Category: Health

  • How to combat diabetes, by expert

    How to combat diabetes, by expert

    A health expert, Dr Onyemaechi Robert Uzu, has said adopting a healthy diet, engaging in regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco, maintaining a normal body weight, are among measures to tackle diabetes.

    The expert, who advocated a lifestyle change, noted  that decades of poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle contribute significantly to the ailment.

    According to him, the common practice of combining foods with sugary drinks and excessive consumption of processed sugars in meals are other causes.

    Uzu said Nigeria faces a challenge, with a reported 4.3 percent prevalence of diabetes.

    He quoted the International Diabetes Federation as saying  6.7 million deaths occurred in 2021 due to diabetes-related complications, hence,there is need for urgent action.

    He said:” Alarming is the revelation that 80 percent of diabetes cases in Nigeria are diagnosed only after patients seek medical attention due to complications like heart diseases, vision loss, nerve damage, or erectile dysfunction.

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    “Startling statistics reveal that in 2019, diabetes directly caused 1.5 million deaths, with 48 percent occurring before the age of 70. The mortality rates due to diabetes have been on the rise, prompting concern globally, especially in lower-middle-income countries.

    “Several factors contribute to diabetes, including unhealthy lifestyles, smoking, poor dietary habits, old age, family history, excessive consumption of processed foods, and genetic predisposition.

    Symptoms include  constant thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss, is crucial for early detection.”

    He said the human body consists of millions of cells and depends on glucose for energy derived from food.

    Uzu noted that disruptions in this process, often caused by excess acid, sugar, and fats, lead to the cause of diabetes, affecting the pancreas vital functions.

    “The pancreas, responsible for producing insulin and glucagon, plays a pivotal role in regulating blood sugar levels. Excessive intake of certain foods like bread, alcohol, pasta, cakes, refined sugar, and pizza as culprits damaging the pancreas beta cells.

    “According to the World Health Organization, diabetes is a chronic disease resulting from inadequate insulin production or ineffective insulin use, leading to hyperglycemia and severe damage to various bodily systems, particularly nerves and blood vessels,” he said.

    Highlighting the link between pancreatic and gallbladder health,  Uzu advised diabetes type 1 patients to eliminate gluten-containing foods, while type 2 patients should stick with a diet low in carbohydrates and fats, and do  regular exercise.

    He enjoined individuals to prioritise gallbladder health, adopt healthier lifestyles, and adhere to preventive measures to curb the rising diabetes epidemic.

  • World Obesity Day: Increase tax on sugary drinks, NASR coalition tells FG

    World Obesity Day: Increase tax on sugary drinks, NASR coalition tells FG

    The National Action on Sugar Reduction (NASR) coalition has called on the federal government to promptly increase the tax on heavily sugared drinks, commonly referred to as sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to a prohibitive level.

    According to a report, 60 million people (30 percent) out of Nigeria’s 200 million population are classified as overweight while 15 percent as obese. 

    The group noted that the current tax of N10 per litre on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), implemented with the Finance Act of 2021, is no longer sufficient to reduce the excessive consumption of soft drinks, malt beverages, and other sugary drinks that significantly contribute to preventable, life-threatening chronic diseases.

    The coalition is advocating for a N130 per litre tax on the SSBs.

    While addressing a rally in Abuja at Jabi Lake Park neighbourhood to commemorate the 2024 World Obesity Day on Saturday, NASR coalition’s Health Communications Specialist, Omei Bongos-Ikwue said: “We urge the government to implement higher taxes on sugary drinks.

    “The goal of this pro-health tax is to protect more Nigerians from the risks of obesity, alleviate the burden on the healthcare system, and promote a healthier society.”

    She emphasized that Nigerian policymakers should consider the World Health Organization’s (WHO) warnings about the widespread obesity crisis affecting over 1 billion people globally.

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    Pointing out that excessive caloric intake, primarily from SSBs, significantly contributes to obesity, posing a major health threat, she said: “Presently, one in eight people worldwide grapples with obesity, with alarming statistics revealing that 30% of Nigerians are overweight and 15% are classified as obese.

    “Scientifically linked to abdominal obesity, SSBs are identified as a key driver of cardiometabolic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

    “What we are advocating for is that the Government should not shirk its responsibility on this by helping Nigerians to control the consumption of these beverages through tax.

    “Looking at the cost of the life-threatening diseases attached to the SSBs, we all know that our economy is already stressed and things are tough, it is only proper that we don’t willfully contribute to our economic strains by contracting these avoidable life-threatening diseases through excessive consumption of SSBs.

    “Diabetes is not like malaria that can be treated and in few is gone, treating diabetes is stressful as patients keep buying drugs, every day, every month and making hard choices between paying certain bills and buying the drugs

    “This has actually pushed families into poverty because of the cost of containing these chronic diseases”.

    She also advised parents to desist from encouraging children to form the habit of preferring SSBs to water because of later life effects.

    “It’s a question of knowledge as well. Parents need to know that indulging their children with SSBs is not healthy because they are more likely to develop the habit of a taste for sugar.

    “When this happens, and growing up with the habit it will double their chances of getting diabetes when they get older.

    “The key message is that the sugary drinks tax should be increased to a level that makes it prohibitive to buy.

    “This is to a point when the cost of sugary beverages reaches a level where consumers question why they would spend so much on something that has a cheaper and healthier alternative.

    “In the long run, it is a win-win situation for the government that will have more revenue to deploy to other essential areas of governance and for a healthier population that will have funds to deploy to other pressing needs instead of managing chronic illnesses”, she added.

