Chioma Umeha

It has become glaring to all stakeholders in every sector of the Nigerian economy that the Nigerian huge population, which supposed to serve as strength to the nation, has the tendency to sabotage government policies on economic growth and development. According to the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) report, if fertility were to remain constant at current levels, a woman in Nigeria would bear an average of 5.3 children in her lifetime. While fertility is low among adolescents (107 births per 1,000 women), the report revealed that it peaks at 256 births per 1,000 among women aged from 25 to 59 years and fertility is higher among rural women than among urban women. On average, rural women will give birth to about 1.4 children more than urban women during their reproductive years (5.9 And 4.5, respectively). Meanwhile, family planning which refers to a conscious effort by a couple to limit or space the number of children they have through the use of co

When Udeme Akpa got admitted into secondary school, the joy of the parents knew no bounds.  For them, it was like a prayer answered. As the first daughter of a family of eight, there were so many expectations including lifting the family from what could be described as ‘age-long poverty.’ Udeme, 18, was living up to expectation until the unexpected occurred.  Her woes began one evening when a man in her neighborhood gave her a ride to school. Little did she know that the few minutes ride would later become a stumbling block to her life’s dream.  A few months later, the same man identified as Mr. Udoh invited Udeme to his house, but she turned him down.  After much persuasion, Udeme accepted to visit him. Sadly, innocent Udeme never knew she was playing with fire until he visited Udoh.  On that fateful Friday, Udeme decided to visit him. Sadly, she was raped by the same man whom she thought showed her kindness. Subsequently, she had unprotected sex with Udoh. Unf

The world has spent nearly a quarter of a century wondering whether Africa’s most widely used birth control method could make women more likely to contract HIV. Now, new research, conducted in four countries, including South Africa, has solved the riddle. The three-month shot Depo-Provera does not increase a woman's risk of HIV infection; prove the results of the Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (Echo) study. The findings were released at the South African Aids Conference in Durban Thursday and published in The Lancet. For decades, it was like there was a spectre among the data - something researchers thought they saw but couldn't entirely be sure. From South Africa to Tanzania, studies kept picking up what seemed like an association between the widely used three-month birth control shot marketed as Depo-Provera and HIV infection. A 2016 review of nearly three dozen studies published in the journal Aids suggested Depo-Provera users could be

BY CHIOMA UMEHA Lagos – When women and girls have access to contraception, fewer babies and mothers die. Around the world, millions of women can’t get the contraception they want. Numerous studies show that the ability to plan pregnancy is directly and unequivocally linked to lower maternal mortality, lower infant and under-five mortality, lower mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and a whole host of improved health indicators. Here is just one example: when a woman spaces her births by at least three years, her newborn baby is twice as likely to reach its first birthday. However, negative reports on sexual reproductive health (SRH) outcomes in the country show that there is a need to improve access to family planning information and services for Nigerian adolescents. The 2014 World Health Organisation’s (WHO) report and 2013 Nigeria by our Reporter Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) presented the worrisome statistics of Nigerian young women whose lives are c

BY CHIOMA UMEHA, Lagos – The birth of a newborn brings joy to a mother and serves to be her reward for going through the pains of nine months of pregnancy. The reverse is the case at the death of a newborn. Not only would a mother be in grief, the community and family would also be in anguish. This used to be the picture in some communities in Oyo a year ago until the state government, community leaders, UNICEF and other partners through the Accelerated Action for Impact (AAI) Initiative stepped in to ensure that no child dies from preventable reasons. Previously, statistics has it that in Nigeria, Oyo State is among the 15 states contributing to nearly 50 per cent newborn deaths in Nigeria. Sadly too, the state was the third highest contributor to the newborn mortality rate in absolute numbers in the South West. According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, (MICS) 2016/2017, Oyo shows undesirable 42 per cent of newborn mortality rate. However, the AAI Initiati

BY CHIOMA UMEHA, Awareness and proper understanding of family planning has been recognised to reduce maternal death among young women of reproductive age between 15 and 49. Data on Sexual Reproductive Health outcomes in Nigeria stresses the importance of focusing on adolescents. At 576 maternal death per 1,000 live births, Nigeria accounts for 14 percent of the global burden of maternal mortality (NDHS 2013/WHO 2014). Global evidence shows that young girls bear a higher burden of maternal mortality and morbidity. Data shows that the average age at sexual debut is roughly 15 years of age among adolescent mothers in Nigeria. (NDHS 2003, 2008, 2013). The National adolescent fertility rate in Nigeria is 122 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. In the North Western States, it is as high as 171 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. To stem this, the government of Lagos State with support from partners and other donor agencies has put in place youth-friendly he

BY CHIOMA UMEHA Lagos – A birth registration programme implemented by the National Population Commission (NPopC), with support from UNICEF, has increased the number of children between the ages of zero and 17 years registered in Nigeria by about 29 million. According to the evaluation report launched today, for children under one year of age, the programme increased by more than 100 per cent the number of children registered -   from 3 million in 2012 to 11 million in 2016. “Low rates of birth registration are a challenge in Nigeria,” said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. “In 2011, the birth registration rate was 41 percent, which means that three in every five children were not registered. This lack of birth registration negatively affects a child’s ability to access his or her right to health care, education and many other rights.” It was in this context that the programme was initiated to accelerate birth registration rates – particularly for children u

Lagos – With Nigeria contributing 20 million to the global 300 million people affected by fungal infections, scientists have urged the Federal Government to establish    Mycology Laboratories in the country. Making the call were researchers from the fields of Mycology, Parasitology, Haematology, Microbiology, others, who stressed that it would forestall fungal epidemic. They said, it is unacceptable for a country like Nigeria, the most populous African country not to have Mycology Laboratories. The practitioners made this and other submissions at the Cancer Research Centre, of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) at the first Annual International Conference of the Medical Mycology Society of Nigeria (MMSN). Commenting, Dr. Rita Oladele, a microbiologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the situation in Nigeria is really appalling, where there is no single reference laboratory for fungal infections, saying it is not a good one for the country and