Chioma Umeha

By Chioma Umeha A recent study has identified that chillies could help fight breast cancer after scientists revealed the spicy ingredient causes diseased cells to self destruct. Capsaicin, the active component that gives chillies their trademark kick, can switch on specialised channels surrounding cancer cells causing them to die. Scientists from Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany, treated human samples of breast cancer cells with the hot ingredient to find out more about its ability to destroy them. The study also categorised the various subtypes of breast cancer that respond to different types of treatment. The researchers found that the triple-negative breast cancer is particularly aggressive and difficult to treat. This new study may have discovered a molecule capable of slowing down this kind of cancer, an online report said Tuesday. Genetic research has enabled scientists to classify breast cancer into subtypes, which respond differently to various

By Chioma Umeha Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can increase a person’s chances of dying from a heart attack. The result of a study published online on Tuesday, said that alcohol increases the risk of people suffering from heart disease as much as any other well-established risk factors such as diabetes, obesity or smoking. Thousands of heart attacks and heart failure could be avoided each year if alcohol abuse was completely eradicated. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the No 1 killer of both men and women around the world. World Health Organisation data suggests that in 2012, 31 per cent of all global deaths were due to CVDs. Thousands suffer heart attacks, congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation each year. Alcohol abuse – considered to be the habitual excessive consumption of alcohol – has previously been linked to an increased risk of a number of health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity. However a

• Marks 4 Years Without Lost Time Accident By Chioma Umeha FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC ended the year with a new record in safety, health and environmental performance, recording four years without Lost Time Accident (LTA). Speaking in Lagos at an occasion marking the achievement, the Managing Director, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, Mr. Rahul Colaco said: “People don’t wake up in the morning expecting to get hurt. In FrieslandCampina, we believe nobody should be injured while at work. That is why ‘Zero Accident’ is one of our company’s 4-Zero KPI’s (Zero Accident, Zero Quality Defect, Zero Lost Sales and Zero Waste). “Zero Accident ensures that everyone working for FrieslandCampina, including our suppliers and visitors, return home safely and unharmed. This campaign is focused on simulating the right safety behaviour where safety values drive continuous improvement,” Colaco noted. In addition to Zero Accident, FrieslandCampina WAMCO reduces cost

*Review Or Create Supplementary Plan For Maternal, Newborns – Group Demands By   Chioma Umeha Following sharp decrease in the proposed health sector budget for 2017 in members of Civil Society Organisations(CSO) Lagos State Civil Society Partnership (LACSOP), while condemning the reduction called for an urgent review. It would be recalled that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, last month, presented the 2017 Lagos state budget proposal of N813 billion to the State House of Assembly. Though the entire budget increased by N150 billion when compared to the 2016 budget of N662.6 billion, the health budget reduced from N64 billion (9.76 per cent of the budget in 2016) to N57.29 billion (7.05 per cent in 2017). The group which seeks for improvement of maternal and newborn health(MNH) services in the State, said, this is a far cry from the targeted 15 per cent health budget pledge made in 2001 by African Heads of States. Reacting to this development, the LASAM Co-Chairp

Chioma Umeha The Sole Administrators of Local governments have been urged to make available and release regularly, a monthly imprest for family planning (FP) consumables at the Primary Health Centres. Making the call was the Lagos State Advocacy Working Group (LAWG), who noted that this is a good step to ensure that family planning services and consumables are free at the local government level. The group expressed the demand at their last review meeting held in collaboration with Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), in Lagos. It noted that family planning consumables are now free at the secondary facilities, while some Primary Health Centres (PHCs), have also started making FP consumables free. According to the group’s Chairperson, Ayo Adebusoye, this improvement partly due to their many advocacy visits to some of the Sole Administrators of Local Council Development Area (LCDAS), requesting for imprest for FP consumable. “As a result of t

By Chioma Umeha Web-based therapy for insomnia is an effective option that could reach “previously unimaginable numbers of people,” researchers suggest. Although cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment for adults with chronic insomnia, there are not enough trained clinicians to deliver the treatment, said Dr Lee Ritterband of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville and colleagues in an online report. To investigate whether web based CBT-I is effective over the long term and might enable more people to benefit, the team randomly assigned 303 adults with chronic insomnia to a six-week automated, interactive and tailored web-based program (Sleep Healthy Using the Internet, or SHUTi, at http: www.myshuti.com) or an online, non-tailored patient education programme about insomnia. To be included in the study, participants had to take more than half an hour to fall asleep at the beginning of the night or be

By Chioma Umeha To support Community Health Insurance Scheme (CHIS) in the State, the Kwara Government has released N250 million. The State Commissioner for Health, Suleiman Alege, stated this on Tuesday in an interview with journalists in Ilorin. According to him, the State government is also working towards putting the primary health care under the same roof with the State health development agency. Alege stated that a new diagnostic centre for the Ilorin General Hospital would begin operation soon to reduce the stress faced by patients. The Commissioner said government enlightenment programmes across the state has ensured preventive measures against outbreak of disease adding that the renovation of the General Hospital in Oro, Patigi and the states Civil Service Clinic have been included in this year’s budget. Alege also stated that fund has been released to procure more equipment for the Harmony Diagnostic Centre, Ilorin for the improvement of its ser

By Chioma Umeha There are two major causes of STDs/STIs: Bacteria, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Viruses, including HIV/AIDS, herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, and cytomegalovirus (CMV, pronounced sahy-toh-MEG-uh-loh-vahy-ruhs), yeasts and protozoan parasites, such as Trichomonas vaginalis (pronounced TRIK-uh-MOH-nuss vaj-uh-NAHY-lis), or insects such as crab lice or scabies mites, cause STDs/STIs. In many cases, bacteria, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are linked to infertility primarily when they are left untreated. Similarly, viruses, including HIV/AIDS, herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, and cytomegalovirus among others can lead to primary infertility when they are left untreated. What causes a sexually transmitted disease or sexually transmitted infection (STD/STI)? For effective management of infertility, it is important for couples, even intending partn

By Chioma Umeha In recent years, the world has recorded tremendous progress in the fight against malaria. The World Malaria Report 2015 shows malaria mortality rates have fallen by 66 per cent among all age groups and by 71 per cent among children under five in Africa since 2000. But, there is still work to do just as a new vaccine developed by a US-based team is showing promising results, and could accelerate progress. Creating the vaccine, researchers infected people with weakened, genetically modified forms of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite in safety trials. The weakened malaria parasite, while unable to complete its lifecycle and develop into full-blown malaria, exposes the immune system to the disease and stimulates a response that could block an actual infection. After tests on ten people during trials, the results were encouraging: there were no cases of full malaria infection and no significant side-effects. Describing the positive test res

By Chioma Umeha FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, weekend, witnessed a fire outbreak in the condensed factory at its premises in Ogba Industrial Estate, Ikeja, Lagos State, but was immediately brought under control. According to Ore Famurewa, Corporate Affairs Director: “The fire was promptly put under control by the Lagos State Fire Service, supported by FrieslandCampina WAMCO Safety Team and corporate neighbours.”’ The fire was, however, promptly put under control by the Lagos State Fire Service supported by FrieslandCampina WAMCO safety team and corporate neighbours. No casualties were recorded in the process, as immediate action was taken to safeguard the lives of employees on duty by evacuating them. Only the conveyor area of the condensed factory was affected through a mass conveyor carrying empty cans to the filling room. The company’s Corporate Affairs Director, Mrs. Ore Famurewa, in a statement issued yesterday said: “The fire outbreak, which occurred