    The NASR coalition representative noted that World Obesity Day is marked every 4th of March globally but had to be moved to Saturday and to the neighbourhood to create the needed awareness.

    The rally featured an extensive awareness campaign, engaging choreography by volunteers, games, and informative factsheets aimed at enlightening the public.

  • Five top healthy fruits during Lent, Ramadan

    Five top healthy fruits during Lent, Ramadan

    As the Lent period continues for Christians and the Ramadan fast approaches for Muslims, here are some fruits recommended for consumption during fasting to bolster your immune system.

    It’s important to note that during this fasting period, hard foods should be consumed with care.

    Banana

    Banana should be consumed during fasting as it helps in increasing energy level in the body. Research has shown that there is really no feeling of hunger after consumption and it also increases the strength of the body.

    Bananas contain nutrients like potassium, carbs, magnesium, fiber. Some people would love to consume banana with milk during the fasting period.

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    Orange

    In order to increase the energy of the body, eat oranges during fast. Nutrients like vitamin C, phosphorus, fiber, iodine, sodium, calcium are found in oranges.

    Orange contains 84 to 89 percent water. Consuming this helps in keeping the body hydrated. Consuming oranges helps in controlling cholesterol levels. Along with oranges, lemon water can also be consumed.

    Apple

    Apple is rich in nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B, and potassium and helps remove the deficiency of fibre in the body. You can also consume fresh homemade apple juice during the fast.

    By drinking apple juice, metabolism remains good and the body gets strength. Consuming apple also increases immunity and reduces oxidative stress. During the fast, small pieces of apple can be cut and eaten in the morning and after night meal.

    PawPaw

    Eating pawpaw, also known as papaya increases the immunity of the body. Papaya is rich in antioxidants. Papaya can be consumed during fasting.

    Consuming papaya is also beneficial to overcome the problems related to digestion,the presence of Papain in pawpaw aids in digestion of proteins. People who have constipation and acidity problems should also include papaya in their diet.

    Coconut

    Coconut can be included in the diet during the fast as it keeps the body hydrated. Consuming coconut is also considered beneficial to overcome the lack of energy in the body. Along with eating coconut, one can also consume coconut water during the fast.

  • IWD: AHF Nigeria tasks stakeholders on equitable, inclusive world for women

    IWD: AHF Nigeria tasks stakeholders on equitable, inclusive world for women

    In commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria will hold conversations with women across 154 facilities in the seven (7) states of operation in Abuja – FCT, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Kogi and Nasarawa states.

    The engagements with the women at the various locations, according to AHF Nigeria, will empower women to take charge of their health while overcoming barriers to help them thrive.

    International Women’s Day was founded in 1911 and is observed annually on March 8. The day recognizes the political, cultural, and economic achievements of women to accelerate their rights.

    AHF created its Girls Act program, which works across nearly 40 AHF country teams, to help young women and girls stay HIV-free (or on treatment if HIV positive), keep them in school, and avoid unplanned pregnancies. Learn more at GirlsAct.org.

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    A statement by the foundation said: “Let us recognize the incredible strides women have made towards equal rights, including access to healthcare, while remembering that the world still has a long way to go before women are empowered, safe, and healthy worldwide.

    “To commemorate IWD, join AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria as we hold engaging and purposeful IWD conversations with the women on our program across 154 facilities in the seven (7) states of operation in Abuja – FCT, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River, Kogi and Nasarawa states.

    “The engagements with the women at these locations will empower women to take charge of their health while overcoming barriers to help them thrive.

    “AHF Nigeria’s International Women’s Day event will include Continuous Medical Education (CME) by AHF Nigeria state teams and psychosocial coping mechanisms to empower the women and enhance their resilience in the face of the daunting challenges many are faced with.

    “Free sanitary pads will be distributed to the women in attendance.

    AHF Nigeria Country Program Director Dr. Echey Ijezie said: ‘’The need for more inclusive and equitable world for women and young girls cannot be over emphasized, particularly the need to shed the suffocating stereotypes, stigmas, and discrimination that keep women and girls worldwide from realizing their true potential and succeeding.

    “It is thus important to ensure that women have all they need to succeed, including equal access to health care, education, and employment.”

