Chioma Umeha

Chioma Umeha A Non-Governmental Organisation, Centre for the Right to Health has called for investment in new HIV prevention treatment, Pre- exposure Prophylaxis, (PReP) as it helps in reducing HIV infection. Speaking to journalists in Lagos during a two day media training on biomedical HIV prevention in Nigeria, the Program Director of the Centre,   Mr Bede Eziefule said PReP is a drug that HIV negative persons can take to prevent being positive especially those that are sexually active, adding that it has been proven to be 90 percent effective when used correctly and consistently. According to him, “as you might also know we are at a cross road and interesting times in prevention of HIV infection. More and more persons, especially young persons who constitute the bulk of persons are getting infected daily with HIV are beginning to ask for more options to protect themselves from contracting HIV.” He said the media is an important force in shaping socio-economic and p

Chioma Umeha The Lagos State Committee on Food and Nutrition in conjunction with Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) have domesticated the National Policy on Food and Nutrition to Lagos specific. Speaking during the opening remark of the validation meeting of the Lagos State Specific Plan on Food and Nutrition (SSPFN) and State Multi-Sectorial Plan of Action for Nutrition (SMSPAN), Mr Shola Fadorun, representing the State’s Permanent Secretary,   Ministry of Economy Planning and Budget, Abayomi Adebisi Kadiri said malnutrition is a key health challenge in the State. He said the validated policy will serve as a direction for the execution of programmes and projects that will address nutrition matters in the State. Kadiri said the main objective of the validation exercise is to cross the‘t’s, dot the ‘I’s and confirm the data referred to in the document, adding that the exercise will address the cross cutting issues among the lines Ministry, Department

Chioma Umeha As Nigeria joins in the celebration of International Day for Zero Tolerance Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) today, CHIOMA UMEHA writes that the country which shares 25 per cent of the burden of FGM which occurs in Africa is home to millions of girls and women who have undergone FGM, a dehumanising practice which endangers their life. Like every young lady who is ripe for marriage, Chinwe Ude was happy to tie the nuptial knots at the age of 24. But, her joy was cut short by dyspareunia – pain during sexual intercourse. The diagnosis of Chinwe’s condition was linked to FGM. Also, Funmi Adigun, 23, suddenly began to experience vagina itching, painful urination and menstrual problems, shortly after marriage. She was further diagnosed with genital tissue and reproductive tract damage as a result of FGM which was performed on her at the age of five. For Miriam Abubakar, her joy knew no bounds when she got married at the age of 33. Hardly had she completed

Chioma Umeha Dr Olusola Akande, Executive Secretary of Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA), has called for increased awareness among Oyo citizens on social health insurance programme in the State to enable them to embrace the scheme. Akande said adequate sensitisation on the importance and benefits of health insurance are required for the programme to really gain ground sufficiently. The health insurance agency boss spoke at a media dialogue on improving access and uptake healthcare for marginalised women and children in Oyo State which was organised by Oyo State Ministry of Information in collaboration with OYSHIA and the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF). According to him, the agency has recorded 100,000 enrollees in the last 18 months of its operations and that it targets was to hit 450,000 to cover five percent of the population of the state before June. He listed the efforts of the agency aimed at providing quality healthcare services for the people o

...Says It’ll Provide Free Surgeries For 1000 Women from left: Actress Monalisa Chinda Coker receiving award from Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, Executive Director, Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation, BOF, as an Ambassador of Brand Ambassador for Foundation’s Journey to 1000 free surgeries Project weekend in Lagos.   Chioma Umeha To tackle   the growing prevalence of fibroids among women, Benjamin Olowojebutu Foundation (BOF), weekend unveiled its Love story to offer free fibroids surgeries to 1000 women free of charge. The Executive Director of the Foundation,   Dr. Benjamin Olowojebutu   who   announced this in Lagos described fibroids as a benign mass that grows in the womb even as he regretted that fibroids ranks among one of the conditions affecting women across Africa. According to him, a lot of these superstitions, myths and fallacies surrounding the condition are the main reasons women are dying from fibroids. He said, however, the risk of developi

Dr. Babatunde Ipaye Chioma Umeha Leaders in the health sector have been tasked to ensure all health institutions’ drugs procurement system was safeguarded to guarantee quality. Dr Babatunde Ipaye, Ogun State Commissioner for Health made the call at a Leadership Retreat and Health Summit organised by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Chapter on Monday in Lagos. Ipaye explained,   whatever system is adopted will eventually translate to what the patients will consume. “The way we procure drugs must be streamlined to ensure technical and financial efficiency so that the quality is guaranteed and all the logistic outlines from the point of procurement. “Also, we must procure where possible, from the manufacturers and where the manufacturers are not in the country, we must procure from distributors or sales agents that have got manufacturer’s authorisation. “This will allow everybody takes drugs and sell to the hospitals. “This will not allow room for

Chioma Umeha L-R: former Chairman PSN, Lagos Branch. Pharm. Gbenga Olubowale, immediate past President of PSN, Ahmed Yakasai, CEO of Lefas Pharmaceuticals Pharm Lekan Asuni. The concept of drug safety has become a major attention since the past decade because of the important roles it play in patients’ health. In view of this, there is growing concern among experts on how to achieve drug safety in daily medical practice, particularly with regard to approving new medication or questioning the possibility of withdrawing a drug from the market. This is particularly so in Nigeria and a major reason Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the immediate past President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) gave for unveiling safe medicine foundation (SFM), weekend. He stressed that his aim is to sustain the fight against fake and falsified drugs in the country. Elaborating on this at an occasion which was a sendforth dinner organised for him by friends and associates in Lagos, Y