The Nation Newspaper

Category: Health

  • NAO calls for more orthodontists to bridge oral care gap

    NAO calls for more orthodontists to bridge oral care gap

    • Adekunle Yusuf and Aderinsola Bamidele

    The Nigeria Association of Orthodontists (NAO) has voiced its concerns regarding the scarcity of orthodontists in the country, revealing that less than 70 orthodontists are currently serving a population of over 200 million Nigerians. Orthodontists are specialised dental practitioners with expertise in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dental and facial irregularities.

     These pressing concerns were brought to light during a press conference held in Lagos as part of the 17th Annual Scientific Conference of NAO, themed “Aesthetic Orthodontics: Rising to The Next Level in Nigeria.” Dr. Modupe Adeyinka, President of NAO, emphasised the need for public education about this dental specialty. She clarified that orthodontists specialise in rectifying improperly aligned dentition and jaw structures. Dr. Adeyinka highlighted the substantial financial investments required for orthodontic training and stressed that increased investment in this training would help alleviate the shortage of orthodontic professionals. NAO has embarked on an advocacy mission to raise awareness about oral health and increase the number of practitioners in the field.

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     Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, Vice- President of NAO, also discussed the impact of the “Japa syndrome” on the shortage of orthodontists. With only 65 qualified orthodontists remaining in Nigeria, the majority of whom have sought opportunities abroad, the country faces an alarming patient-to-practitioner ratio of two million to one, which she described as a burden to both the association and Nigeria as a whole. Prof. Ize-Iyamu pointed out that despite orthodontic issues being more prevalent in the North and Southsouth regions, 90 per cent of orthodontists are concentrated in Lagos. To address this issue and bring more orthodontists into the profession, Prof. Ize-Iyamu proposed proactive solutions. She said many dental professionals are currently undergoing training in various teaching hospitals, but many of them leave the country for better opportunities after completing their training. She emphasised the importance of early intervention to prevent this brain drain and called on the government to include dental care in the national health insurance scheme (NHIS). Currently regarded as secondary care, integrating dental care into NHIS would enhance accessibility for individuals who lack the financial means to access orthodontic treatment, ensuring more people can benefit from these essential services.

  • HEFAMAA urges health professionals to prioritise patients’ safety

    HEFAMAA urges health professionals to prioritise patients’ safety

    The Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) has issued a compelling call to action for stakeholders in the healthcare sector to prioritise patient safety. Dr. Abiola Idowu, the Executive Secretary of HEFAMAA, delivered this message during the commemoration of the 2023 World Patients’ Safety Day, which carried the theme “Engaging Patients for Patient Safety” and took place in Lagos.

     Dr. Idowu underscored the urgency of the matter by sharing alarming statistics on patient safety. She revealed that globally, an estimated one to three trillion dollars is lost annually, and 2.6 million lives are lost due to unsafe healthcare practices. Furthermore, she disclosed that a staggering 134 million patients suffer adverse effects from inadequate care. Dr. Idowu emphasized that this issue becomes even more critical when examined in the context of developing countries, including Nigeria. The Executive Secretary highlighted the significance of World Patients’ Safety Day and called upon all stakeholders to take concrete actions to enhance patient safety. She reaffirmed HEFAMAA’s commitment to consistently promote patient safety within healthcare facilities across Lagos.

     Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, reiterated the government’s unwavering dedication to patient safety. He emphasized that the occasion reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing accessible, equitable, and high-quality healthcare services to patients in the state. Dr. Agbolagoriite, representing the Permanent Secretary, noted that the event served as a call for individuals to actively engage in their healthcare journeys, while healthcare professionals focus on fostering literacy and accountability.

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    Dr. Yemisi Solanke-Koya, Chairman of the HEFAMAA Board, emphasized the importance of involving the community in patient safety initiatives. She highlighted how this engagement broadens communication channels and offers unique insights into patients’ perspectives on their healthcare choices. “In reality, it is the patient’s ailment which the medical field seeks to treat and treat successfully. Therefore, who has a primary and paramount interest in that agenda? Certainly, the patient and by extension their families and caregivers have a supreme interest. The patients desire a full recovery to pursue life to their fullest capacity without the limitation of poor health or any further compounding by incidents arising from the lack of attention to patient safety. Consequently, patients must be engaged throughout the totality of the healthcare terrain,” she said.

