Category: Health

  • Helix Biogen Institute partners Belgium firm for vaccine development

    Helix Biogen Institute partners Belgium firm for vaccine development

    Helix Biogen Institute in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, which is one of the leading translational biomedical research hubs in Nigeria, has entered into partnership with Univercells, a global life sciences company based in Belgium

    The partnership with Univercells and its affiliates, is aimed at collaboratively advancing the development and production of mRNA vaccines geared towards addressing evolving healthcare issues across the globe.

    Dr.Oladipo Kolawole, an Associate Professor, who is the lead scientist in the Division of Vaccine Design & Development of the institute, announced this in a statement  to journalists.

    To concretise the agreement for the benefits of Nigeria and Belgium as well as the rest of the world, Helix Biogen Institute and Univercells, signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to this effect

    According to him,Univercells is a globally recognised life sciences company that specializes in enabling and expanding the biotech industry,with a mission to make advanced biotechnologies accessible worldwide.

    “Univercells is at the forefront of optimizing bioprocessing techniques for efficient vaccine production.As such, for us at Helix Biogen, partnership with them is a good step in the medical research world” Oladipo enthused.

    Pioneer Vice Chancellor of Precious Cornerstone(PCU), Ibadan,Prof Julius Kola Oloke, who is the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Institute, expressed the optimism that the collaboration would improve access to critical biologics and advanced therapies for patients in Nigeria and the neighboring regions. 

    Professor Kolawole Olatunji, who is also a board member, said that the partnership would bring about transformation to the biomedical landscape in the country.

    “The collaboration will focus on accelerating the research and development of mRNA vaccines, capitalizing on Univercell’s expertise in bioprocessing and Helix Biogen Institute’s commitment to scientific innovation” he noted. 

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    The partnership seeks to bring the benefits of advanced biotechnological solutions to Nigeria by ensuring that the country has the expertise and infrastructure to contribute to the global fight against infectious diseases.

    Univercells will actively contribute to the transfer of knowledge and technological expertise related to mRNA vaccine research and development which will further enhance the capabilities of Biogen Institute.

    The Ogbomoso-based research institute, which is dedicated to advancing healthcare solutions through innovative research and development, previously developed candidates’ vaccine for COVID-19 which was recognised and captured by World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020.

  • Outrage as nursing council introduces stringent conditions for verification process

    Outrage as nursing council introduces stringent conditions for verification process

    Mixed reactions have trailed the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) revised guidelines and requirements for applicants seeking for verification of certificate to foreign nursing boards/councils.

    The council has outlined that applicants must have a minimum of two years post-qualification work experience from the date of issuance of permanent practicing licence.

    The NMCN is the only legal, administrative, corporate and statutory body charged with performing specific functions on behalf of the Federal Government to ensure the delivery of safe and effective Nursing and Midwifery care to the public through quality education and best practices.

    The council is mandated by law to regulate the standards of Nursing and Midwifery education and practice in Nigeria and to review such standards from time to time to meet the changing health needs of the society.

    In a circular titled, “Revised guidelines for the verification of certificate(s) with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for practice abroad” seen by The Nation, it noted that nurses who apply with provisional licenses will outrightly be rejected. 

    It also disclosed that all applicants who seek to relocate must have an active practicing license with a minimum of six months to the expiration date.

    The revised guidelines, effective from March 1, 2024, aim to streamline the process and enhance the standards of nursing education and practice in alignment with global best practices.

    Reacting, many applicants took to social media to express their dissatisfaction over the revised guidelines.

    Dr. Olawale Ogunlana said: “Address the problems facing the Nursing Profession in Nigeria. That rubbish the Nursing Council want to try will not work. We reject it completely!”

    Dr. Babatunde argued that: “This Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria’s guideline is the way Nigeria solves its problems. They look for a quick fix that doesn’t make sense! Pay nurses well and give them a better welfare/career progression those who will stay will stay”

    Another user, @the_beardedsina tweeted: “It is sad what the Nursing & Midwifery council is doing to Nurses. Nigeria is at a state where there is a current breakdown of nursing practice” 

    @proudnursemj said: “License verification has absolutely nothing to do with your years of experience. 2years work experience before issuing a verification certificate is unclear… so it’s very obvious there’s more to this… therefore we are definitely not settling for this BS! 

    Another user on Twitter, Kunle said: “You will be shocked that this regulation will not be applicable to the Children of Politicians who studied Nursing and planning to travel abroad to practice. All it will take is for their parents to make one or two phone calls, and they will be excepted from this wicked rules.This is indirect slavery and it’s surprising we are all witnessing it in 2024!”

    Key guidelines and requirements are as follows: 

    1. Eligible applicants must possess a minimum of two (2) years of post-qualification experience counted from the date of issuance of their permanent practising license. 

    2. Applications with provisional licenses will be categorically rejected. The Council will require a Letter of Good Standing from the Chief Executive Officer of the applicant’s workplace and the last nursing training institution attended.

    3. Responses to these requests should be directed to the Registrar/CEO of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

    Applicants must hold an active practicing license with at least six months remaining before expiration.

    4. Applicants are required to visit the official portal at https://licence.nmen.gov.ng/ to log in and start the verification application process by clicking on the dedicated link.

    5. A non-refundable fee per application must be paid through the portal for verification to Foreign Boards of Nursing. This fee covers the cost of courier services to the applicant’s training institution(s), place of work, and the respective Foreign Board.

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    6. During the application process, applicants are instructed to upload Certificates of Registration only; Notification of Registration will not be accepted. 

    7. Applicants will receive timely notifications via email and dashboard regarding the status of their verification application.

    8. The verification application process is expected to take a minimum of six (6) months as against the 2 weeks it initially took.