  • King Charles III: Thunderous disgrace for chemotheraphy industry

    King Charles III: Thunderous disgrace for chemotheraphy industry

    Bill Henderson, where art thou? This is your year! This author of the 317-page book titled: Cancer Free angrily wrote to tell humanity that doctors who prescribe chemotherapy for cancer are wicked, deadly killers of their patients. The book informs us that Bill’s wife did not die of her cancer but was mangled by chemotherapy, weakened and then killed by the drugs. For his evidence, the book presents many cases of persons who survived different kinds of cancers not on chemotherapy, but on various natural protocols. This book should, therefore, be of serious interest to King Charles III of England who last month rattled the world of Oncology when he rejected chemotherapy for his prostate cancer and, instead, said he preferred healing herbs and herb portions. The thunderous assault on Oncology, a cult of medicine, reverberated globally. In a feeble, face-saving retort, Oncology replied that the King was putting his life at risk. Only time will tell who is in the right.
    Who did not know King Charles III would reject chemotherapy for his prostate cancer? And who did not trust that the orthodox medical community would fire back that he was running a gargantuan risk to his life? All his adult life as Prince Charles before he became King and even now, this man has been an unrepentant naturalist, whether in his attitude to marriage, old British architecture, medicine, or in his conversations with plants which many persons considered weird. He would go hunting with his friends within a few minutes of calling by the bedside in hospital of his wife, Diana, who had just had a baby. British women would consider him to be a wicked husband. British Prime Minister John Major would seek popularity among angry British women by taking a two-week vacation from work to baby sit with his wife who had a baby in the same season.
    For Prince Charles, there was hardly a better way than what he did to tell his wife and the world that the love of a man for a woman did not lie in her capacity to fill his home with children! His love lay elsewhere, with Camilla Parker Bowles, his former heart throb who, since tradition forbade him to marry her because she was not a virgin, had gone on to marry another man, a sailor in the Royal British Navy. Diana was more beautiful, more elegant and a virgin to the bargain. Prince Charles had been forced to marry Diana by the tradition which obliged him to marry a virgin. He had to abandon his relationship with Diana’s elder sister, and go for Diana. Now, a virgin had been found for a wife who would be his queen, but would his conservative mien stand a future model for all English women who wore hot pants about in town instead of Elizabethan dressing rising up to her chin and dropping to her wrists and heels? Oh No! The hypocritical Church of England would not mind as long as Diana was a virgin and would not stand a divorcee in bed or beside the future King. Pointedly, the Church told Prince Charles he could not be the King of England in succession to his mother if he divorced Diana and married Camilla. Prince Charles proudly replied that he did not mind abdicating the succession lineage for his son Prince William to become King in his place.
    The battle line was drawn. The Church would seem to shift ground a little when it said that, if Prince Charles became King as husband of Camilla, he would forfeit the title of Defender of the Faith. This title of the Kings and Queens of England dates back to 1521 in the Roman era when Pope Leo X granted permission to King Henry the VIII to bear it in defence of the 10 Sacraments of the Church of England, one of which forbids divorce. Prince Charles responded that in the event of not becoming Defender of the Faith if he married Camilla, he would answer to the title Defender of Faith. By taking away the definite article the in the former title, Prince Charles suggested, he would become defender of all faith including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism etc. The Anglican Church gave up. Diana would later die with her Arab boyfriend in a celebrated motor crash. Charles and Camilla would become husband and wife. That was the strong willed Prince Charles whose relationship with plants was a surprise to many persons who had lost touch with Mother Nature. He was found always playing with and talking to plants. Many persons do not relate science with reality in order to discover that something is wrong with the perception of reality by science which Prince Charles may have discovered. Science, for example, teaches us that there is something in the middle of the earth which forces everything on earth to be earth-bound. Science calls this miraculous force gravity. Yet, it has been found that in the emergent science of Thanatology (science of dying, science of Extra Sensory Perception or Out of Body Experience – OBE), for example, space and time do not pull down certain factors or cage them.
    Let us return to mortal earth. Why would we plant a grain of maize in the soil or plant a seed of mango and that force in the middle of the earth would not stop it from pushing aside the soil and grow into a robust plant, flowering and fruiting? The answer is to be found in the ministration of elemental beings or nature beings about which many persons have forgotten, to their own detriment but which as Prince Charles and, now, as King Charles III, the English Monarch gives their due recognition in his rejection of chemotherapy and preference for healing herbs and medicinal portions. Now, we know that Nature beings are the forces which produce everything we label as nature …hills, mountains, rocks, forests, seas, oceans, lakes, lagoons, islands, land masses, fire, earth, air, water, soil, the planets, the stars, the galaxies and the universes! They come in different species, shapes and sizes. Many cultures knew of the garden gnomes, the elves, nixies and salamanders, and of the water spirits which may be what some Nigerians call “mammy water”. The Yoruba call a species of them egbere. Diminutive and in human form, it is said to always go about with a mat of inestimable cash value which persons still blessed to see try to steal, one of the reasons they are no longer demystified enough for our physical eyes to see. Did the Lord Jesus not see them at work when he told fisherman Simon Peter to cast his net where his day’s labour was well rewarded? Animals still see them. They lead sick animals to herbs which would heal their ailments. They lead pregnant goats to plants which are good for them as food and medicine. Hunters reveal that animals which escape with gunshots injuries know where to find herbs which almost immediately heal them. Were our bodies not like these animals’ before they became homo erectus and homo sapiens? Was this not the foundation of healing therapies in Africa before Europeans destroyed our partnership with nature.
    The foregoing is my understanding of King Charles III’s rejection of chemotherapy for his prostate cancer. Chemotherapy is a money spinner in the cancer industry. Yet, few patients survive it. Prescriptions keep coming and growing despite a humongous list of persons who survived cancer using natural medicines. The book Cancer Free by Bill Henderson details many survivors and the herbs which saved their lives.
    I kept Shakirat Adeoti, who was on chemotherapy, alive for one year on grape fruits seed juice. At that time, we did not have grape seed extract in Nigeria. She was a 33-year-old Micro biology graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, who had full blown cancer in both breasts. That was in the early 2000s. She exhibited no common signs of chemotherapy until about the 15th months on it. When cancer challenged persons ask me if they can add chemotherapy to their treatment regimen, I frankly tell them this is a poison that they will load into their sick and weak bodies when their better bet should be potassium and oxygen-rich foods, blood cleansing and tissue detoxifying herbs and juices, immunity boosters, antioxidants, alkalizers, hapaprotectives, quantum energy devices, anti-microbials, chelated minerals, anti-angiogenesis substances which cut cancer feeding lines and shrink their sizes , such as shark cartilage etc. I do not know where King Charles III will turn. I am sure he will have the best of British traditional medicines and may be from the Orient as well.
    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria may wish to check out Nigeria, starting with JOBELYN, which has journeyed from one American laboratory to the other for 30 long years, seeking global relevance until, finally, it was listed in the Drug Dictionary of the United States Cancer Institute. Meanwhile, shall we roll out for His Royal Majesty some dependables from Mother Nature’s ever benevolent treasure trove.
    Some of the herbs and other natural protocols which Bill Henderson says heal some cancer challenged persons include Flaxseed oil, Cottage cheese (Budwig diet), Greens (Wheat grass, Barley grass, Spirulina, Alfafa etc.), Pau d’ Arco, Essiac Tea, Graviola, Red rasberry, Artemisin, Beta Sitosterol, Shark cartilage, Grape juice, Vitamin B17, Noni juice, Mistletoe, Selenium, Zinc, Chlorella etc.
    Bill Henderson reminds me of some plant medicines I thought have gone out of season. One of them is Pau d’Arco. This plant, in turn, reminds me of Pa Oye Igbemo, now of blessed memory, who was General Manager of the Federal Savings Bank. He was in his 80s, and was on a wheel chair. He worried so much about his prostate gland, although his Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) result was always below 1.0, against a maximum of 4.0 for healthy prostate gland. More troubling was that he suffered, also, from Occult blood, blood in the faeces which couldn’t be detected by routine laboratory test because the bleeding was far away from the anus. A special camera was inserted into his colon and, on a television screen, he saw four sections of it bleeding. Two times he was invited for surgery, but he declined. He was working on the possibility of being healed by Pau d’Arco which I had suggested to him. The aim of the surgeon was to remove the bleeding sites and join together the healthy parts. Pa Oye Igbemo had a friend who had gone through this type of surgery and turned out not to enjoy the rest of his life. In such a surgery, the patient is said to lose the benefits of the areas of the colon removed. Each area is a specialist area and the loss would, therefore, be a health minus although it could prolong life. In the colon, cancers are preceeded by inflammation (colitis) and then ulcers, which transform the condition to ulcerative Colitis. The condition gets worse towards a cancer when the mucus membrane begins to produce excess mucus. In the event of mucoid ulcerative colitis, cancer is a stone throw away. Pa Oye Igbemo, till he passed on last year, meticulously took Pau d’Arco tea and added the powder to his meals. Three months later, he returned for another test prior to surgery. He and the doctor were shocked to discover that all the ulcers had healed. Till he passed, Pa Oye Igbemo’s password whenever he telephoned me was “BABA Pau d’Arco”!
    Of Pau d’Arco, Bill Henderson writes in Cancer Free:”Many people have been cured of all kinds of cancer by drinking Pau d’ Arco tea (also known as Taheebo tea). Obviously, it is something you should know about. Roger Delong is a retired airline pilot who cured himself of cancer using Pau d’ Arco tea. He was so convinced it would help people that he set a simple, inexpensive way for cancer patients to get it. For several years, Roger imported it by the ton and sold it. He even gave it away to those who couldn’t afford it. He does not do that any more, but he does have a web site http://www.pau-d-arco.com with lots of information and a couple of sources he trusts”.
    Another interesting therapy Bill Henderson mentions are proteolytic enzymes. These are enzymes which help to digest proteins. When they are taken with meals, they make a great digestive aid. Taken on empty stomach, they go for foreign proteins or proteins in the body, which are degenerate, such as tumours and malignant cancers. They may include such enzymes as bromelin from pineapple, papain (from the leaves, seeds, unripe fruit, stem and roots of pawpaw -Papaya) or from pepsin, which is produced in the stomach. A proprietary product with a good array of them is neprinol. What intrigues me most is its chemical formula of the secretion of silk worm. My generation of children ate a lot of roasted silk worm. We brought it out from its hard cocoon, mature or immature, using knives to cut the cocoon through and, if that would not work, we used an axe. What surprises me as an adult is that what we as children needed sharp knives or axes to rip open was easily dissolved by the secretion made by the silk worm whenever it was mature and ready to step out of the cocoon. Why would such a secretion not dissolve a tumour? This question led producers of neprinol to include this formula in the proprietary blend.

