Chioma Umeha

By Chioma Umeha The U.S. Government, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO), today inaugurated a state-of-the-art polio modular laboratory at University College Hospital, Ibadan, to improve the efficiency of polio diagnosis in Nigeria through reliable environmental sampling. While examining the ultra-modern amenities with representatives of the Federal Government, U.S. Consul General John Bray observed that the new facility, which cost an estimated $400,000, exists alongside a World Health Organization (WHO) accredited polio laboratory in Ibadan, but is the first one in the country equipped to detect the wild polio virus from waste water. “This new facility will enhance Nigeria’s ability to respond to polio outbreaks quickly, by promptly diagnosing polio from samples received from the 48 environmental sewage sites across the country.” Consul General Bray noted. “The eradication of poliomyelitis will be accom

... Call For Local Production Of Treated Nets, Antimalarial Medicines BY CHIOMA UMEHA Lagos To reduce the economic loss of malaria which is put at $2.4 billion yearly, federal government has said it is imperative to begin production of Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets (LLINs), anti-malaria medicine in the country and increase research on the disease. Stating this was the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, who sought collaboration with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in the local production of LLINs, anti-malaria medicine in the country and increase malaria research, saying that this will reduce the disease burden. Adewole said that the OPS collaboration has become imperative given that over 30 million insecticide treated net used in Nigeria yearly as well as over 80 per cent of the anti-malaria medicine in the country are imported, hence the need to look inward and get the medications manufactured locally. Speaking during the launch of

..As Govt Begins Rehabilitation Of General Hospitals By CHIOMA UMEHA Lagos The Lagos State Government having read riot act against some health workers in the State’s Primary Health Centres, PHCs, who short-change patients by selling drugs, facilities and other services which are supposed to be provided free to the public. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who said this at the weekend at the flag-off of the 2016 Eko Free Health Mission and the Commissioning of the Nurudeen Olowopopo Health Centre, in Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) frowned at the untoward activities of the workers involved, saying such illegality would no longer be condoned. Idris further disclosed that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had ordered the renovation of all the General Hospitals and PHCs across the state following the deplorable states of some of the hospitals. Speaking at the event organised by Eko Club International (ECI) and AMBSAM Memorial Foundation in c

Following the prediction by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), that high level of flood will occur many States this year, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF’s officer on emergency, Mr. Olusoji Adeniyi, in an interview with CHIOMA UMEHA , discusses emergencies in the country, contingency planning, challenges and preparedness. Excerpts What can you classify as a hazard and how do you determine the risk as well as vulnerability? Hazard is a natural or human-induced event that can potentially trigger a disaster and examples are: earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, drought, gully erosion, resource competition and conflict. What is considered as the risk is the likelihood of a disaster happening to a particular group of people. The risk can be estimated by frequency and severity of a hazard when combined with vulnerability and capacity of people to meet that hazard. The susceptibility of people and things to be damaged by a hazard: a person or

By   Chioma Umeha To celebrate 150 years of what Nestle Nigeria described as “good nutrition,” the company on Friday organised a factory tour with key stakeholders. According to the Country Manager of the company, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon, that the tour was an opportunity to discuss how Nestles’ commitment to creating shared values met some of the main societal nutrition and health needs of Nigerians. Alarcon who spoke in Lagos expressed the desire and readiness of the company to continue to collaborate with relevant government departments and other partners in addressing and identifying baselines to improve nutrition indicators for Nigeria. The Country Manager said the company would mark the creation of Farine lactée (Cerelac) which saved the life of an infant as part of the 150 years celebration. He added that “Nestle has been in Nigeria for more than 50 years. The company invested in three production sites in Agbara, Flowergate and recently in Abaji. “N

• Sunflower Seeds, Fish Fights Arthriti By Chioma Umeha The essentials nutrients necessary for any individual can vary by the decade, so eating the right healthy food is always important. Here is a guide to what to eat and when from age 20 through 60 and beyond. Yogurt Yogurt is important for the bone-building calcium. Bone mass building stop around age 30, so the time for gaining bone strength is at age 20s. At this age, 1,000 mg of calcium per day is required to meet recommended intake – eight ounces of plain low-fat yogurt has 42 per cent of that. Calcium is also present in other dairy products, like milk and cheese, but there are a lot of non-dairy options too, Kristin Kirkpatrick, the manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute said. Tofu, salmon and leafy greens like kale are all good sources. Eggs: Their yolks have vitamin D, which helps the gut absorb all the calcium you are taking in. “You really need both to

... Say Dependence On Imports Results To Health Crisis By Chioma Umeha Lagos Pharmacists and pharmaceutical industry managers have been challenged to take advantage of the current challenges of economic recession to reinvent the industry and build a strong local manufacturing base for pharmaceutical products. One of the experts who threw the challenge at the 89th annual conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) held recently in Minna, Niger State was Olu Akanmu, Fellow of Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy. Akanmu who delivered the keynote address at the conference entitled, “Pharmaceutical Industry, National Development and A Fairer Society,” explained that the negative exchange rate movement caused skyrocketing prices for pharmaceutical products for those who could source foreign exchange. The seasoned pharmacist reasoned that this is because the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry is virtually import-dependent from raw materials to finished

By Chioma Umeha Lagos Community leaders in Lagos state have been charged to fish out unregistered Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and ensure their registration as soon as possible otherwise they will face full wrath of the law. Giving the charge on Thursday, was the Chairman, House Committee on Health, LSHA, Hon Segun Olulade, who noted that unregistered TBAs in the State now outnumber the registered ones and warned that it will no longer be business as usual for them.Community leaders in Lagos state have been charged to fish out unregistered Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and ensure their registration as soon as possible otherwise they will face full wrath of the law. Olulade who spoke during the Town Hall Meeting on Maternal & Child Mortality Reduction Programme at the Ikorodu Town Hall, Ita-Ilewa, Ikorodu, Lagos, also observed that some of the TBAs, including the unregistered ones were exceeding the limits of their scope of operation. He als

•  Insists On 2017 Deadline For Open Drug Markets Closure By Chioma Umeha The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has called on the Federal Government to grant preferential provision of foreign exchange from the official market for pharmaceutical imports because of the security implications of scarcity of essential lifesaving pharmaceutical products to the nation. The PSN made the call against the backdrop of the impact of recession and lack of foreign exchange (forex) on installed capacity in the pharmaceutical industry with high import dependence for machinery, active ingredients, raw and packaging materials. The PSN reasoned the preferential provision for forex would enable pharmaceutical companies to pursue the target of the National Drug Policy for an increase in local production capacity to a level where 70 per cent of total output satisfies at least 60 per cent of national drug requirements of essential drugs, while the balance is exported. Th

By Chioma Umeha No fewer than 120 million people in Nigeria lack access to improved sanitation facilities, thereby exposing them to public health hazards according to recent report from the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF). This is just as the 2015 reports of World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF confirmed that an estimated 2.4 billion people live in poor sanitation conditions with one in every 10 of them defecate in the open. The report also said that Nigeria ranks fifth in the world among countries where open defecation is still a major problem. This puts millions of Nigerian women and children are at the risk of contracting infections due to unhygienic and poor sanitary conditions, the report added. In view of this, Harpic, one of the leading toilet cleaning brands from RB, is partnering with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment to upgrade the toilet facilities within Apapa LGA in Lagos state. Harpic has been in the vanguard of promoting