  • BIGAiD foundation holds debate on bridging healthcare gap February 22

    BIGAiD foundation holds debate on bridging healthcare gap February 22

    BIGAiD Foundation has announced the BIGAiD Debate 1.0 scheduled for February 22 at the National Merit Award House in Maitama, Abuja.

    The BIGAiD Debate 1.0 is a critical platform where thought leaders, policymakers, and healthcare professionals converge to dissect and deliberate upon the pressing healthcare challenges faced by our nation. 

    With a focus on “the big gap,” it is aimed at identifying and closing the gap on healthcare disparities. It is designed to addresses the multifaceted issues of healthcare accessibility, quality, and affordability across rural and urban landscapes.

     In tandem with the BIGAiD Debate 1.0, the foundation is also proud to announce a free Social impact entrepreneurship training on the same day at the same venue. 

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    The free training is designed to create widespread consciousness and equip participants with emergency response knowledge. 

    Through mass involvement in community and social impact projects, BIGAiD Foundation envisions a network of change-makers actively contributing to improved healthcare and emergency response systems.

    About BIGAiD Foundation

    BIGAiD Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to bridging inequities in global and African development. 

    Through advocacy, education, and intervention, the foundation strives to enable individuals, families, and communities to achieve the global UNSDGs 2030, focusing on health, nutrition, well-being, and social good. 

    Participations from Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning and so many other stakeholders including international  health base NGOs has 

     been confirmed.

  • OnPassive: Apples ripen, new applications coming!

    OnPassive: Apples ripen, new applications coming!

    For the umpteenth time, Udeme James frowned when I changed the subject of today’s column, the first in  2024. I was dictating and she was typing. Brain wave after brain wave aborted subject matter after subject matter close to full bloom. Then, finally, I switched to yet another track… OnPassive and its first outing in 2024 with the promise of customer sharing,  bonus, and commission payments, and  the release of new applications. In September last year, OnPassive released OConnect, its first and only paid application so far. This year may witness the emergence of about 20 applications. Trust  James, like the adaptive chameleon, she changed her frown to a sweet smile when the subject for today’s column changed to OnPassive, with the headline in literal terms announcing that apples had begun to ripen on the farms. Why wouldn’t she, an Onpassivian, who had anxiously waited since 2020 with bated breath for the day of the ripening of the apples?

    The good news is that OnPassive business, meticulously planned since 2018, but impacted by unforeseen circumstances, had begun in earnest, although on signalling basis. Literally, signalling means that an advanced train coach has arrived in town as a herald of cargoes at first in staccato deliveries but later in full streams. The first signals are customers’ allocation to registered OnPassivians, the payment of bonuses and commissions, and the release of new applications. This is a season Nigerian OnPassivians have been waiting for. Globally now, there are about 5million OnPassivians, up from 1.47 million in June last year when the register of founding Affiliate of OnPassive Technology company was closed. This means the population of OnPassivians, as OnPassive affiliates are also called, must have grown by about 3.5 million in the last six months. We do not know how many Nigerians are in this OnPassive customer base which is expected to grow by many leaps this year.  If Nigerian OnPassivians can grow a huge population of OnPassive Affiliates, this would mean huge foreign exchange earnings for the country from the new internet wealth Ash Mufareh, OnPassive’s CEO is crusading.The social media, through internet applications, drains Nigeria of huge foreign currency spending every day because it doesn’t give direct money back to the country. OnPassive is designed to do the opposite. It will reward its Nigerian customers with bonuses and commissions and, on top of all that, Nigerian customers will be entitled to a share of 50% of OnPassive profit allocated to the global customer population.  Ash Mufareh has designed OnPassive to take over the global internet business with the largest number of applications by a single company.This means a new world Internet order, world economy order, and a new world wealth order are on the way. This is why OnPassivians in every country are striving to probably position their countries in the OnPassive revolution.

    As I said earlier, this season of the payment of bonuses and commissions, and of the release of new applications is the stimulant Nigerian OnPassivians have been waiting for to bring their country men and women on board. Before now, they said their chief handicap was the bare faced rip off and dispossession of Nigerians in the digital market place. Trust Nigerians, they would no longer  invest hard earned monies in these businesses whose owners, upon feeding fat on them, will suddenly terminate such businesses and then disappear into thin air where even the government cannot fish them out. OnPassivians have been showing with credible evidence that OnPassive is not like any of these predating and thieving businesses. For not only is it officially registered in every country, it does business in many nations with government agencies and has begun to establish serious physical presence in many regions of the earth. Where will a company suddenly disappear to which has purchased  two office floors on the Burj Khalifa which has 163 floors, a $1.5 billion USD  edifice in 2010, is the tallest building on earth. OnPassive is not a tenant at the  Burj  Khalifa, but a bonafide owner or “Landlord”, as we say in Nigeria, of two floors in this architectural wonder on earth located in Dubai. As can be expected from this scenario, OnPassive has gained a significant foot hold in the economies of the United Arab Emirate (UAE). Right now, a gigantic OnPassive office is going up in Egypt. Bangladesh is on the cue. India, home country of Ash Mufareh, already hosts the Indian version of California’s Silicon Valley, where egg head Tech Engineers and their support staff exclusively live and work.

