Chioma Umeha

Monkeypox is a rare and infectious disease caused by monkey virus, transmitted from animals to human, with symptoms similar to those of smallpox, although less severe. The first case was reported on September 22 in Bayelsa, and according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 74 suspected cases have been reported across 11 states including Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun and Cross River. The states worst hit by the disease includes Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa and Rivers. To stay safe from this disease that has no known cure or vaccine, 12 things are important to note. 1. Monkey Pox occurs sporadically in some remote parts of central and West Africa. It was first discovered in monkeys hence the name, Monkey Pox. 2. The disease was first identified in 1958 by the State Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, during an investigation into a pox-like disease among monkeys. 3. The first human case

A healthy diet is one that helps to maintain or improve overall health.  A healthy diet contains a balance of food groups and all the nutrients necessary to promote good health. Healthy eating is the practice of making choices about what to eat and how much one eats with the intention of sustaining healthy living. Healthy diets provide the body with the essential nutrition; fluid; adequate essential amino acids from proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and adequate calories. Healthy diets also supports energy needs and provides for human nutrition without exposure to toxicity or excessive weight gain from consuming excessive amounts where the lack of calories is not an issue. A properly balanced diet(in addition exercise) also thought to be important for lowering healthy risks, such as obesity, heart disease, type2 diabetes, hypertension and cancer. The concept of healthy eating is primarily a problem in rich countries where the lifestyle inc

Gbenga George (far right), Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Anthony Abah, (middle) Information Coordinator, Benue State Branch of The Nigerian Red Cross Society, presenting home and school supplies to a parent and her daughter as part of the company’s donations towards resettling flood victims in Benue State. Staff of FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, makers of Peak and Three Crowns milk have raised funds to help 100 families and 100 school children affected by the recent flood disaster in Benue State. They donated cooking ware and back-to-school supplies to the victims. A statement signed by Ore Famurewa, Corporate Affairs Director, said that FrieslandCampina WAMCO made the donations in conjunction with the Benue State Chapter of the Nigerian Red Cross Society on Saturday. Explaining the company’s philanthropic gesture, its Corporate Communication Manager, Nkechi Ejesi, said “Social responsibility transcends momentar

By Chioma Umeha To promote effective access to Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for People Living With HIV (PLWH), experts have stressed the need for the Federal Government to restore free baseline evaluations. Some of the experts who spoke were those from the National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NASCAP). They were making presentations at the opening of a two-day communication strategic review workshop by Journalists Alliance for Prevention of Mother to Child transmission of HIV (JAPiN) in Lagos state, recently. According to them, the goals of the initial evaluation are to confirm the diagnosis of HIV infection, obtain appropriate baseline historical and laboratory data, ensure PLWH understanding about HIV infection and its transmission. Others are to initiate care as recommended in HIV primary care guidelines and guidelines for prevention and treatment of HIV-associated opportunistic infections. Research has shown that every HIV-infected person entering into c

By Chioma Umeha In line with its commitment to social responsibilities, RB has signed an agreement with the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) to help improve the sexual health and wellbeing of Nigerians. The scope of the partnership covers Sexual and Reproductive Health education and increasing consumer access to condoms by opening new channels and reaching consumers previously unreached. According to a recent report by World Health Organisation (WHO), ‘Every day, more than one million sexually transmitted infections are acquired worldwide, and each year an estimated 78 million people are infected, constituting a major health concern also in Nigeria.’ Sexual Health Education and Contraception are therefore twin preventive health strategies to curb this. Research and Real World data reveals that male latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, is an effective approach to achieve a reduction in the spread of sexually transmitted infec

Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, is an inflammation of a woman’s upper reproductive tract, including the structures of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. Salpingitis, inflammation of the fallopian tubes, is the most common manifestation of the disease. PID is known to be a long-term consequence of many sexually transmitted diseases as well as of bacterial vaginosis (BV), pelvic surgery, and other gynecologic procedures that cross the cervix. It is fundamentally a preventable condition. Pelvic inflammatory disease is, essentially, caused by the body overreacting to an infection. As the immune system tries to fight off the invading bacteria, it causes local inflammation and scarring. Although this may successfully wall off the infection inside the reproductive tract, it can be damage the organs. PID can cause scarring in the uterus, fallopian tubes, and even in the pelvic cavity. This is one of the main reasons it causes chronic pelvic pain. The most c

Secondary infertility is defined as the inability to conceive for the second time, or, more accurately, the next time. It can also be defined as having had a live birth. Primary infertility means not having had a child by birth that is the inability thus far to have conceived and carried to term a baby. In summary, primary infertility is the term used when a woman has never had a successful birth of a child and secondary infertility is the inability to conceive after having already had a successful birth. Both types of infertility are common amongst couples who are infertile and the causes and treatments are similar for both.   Female issues Female infertility may be caused by any number of situations, including abnormalities of the uterus, such as a septate uterus. A septate uterus is a condition wherein the wall of the uterus (septum) is divided either partially or fully, into two cavities. The treatment for a septate uterus is surgical since hormones do not