Chioma Umeha

By Chioma Umeha Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Paramount ruler and Alake of Egbaland, has called on Nigerians to collaborate with donor of Long Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets (LLINs), ‘Global Fund’ and implementing agency Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to tackle the scourge of malaria across the country. Alake disclosed this while he was decorated as the net Ambassador by the Team of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), at the ongoing distribution of card net, aimed at eliminating malaria across the country, held at Ake Palace, Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital. Alake said that it was imperative to use the mosquito net or sleep inside the mosquito net to avoid being contacted by malaria through the bite of female mosquito usually called (Anopheles), noting that by so doing this the state would be free from the scourge of malaria fever. He appreciated the donor of the initiative ‘Global fund’ and the implementing agency the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), sayin

By Chioma Umeha To raise awareness of the importance of vaccination in reducing child mortality and renew efforts around universal vaccination coverage, the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) launched the eighth African Vaccination Week (AVW) weekend. Vaccination can save children’s lives, and keep adults, communities and nations, healthy. One in five African children still lacks access to all the necessary and basic vaccinations. AVW 2018 builds on the January 2017 Heads of State endorsement of the Addis Declaration on Immunization (ADI), a historic pledge to ensure that everyone in Africa receives the full benefits of immunization. To support Member State implementation of the ADI, a roadmap has been developed in close collaboration with WHO AFRO and EMRO, the African Union Commission and immunization partners. The roadmap provides Member States with specific strategies that can be incorporated into existing efforts to improve

By Chioma Umeha  The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the Federal Government to adopt and implement strategies that would aid a conducive investment climate for more private sector participation in health financing. Mr Babatunde Ruwase, the President of LCCI, made the appeal at a forum on celebration of World Malaria Day held in Lagos. The programme was organised by LCCI in collaboration with the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG). The World Malaria Day is celebrated on April 25 annually to create awareness about the scourge of malaria in Nigeria and across the globe and suggest recommendations for possible solutions and controls. Ruwase advocated for more private sector participation and funding of the sector, saying government and international donor agencies alone might not be able to finance estimated malaria budget. “With $2.7 billion invested globally to fight malaria in 2016, this represents less than 41 per cent of the

By Chioma Umeha PharmAccess Foundation Nigeria has explained the rationale behind its activities in the country, saying they are committed to state-of-the-art healthcare service delivery. Meanwhile, the organisation is partnering with the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award, NHEA, to recognize and celebrate innovative healthcare service providers in Nigeria during this year’s award ceremonies billed to hold June 22nd, 2018 in Lagos. According to Njide Ndili, PharmAccess Nigeria Country Director, “This is our third consecutive year of partnership with NHEA but our second year as the sponsor of the innovative healthcare service provider award category. “Our motivation supports our core objectives, which is to promote innovation that improves access and efficiency in service delivery at scale, leveraging technology at an affordable cost without bias to your location, economic status or income level.” “Our goal is to provide technical assistance to states seek

By Chioma Umeha Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), has bagged three awards in recognition of his numerous contributions to healthcare, public health development and capacity building in pharmacy. Yakasai received the three new awards within same month. The awards are ‘Kano Heroes Award on Public Health Development’ and ‘Leadership Award’ which he received from the Destiny Channels Broadcasts Network. The next award he received is, ‘Fellow, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists’ from the Kano branch of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists. He also another award, ‘Icon of Pharmacy’ from the Kano State chapter of the National Association of Industrial Pharmacists (NAIP). The awards ceremony was held at Coronation Hall, Kano State Government House on April 14, 2018. Others who received awards on the occasion were late Alhaji (Dr) Ado Bayero, Emir of Kano; late General Murtala Ramat Mohammed,

By Our Correspondents Fertility problems and infertility may be more common than you think. You may not personally know couples that are having difficulty conceiving. This is probably because even though the couples are experiencing fertility issues, they want to keep their struggle private. But, you often hear of celebrity couples struggling with fertility issues. So how common is infertility? Fertility problems and infertility may be more common than you think. A recent study shows that 11.5 per cent to 15.7 per cent of Canadian couples have infertility. That’s almost one in six couples. So you see, chances are that you do personally know someone affected by infertility. What is infertility? In general, the definition of infertility is being unable to conceive after a year of regular, unprotected intercourse if a woman is under age 35, or   six months if a woman is 35 or older. But there have often been variations in how infertility is defined when research

Despite interventions by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), access to safe water and adequate sanitation in Nigeria, eludes several communities, a situation that will demand collaboration among governments, the private sector and communities writes CHIOMA UMEHA who just returned from Bangai in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau. “At 12, Sarah Danjuma’s dream was to become a doctor.   She once told me she would help poor villagers who could not afford treatment. Think of the irony, we lost her due to lack of access to safe drinking water and poor hygiene,” said Mrs. Victoria Gyang, Head Teacher, Community Primary School, Bangai Local Education Area in Plateau State in a chat with DAILY INDEPENDENT. “Sarah was an orphan and a Primary Three pupil being raised by her relatives. Her parents died during the 2008 crisis.” The Head Teacher bemoaned deaths of many Bangai children from water-borne diseases. She said, “Sarah was old enough to say what she

By Chioma Umeha The Ogun State residents have commended the state government and a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Global Funds for distribution of Long Lasting Insecticidal Mosquito Net (LLINs) across the three Senatorial Districts of the state to eliminate the scourge of Malaria. The exercise which was simultaneously took place at three Senatorial districts of the state, Ogun East, Ogun West and Ogun Central, witnessed a large turnout of residents and inhabitants of the state. Expressing their delight at the programme, some of the residents noted that the gesture would save them time and money in buying the nets as it came at an appropriate time, during the rainy season. Mr. Dada Israel, a resident of Liberty Junction, Oru-Ijebu and Mrs. Adelani Akintunde of Sango, commended the donor, Global Fund and the implementing partner, Catholic Relief Service (CRS) for the initiative noting that the correct usage of the free LLINs would help them avoid mosquito

By Chioma Umeha Pregnant women who take painkillers could be harming the fertility of their unborn child, and even that of future generations, a new study has showed. Researchers from Edinburgh University looked at the effects of paracetamol and ibuprofen on samples of human foetal testes and ovaries. The results indicated that ovaries exposed to paracetamol for one week had more than 40 per cent fewer egg-producing cells. The effect of ibuprofen was even greater as the number of cells was almost halved. Girls produce all of their eggs in the womb, so if they are born with a reduced number it could lead to an early menopause, experts say. The studt showed that painkiller exposure during pregnancy could have effects on unborn boys as well. Testicular tissue exposed to the drugs had around a quarter fewer sperm-producing cells. Scientists found that the drugs can trigger mechanisms in the cells that make changes in the structure of DNA, leaving “marks”

•Blame Trend On Myths, Misconception Family planning commodities. Inset: Dr. Salami By Chioma Umeha Unmet needs for contraceptives among women in the Southwest region of Nigeria have been going down in the last decade. But, this has not been the case for Lagos State, the latest Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown. For instance, in 2007 the unmet needs for contraceptives among married women in the South West region was lowest in Lagos State, but the new survey by NBS which was carried out with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), shows that while unmet   need for contraceptives is on the decline in the region, it is on the increase in Lagos State. In 2007, unmet needs for contraceptives was 12.1 per cent in the South West region, Lagos figure was put at 8.1 per cent. However, a report obtained by DAILY INDEPENDENT has revealed that by 2017, the unmet contraceptive needs