Chioma Umeha

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has described as false, reports that the e-certification it initi­ated last year as part of Feder­al Government port reforms was not responsible for cargo congestion in the nation’s sea­ports. In a statement made avail­able to our source recently, the Prof. Christiana Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC, said the claims were completely un­true, baseless and a bid to mislead the general public on the clearance of products at the various seaports. Adeyeye said, “As part of ongoing modernisation reforms by the federal gov­ernment at the ports, NAF­DAC has assiduously worked towards the automation and digitisation of NAFDAC pro­cesses and licenses respec­tively. This has resulted in the development and deployment of NAFDAC e-licenses for utilisation in the clearance of NAFDAC regulated products. or to the deployment of the e-license on September 9, 2019, NAFDAC had held sen­sitisation worksho

Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), in this interview with CHIOMA UMEHA, gives the scorecard of the seven-point agenda of his administration in the first year. Excerpts:   What efforts have you put in place to end the suffering of intern pharmacists? We held advocacy meetings with Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) of which they agreed to central post­ing, but yet to begin implementation; held discussions with Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and they are agreeable, working on modalities for implementation. We also made it a major issue during advocacy and courtesy visits to institutions and pharmaceutical companies and some accepted to increase their intake, while others even agreed to double the number of interns on their pay roll. I personally undertook through my office to get placements for some interns and included it as a man­date for the Committee on Strate­gy, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Empowerment; rewarding the company

Despite the role of family planning in reducing the health risks for women and children, improving the quality of life by increasing opportunities to access education, nutrition, employment and effective utilisation of scarce resources, many factors bedevilled its successful implementation in many communities. “I got pregnant six weeks after my first child, I didn’t expect it because the doctor warned me that I need to stay for at least two years before getting pregnant as my first child was through Caesarean Section (CS).” This was the words of Adeola Agbala, 38-year-old mother and trader, Ikorodu, in Lagos. Adeola said, “But, thank God I was able to deliver my second child also through CS though I nearly died in the process. After that experience, the doctor said I should embrace family planning if I want to live a healthy life. “I discussed with my husband, he initially said that family planning would make me promiscuous. But, I thank God that he has changed his mind

BY UCHEOMA UMEHA LAGOS STATE   Nestle Nigeria Plc has announced a new variation of Golden Morn with soya as part of efforts to combat anemia in children and women of reproductive age in Nigeria, where the prevalence of malnutrition is on the rise.   According to a World Bank assessment on the incidence of anemia in the nation as of 2016, 68% of children under the age of five are anemic, and 50% of Nigerian women between the ages of 15 and 49 are also anemic. According to the findings, iron deficiency can be found in at least 50% of these patients.                  This is just as Nestle one of the foods and drink manufacturing giants have moved to curb the unpleasant trend through the promotion of Nutrition sensitive agriculture. The nutrition firm Weekend unveiled its new and enhanced Golden Morn, a maize and soya cereal that is now fortified with GrainSmart, in accordance with the Federal Government's regulation.  A special combination of vitamins and minerals called Grain

UNICEF has signed an agreement with Airtel Nigeria to further expand telecommunication services to boost U-Report, UNICEF’s unique a social media platform that empowers young people and communities with information to transform their communities and drive positive change on a wide range of issues affecting them. A statement signed by Blessing Ejiofor, Communication Officer, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said U-Report uses simple short message service (SMS) and social media to reach more than three million responders (U-Reporters) across all states in Nigeria on critical issues. This includes access to education, skills development and employability, water and sanitation, health, violence against children, safety and security, and the needs of internally displaced persons. It relies on volunteers from the community, mostly young people serving as U-Reporters, to provide information through polls. Results generated from U-Report polls are shared with the office of

In its drive to stem medical tourism, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in conjunction with its Kidney Transplant Team has successfully performed another Kidney transplant. The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Kidney Transplant Team has performed another successful kidney transplantation. The Consultant Nephrologist and Head of the Kidney Transplant team, Professor Olugbenga Awobusuyi said the patient’s kidney started functioning immediately after the surgery. The Nephrologist also briefed on the plan by the transplant team to use cadaveric donors for transplantation in the future noted that the team was working on a plan to use patients who are brain dead for transplantation in the future. Other members of the team include Professor Odunayo Ikuerowo, Dr Olufunmilade Omisanjo, Dr Abimbola Abolarinwa, Dr Adebowale Adekoya, Dr Mumuni Amisu and Dr Theophilus Umeizudike.

The International AIDS Society (IAS) has announced the plenary presentations headlining the 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020), which will take place in San Francisco and Oakland, United States, from July 6 to 10, 2020. AIDS 2020 is the world’s largest conference on HIV and AIDS and is expected to bring together 20,000 participants from more than 170 countries. In a statement on Monday, Anton Pozniak, AIDS 2020 International Chair, said; “The AIDS 2020 plenary programme features this year’s most critical issues in the global HIV response.” Pozniak said in the statement signed by Bijan Frederic Farnoudi, Director, Communications and Public Affairs; “We are delighted to be joined by such a renowned group of HIV scientists, policy specialists and community leaders.” Issues under the spotlight in the AIDS 2020 plenary programme will include biomedical HIV prevention strategies, vaccine and cure research, advances in treatment and a global perspective o

In 2018, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) advocated for a wide range of reforms in the health insurance for Nigerians in order to offer better and robust therapeutic outcomes for consumers of health in the country.  Consequently, they faulted the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme in the country, calling for reforms that would usher a new partnership and could also bring about a new dimension towards maximizing healthcare delivery in the interest of Nigerians.  In what is a revisit to that clarion call in 2018, however, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association, arising from its two-day working visit of Ondo State, has reiterated its stand on the reform of the National Health Insurance Scheme implementation. In a press statement jointly signed by Dr. Samuel Oluwaoromipin Adekola and Pharm. Abosede Idowu, the ACPN’s National President and Secretary respectively, the National Executive Council of the association we

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has called on the Federal Gov­ernment to restrict inter­national air travels to Murtala Mo­hammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe Inter­national Airport, Abuja, as part of efforts to contain the rampaging Coronavirus in the world. This is just as it asked President Muhammadu Buhari to nominate another chairman for the Pharma­cists Council of Nigeria (PCN). Comrade Biobelemoye Joy Josi­ah, JOHESU National Chairman, made the call Tuesday, March 10, 2020, when he led a delegation of JOHESU/AHPA national leader­ship on a courtesy visit to President Buhari in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Josiah told the President that be­cause of the challenges of COVID 19, there also needed to restrict movements at the Lagos seaports as well as unhindered movements via land as the country steps up total surveillance on all ports of entry. Josiah thanked the president for prompt release of N600 million to tackle the unfortunate menace of