    Irrespective of these impressive credentials, including endorsement of OnPassive by Dubai Police and the naming of  a popular Dubai train station after OnPassive, anyone who is familiar with  a Nigerian who has been once beaten and become twice shy will know he or she will definitely behave like an Oliver Twist asking for one more full-proof evidence. That full-proof evidence is: “have they started to pay?” That evidence was what OnPassive provided on  February 2, 2024…the start of payment of bonuses, commissions and the allocation or the gift of customers to registered OnPassivians.The OnPassivians is a prized stake holder in OnPassive business and a brand ambassador. He is expected to build a team of OnPassive application users around himself. From time to time, OnPassive will give him or her a gift of team members recruited by the company through its own marketing activities. It is a collaboration to create not just money but wealth for both parties. Thus, the country with the largest population of OnPassivians is likely to become the wealthiest in the new world internet, world economy and world wealth order that OnPassive is spearheading. Nigerian OnPassivians now have one more credible credential to proudly and confidently wave before their country men and women with a warning, though. This warning is that the Register of Affiliates will not be kept open perpetually. It will be closed someday such as the Register of O-Founders closed on June  22, 2022. Once the Register of Affiliates closes, every user of OnPassive applications will become an OnPassive outsider and will not be entitled to the benefits of an insider explained earlier.

        New Applications

    This month, OnPassive will release new applications. I doubt if O-HEALTH, one of my pet applications, will be on the table. O-TRACKER appears to be a likely card, being a good complement for O-DOMAIN, the website hosting the platform, which already has about five million member websites signed up. The website has become an important feature of business in Nigeria’s private and public undertakings. OnPassivians should find it easy and interesting to market the brand, especially as OnPassive is both a Domain and Data Super Power company rolled into one. Although I do not like to make guesses which may fail, I cannot help thinking about O-JOY, O-WOMEN and O-MEDIA, about which I have some comments. Before I get to them, I have a dream experience I would like to share.

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        From a Dream

    I rose one morning last week from a dream  about ONPASSIVE, profusely sweating and breathing fast. Ash Mufareh was not physically present in what I beheld, but, in spirit, he was everywhere. I wondered if he would be able to handle a storm that may break in ONPASSIVE.

        Hold yourself…

     There are about one million Nigerian ONPASSIVIANS collaborating with another one million ONPASSIVIANS from abroad in an O-BLESS project to revive the economy of Nigeria, make it a super-star economy, own this economy, and, through ownership, own several other economies on the planet.

    Hold your breath, again. For this is not my primary destination. Where I am really heading are ON-JOY, O-WOMEN and O-DOMAIN. I am glad that O-DOMAIN is featuring for a second time in the webinar in the space of one month. If you recall, I mentioned recently how I suspended my website www.olufemikusa.com in December last year for O-DOMAIN to host this year, and Ash Mufareh gave us the assurance that O-DOMAIN would fly out early this year. By the last count, I have about 1,200 articles, each of which is about 2,800 words, waiting by the gate. Many of us will find O-DOMAIN easy to market. We only need to give it the necessary push on its superior edge. These days, there is no serious business organisation in Nigeria which does not have a website or a blog.There is hardly any Lecturer who does not run a blog. How would the world get to know about them if they do not have a blog or a website? My journey is a short one, but the branches and roots are many. One more illustration before I return to the ONPASSIVE story.

    I am not an early bird ONPASSIVIAN.The enrolment began sometime in 2018 just before COVID-19. I lost one year on the starting block while prevaricating or doubting. I became persuaded to enrol from the passion to place Nigeria powerfully on the OnPassive map. So did some of my “late bird” friends who are wondering how some applications got their names and if other names would not have served them better. To be sure, what else can beat O-BLESS or O-WOMEN or O-CONNECT or O-VARSITY or O-ACADEMY, or O- MY LIFE, the autobiography application, or O-DOMAIN, my dream? I have heard several applauses for these names. I have told some purveyors of new names for established applications that their suggestions, though well-meaning, arrived at the train station after the coach had left. However, what they are suggesting is that O-NET, the FRIEND’S platforms, should have been called O-PALS OR O-FRIENDS and O-PALS, the chats platform, could have been called O-CHAT OR O-TALK. With their suggestions, my friends, no doubt, wish to Nigerianise these applications. In Mass Communication, there is a course in which THE MEANING of MEANING is taught.Thus, HOT DOG in America does not mean the American hot dog in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State or in Ondo State where the dog in pepper soup sauce is a prized delicacy. Thus, a Duberman is hot cake in dog-eating areas of Nigeria. Nigerians see pinging as chatting which is why we speak proudly of our chat groups or chat forums. O-PALS may, therefore, not easily register on their minds as a chat forum, they say. Someone even suggested O-PADI or O-MY PADI for a friends forum. I guess we should recognise that Nigeria is not the centre of the world and that they must be on level crossing for the meaning of meaning everywhere.

    Now, over to the O-BLESS storm.

        O-BLESS NIGERIA

        I am back to the dream I had sometime last week from which I awoke profusely sweating and breathing fast. There was a multitude I intuitively sensed numbered about two million, half of them Nigerians. The meeting was taking place as a follow-up business initiative after certain agreements with the government of Nigeria for the modernisation of transportation, beginning with the railways.

    1. One million Nigerian ON-PASSIVIANS donate 1,000 USD each. This adds up to US$1 billion. I find it interesting because (a) the Burj Khalifa cost $1.5 billion in 2010 and (b) in naira terms, at the exchange rate of N1,500 to USD, we are looking at N1.5trillion. This is interesting.The budget of Lagos State for 2024 is N2. 26 trillion and that of the Federal Government, a deficit budget, is N27.5 trillion (c) The scenario will be more interesting when foreign OnPassivians pump money through O-BLESS, the fund raising OnPassive platform for O-RAIL in Nigeria.

    1. This is an O-BLESS project. Another one million ONPASSIVIANS from several countries each contributed another $1billion, bringing the fund to USD$2billion or N3 trillion, more than the budget of Lagos State in 2024.

    2. ONPASSIVE will pump this money into the railway system, linking all states capitals, all major towns and especially the East west road route. This will facilitate the movement of persons, goods and services, reduce road vehicular haulage, reduce damage to roads and free budgets for road repairs and other uses. A population shift will occur, saving the bursting cities from overpopulation maladies.

