questions revenue leakages The Civil Society Legislation Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)’s attention has been drawn to the persistent nation’s revenue leakages and sharp reduction in the 2016 budgetary allocation to health sector, despite the rising challenges confronting child and family health in the country. A recent report by Tax Justice and Governance Network (TJ&GN) reveals that revenue leakage arising from corporate tax incentives granted multinational companies after the end of initial five-year tax break has cost Nigeria billions of dollars, disclosing Nigeria lost over US$20 billion to tax fraud evolving from incentives between 2010 and 2014. The corporate tax incentives in the analysis of Tax Justice Network Africa, include reduction in corporate income tax, rates and tax ‘holidays’ offered by governments to investors for specified periods, to attract new foreign direct investment by companies operating in special economic zones. A cross section of particip

Improved guidelines, trainings and policies to ensure health professionals can provide counseling to young girls and women has been highlighted as a major solution to the challenge of female genital mutilation in Nigeria. This concerned was expressed by the Commissioner for Health Lagos State, Dr. Jide Idris during a review of the family health programmes of the State. He disclosed that female genital mutilation is a socio-cultural practice that is hazardous and mostly done by traditional circumcisers. He pointed out that the act is usually very harmful to the health of women since it can lead to urinary tract problems, tetanus infection, severe bleeding, cysts, genital swelling, complications during child births and increased risk of neonatal death. According to the Commissioner, “Female genital mutilation or intentional alteration of the genital for non-medical reasons does not have any health benefit as wrongly believed by the proponents, it does not reduce libido i