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    Of Enzymes, Bill Henderson writes:
    “In November 2001, I discovered Bob Davis and his story. He has inspired me. But he has also furnished me with a ton of information about complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments for cancer. He will share them with you, too. I’m 88 years old, and I’ve overcome cancer twice! “In April 1996, Bob Davis went to the hospital as an outpatient for an x-ray. They found that I had a massive cancer. I had a mass in my abdomen a foot wide and several inches thick. Furthermore, I had several masses in my chest, some of them ‘the size of soft balls’. It was also determined that I had cancer in my bone marrow. I was immediately converted into an ‘in’ patient and started on a very,very heavy chemotherapy programme. I had chemo in April, May, and June, with no effect on the cancer. It seemed to thrive on the stuff. It was in the middle of June when my doctor told me that the chemo wasn’t working. He later told me that another treatment would kill me. I knew that was true because my body was ravaged by the chemo. I asked my doctor what we were going to do. He said ‘Try….. something else’. The previous February I had called Chum who had devastating arthritis. He couldn’t climb stairs or drive his car. I asked him how he was doing and he said ‘Fantastic’. He told me that he was taking a herbal product and it had eliminated his arthritis in three weeks. I asked him what it was and he said ‘dried green barley leaves’. He gave me the 800 number and I ordered a bottle for my wife who had arthritis. It was the middle of June as I mention above, that I received a phone call from the owner of the company that provides the dried green barley pills (Florence Biro). She asked me how I was doing on the pills. I told her that I wasn’t using them. I had gotten them for my wife and they helped her when she remembered to take them. I then said the most fortunate thing I have said in my life. I said, ‘I’m fighting another battle.’ She asked me what it was and I told her that it was cancer. She said, ’Oh, Mr Davis,you don’t know do you?’ I asked her what was it that I didn’t know and she said , ’Don’t you know that cancer and arthritis can’t grow in an alkaline body?’ I told her that I had never heard that before. To make a long story short, I started taking the pills and in 10 days my cancer was 95% gone! My next CT scan showed no cancer in my body and I have been cancer free ever since. I was checked last month and I am still cancer free. I still take 200mg tablets of dried green barley every day”. There are many more cases of natural healing of cancer reported in Cancer Free by Bill Henderson.
    One of them that I will like to speak about at the earliest opportunity is PAWPAW twig. It is said to kill both the stem and the flowering and fruiting parts of cancer whereas chemotherapy kills only the flowers and the fruits, leaving the stem as remnant cancer which then grows aggressively, flowering and fruiting as whole cancer plant that is indestructible. Whichever direction King Charles III follows for a natural prostate cancer cure, his rejection of chemotherapy remains a thunderous disgrace for the chemotherapy industry and its purveyors.