     3. The government agrees OnPassive  will  own the rail lines, earn money for their use,  pay tax to the Federal and State Governments, thereby increasing their earnings. The modernisation and expansion of rail services will create unprecedented number of jobs in the transport sector. More jobs may reduce the crime wave and improve personal spending in the economy and scale up consumption and production.  In turn,  OnPassive will pay daily or weekly or monthly bonuses to ONPASSIVIANS who facilitated this project under O-BLESS. This would be the beginning of a new global co-operation in the economic sphere, not just at the level of governments but by individual human beings. A Nigerian O-BLESS success with this project will spur demands for ONPASSIVE intervention in other countries. Agriculture will gain attention. Can Nigerian ONPASSIVIANS not spare head O-VARSITY, too? Every country will choose its priority areas for O- BLESS blessings. ONPASSIVIANS, not multinationals or transnationals, will become the new global investors and the global economy game chargers.

    Are we prepared for this day? Is Ash Mufareh listening? He thinks big and dreams big and lands in BIG TROUBLE of unanticipated impact from which, like the proverbial cat with nine lives, he had developed capacity for miraculous escape. He never thought OnPassive could become as big as it is now, and successfully weathered the growing up pains to present, last week, the oxygen bag of the ripened apples which OnPassivians need to grow their affiliate population.

    Well, I, too, was only day dreaming! Ash Mufareh should know where ONPASSIVE may head this year. Dreams, like thoughts, are whispers dropped to us earth-folks from higher realms where the ideas may have been perfected. Thoughts are like plants. They grow when they are held in view and regularly nourished with more thoughts. It is in the union of  ideas that perfection emerges.  So, dear friends, can we begin to dream of OWNING Nigeria and the world, and not just the internet, which is now looking like the first leg of a race for which  Ash Mufareh has prepared us all? So, save money for the rain of WEALTH. Ash Mufareh promised not MONEY, but WEALTH.

    ON-JOY, O-WOMEN

    Three applications may be set to fly… ON-JOY, O-WOMEN and O-MEDIA. Word has emerged that O-MEDIA will develop content for the other two, beginning, I believe, with Arabic and, by extension, Islamic culture content. Christians, too, should find a lot of benefits in such content. Basically, the content is to revive the best  attributes in the culture of a people and to protect them. Goodness is goodness everywhere. Evil is evil everywhere. If Arabic children have degenerated to the culture of dressing naked or semi-naked in the street because of the penetration of permissive culture from other lands into Arabic lands, and the content of ON-JOY and O-WOMEN can confront and reverse it, will the Christian communities of Southwestern Nigeria where youth dressing has literally gone berserk, not finding high value in these applications? Will the Arabic content not encourage Christians to seek Christian content? Islam influences many in Northern and Southern Nigeria. Will they not like Arabic content? Does this not suggest that there is serious market waiting in Nigeria for ON-JOY and O-WOMEN?

    ON-JOY is about the children of the future who would be so well-behaved that they  would constitute the foundation stock of a new humanity. When I heard this, I took a deep breath. I have been following for 46 years’ Spiritual (not religious) postulations about the human being of the future. This would be the human beings of the MILLENIUM epoch of a golden humanity freed of the HEREDITARY SIN which led to THE FALL OF MAN. This is the sin which led to the over cultivation of the frontal brain or of the intellect which subdued or caged the human  spirit,  diverting its gaze downwards, not upwards. A feature of this man is the unbalancing of the sizes of the frontal and back brains. Imbalance in the sizes of the two brains makes today’s man an unbalanced person and the works of his hand grossing unbalance, whether in education, Agriculture, medicines, Economic systems and government.

     O-WOMEN  is about woman as she truly should be, stately and womanly, a store house of power for man, purveyor of  the intimate home not only on earth, but, in all realms of human existence right up to Paradise. Last week, I remembered O-WOMEN when I heard SMA 104.7FM radio station announce one of its programmes, THE MOSLEM HOME.

     ON-JOY and O-WOMEN may have Arabic culture content. In future, I foresee content on original Yoruba, Igbo, Efik, Anang, Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri cultures to mention a few. Thus, ONPASSIVE is set to help to resolve the best in our diversity by espousing the “beauty of the peoples”.These two applications should sell like the proverbial hot cake and make the OnPassive apples more abundant and ripen more generously for everyone.

  • Pate promises to stem rising drug costs, ease pharmaceutical burden

    Pate promises to stem rising drug costs, ease pharmaceutical burden

    In Nigeria where the clamour of daily life often drowns out quieter concerns, a shadow looms large over the horizon of healthcare. It’s a tale not unique to Nigeria but resonates worldwide—a narrative of escalating pharmaceutical costs that threatens the very foundation of accessible healthcare. Amid this backdrop of mounting pressures stands Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. With unwavering determination, he pledges to navigate these turbulent waters, forging partnerships and policies to alleviate the burden on the population. For in a nation where healthcare is not just a luxury but a fundamental right, the stakes couldn’t be higher. “The rising cost of pharmaceuticals is a major issue that bothers not only Nigeria but the world at large,” he said, affirming that healthcare is crucial for all Nigerians.

    In a dimly lit hall adorned with banners bearing the insignias of pharmaceutical giants, Prof. Pate’s voice cut through the murmurs of anticipation like a beacon in the night. Gathered before him were the titans of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, their faces etched with a blend of concern and resolve. It was an evening steeped in purpose, hosted by the very industry players entrusted with supporting the presidential initiative of unlocking the healthcare value chain. Against this backdrop of shared responsibility, Pate’s words reverberated with urgency, echoing the collective call to action that hung heavy in the air.