     Solanke-Koya stated that this encouraged deeper patient appreciation of what is ailing them and fosters their compliance, saying that a well-informed and engaged patient is more inclined to adhere to the protocol of care, adding that, it is a win-win situation for the field of medicine as patient compliance might translate to better outcomes and health indices for Lagos State and indeed the country. “Furthermore, engaging the patient community in patient safety initiatives broadens the channels of communication and provides insight into the unique perspective of patients regarding their healthcare options. This encourages dialogue, improves clinician-patient relationships, elevates the voice of the patients, and expands the sphere of pertinent views.

     “It is incumbent on me to stress that patient safety is not an isolated concept occurring sporadically or intermittently during one clinic or hospital visit for a single patient only, to be reactivated, if at all, for the next patient on their visit. Rather it is a continuous continuum, and an indispensable overarching paradigm that must be permanently embedded in the microfibers of the fabric of healthcare towards ensuring the welfare of Lagosians,” she added.

     Dr. Adesola Olalekan, who delivered, “Engaging Patients for Patient Safety. Elevate the Voice of Patient,” said to e sure patient safety, the WHO Flagship initiative, “A Decade of Patient Safety 2021–2030,” must be pursued.

     He said the goal is “to achieve the maximum possible reduction in avoidable harm due to unsafe health care globally”, envisioning “a world in which no one is harmed in health care, and every patient receives safe and respectful care, every time, everywhere.”

  • Expert advocates use of vascular access for kidney transplant

    Expert advocates use of vascular access for kidney transplant

    A medical expert Dr. Olalekan Olatise has called on medical practitioners to embrace Vascular access to help kidney failure patients before they get transplants, which is a more definite treatment for kidney failure.

    Olatise said his hospital, Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, has successfully practiced Vascular Access for two years without a single complication. 

    Speaking at the Oman Society of Nephrology and Transplantation (OSNT) International Nephrology Conference at picturesque Millennium Resort in Salalah, Oman with the theme: “Kidney Across Borders: Collaborating for Better Care”, Olatise emphasised that the hospital has been recognised by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) as a Centre of Excellence in Interventional Nephrology.

    While acknowledging that there is still much work to be done to bring Nigerian hospitals at par with their counterparts in developed countries, Olatise saluted the doggedness of his colleagues back home and commended the impressive pace at which medical practices in Nigeria were evolving.

    He said: “Following his surgery, DJ Jimmy Jatt produced a documentary detailing his exceptional treatment throughout the diagnosis, surgery, and post-surgery phases.” 

    “He openly shared his initial skepticism about using a Nigerian hospital for such a complex surgical operation.”

    Olatise acknowledged that this perception is one of the challenges faced by Nigerian doctors as there is often an assumption of inferior medical practice.

    Another substantial challenge highlighted by Olatise is the difficulty of acquiring the necessary equipment for complex surgeries. 

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    He said: “These machines are not only expensive but also face logistical hurdles when brought into Nigeria. As a result, the average Nigerian cannot afford some of these medical procedures, leading to preventable deaths”. 

    Speaking on his experience in kidney transplantation in Nigeria, he said that based on ethical considerations, his facility and its personnel do not interfere in donor-sourcing by transplant patients.

    He said many patients have lamented the unwillingness of living, related donors to donate one of their kidneys to their relatives battling chronic kidney diseases. This is in spite of several counselling sessions on the safety of such a voluntary,  lifesaving act. 

  • Mutiple sclerosis: Beyond friendly immune system fires

    Mutiple sclerosis: Beyond friendly immune system fires

    I heard a man in his mid thirties speak last week. The pitchand tone of his voice were septuagenarian or older, ailing , drawn, tired and bore more testimonies of chronic fatigue, fear and, perhaps, depression. He had been married only a few months during which he suffered a stroke, lost motion in hands and legs  and was struggling to pick his way out of of this health abyss. His conditions are multiple sclerosis and stroke.

