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Flood: Volunteer Workers Get Search And Rescue Training

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By Chioma Umeh a LAGOS – At least 170 persons have received training in search and rescue operations, as part of the contingency plans for the predicted 2016 flooding. The capacity building workshop on Basic Skills in Search and Rescue was conducted by the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in conjunction with trainers from the Southeast Zonal National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). According to SEMA Director, Chukwudi Onyejekwe, who coordinated the workshop on behalf of the Executive Secretary of SEMA, the directive to build community resilience for disaster risk reduction was from the State Governor, Willie Obiano. He said that it was to ensure that volunteer workers from the 21 local government areas of the state get needed training to ensure there would be enough hands to tackle any unforeseen situation. The volunteer workers in Otuocha, Anambra East Local Government Area, are also expected to gain knowledge needed to assist the fl

FG, WAMCO Renew MOU On Dairy Development Programme

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By Chioma Umeha Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and one of the country’s leading dairy companies, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, makers of Peak, Three Crowns and Friso brands of milk have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MoU) on dairy development in the country. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief AuduOgbeh, and the Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Mr. Rahul Colaco, signed the MOU at a ceremony held in Abuja, recently. WAMCO is the first dairy company in Nigeria to sign such a pact with the Federal Government. The Minister and his team had visited the Netherlands earlier in the year, to see how the Dutch dairy chain is organized from “grass to glass” and how FrieslandCampina guarantees the safety and quality of her products. A statement issued by the company’s Corporate Affairs Director, Ore Famurewa, explained: “This is an enormously positive development for FrieslandCampina WAMCO and we see our

Nigeria Must Reduce Infection In Adolescents To Be HIV-free – Umoh

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Mr. Francis Umoh is the Programme Manager, Positive Action for Treatment Access (PATA), Lagos who was in charge of a two-week national mentorship and leadership training programme for Adolescents Living with HIV in Nigeria (ALHIV) with the support of UNICEF in collaboration with the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA). In an interview with CHIOMA UMEHA , Umoh discusses the purpose of the just-ended vacation training and how about 196,000 Nigerian adolescents living with HIV can have improved health and quality of life. Excerpts: Can you give details of the just-ended national mentorship and leadership training programme for Adolescents Living with HIV in Nigeria (ALHIV) organized by PATA? The event promotes access to HIV treatment education, care and services; advocate for access to affordable, qualitative diagnostic and monitoring tests, drugs and commodities to treat HIV and its attendant problems. Our youth mentorship and leadership programme is for adoles

Kano Vows To Eradicate Malaria Epidemic

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By Chioma Umeha Kano – Kano state government has vowed to completely eradicate malaria disease in the state, saying it is determined to harness both human and material resources in a bid to eliminate the scourge completely. This pledge had come when many people were suffering from the malaria endemic in the state, the situation that caused congestion at hospitals across the 44 Local Governments Areas of the state. This was made known by the state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Kabir Ibrahim Getso, at a two-day state level training on overview of malaria control module in the state yesterday. He charged the participants to put into practice what they learnt during the training in their various duty post, adding that government was very much committed in the area of health care services and the indices of Malaria in particular. He commended Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for organising the training to roll back malaria selecting officers from twenty local gove

Firm Donates Vehicle To WAI Brigade

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By  Chioma Umeha LAGOS – As part of activities to mark its Silver jubilee, a company, Pharmatex Industries, has donated a Hilux van to the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) Brigade, Lagos State Command. The firm’s Executive Director, Chief Joseph Uzoma Ebowusi, a WAI patron in the state, said the operational vehicle was donated to assist the brigade in fighting crime. He said: “I joined WAI Brigade in Owerri my state capital where I was later made a patron. As a philanthropist, I did a lot for my people. In Lagos, I was also made a patron. Being a patron of this Brigade, I felt it will be necessary to present a gift of an Hilux van as an operational vehicle to the Brigade because what moves me so much in life is discipline. ‘‘With this, easy movement to areas where crimes will be fought won’t be a problem. I’ve always loved discipline; it’s in my blood, because my parents were known for that. I encourage Nigerians to be disciplined, just as I encourage businessm