    “Tinubu administration is focused on what we can do to reduce the burden of high cost of pharmaceuticals on Nigerians especially the poorest and the most vulnerable ones as the health and welfare of all Nigerians is key to us. So, this first consultation with pharmaceutical stakeholders is very important as they are responsible for the research, development, production and distribution of medications. The pharmaceutical local manufacturers will ensure that the industry strives and Nigerians have affordable medicines that can improve the health of the population of this country.”

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    With a solemn nod, Prof. Pate underscored the indomitable spirit of Nigeria, even in the face of daunting challenges. “Boycotting the issues plaguing the pharmaceutical sector is not an option,” his voice rang out, imbued with conviction. Addressing the concerns head-on, he articulated the government’s unwavering commitment to regulating the quality of pharmaceutical products, a vital step in safeguarding the health of every Nigerian. “We’re in this together,” he declared, a rallying cry to ensure that no citizen is left behind in the pursuit of affordable healthcare. Despite the current hardships, Pate exuded a quiet confidence in Nigeria’s resilience, a belief that echoed through the room like a beacon of hope.

    In a passionate plea echoing through the halls of the pharmaceutical symposium, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Prof. Cyril Usifoh, laid bare the critical issues plaguing pharmacists and healthcare delivery in the nation. With unwavering resolve, he urged for pharmacists to be recognised as primary healthcare providers, emphasising the pivotal role they play in routine vaccination and the availability of essential drugs in government hospitals. His call for an enriched drug management agency and the promotion of public-private partnerships reverberated, underlining the urgent need for collaboration and teamwork in healthcare. As his words resonated, hope flickered for a brighter future in Nigerian healthcare.

    Dr. Okey Akpa, President of the Federation of Nigeria Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (FeNPIA), echoed a resounding commitment to partner with the present administration in fostering sustainable access to high-quality, safe, effective and affordable medicines, vaccines, and medical devices. This pledge, woven with determination, symbolised the industry’s unwavering dedication to enhancing healthcare delivery across the nation. With collaborative efforts poised to bridge gaps and uplift standards, Akpa’s words illuminated a path toward a future where every Nigerian can access essential healthcare without the burden of exorbitant costs or compromised quality. “We humbly crave your attention and practical actions to the issues raised. Solving these challenges will make the pharmaceutical industry self-sufficient and help it become a net exporter of medicines, vaccines and medical devices to Africa and beyond.  We will continue to work with the help of our regulators, NAFDAC, PCN and other critical MDAs, government agencies and departments such as NIPRD and the Food and Drugs Department within the Ministry of Health under your leadership in achieving the objectives of unlocking the healthcare value chain.”

  • Revolutionising cancer detection: Oncosic device set to boost early intervention

    Revolutionising cancer detection: Oncosic device set to boost early intervention

    During a media conference commemorating the 2024 World Cancer Day in Abuja, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health, revealed that N200 million has been allocated for the treatment of indigent cancer patients in the 2024 Appropriation Act, housed within the Cancer Health Fund (CHF). This allocation underscores the government’s ongoing commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations. Dr. Alausa further noted that the Federal Government has injected N1.3 billion into the CHF over the past four years to bolster the treatment of indigent patients. Despite this investment, he acknowledged the ongoing need for additional resources and emphasised the ministry’s efforts to mobilize funds through a collaborative, sector-wide approach, including private sector involvement.”

    Alausa said “that is not what we need to take care of the large burden of the disease that we face. We are working on mobilising substantial amount of money from two various pathways. The Health Sector Renewal Initiative, the big focus of that is sector-wide approach. This will enable us mobilise funds and coordinate current fragmentation we have in our healthcare system. We have the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), which is one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) but that is not enough to meet the healthcare needs of our vulnerable group and the people that need it the most.”

    He added that the ministry would collaborate with development partners to direct funds to where it was needed for better coordination to avoid duplication. He said: “as we mobilise some of the funds from our development partners as well as the funds from the BHCPF, we will direct more to Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). The move is to enable us to cover all patients as we move into the year, and we are fortunate to have supplementary budget; we will advocate for more funding to be directed to the healthcare sector.”

    Dr. Alausa also highlighted the pivotal role of the newly established National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), which has been legislatively empowered to lead advancements in cancer research and treatment. In a strategic move towards streamlined operations, he noted that the Cancer Health Fund (CHF), previously managed within the ministry, has been relocated to NICRAT. This transition aims to ensure expeditious and seamless access to indigent Nigerians in need, emphasizing efficiency, timeliness, and sustainability. While NICRAT assumes operational oversight, the ministry will maintain its role in providing policy direction for the fund’s activities. Dr. Alausa underscored the multifaceted approach adopted to tackle cancer challenges, emphasizing primary prevention through vaccination, early detection, prompt treatment, and ongoing research initiatives. Notably, the ministry, in collaboration with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), spearheads the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to prevent cervical cancer at the primary level.

    “It is also carrying out Hepatitis immunisation for prevention of liver cancers. Vaccination for viral hepatitis has been on the national programme on immunisation, HPV Vaccination was commenced in 2023. I hereby enjoin parents, opinion leaders and indeed all stakeholders to take advantage of the immunisation programmes. The vaccine is free, very safe and highly efficacious in preventing these cancers.”

    The minister also said that the NHIA Act 2022 had made health insurance mandatory for all Nigerians, therefore had been mandated through a guideline to enrol all Nigerians including cancer patients into health insurance. “The NHIA will ultimately manage funding for cancer care in the future, to avoid duplication of roles in terms of purchase of services for all patients. Recently, the operational guideline of the NHIA Act was launched to pave the way for full operationalisation of the Act, which also provides for funding for vulnerable Nigerians including cancer patients.”