  • ‘Declining purchasing power, rising inflation affecting community pharmacy’

    ‘Declining purchasing power, rising inflation affecting community pharmacy’

    The Lagos State Branch of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has emphasised the urgent need for proactive measures to steer the national economy towards sustainable recovery. During the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos, Pharmacist Lawrence Ekhator, the immediate past chairman of ACPN Lagos State, highlighted the significant economic challenges facing the profession. Ekhator attributed the decline in purchasing power and the surge in inflation to government policies, resulting in adverse effects on community pharmacy practices. He also identified factors such as high interest rates for business financing in Nigeria as contributors to low patronage and profitability at the community pharmacy level.

    Ekhator said the present economic conditions pose significant challenges for community pharmacists. He emphasised that the rampant inflation prevalent in the country undermines the profitability of their practice. “You purchase a product today, only to find its price has changed by the end of the day or the next. Consequently, selling becomes problematic, as restocking becomes increasingly difficult due to fluctuating prices.”

    He continued: “Many of our colleagues are finding it difficult to restock because the capital is being eroded by inflation, so this is going to spill over to the consumer. So, we are calling on the Federal Government to quickly nip this in the bud, because we don’t want a situation  whereby people are forced to go for inferior products all in the name of not having the purchasing power,” he said.

    “Another policy of the Fed Govt that should be reviewed includes import duties from the Customs, as the agency increases import duties daily, which according to them, is based on the dollar rate. It should be noted that such would affect the price of drugs. So, we are calling on the government to realise that drugs are essential needs, so its importation, just like food, should be put on a special pedestal so that it would be given a special concession”.

    In response to the establishment of a modern pharmaceutical market, Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC), in Kano State through a collaboration between the Kano State Government and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) via Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), the former ACPN chairman urged Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, to emulate this initiative in Lagos. He emphasised that replicating such a project in Lagos would demonstrate the governor’s commitment to the welfare of Lagosians.

    Similarly, Pharmacist Gafar Madehin, the national secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), echoed concerns about the impact of the current economy on the pharmaceutical practice, particularly at the community level. He highlighted the adverse effects of continuous price fluctuations, stressing the need for measures to alleviate these challenges. “The healthcare products that we deal with are majorly imported, so the value of the dollar is affecting the prices, and we have seen over the past two to three months that the prices have not stabilized. On the issue of patronage, healthcare is a basic need of man, so people who need to seek healthcare, still come, but the only impact is that many of them buy less because of financial strength,” he stressed.

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    ”However, on the issue of profitability, this is a trying period for us because when we buy, we put a specific margin of profit, but now what we have discovered is that for the past few months, by the time you sell and you want to restock, you would found out that the prices you are getting the goods have doubled, so in the real sense of the word, profitability is difficult because we have to add more money to restock”.Addressing the way forward, the PSN secretary urged the Federal Government to prioritise the healthcare sector, emphasising the need for various avenues to subsidise citizens’ healthcare needs, including implementing an effective national health insurance policy.

    The highlight of the event was the election of the association’s executive members for the upcoming term. Pharmacist Tolu Ajayi emerged victorious, securing 195 votes, defeating Pharmacist Jonah Okotie, who garnered 74 votes. The newly elected executives include Pharmacist Charles Oyeniyi as vice chairman, Pharmacist Mosunmola Dosumu as secretary, Pharmacist Mojisola Aladesanmi as assistant secretary, Pharmacist Ezewanne Chukwudi as treasurer, Pharmacist Imade Roy-Ekekwe as public relations officer, and Pharmacist Chioma Omattah as editor-in-chief.

  • Strengthening Nigeria’s medical oxygen security

    Strengthening Nigeria’s medical oxygen security

    Medical oxygen serves as a critical lifesaving treatment utilised across various medical scenarios within healthcare facilities, spanning surgical procedures, trauma care, internal medicine, emergencies (including pediatrics and gyneacology), and intensive care units. Globally, hypoxemia stands as a significant and preventable complication of pneumonia, contributing to an estimated 20 – 40% of pneumonia-related deaths that could have been averted with access to medical oxygen therapy. In Nigeria alone, diseases linked to hypoxemia result in at least 625,000 deaths annually.