       Why these diagnoses bowl  challenged persons into  swoons is because many health authorities say it is a life long cul de sac from which there is no escape. There are others, though, who believe  this assumption is too definitive in a world where knowledge is constantly expanding and health challenges previously considered too mountaineous to surmount are  giving way. I hope I would be able to engage Mr Olajuwon Okubena, 81, producer of Jobelyn, for  comments on  Phytoalexin, a plant substance which may become in a few years the mightiest anti-inflammatory remedy of our time. Currently, researchers are rating it higher than antioxidants and phenolic compounds of plants which protect them against all sorts of environmental attacks and hoping that it will play significant roles in re balancing unbalanced human health. One of the component plant substances of Jobelyn, reported in several research journals, is a large concentration of phytoalexin. For now, researchers still cannot commercially extract it without compromising the healing potential. Mr Okubena, too, would like to bring it out of Jobelyn, concentrate it in a new formula of this leading Nigerian plant medicine which would, thereafter, be presented as a super herbal anti inflammatory. It is possible that, then,  inflammation as a cause of symptoms of multiple sclerosis would be overcome. But the battle to conquer this disease would need, also , to  uproot as well about 20 other possible causes of it.

    Multiple Sclerosis(MS)

    In this condition, some sections of the central nervous system (CNS) are degenerating, forming lesions, plaques and scars. The degeneration is called sclerosis. When the sclerosis are many, the condition is called multiple sclerosis. This condition may also affect nerves in the brain(causing shrinkage of the outermost layer), the optic nerve( causing vision problems), and the  spinal cord(producing a series of problems in muscles and organs). The presentation is like a part of the body , as in breast or colon cancer,instamentally dying when one is still alive.

    The CNS is a system of nerves which originate from neurons in the brain and are functionally connected to them. The nerves are like a wiring system through which the brain sends messages to all parts of the body and receives feedback information from them. Damage to any section, therefore , means communication impairment, break down or collapse. Many persons experience communication gaps from time to time but ignore them. Even when they see their doctors, the diagnosis may be missed. MS affects different persons in diverse ways, depending on the severity. Some experience temporary relief occasionally, only for the condition to again flare up mildly or violently, depending on how the fire is stoked. Some others may experience life-long or near life long remissions. Rarely, except under complications, is MS life threatening.

    Symptoms

    They  sometimes resemble symptoms of other problems and cause diagnostic mistakes. Some of them are

    A) Blurry vision: This may be passed off as onset of macular degeneration, cataract of the eye lens or even glaucoma or dry eyes, especially if  these conditions are, also, presenting symptoms and the physician does not go the extra diagnostic journey.

    B) Vertigo:The environment may swirl or turn around once in a while or often. Low blood sugar and low blood count , like pernicious and megaloblastic anaemia, may also account for this. Incidentally, vitamin B 12 deficiency, which may cause megaloblastic anaemia,  may  be a culprit behind MS.

    C) Chronic Fatigue: This may also be associated with chronic stress, depletion of stress hormones, fatigued or burnt out adrenal glands, mitochondrial challenges, malabsorption of nutrients. They are all linked to MS.

    D) Dizziness:When we are dizzy, we swallow choice blood tonics  without exploring the root cause.

    E) Impaired Speech: The tone or pitch of the sound of words may alter. This may be put down to such things as stress, infection at the back of the throat, inflamed tongue, misalignment of the jaws or dentiture challenges. So, while these may be addressed, the impaired nerve signals which may be causing them may be ignored.

    F) Numbness:  Many persons complain of numbness in hands and legs.The tendency is to assume poor blood circulation and ignore the CNS. A CNS investigation may be expensive. Many persons do not have the money for it, and they have no health insurance covers.

    G) Facial Paralysis:  MS usually strikes the 20 to 40  age bracket, especially women, but it may also strike older persons. Almost 10 years ago, I saw a young woman whose face twisted on one side. She was in her 20s. While older persons knew this could be a sign of partial stroke, they ruled it out believing that only old persons have strokes. In a few weeks, the facial paralysis and her slurry speech disappeared. Now,I wonder: Could this be MS in remission? If it is, this could be an early signal of MS which had been missed. The young woman soon came over it. This could be a remission for years before an exercebation. Happily, for some persons, a remission may be life long.