    In furthering efforts to enhance access to cancer care services, the government is embarking on the establishment of six new cancer centres of excellence across the six geopolitical zones. These centres, equipped with brachytherapy machines and other essential equipment, will be situated in prominent hospitals such as the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu (South-East); Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, and Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina (North-West); University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin (South-South); Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos (North Central); and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos (South West). Additionally, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri (North-East), is undergoing upgrades. Dr. Alausa emphasized the ministry’s commitment to implementing the National Policy on Hospice and Palliative Care and the National Policy on Chemotherapy Safety, both launched in 2021, to ensure comprehensive cancer care and patient safety. “This year is the midterm of their implementation; the ministry will take steps to review the level of implementation of the two policy documents with the view to ensuring optimal uptake by the healthcare providers across the country.”

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    Speaking on the theme of the 2024 World Cancer Day, which advocates for collective action to challenge those in power, Dr. Alausa emphasized the government’s commitment to closing the cancer care gap in Nigeria. At the conference, advocates like Ms. Salomey Eferemo, CEO of the Partnership for Eradication of Cancer in Africa (PECA), underscored the importance of early detection and treatment. Ms. Eferemo highlighted the significance of affordable testing and hailed the rollout of the HPV vaccine as a pivotal development for Nigerian women. She stressed that early detection, following the “Look and Treat Protocol” recommended by the WHO, is crucial for countries like Nigeria with limited resources.

    “They should routinise it in Nigeria. If a woman walks into a health centre to test for HPV, they should check her for it, if she has been checked she should be given a certificate like COVID, stamped and dated. “With this, we can have data to work with, have a registry to know who has and who does not and who needs to be escalated for treatment and the data collection too will be fine.”

    She further revealed that her organization is currently seeking approval to introduce a groundbreaking device known as Oncosic. This innovative tool has the capability to detect between seven to eleven different types of cancers from just one blood specimen. By analyzing DNA, Oncosic can identify potential cancer risks or existing cancer cells, allowing for early intervention and treatment initiation. Ms. Eferemo emphasized the importance of early detection, highlighting that certain cancers can take up to 20 years to manifest symptoms. With Oncosic, individuals can proactively assess their cancer status, enabling timely medical intervention and potentially saving lives. “Oncosic has been validated in Europe and they are bringing it here because it is cheap. Most cancer tests are very expensive but this one may be under 20 dollars. They put it under an analyser in the lab and use Artificial Intelligence algorithm to detect it,” she added.

  • FG reiterates determination to conquer cancer

    FG reiterates determination to conquer cancer

    The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to comprehensively tackle the burden of cancer in the nation.

    Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, said the government is dedicated to diminishing the cost of cancer burden through a multifaceted strategy, aimed at providing quality and affordable care to those requiring it.

    In a statement released on Wednesday, February 7, by Patricia Deworitshe, the Director of Information at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alausa emphasized that the ministry is partnering with multiple pharmaceutical companies to mitigate the cost of cancer chemotherapy drugs.

    The goal, according to him is to facilitate access to cancer medications from companies like Roche, Pfizer, and others, with a substantial reduction in costs of up to 50 percent.

    Alausa made these remarks during his presentation on ‘Special Insights from Nigeria’s Healthcare Sector and the Renewed Hope Agenda’ at the World Cancer Day event in Abuja.

    The event, organized by Project Pink Roses and themed ‘Economy, Taxation, and Cancer Control: The Departure of Pharmaceutical Companies from Nigeria,’ provided a platform to address pertinent issues related to cancer control in the country.

    He also restated that another facet of the strategy to tackle the issue involved integrating the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the routine immunization schedule in 2023, targeting teenage girls to prevent cervical cancer.

    Noting that the Ministry will continue to encourage screening for cancer at all levels of the healthcare system, the Minister was quoted as saying, “We are collaborating with some of them to improve access to Cancer prevention, diagnosis and palliative care.

    “We are reviewing our pharmaceutical laws and regulations to encourage local reproduction by focusing on the pharmaceutical value chain, creating a very robust relationship with the pharmaceutical industry and other relevant stakeholders in the Nigeria Cancer Ecosystem.

    “The government has concluded plans to start a new cancer centre in each of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria and the Ministry has facilitated seamless but procedural access to the fund and eliminated unnecessary associated bottlenecks.

    “As part of the sustainability measure for all 6 Cancer Centres of Excellence, our indigenous biomedical engineers will be trained on the maintenance of equipment as part of the procurement agreement and technology transfer.

    “Government has also provided a clear governance structure for the Cancer Fund for indigent Nigerians, it would now be domiciled at the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) for effective disbursement while the Ministry continues to provide oversight.”

    In his remarks, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, noted that the Government is making concerted efforts to mitigate the challenges of the exit of pharmaceutical companies from Nigeria as well as promote policies that will provide the needed and adequate care for the cancer patients in Nigeria.

    He noted that the departure of pharmaceutical companies from Nigeria has opened doors for robust entrepreneurship, fostering the establishment of local pharmaceutical companies.

    This, in turn, according to the Minister, is expected to enhance socio-economic development and expand access to affordable diagnosis, treatment, and care.

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    Rucie Chiebe, Executive Director of Project Pink Blue, while commending the Federal Government for supplying the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer prevention, emphasized the importance of individual States taking responsibility for the protection of cancer patients within their jurisdiction.

    While urging assistance from both government and non-governmental organizations to make treatments more accessible, Chiebe noted that awareness campaigns and advocacy efforts have played a significant role in dispelling myths and misconceptions surrounding cancer.

    She also implored the Government to revamp all cancer treatment centres in the country.