    The strain on healthcare systems has led to a depletion of medical oxygen supplies in many healthcare facilities, driving an increased demand for this essential resource. Furthermore, the fundamental challenge lies in the persistent lack of comprehensive data regarding oxygen requirements, available service capacities, and cost-effective means of supply. Ensuring medical oxygen security necessitates a multifaceted approach that includes monitoring oxygen access at both point-of-care and patient levels.

    The EpiC Project, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare (FMoH&SW), convened a multilevel stakeholder dialogue in Abuja in November 2023 to delve into the issue of medical oxygen security in Nigeria and devise strategies to tackle current and future challenges within the healthcare system. During the event, Dr. Victor Ogbodo, the Acting Country Director at FHI 360, stressed the imperative for Nigeria to establish a robust and resilient healthcare system capable of effectively addressing health emergencies and ensuring medical oxygen security.

    Dr. Gilbert Shetak, the National Oxygen Desk Director at the Department of Hospital Services at the FMoHSW, highlighted the need for discussions on operationalising the approved sustainable financing mechanism in accordance with the National Council for Health’s recent approval of a single account for medical oxygen in healthcare facilities. Providing further insights, Prof. Moses Chingle, a consultant for the FMoH&SW, shed light on Nigeria’s medical oxygen landscape. He outlined that the five-year National Strategy for the Scale of Medical Oxygen, launched in 2023, advocates for a robust investment case and innovative financing strategies for medical oxygen.

    During the first panel discussions focused on the imperative for public-private partnerships (PPP) in medical oxygen infrastructure development, maintenance, and sustainability, including the implementation of vacuum-insulated evaporator (VIE) systems nationwide, Engr Peter Oguagwu, representing Air Separation, highlighted the significant challenge of poor maintenance in medical oxygen infrastructure within healthcare facilities. He proposed that treating these plants as income-generating assets could facilitate easier maintenance. Additionally, he suggested the institutionalisation of trained Biomedical Engineers in healthcare facilities and leveraging PPP for infrastructure maintenance.

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    Mr. Suleiman Dauda, representing Air Liquide, underscored the importance of adequate storage capacity in healthcare facilities to ensure continuous supply and reliability while minimising wastage. He emphasised the necessity of matching output production to future demand and highlighted the role of economic analysis in determining the feasibility of implementing VIE systems in specific locations, particularly where transportation costs are not prohibitive.

    According to Martin Dohsten, Health Manager for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health at UNICEF, the organisation is now supporting a groundbreaking solar power system that will provide energy for medical oxygen plants in Kano and Oyo states, marking a global first. Dohsten emphasised that this initiative will enhance sustainability, as energy is a key cost driver in medical oxygen production. Dr. Pamela Ajayi, CEO of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, stressed the necessity of private sector investment in the medical oxygen ecosystem to ensure universal access to oxygen at reduced costs. She highlighted an ECOWAS law enacted eight years ago, which mandates zero percent duty on lifesaving equipment, lamenting its lack of implementation. Ajayi emphasized that enforcing this law would significantly reduce the cost of medical oxygen.

  • Medvisit revolutionises healthcare with international second opinion service

    Medvisit revolutionises healthcare with international second opinion service

    Medvisit, Nigeria’s foremost medical tourism company, has unveiled its latest offering: international second opinion services. This landmark initiative represents a significant leap forward in providing Nigerians with accessible and precise healthcare solutions. Medvisit’s international second opinion service revolutionises the healthcare landscape by granting Nigerians unprecedented access to world-renowned medical expertise and treatment. Through this service, individuals can leverage a vast global network of certified specialists, ensuring prompt and accurate assessments of their medical conditions and treatment strategies.

    “Our team of medical experts is stationed in prestigious hospitals across the USA, UK, Europe, India, Israel, Egypt, the UAE, and other premier healthcare destinations. With Medvisit, quality healthcare knows no boundaries. We are thrilled to introduce our international second opinion service, which represents a significant milestone in our commitment to providing accessible and accurate healthcare solutions for Nigerians. By leveraging the expertise of top doctors from around the world, we aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and confidence needed to make informed decisions about their health,” Gbenga Chinedu Olaniyi, Operations Manager, Medvisit, said.

    Medvisit’s decision to introduce this service stems from a dedication to address critical healthcare challenges in Nigeria. Firstly, recognising the importance of ensuring Nigerians access the finest medical expertise, the international second opinion service facilitates individuals to benefit from leading doctors worldwide, eliminating the necessity for extensive travel. Furthermore, Medvisit acknowledges the risks associated with misdiagnosis and improper treatment, which greatly impact patients’ health. By offering comprehensive evaluations and diverse medical perspectives, Medvisit aims to mitigate such risks, ultimately enhancing health outcomes for Nigerians. Additionally, seeking medical care overseas often entails significant financial burdens and logistical hurdles. By delivering precise diagnosis and treatment locally, Medvisit aims to reduce the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for medical care, thus conserving valuable foreign exchange resources.

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    “To underscore the practicality of second opinions, in one study, the Mayo Clinic, one of the top hospitals in America, reported that only 12 per cent of their second opinion patients left with a confirmation that the original diagnosis was accurate. This means that nearly 90 per cent of patients left with a different or refined diagnosis. Therefore, getting a second opinion is the practical way to find a doctor who can give you an alternate point of view on your diagnosis and treatment. Medvisit’s international second opinion service operates on a streamlined process, facilitated by a dedicated Care Team that handles all logistics, ensuring a hassle-free experience for patients. Leveraging advanced technology and a vast network of specialists, Medvisit guarantees personalised attention and tailored recommendations for each individual’s unique healthcare needs.