    H) Paralysis: In extreme cases, there may be paralysis in any part of the body. One side of the body may be partially immovable. Sometimes, complete immobility may occur. The MS may go into remission or a holiday, flaring up once in a while, but causing no serious problem if it is well managed with nutrition, plant medicines and lifestyle changes

    I) Constipation: It is often taken for granted. The standard charcoal test in Alternative Medicine educates us that the waste products of whatever we eat should be defeacated in about 18 hours, to prevent in the intestine a sludge of decaying or putrefying content on which all sorts of germs would feel, pumping out their waste matter, thereby damaging tissue. The net effect of a sluggish intestine and evacuation delays is that a leaking intestine may develop which may cause the often orchestrated auto immune factor in MS and other auto immune diseases such as diabetes, asthma, fibromyalgia and systemic lupus erytomatosus(SLE).

    J) Incontinence: This is an inability to “hold back” discharges. Bowel and urinary incontinence are well known. Some adults wear diapers. Some women wear pantie liners to absorb urine which drops before they reach the rest room. While these conditions may be caused by muscle weakness, especially the “gate-keeper” sphincter muscles of the anus, the urinary bladder and those in the lower esophagus and duodenum, it is better to check them further as the nerves which control these muscles may be giving way. When I speak of the lower esophagus sphincter muscle, I remember heart burn sufferers who consume antacids rather than check on the health of this “gate-keeper” between the lower oesophagus and the stomach.This muscle is designed to never allow stomach content to easily flow back to the esophagus which we call the throat. Even when we stand on our heads after a meal, this muscle should “lock up”. Where it does not, the acidified food may come up,burning the oesophagus. It is this burning we call heartburn or Gastro Esophagal Reflux Disease (GERD). After many years, heart burn may cause esophagal cancer which may be preceeded by esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus). The same event may occur in Duodenitis and Duodenal Cancer when acidic food from the stomach empties prematurely into the duodenum, an alkaline tissue.

    K) Tremours: When we hold hymn books in church to share with someone and the book begins to shake, a nerve tremour may be going on which may be forerunners of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, both of which are caused by nerve damage. In the labouratory, the blood of some persons cannot be easily taken with a syringe because blood vessels are shaking. Even in premature ejaculation (PE), the nerves may be telling a story or complaining. Magnesium, vitamin B1 (thiamine) at high dosages,balanced with vitamin B complex at slightly lower dosages, may resolve this affront. Evidence abound, also , that their chronic deficiencies  may precipitate MS

    L) Balance: When we begin to lose the sense of balance and experience falls, we may need to see an ENT (Ear,Nose and Throat ) doctor. MS may be at play or at work.

    M) Staggering Gait: Some persons cannot walk straight but in zig zag manner. Some even stagger. As MS affects young persons more than old persons,and women more than men, parents, friends, guardians and acquintances should be on the look out for some of these symptoms.

    N) Vision Loss: The eye is a complex organ in which the nerves play a crucial role in transporting electrical impulses from the environment to the brain and bringing back their interpretations and meanings. Currently, there is an assumption that glaucoma, one of the degenerative conditions  which may cause blindness, is not all about deterioration and demise of the optic nerve and the retina from oxidative stress and high intra occular pressure (IOP) against which eye specific antioxidants and pressure lowering eye drops are often deployed. It is now being assumed that changes in the neurons in the brain which controls the optic nerve may be responsible. These changes are said to be caused by deficiencies of neurotrophic factors in the brain which dispose some persons to Alzheimer’s and others to Parkinson’s. On  April 28, 2022, I published in The Nation newspaper the story of Joe Lovett, an American film maker who had become half blind from glaucoma for about 12 years. After his complete recovery on coconut oil dietary supplement, Joe Lovett wrote two books in which he detailed his experiences as a glaucoma sufferer and a free man. The books are titled: Stop Vision Loss Now and Prevent And  Heal Cataracts, Glaucoma.

    I believe my article on Joe Lovett was also published in www.olufemikusa.com and/or in MEDIUM, a writer’s online forum.

    What is MS?