  • Cancer care: Nigeria on the right track, say Stakeholders

    Cancer care: Nigeria on the right track, say Stakeholders

    Despite some noticeable limitations inherent in the care of cancer programes in Nigeria, stakeholders unanimously agree that the the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is moving in the right direction to address the disease comprehensively through the proactive strategies the government has adopted.

    The World Health Organization (WHO), JSI, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Partnership for Eradication of Cancer in Africa (PECA), and NNPC Foundation, along with several others, have expressed confidence in the anticipated results of the government’s efforts to mitigate and combat the proliferation of cancer in Nigeria.

    Addressing a Ministerial press briefing in honor of the 2024 World Cancer Day in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, noted that upon assuming office last year, President Bola Tinubu prioritized the provision of accessible, quality, and affordable healthcare services, with the goal of achieving universal health coverage (UHC) for all Nigerians.

    Alausa said cancer care was identified as a crucial aspect of healthcare service delivery, which is centered on the Ministry’s Four Point Agenda to guide the process.

    He said several steps have been taken to address cancer challenges in the country which include Primary prevention through vaccination, early detection, prompt treatment and Research. 

    Among several measures implemented, he highlighted the introduction of the Human Papillomavirus vaccination in 2023 for primary prevention of cervical cancer, alongside the Hepatitis immunization aimed at preventing liver cancers, which has been part of routine immunization efforts.

    The establishment of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) mandated by law to provide leadership in the area of cancer research and treatment as well as the management and disbursement of Cancer Health Fund to provide prompt and unhindered access of the Fund to the indigent Nigeria who needs this for efficiency, particularly timeliness and sustainability. 

    Mandatory registration of all Nigerians under the National Health Insurance Authority while the treatment of some cancers has been incorporated into the Insurance to lessen the burden of care on the insured victims. 

    The establishment of new Cancer Centres of Excellence in six  Federal University Teaching Hospitals in the six geo-political zones of the country.

    The mid-term review of the level of the implementation of the National Policy on Hospice and Palliative Care and the National Policy on Chemotherapy Safety which were launched in 2021 will be carried out this year with the view to ensuring optimal uptake by Healthcare providers across the country.  

    Alausa also revealed that the current N1.3b currently warehoused in the Cancer Health Fund, though significantly insufficient for its intended purpose, would be significantly augmented through a Sector-Wide Approach to revitalize the health sector, with contributions expected soon from the private sector and development partners.

    For emphasis, NICRAT Director General (DG), Usman Malami Aliyu, in his presentation stated that Nigeria has already developed and launched a policy document on hospice and palliative care along with the national strategic cancer control plan 2023-27, and national cancer research agenda, with plans to implement them from the 2024 budget.

    Aliyu said: “We are dedicated to strengthening and improving the administration and management of the Cancer Health Fund in Nigeria. 

    “The focus of the Institute on CHF implementation will be on enhancing coverage, ensuring effective resource mobilization, and promoting transparency in the allocation of resources to support cancer treatment, and care services.

    “We have forged impactful partnerships with international agencies and leading research organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Syndicate Bio, Milken Institute, Mayo Clinic, BVGH, Phillips Foundation, and recently St. Jude Global. 

    “These collaborations are aimed at advancing cancer research, capacity building, training, and support for cancer treatment, prevention, and control in Nigeria.

    “In our concerted effort to improve data management in cancer, the institute has commenced the process of improving, digitalizing, and centralizing the National Cancer Registry in Nigeria. 

    “This will strengthen national planning and policy prioritization in our effort to mitigate against the scourge of cancer in the country.

    “It is imperative to acknowledge that these initiatives are not merely isolated efforts. Instead, they symbolize a comprehensive strategy to improve national coordination and governance in cancer control, enhance population health outcomes, ensure national health security, and unlock healthcare value chains through innovative research, collaboration, and partnership fashioned by the Institute with the support of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare”.

    Leading the stakeholders, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, former First Lady of Kebbi State and Founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, conveyed her confidence in the government’s approach. 

    She noted the evident political will, which has been lacking, towards containing the scourge of cancer.

    She emphasized that with a significant number of Nigerians succumbing to the disease, there is ample opportunity for collective action while pledging to maintain her commitment and to persevere in efforts to close that gap.

    Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa lamented that though the projection that over the next 20 years, cancer death rates in Africa will overtake the global average of 30% appeared scary, he nevertheless commended the progress made in cancer prevention and care in our region. 

    With the various steps taken by the government, he said, “WHO also commends the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for including cancer screening and treatment in the Health Sector Renewed Program through Sector Wide Approach. Globally, to “close the care gap”, WHO is supporting several initiatives including the Global Initiative for childhood cancer (GICC), Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative and the Global Breast Cancer Initiative.

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    Representatives from JSI and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) commended Nigeria for demonstrating the political resolve that had previously been absent in addressing the issue directly.

    Salome Eferemo, Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership for Eradication of Cancer in Africa (PECA), similarly praised the Federal Government’s determination to address the challenges of cancer care.

    She disclosed that there are ongoing considerations awaiting approval for the potential introduction into Nigeria, of a novel cancer testing technology capable of detecting 11 potential cancer infections through a single blood test.

    NNPC Foundation also assured of its commitment to partner with the government in the fight against the disease.

  • Cancer: Six cancer centres to take off soon, says Alausa

    Cancer: Six cancer centres to take off soon, says Alausa

    Achieving a comprehensive and accessible treatment for cancer in Nigeria may remain elusive until the Federal government ensures complete intervention with the full support of the private sector. 

    The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Tunji Alausa has however assured that the Federal government is taking proactive action to address the issue.

    This came after the Director General (DG) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), Ya’u Usman Idris, portrayed a bleak scenario regarding the nation’s inadequate readiness to address the cancer epidemic.