    “When do people need a second opinion? People need a second opinion when their diagnosis is unclear; when they have several medical problems; when they are not responding to treatment as expected; when their doctor says their condition is rare or life-threatening; when they think another treatment option might be available; when their doctor recommends surgery or a major procedure; when they have lost confidence in their doctor; and when they want peace of mind and confidence that they have the correct diagnosis and treatment.”

    Known over the years for its dedication to facilitating access to superior healthcare solutions for individuals and focus on innovation, excellence and patient-centered care, Medvisit offers a comprehensive range of services, including medical travel coordination, concierge medicine, and now, international second opinion services.

  • Understanding causes, types of childhood cancer

    Understanding causes, types of childhood cancer

    • Common types of childhood cancer explained

    A brilliant beacon of hope and expertise in pediatric oncology, Dr. Adedayo Joseph, consultant clinical radiation oncologist and Research Programme Director at the NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre (NLCC), acknowledges childhood cancer’s distinct challenges and complexities. Childhood cancer, unlike other forms of the disease, affects children and adolescents up to the age of 19. Beyond her clinical duties, Dr. Joseph, with a special interest in cancers that affect children and women, advocates tirelessly for increased resources, better infrastructure, and heightened awareness in Nigeria. Dedicated to innovative solutions, she stands as a steadfast ally for young cancer patients and their families, illuminating a path toward improved care and brighter futures. She spoke with Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF

    The most prevalent childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), often termed blood cancer, predominantly affects white blood cells. In Nigeria, Wilms tumor, a type of Nephroblastoma, is common. Medical terminology insight reveals that “nephrons” filter urine in the kidney, while “blast” signifies immature cells. When nephron cells proliferate abnormally as blastomas, they impair organ function and disrupt normal cells, leading to tumors. Other childhood cancers include sarcomas (soft tissue or bone), neuroblastomas (nerve cells), and hepatic blastomas (liver cells). Unlike adult cancers linked to lifestyle factors, pediatric cancers often originate from prenatal events and lack screening measures. Unlike adults, where screening detects common cancers like prostate, cervical, colon, and breast cancers, early detection in children relies on recognising symptoms promptly and seeking specialised treatment. This approach significantly improves survival rates, as pediatric cancers stem from immature cells, differing fundamentally from adult cancers. Therefore, timely intervention by qualified experts remains pivotal in achieving favorable outcomes for childhood cancers.

    In cancer treatment, the mantra “early detection saves lives” holds particularly true. The analogy of cancer growth likened to a mathematical progression underscores the urgency of catching it in its nascent stages. By the time a tumor becomes visible on imaging scans, it has often burgeoned to over a billion cells or more, signifying a substantial proliferation. However, prompt intervention, such as surgical excision, can often suffice at this juncture. Yet, as cancer advances, its management grows increasingly intricate. When tumors metastasize to lymph nodes or adjacent organs, the therapeutic approach necessitates a more comprehensive strategy. What might have previously entailed the removal of a portion of an organ now demands the excision of entire structures, often accompanied by meticulous dissection of surrounding vasculature. Even so, the risk of leaving behind residual cancer cells looms large, potentially leading to recurrence and further metastasis.

    The progression from localised disease to widespread metastasis fundamentally alters the treatment landscape. At this juncture, surgery alone is often inadequate, prompting the adoption of systemic therapies. These interventions, typically administered intravenously or orally, traverse the bloodstream to reach cancer cells scattered throughout the body. While effective, they also pose a conundrum: the collateral damage inflicted on healthy tissues by these potent agents, resulting in a spectrum of adverse effects ranging from mild to severe.

    In cases of extensive metastasis, the sheer burden of disease renders curative attempts unfeasible. Instead, the focus shifts towards palliation and long-term disease control. Such an approach acknowledges the limitations of current therapies while striving to optimise quality of life for patients battling advanced cancer. Transitioning from the clinical to the socio-economic realm, the Nigerian context underscores the multifactorial barriers to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment. Despite a propensity to seek healthcare for their children, adults often prioritise their familial and occupational responsibilities over attending to their own health concerns. Moreover, the pervasive issue of misdiagnosis, particularly prevalent in resource-limited settings, exacerbates delays in accessing appropriate care. In essence, the narrative of cancer care converges on the pivotal role of early detection. Whether in the intricate theatre of treatment modalities or within the socioeconomic fabric of healthcare access, the imperative remains unchanged: to detect and intervene before cancer’s inexorable march renders its eradication an elusive pursuit.

    The second problem we have is cost of treatment because we don’t have insurance coverage for many Nigerians. Every time someone goes to the hospital with their child who is not well, they have to pay out of pocket for CT scan, blood test, etc. Because of that high cost of treatment and the general financial strain in society, people are afraid to go and look for healthcare in conventional places. Therefore, many times they seek healthcare from what they consider to be more affordable and accessible to them but those places do not have the expertise to find that this is a cancer and it is time for the child to see a pediatric oncologist. For those reasons, those of us who are working in the teaching hospitals and know how to treat it, don’t tend to see these children until they come with stage four disease that can no longer be cured, no matter how much money there is available to spend, and no matter what part of the world they would take the child to for treatment and that is the importance of early detection. If we were able to discover them and create a system that provides access to them when things are still early, we will begin to change our survival rates in Nigeria.