Nigeria Has 10% Of World’s HIV Infected Adolescents – UNICEF

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By Chioma Umeha Worried about the spate of HIV infection among them, Nigerian Adolescents Living With HIV (ALWH) has called on government to quickly intervene to improve their health and provide them with quality life. The call came on the heels of United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), recent concerns over the high number of Nigerian adolescents infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS). The UN agency reiterated that about 196,000 adolescents, aged between 10 and 19, were living with the dreaded infection. The adolescents, therefore, urged State agencies for the Control of AIDS (SACA) along with other stakeholders within government, international and community organisation to establish and support platforms for ALHIV. These include, support groups, annual camps, among others for sharing of experiences, psychosocial support; and to empower them in reproductive health, treatment adhere

Osun Has Made More Than Enough Concessions To Doctors – State Government

By Chioma Umeha The Osun State Government on Tuesday described as mere blackmail the protests by the striking doctors saying that the government has made more than enough concessions for them to shift ground and reason with the government. The state government called on well-meaning Nigerians to objectively examine the issues involved in the demands of the doctors and see whether they are in tune with the realities of the current worsening global and national economic situation and how it affects Osun. The statement by the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor which was endorsed by its Director, Semiu Okanlawon, said the doctors are demanding the impossible just as it said that the state under Governor Rauf Aregbesola had offered the best condition of service to all its workers including the doctors before the current financial challenges facing the entire country.

Lassa Fever Kills 4 Persons In Kaduna

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By Chioma Umeha Juliet Oyoyo, Kaduna There was pandemonium in Kaduna on Monday as news filtered out that four people had died from lassa fever in the state. Professor Jonathan Nok, the state Commissioner for Health who confirmed the deaths to newsmen said that the four persons died at the Saint Louis Specialist Hospital in Zonkwa, Zango Kataf Local Government Area of the State. According to the commissioner, a medical doctor, a nurse and a pregnant woman were among the deceased. He said that the doctor and the nurse had shown symptoms of Lassa fever shortly after they operated on the pregnant woman who was brought in from another hospital in Kafanchan, Jama’a local government. According to him the victims died few days after they tested positive to the disease. The Commissioner said the affected hospitals have been put under isolation with the intention of tracing the primary and secondary contacts with the deceased persons. He however urged res

WEF Announces Umar-sadiq, PHN CEO, As 2016 Young Global Leader

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By Chioma Umeha After a rigorous and comprehensive selection process, Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq has been honoured and announced the 2016 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF) – an international organization for public-private cooperation committed to improving the state of the world. By this selection, Muntaqa joins a community of past Young Global Leader (YGL) honourees that include David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; Chelsea Clinton, Board member of the Clinton Foundation; Larry Page, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Google, USA; Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Facebook, among others. > Klaus Schwab and John Dutton, Executive Chairman and Head respectively of the forum of YGL in a statement explained that the honor bestowed each year by the WEF recognizes and acknowledges the most outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and poten

Family Planning Prevents Prolong Obstructed Labour, Fistula – Umma-Bala

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Over half of Nigerian married women aged between 15 and 49 want to avoid pregnancy and plan their families, but, lack access to modern contraception according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). This challenge of non-availability of family planning (FP) supplies in the country’s various health facilities is worsened by the myths and misconceptions about FP which women contend with in their various communities. But, a Reproductive Health/Family Planning, FP, Adviser to Fistula Care Plus, based in Sokoto State, Mrs. Amina Umma Bala in this interview with Chioma Umeha dismisses the myths, declares it number one step out of poverty for couples  saying, it gives couples opportunity to delay, space and choose number of children they want. Excerpts: There are various perceptions and misconception about family planning. For instance, in some communities, it is believed that if a woman uses a method of family planning, she will not be able to get pregnant