    When I explain multiple sclerosis, I use the domestic electrical wiring cable as an example. Inside it are copper wires which conduct electricity from electricity source to an appliance. It is encased in a plastic covering.The plastic protects the copper wires from damage and from causing electrocution accidents.

     The nerve, almost like that, is a collection of nerve strands bungled together and wrapped up by certain materials which are themselves enwrapped. Finally, the entire bundle is wrapped by a fatty tissue called the Myelin Sheath. If the Myelin Sheath is damaged, the nerve fibres within its encasement may become damaged, partially impaired from transmitting signals or completely stopped from doing so. The various stages of this impairment or complete blockage are what manifest in the various symptoms of MS.

     Cause of MS

    Many authorities on this subject avoid being definitive. So, we can rely only on reasonable conjectures such as the following which, sometimes, respond to therapeutic management, anyway…

    A) Chronic infections such as those caused by bacteria, viruses and candida. When the skin of the arm is broken, germs may infect the tissue within. When the myelin sheath is broken, these germs can attack the nerve materials within.

    B) Free radical damage and a deficiency of antioxidants

    C) Auto immune attack. The intestine, said by many authorities to be “The Second Brain”, is often linked to auto immune diseases.The immune system is known to attack the brain and the nerves instead of protecting them. This may result from not chewing food properly and from eating foods which damage the intestine. Saliva in the mouth contains an enzyme called Ptyalin which breaks Polysaccharides or complex carbohydrates down into disaccharides. Many persons swallow their food and do not mix them well with saliva. Thus, polysaccharides do not get properly broken down. The intestine cannot easily digest polysaccharides. That is why polysaccharides must first be broken down into disaccharides by thiamine in the saliva of the mouth. The intestine is designed to break down Disaccharides into monosaccharides or glucose. Again, the intestine is designed to pass glucose, not polysaccharides or disaccharides into the blood stream. where it passes polysaccharides or Disaccharides, trouble will erupt in the organs which harbour them. Polysaccharides or Disaccharides are unknown to the immune system in the organs. Thus, wherever they migrate to in the organs, the immune system will recognise them as strangers or enemies and attack them and their hosts. It is, therefore, important to properly chew food, thoroughly mix it with saliva to aid digestion in the mouth. It is also important to aid digestion in the stomach and intestine with digestive enzymes from raw food and food supplements. In the immune system attacks, immune modulating herbs and adaptogens may help.

    D) Vitamin D is well noted in persons challenged with M.S. They should stay more under the sun and take vitamin D food supplements.

    E) Leaky Gut: The barrier against infiltration of larger molecules into the blood stream is broken by various other factors, including alcohol, white sugar, micro organism nibbling, free radicals, food allergies, especially from cow’s milk, wheat and soy intolerance, microplastics and heavy metal toxicity, pharmaceutical drugs, environmental toxins, food preservatives etc. I have a niece who cannot taste fish sauce without vomitting. There are persons who cannot tolerate honey or garlic. These are better eliminated from the diet. Nowadays, laundry, dish washing and bath soaps are loaded with chemicals. When not completely washed off cookware and service plates, they are eaten with food. Women who do not wear laundry gloves experience wrinkles in skin on the back of the hand, evidence of chemical attack from the soap.To cleanse the body, I always suggest Detoxification. My first choice is Maria Treben’s swedish bitters because it has no preservatives and is not alcohol extracted. Organic enema coffee may also help.

    F)Heavy metal toxicity is another possible cause of MS. Chelated minerals help out in this. Chlorella and cilantro do help, too.

    G) Inflammation:There are many anti inflammatory herbs in the Nigerian market. I will suggest some of them in Brain Care below.

    Brain Care

    The brain and the nerves belong together. Some of the remedies of their various challenges are essential fatty acids, GLA as in evening primerose oil, lecithin , thiamine,(vitamin B1), Neuro booster, a proprietary formula, gotu kola, ginkgo Biloba, magnesium( especially magnesium thraonate), grape seed extract, coconut oil, fermented vitamin A (a proprietary product), Lion’s mane mushroom. This mushroom was discovered during the second world war by a young, female Italian doctor. She was researching the healing process in damaged embryo nerves. She used several plant extracts without much healing success. Lion’s main mushroom extract brought resounding success. Today, Lion’s mane mushroom as a healing agent is recognised beyond nerve health therapies and employed even in cancer prevention and treatment.