    Misconceptions surrounding childhood cancer

    There are many of them. One of it is that mother’s lifestyle could cause childhood cancer or something she did in pregnancy is what caused it. This is something that we see a lot, and it can really be heartbreaking and quite unfair and again, inaccurate in 99 per cent of cases. To the mother, it’s not something she did, it is not because she took folic acid or she didn’t take folic acid. If that were the case, then we would have a lot more cases. There are many pregnant women who would then have a child with cancer because of this or that. It is not mother’s fault, it is something that happens at the level of the cells at the point where they’re being formed and there is nothing a mother could have done to prevent it.

    The second thing is that a child can survive cancer, that’s another myth. People feel that cancer is so severe and that it is just this scary condition. Even adults are dying from it, how then can a child possibly survive it? I am very happy to tell people that survival rates are far better in childhood cancers than in adult cancers. There are cancers in children, for which, we don’t even discuss survival anymore, if you are in a high resource setting. Survival is taking for granted, what they didn’t talk about is reducing side effects, making sure that they can maintain quality of life over a long time, making sure to preserve the child’s fertility. So they’ve sorted out the issue of survival. Yes, they are one or two that don’t have excellent survival rates, but in general, cancer in children actually has better survival than cancer in adults. We are able to use doses of chemotherapy in children that an adult is not able to withstand also there are techniques that work in children that adults are not even able to use.

    Another myth I would like to address is that cancer can somehow spread that, for me, is one of the most devastating ones, because you see some children who have developed hands that tell you that they are neighbours, or their friends at school have been told to avoid them, the children on the streets don’t play with them anymore and when they come around they show them away because and their parents told them to stay away from that child because they are afraid that the child will somehow infect their own child. I know it comes out of fear, and that fear comes from a place of ignorance that is why we must continue to educate. Cancer is not something that can be spread. It’s not contagious because one child has cancer does not mean that the child playing with him is now also going to get cancer. That can just be cruel to the psychology of a child who is going through it.

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    Gaps in childhood cancer care

    I think I would start with research. We need to generate our own data, we need to even know how many children are developing cancer in Nigeria., where do they live? What are the barriers that they face that are unique to them. We need to generate our own data rather than just copying data from other places and extrapolating because our situation, context, community, resource level and all of that is different.

    Most of the treatment we are doing is copied and pasted from research that has been done in mostly Caucasian populations. We are assuming that it will work the same way in our in our population and produce the same results, but evidence from other types of cancer is beginning to show that that is not the case. So, we need to do our own local research to understand the specifics of our own kind of cancers, and how to treat them that are relevant to us and relevant to our resource capability. There is no point to copying a guideline for proton therapy that is not available in Africa and bringing it here to follow. We have to also develop treatment guidelines that are relevant and feasible in our context.

    Also, talking about barriers to access, a child who has cancer should be able to get treatment. I’m not saying they should be treated free, because of course it does cost something and that’s that funding must come from somewhere but I think that a unity of private industry, healthcare industry, government and policymakers can devise solutions that will make sure that children are able to access care. A child who has cancer should not die when they didn’t have to die simply because the parents couldn’t afford treatment. Another problem that can be addressed is knowledge because there is a general knowledge plight in all industries not excluding healthcare but change is not isolated to healthcare.

    Doctors and nurses are leaving the country not just because of the healthcare system, because of other challenges in other systems. I think as these things get better, we will retain our talent more. We are right now training talent and exporting those talents to other countries, and that is not good for our healthcare system or economy. We have to come up with innovative ways, not enough to just ban doctors from leaving the country. I don’t have to leave the country, but I might decide not to practise medicine anymore. That doesn’t help anybody. So they have to be innovative and realistic solutions to retaining the talent that we have in the country.   These are some of the hanging issues that can be addressed, but there are multiple things. We need more healthcare facilities, experts, raining programmes and more referral systems that are tailored to children. We need more attention in general to pediatric cancer as there is needs to be strategic solution creation specific to cancer in children, not taking solutions that were designed for adult conditions and just sort of expanding them and thinking we can include children here. It doesn’t work that way. They have to be designed from the ground with children in mind for them to become relevant to those to that population.            

  • Kogi partners FUHSO on Lassa fever research

    Kogi partners FUHSO on Lassa fever research

    The Centre of Excellence for Infectious Disease Research and Management (CEDRAM), Institute of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo, (FUHSO) Benue state has commenced the implementation of the TETFUND sponsored research on ‘‘The incidence, Zero prevalence, risk factors and transmission of lassa fever virus in North-Central Nigeria’’

    This Tetfund mega grant is to cover the six sates of North Central Nigeria and the FCT. A key component of the research is the entry process to obtain the ‘social the social license’ to operate.

    The Principal Investigator of the research, Prof Steve Abah and key team members visited Kogi state to meet key stakeholders and gate keepers.

    On hand to receive the team at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja, was the Chief Medical director, Dr Olatunde Alabi.

    The CMD pledged full support for the research.

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    The study according to Prof Abah composes of both the clinical and population arms. The teaching hospital was selected as the site for the clinical studies.

    The team was received by Commissioner of Health, Dr. Zakari Usman, on behalf of the Kogi state Government.

    Abah informed Usman that they were in the state to do introduce the study to key stakeholders within selected communities, raise community awareness on the health and economic impact of Lassa fever viral disease and share information on Lassa fever disease prevention and management.

    He added they would build capacity of study partners and community participants of this study.

    Usman expressed gratitude to the management of FUHSO for selecting Kogi as a site for the research.

    The Commissioner pledges the full support of the Kogi state Government for the research project.