Chioma Umeha

Chioma Umeha The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) has announced that it would be holding its fifth edition of Pharma Expo 2019 on August 28 and 29, 2019, in Lagos with a view to engage Federal Government to achieve the industry ambitious goal of accessing ‘N300 billion Industry Expansion and Intervention fund.’ Making the announcement, Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, Chairman, PMG-MAN, said the fund would be used for the industry upgrade and update technologically to become globally competitive, whilst ensuring medicine security and self-sufficiency. Ayebae who is also the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Fidson Healthcare Plc spoke at a press briefing on the forthcoming 2019 Nigerian Pharma Manufacturers Expo in Lagos. He said the Expo would attract approximately 200 international companies from six countries and nearly 10,000 pharma companies. The PMG-MAN boss said the theme of this year’s exhibition is “Strategic Co

Chioma Umeha To boost the skills of health workers for effective delivery of Maternal Newborn Child Health (MNCH) services in the country, Save the Children International says it has trained 5,250 health workers under its just-concluded Health Workers Capacity Building (HCB) project. Mrs. Nwamaka Ifionu, the organisation’s Area Operations Manager, Lagos, Cross River and Akwa- Ibom, said this at the organisation’s end of project and dissemination meeting held in Lagos, recently. Ifionu explained that the project was set out for a four-year period covering between 2015 and 2019. She said that the goal of the training is to ensure health workers in three states in Nigeria, including Lagos, are correctly applying improved skills and knowledge in the provision of MNCH services. According to Ifionu, her organisation is determined to see that no child, especially those under five years of age dies from preventable causes. She further said that the Save the Children Interna

Chioma Umeha For many natives of Agugu Oja in Agugu community, Ibadan North East Local Government Area of Oyo State, Agugu Health Post has become a Mecca of some sort to many primary healthcare seekers. The immunisation post which has transformed to a full-fledged health facility, now offers antenatal, post natal care, family planning, even accident and emergency first aid services used to be a mere retail shop for provisions, others. That was before late Madam Alice Mogbonjubola Ogunlana, donated it to serve as immunisation stand for Agugu community due to her passion to ensure that no baby dies from preventable causes. Today, the immunisation stand, the busiet of a set of twin shops attached to the home of its donor, has gradually transformed to a ‘facility’ rendering services, thus overstretching its capacity. Serving between 20 and 30 children during immunisation visits, it caters for women and children not just in the host community, but, the environment of Bodija,

Chioma Umeha Hardly is anyone free from suffering the bout of what is commonly known as ‘ordinary malaria,’ be it young or old.   Malaria neither respects age nor gender. However, infants and pregnant women seem to experience the worst bout, especially in Africa, Nigeria inclusive. Globally, an estimated 3.4 billion people are at risk of being infected with malaria and developing the disease while 1.1 billion is at high risk of the disease annually. Malaria scourge afflicts nearly 50 per cent of people worldwide with about 90 per cent of cases occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Malaria Report 2018 states that there were 219 million cases and 435,000 deaths as a result of the disease in 2017. The figure represents a global decrease in malaria cases and death rates to 18 per cent and 28 per cent respectively between 2010 and 2017. The report also states that, an estimated 93 per cent of all malaria deaths occurred in sub-Sahara Africa and in Children under fiv

Chioma Umeha Pharmacists have raised an alarm on the dangers of recent rumours making rounds that fake drugs circulation in Nigeria has gone up to 70 per cent, saying, it undermines sectors’ moves to position Nigeria as African hub for pharmaceutical products. Specifically, the pharmacists under the auspices of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) have debunked the claims. Specifically, the ACPN said it is reckless, displeasing and irresponsible to say that the fake drug incidence in Nigeria had increased to 70 per cent, instead of 17 per cent. Speaking for the pharmacists was Samuel Adekola, Chairman, who also said that the claim is counterproductive to the efforts of the pharmaceutical industry to boost its contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and global perception. Adekola noted that despite all efforts, the contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still less than two per cent bec

Chioma Umeha The Wife of Ondo State Governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has observed that breast cancer is neither a spiritual problem nor a death sentence. She made this known on Saturday at the Daughter of Zion Convocation which held at Trans Camp, Iju, Ondo State. Themed, ‘The Wise Woman,’ the convocation is a four-day camping exercise which equips women with needed spiritual and social capacity to live healthier and more productive lives in the society. Speaking at the event, Akeredolu identified early detection through breast self-examination as the veritable entry point to surviving breast cancer. She also encouraged the women to always seek out prompt medical help anytime they noticed a lump within their breasts. “Sadly, most of our women seek help at the fourth stage of breast cancer. At this point, the breast has already started to decay. When you notice any symptom, go to a doctor. “We also need to know that empowerment is not about sharing money. I

Chioma Umeha The Lagos State Government says it is set to adopt a one-health approach to enhance response to biological threats including Ebola and Lassa Fever, among others. Dr. Jide Idris, the State Commissioner for Health, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Lagos. Idris said the government was developing a Bio-banking capacity and a Bio-security framework along the lines of the one-health model and the global health security agenda for optimal health outcomes. According to him, One- Health recognises the interconnection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment and documents that six out of every 10 infectious diseases in human are transmitted from animals. “The global approach in the preparedness and response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases involves the implementation of One-Health model as part of the Biosecurity agenda of the state. “It is a collaborative, multi-sectoral, trans-disciplinary approach oper