Chioma Umeha

•May Attain UN 2025 Target By Chioma Umeha If any zone in Nigeria would attain the United Nations global targets to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition by 2025, the South West States is not far from taking the lead. This is because the latest report of the Multiple Indicators Cluster (MIC) survey of 2016/2017 showed that there are sharp increase in the number of women breastfeeding their infants exclusively for six months. The MIC survey is an international household survey on a wide range of indicators on situation of children and women. The World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) member States had in 2014 endorsed global targets for improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition and are committed to monitoring progress. According to them the targets are vital for identifying priority areas for action and catalysing global change. The global nutrition targets 2025 focuses on increasing the rate of exclusive   (EBF) breastfeeding in the

L-R: Dr. Esther Ohihoin, wife to the author; Hon. Justice Funmilayo Atilade; Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie;, Dr Aigbe Gregory Ohihoin of NIMR, author; and Hon. Justice Y.O Idowu during the book launch. ...Seek Boost In Antenatal Care To Curb It By Chioma Umeha To curb the high rate of infant and maternal mortality in the country, researchers, mainly eminent obstetricians and gynaecologists weekend, canvassed for increased attendance in antenatal care classes by pregnant women. The call was made by the experts at the formal presentation of the four books written by Aigbe Gregory Ohihoin, a Chief Research Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Yaba, Lagos. They described the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rate as unacceptable and blamed the ugly trend on myths and misconceptions, saying this prevent women from seeking care during pregnancy, until complications set in. The experts strongly believe that the presentation of the

In response to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) call for private, public and multi-sectoral collaboration in tackling Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Nigeria Heart Foundation  has formally  sealed its partnership with Three Crowns Milk  endorsement as the heart friendly milk brand. By Chioma Umeha In response to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) call for private, public and multi-sectoral collaboration in tackling Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Nigeria Heart Foundation   has formally   sealed its partnership with Three Crowns Milk   endorsement as the heart friendly milk brand. The endorsement and partnership which came during the brand’s 30th anniversary celebration will enable the two organisation to promote healthy eating habits and active lifestyle. The world health body strategies recognise that the solution to NCDs requires a societal approach, multi-sectoral actions and the collaboration of government institutions and the private se

Chioma Umeha Professor Christianah Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said the return of the Agency to the Ports, will restore its key responsibility of monitoring imports of sensitive chemical substances, food, drug and other regulated products. Disclosing this in a statement, Adeyeye said NAFDAC, in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, and with the active support of the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, will be returning to Ports and borders to effectively control the importation of narcotic drugs and chemical substances identified to be grossly abused and posing public health and security threats to the nation. She said the training held under the auspices of the ONSA with the theme “Towards a Secured Importation, Distribution, Storage and Use of Chemicals in Nigeria” would enable NAFDAC continue its regulatory role of monitoring import

…Only Three Nigeria LGA Is Open Defecation Free There was no common stir when the World Bank figures hit the newsstands on   the need for the Federal Government to invest about N2.88 trillion ($8.3 billion)   in order to effectively check open defecation in different parts the country. Anxieties further grew when the global financial body further reeled out that 25 per cent Nigerians engage in open defecation. Worst still, was the gloomy statistics which showed that only three out of the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria is Open Defecation Free (ODF). This came at the backdrop of warnings by many global health agencies who have stressed that the investment in OD is critical to Nigeria’s attainment of Goal 6 of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030. The agencies also revealed that over 88 per cent of cases of diarrhoeal infection in underage children in Nigeria were caused by open defecation (OD). Specifically, the United

By  Chioma Umeha Professor Christiana Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says her agency has commenced effective implementation of new regulatory measures aimed at   enhancing ease of doing business as well as encourage enterprises. Prof Adeyeye who made the announcement at a Breakfast Meeting with Stakeholders and the media executives recently in Lagos, noted that this was amongst other changes in the agency since she was appointed. According to her, NAFDAC staff have been multitasking, as there was no more time to finish one thing at a time before another starts. “For instance, when I came on board, I realised there was no active information technology system. We kick started by making sure all NAFDAC staff uses our emailing system for their email correspondents. All 2,300 staff of NAFDAC now use nafdac.org. We started other ICT innovations to make our work easier.   “When I first cam

By Chioma Umeha The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has urged the federal government not to implement the recommendation by Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led reform panel proposal to move drug matters to the concurrent list. Presently, the drugs and poisons matters are on the Exclusive List (item 21 of part I of the second schedule of the 1999 constitution), but the El-Rufai-led reform panel, had recommended its removal. In a statement by the Director- General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, on the proposed decentralization of drug regulation in Nigeria, the agency declared that such recommendation portended great danger for the nation. According to Adeyeye, the reasons for placing drugs and poisons on the exclusive legislative list by countries were to ensure firm control on drugs and drug-related matters by the federal government. Cautioning further on such moves, she said other reasons for placing drugs an

By Chioma Umeha The United Nations (UN) through the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, has allocated US$9 million to provide life-saving aid to 60,000 children, women and men recently displaced by on-going hostilities in Borno State, including $2 million in support of the UN Humanitarian Air Service for frontline responders in north-east of the country. The humanitarian crisis in the region remains one of the most severe in the world today, with at least 7.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2018 in the worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. About 80 per cent of them, 6.1 million are targeted for humanitarian assistance. This $9 million allocation will help fund 15 projects. It will support humanitarian rapid response in areas recently affected by large-scale conflict-related displacements, particularly in the northern parts of Borno, along the Maiduguri-Monguno axis. No fewer than 30,000 persons have fled the violence in area

By Chioma Umeha To ensure better health for every Nigerian woman and across the world, experts   have advocated adoption of women-friendly health policies, noting that ‘a healthy woman guarantees a healthy nation.’ The experts made the call during the flagging-off ceremony of   month-long free screening for breast cancer and free gynaecological consultation by   a multi-specialty hospital, Vedic Lifecare Hospital in Lagos to mark this year’s International Women’s Day. On this year’s International Women’s Day, a multi-specialty hospital, Vedic Lifecare Hospital, has called for women friendly health policies that will ensure better health for every woman in the world even as it begins a month – long free screening for breast cancer and free gynaecological consultation. March 8, every year is a day women all around the world are recognized and celebrated for their achievements in spite of divisions and obstacles in their paths. To mark this year’s day, Vedi

By  Our Correspondents Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep, mood, and memory problems. Pregnancy involves weight gain and extreme hormone fluctuations and these can put strain on the body systems, making fibromyalgia worse. Many women often experience pain, discomfort, brain fog, and other symptoms that are very similar to fibromyalgia during pregnancy. A pregnant woman who has fibromyalgia may find that the physical and emotional stress can intensify the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Pregnant women with fibromyalgia may experience significant pain, fatigue, and stress, particularly during the first and last trimesters of pregnancy. Pregnancy and fibromyalgia treatment Very little research has been carried out on pregnancy and fibromyalgia and the information is limited. However, treatment and management of fibromyalgia often involves both medical and lifestyle changes. The drug treatments for fib