    Alausa and Idris spoke at the World Cancer Day Symposium organized by Project Pink Blue in Abuja on Monday as part of activities marking this year’s World Cancer Day.

    Alausa explained that the N20 billion budget allocated for six cancer centres nationwide during the last administration’s tenure could not be accessed due to procurement challenges. 

    He said by the time the hurdles were resolved under the current administration, the prevailing economic conditions had adversely impacted the implementation.

    He said: “So there is no way we could use the N20b to build the six cancer centres. So we have to make presentations to the National Assembly for additional budget allocation so that we can have enough funding to build the cancer centres. 

    “I’m happy to report today that we’ve got the additional funding and the groundbreaking six cancer centres will happen very soon”.

    He also said Nigeria is taking other steps to address the burden of cancer in the country which include among others,  the introduction of the Human papillomavirus vaccine into the the country’s routine immunization targeting about 7.7 million teenage girls at no cost to them against cervical cancer. 

    Alausa’s submission came as the DG of NNRA,  Idris lamented the dearth of capacity to deal with cancer treatment in Nigeria.

    In his earlier remarks as a panellist, Idris expressed his concern that insufficient capacity is a major obstacle to cancer treatment in the country while highlighting the deficiency of critical equipment and emphasized that contributions from both the public and private sectors were significantly insufficient.

    As a regulatory authority overseeing the use of cancer equipment and various aspects of cancer treatment, he stated that Nigeria has a considerable journey ahead.

    He said: “Really, we have serious problems,  there’s nothing to celebrate today but to lament 
    Looking at the case of Nigeria,  we have only 14 radiotherapy centres in the country, and nine belong to the government, five of them belong to private and only six of them are licensed by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency which means the others are not safe.

    “In terms of equipment,  Nigeria has only seven Linacs (Linear accelerators), for a population of 200 million people.

    “South Africa has 92, Egypt has 76, if you compare those two countries with Nigeria, even the ones we have are not functioning, because today they are functioning, tomorrow they are down.

    “If you go to the Nuclear Medicine,  we have only two  Nuclear Medicine centres that have gamma cameras and both of them are down at the National Hospital, Abuja and University College Hospital, Ibadan.

    “Now, virtually there’s no gamma camera that is working in Nigeria whereas a country like Tunisia with a population of twenty-something million has about 14 of them working. 

    “We have only one Positron Emissing Tomograph Computed Tomography (PET-CT) and it’s private. 
    “How much does it cost to put a which with N1b can be procured, Nigeria doesn’t have the money to procure even one but a private hospital did.

    “It is our duty to check the state and status of the equipment, the operations,  the services rendered by the facility, status of the personnel.

    “We also have to ensure the quality of the personnel and we find out that most of the hospitals don’t even have qualified personnel with no correct equipment among other defects but then it is our agency they will accuse of not giving license.

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    “So how do we treat cancer with this kind of equipment with 200 million people? It is not possible. 

    “We have a situation in the country, we have gazetted regulations and procedures including licensed experts on how to go about it, yet we are not doing it”.

    He however assured that the agency has been given a new lease of life since the assumption of office by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “I Would like to say that for the first time, a  Minister of the Federal Republic has directed us that any facility that refused to comply with the NNRA regulations we should close down.

    “We have the blanket approval of the Minister of State for Health to do that before they used to take us to the Minister and complain that our conditions are too stringent and the Minister will say don’t close any hospital or else you will see what will happen to you but here we have a Minister telling us to close any hospital that is non-compliant”.

  • First Lady donates $100,000 for NIDO medical centre

    First Lady donates $100,000 for NIDO medical centre

    The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and chairperson of Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has made good her words to support the health care delivery efforts of Nigerians in Diaspora, Sierra Leone Chapter (NIDO, SL) by donating $100,000.

    The donation, according to a press statement by the organisation, is a fulfillment of her pledge towards the construction of a first-class medical centre for Nigerians in Sierra Leone.

    NIDO president in Sierra Leone, Abiodun Oyebola had requested Oluremi’s support due to the dire and urgent need for a medical centre, due to the dilapidated state of healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone.

    The NIDO medical centre when completed and becomes operational will go a long way to address the medical needs of over 40,000 Nigerians living in Sierra Leone, and will complement the efforts of His Excellency, President Julis Maada Bio in closing the gaps in the health sector.

    Recall Oluremi had met with a cross-section of members of the Nigerians in Diaspora, Sierra Leone on Sunday, November 19, 2023, during her visit to the country as the Special Guest of Honour to the commemoration of UN World Day, hosted by Her Excellency, Dr. Fatima Bio, the First lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

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    It said: “The donation came in from the Renewed Hope Initiative, the humanitarian pet project of Her Excellency, Senator Tinubu.

    “This is a very big boost to alleviate the challenges being faced by Nigerians in Sierra Leone, especially in the health delivery sector of the country.

    “Recall that Sierra Leone is still grappling with the consequences of the 11-year brutal civil war that destroyed all national social infrastructure.

    “Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, Sierra Leone Chapter remains a trailblazer among the various NIDO chapters all over the world.

    “NIDO Sierra Leone is the first to organise the largest single gathering of Nigerians abroad under one roof during the inauguration of President Abiodun Oyebola and his executives on July 6, 2019, where over 4, 500 Nigerians gathered to celebrate our national unity. This remains the largest gathering to date.

    “Similarly, the NIDO medical centre, a project for a non-profit, is the first of its kind in the diaspora.

    “It is therefore not surprising that NIDO Sierra Leone is the First Chapter to formally receive and have in audience our dear First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who coincidentally was in Sierra Leone on her very first official trip outside Nigeria and in her capacity as the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”