Chioma Umeha

To say that Mrs. Chinedu Chukwuma, an Enugu State indigene is a happy woman may seem as an understatement.   The healthy look of the two children of  the 20-year-old mother easily gives away her  source of happiness.     You could see the bond between Chinedu and her three-month-old baby, Ebelechukwu, as she cuddles her, all thanks to exclusive breastfeeding.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) explains, “Exclusive breastfeeding means that the infant receives only breast milk. No other liquids or solids are given - not even water - with the exception of oral rehydration solution, or drops/syrups of vitamins, minerals or medicines.” For Chinedu, exclusive breastfeeding is not a new practice. She has done it before and had seen the benefits. She did not need any persuasion to adopt it for Eberechukwu, her second child. Apart from immunisation, she has had no reason to be shuttling between hospital and home unlike some mothers. Chinedu told Independent during an investigati

In line with its social responsibility to guarantee consumers’ satisfaction, Nigeria Breweries Plc, one of  the foremost brewer in the country has raised the bar in the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) market with the launch of “Ace Desire,” the first zobo-flavoured alcoholic drink. Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Franco Maria Maggi, explained to Journalists at the launch in Lagos on Thursday, that Ace Desire is a sophisticated blend of spirit, natural Hibiscus or zobo extracts, being the traditional beverage produced from Hibiscus leaves. “This rich combination of a balanced mix of spirit and Hibiscus extracts contains 5.5 per cent alcohol, and offers a tingling sensation and rich aroma”, he said.  According to him, Ace Desire, packaged in a 33cl glass bottle, stands out amongst other products on the Ready-to-Drink category. He added that Nigerian Breweries, “the house of quality” has delivered on yet another promise to delight consumers with the introduction of

Pharmacists under the auspices of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), have condoled with the people and government of Kano State over the demise of the late diplomat and elder statesman, Alhaji Maitama Sule. In a letter jointly signed by Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the President of PSN and Pharm. Gbologade Iyiola, PSN’s National Secretary, PSN described the late Sule as a nationalist and man of peace with high commitment to the unity of the country. The letter read: “PSN will always remember him as a great Statesman and Nationalist personified as a man of peace who was highly committed to the unity of Nigeria. “He was a man of faith blessed by Almighty Allah with a wonderful voice, outstanding eloquence and a good sense of humour.  “A man of unparalleled dignity who served without being tainted with scandal as commonly found in our leaders. “Alhaji Maitama Sule’s death was a colossal loss not only to his immediate family. He would be sorely missed by the family m

Doctors Insist On Payment Before Resumption The doctors, operating under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors, after the meeting, which began at about 2:30pm on Wednesday and ended at 12:30am on Thursday, insisted that their salaries must be paid before they will call off the strike. FG, NARD in new terms of settlement as Doctors insist on payment before resumption After about 10 hours of negotiation, striking resident doctors in the country in the wee hours of Thursday signed a new Memorandum of Terms of Settlement with the Federal Government. The doctors, operating under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors, after the meeting, which began at about 2:30pm on Wednesday and ended at 12:30am on Thursday, insisted that their salaries must be paid before they will call off the strike. It was gathered that the Federal Government negotiation team, which was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, promised that the doc

·            Abayomi Receives Award of Excellence In Medical Leadership Health professionals have called for the promotion of mental health in the country especially among aspirants to leadership positions. This, they explained, is to ensure that they have the qualities and ability to pursue the good of the society.  They made the call during the during the just-concluded Annual Scientific Conference And Gathering organised by the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL), Idi-Araba, Lagos. Speakers at the conference with the theme, “ Mental Health In a Recessed Economy ,” and sub-theme, “ Role of Academics in Emotional Health Promotion ,” linked general well-being of individuals to their state of mental health. Among those who canvassed for this recently was Professor Jude Uzoma Ohaeri, a Professor of Psychiatric, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State. In a lecture entitled, “ Mental Health Promotion As A National Deve

To control rapid population growth, its associated problems and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stakeholders have called for increased budgetary allocation to family planning as Nigeria joins the rest of the work to mark 2017 World Population Day (WPD). Speaking on this year’s WPD theme, “Family Planning, Birth Spacing: Empowering People, Developing Nations,” Chief  Eze Duruiheoma, Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), said that family planning and birth spacing are measures to attain a sustainable family size by way of allowing for adequate intervals between births, employing especially the use of contraception. Duruiheoma said, “Family planning is not only about saving lives but also empowering people and developing nations.  “Family and birth spacing are personal decisions but their profound implications on health, economic and social wellbeing of the society are far reaching. “That is why simple individual decision has become a developmental agend

Exercise Exercise should be encouraged for both women and men who are gearing up to try to conceive. However, excessive, strenuous exercise in women may result in disruption of the ovulation cycle, thereby affecting her periods. Normal exercise has not been linked to miscarriages (loss of pregnancy), but certain forms of exercise (for example, high-impact or contact sports or scuba diving) should be avoided in pregnancy. In men, too much exercise may cause a low sperm count. Weight and fertility A healthy diet is very important for women who are looking for a baby. Being overweight can affect a woman’s fertility and can cause complications during pregnancy. A woman who is overweight and who is planning a pregnancy would be advised to lose weight before she conceives. Obesity can affect fertility by causing hormonal imbalances and problems with ovulation, particularly for obese women having their first baby. Obesity is associated with poly-cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a

A new road map for implementing the Addis Declaration on Immunisation (ADI )  has been launched. The event happened in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda recently, at the inaugural Africa Health Forum. The launch followed the decision in January this year, at the 28th  African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, by heads of government from the continent to approve the ADI, which was earlier drafted and signed by ministers and other top level delegates at the Ministerial Conference on Immunisation in Africa in February 2016. The foreword to the 35-page report informs that the “endorsement paves the way for accelerated implementation of the ADI roadmap to ensure that everyone in Africa, no matter who they are or where they live, can access the vaccines they need to survive and thrive.” While noting that “Africa has made tremendous gains in increasing access to immunisation in the last 15 years,” progress, it says, “has stagnated, leaving one in five African children without access t

The Lagos State Government has restated Its commitment towards maternal, peri-natal and child (under-five year) health, saying it is one of the most important issues that determined national well-being. Making the declaration recently, at the flag-off of this year’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, (MNCH) Week across the state, the government said that it plans to reach 640,000 pregnant women under the programme. MNCH Week offers a veritable platform to simultaneously contribute to the reduction of child morbidity and mortality and improving maternal health indices. The week held between 3 and 7 July, 2017. At a news conference weekend, at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga said it was a known fact that maternal, peri-natal and child (under-five year) health was one of the most important issues that determined national well-being. He said w

Experts have reiterated the importance of early diagnosis, saying it can prevent many difficulties and ease treatment, thereby increasing the chance of patient’s survival. To this effect, Lagos State, while marking the World Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day penultimate week, announced that testing for sickle cell disease will soon become a compulsory part of the newborn screening programme. Sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait can be diagnosed with a simple blood test and can also be diagnosed before the baby is born. Speaking recently in an interview, Dr. Jide Idris, Commissioner for Health in the state, said that the purpose is to diagnose affected babies early in life and thus introduce timely and lifesaving interventions that would manage avoidable suffering and possibly prevent death.  The test will utilise blood from the blood samples used for other routine newborn screening tests, Dr. Idris said. It can show whether a newborn infant has sickle cell disease