     Antioxidant oils

    Antioxidants are crucial for the elimination of free radicals which are said to be the culprits behind more than 200 degenerative diseases including MS and stroke,both of which are forebears of paralysis. I have mentioned some antioxidants above. Antioxidant oils are also important because they are fats and intended for the protection and rebuilding of damaged fatty tissue as in MS.  Three important antioxidant oils are vitamin A, Vitamin E and Alpha Lipoic acid (ALA). Vitamins A and E are active only in fatty media. ALA is active in fatty and non fatty media.

     Jobelyn

    I promised to obtain from Mr Okubena comments on how this Nigerian herbal product may  feature in MS therapy. His words:

     “Jobelyn, derived from soghurm bicolor leaf, shows promise in supporting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. According to the drug dictionary of the National Institute, Jobelyn contains high levels of polyphenols and three deoxyanthocyanidins, which have been scientifically studied for their antioxidant, anti inflammatory , immunomodulatory and chemopreventive properties.

        “In MS, the immune system mistakenly targets and attacks the myelin sheath in the nervous system. Jobelyn’s immunomodulatory effects, as mentioned in the definition, have the potential to regulate the immune response by increasing the activity of Natural killer (NK) cells and activating macrophages. The modulation could help reduce the immune system’s attack on the myelin SHEATH, potentially slowing down the progression of the disease.

       Furthermore, Jobelyn’s antioxidant properties may play a role in protecting against oxidative stress, which is believed to contribute to the development and progression of MS by scavenging free radicals and preventing tissue damage.

        While the potential benefits of Jobelyn for MS patients are promising, it is important to note that further research, including clinical trials specifically focused on MS , is necessary to determine its effectiveness and safety”.

  • Community-based organisations praises govt on MYICN project

    Community-based organisations praises govt on MYICN project

    Some community-based organisations (CBOs) have praised a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Alive and Thrive, for its Maternal Infants and Young Child Nutrition (MYICN) project across the local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos State. The CBOs gave the commendation separately during a media visit organised by Alive and Thrive to CBOs on its MYICN project. With the support of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Alive and Thrive in 2022 inaugurated the Maternal Infants and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) Project to scale up access to nutrition in seven states  across the country. The organisation is partnering CBOs to implement the MYICN project in communities across the country.

     Mr Hassan Yussuf, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of Champagne Foundation, said the MYICN project had helped the foundation to improve the nutritional status of people in communities. Yussuf said that the foundation, which focused on orphans, vulnerable children and pregnant women, had been able to link more vulnerable pregnant women with Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs). “The Alive and Thrive MYICN project has helped us to improve nutritional status and boost the nutritional needs of vulnerable children with engaged in the communities including Alimosho, Mushin and Badagry LGAs in Lagos. Initially we noticed that some women prefer to go to traditional birth healers to take their delivery but with the MYICN project, we have been able to link more women to the various PHCs,” Yussuf said.

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     Also, Dr. Cassandra Akinde, Executive Director of The Neo Child Initiative (TNCI), said the organisation’s partnership with Alive and Thrive MYICN project had yielded positive results in the area of visibility. Akinde said the organisation was currently implementing the MYICN projects in Epe and Shomolu local government areas in Lagos State. “We started the MYICN partnership with Alive and Thrive in 2022 and it has been fruitful in terms of visibility and community presences in Lagos. We no longer target children alone but we are also targeting family members, healthcare workers, community leaders in the area of capacity building. We have implemented the MYICN project in Epe and Shomolu LGAs and we intend to extend it to Ibeju Lekki, Kosofe and Ikorodu next,” she said.

     Omolayo Ogunyemi, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of Good Women Association (GWA), said the MYICN project had helped the organisation to engage more adolescents and vulnerable girls. Ogunyemi said the organisation would continue to leverage on the partnership with Alive and Thrive to make life meaningful for young girls. “Our partnership with Alive and Thrive has given the organisation more platforms to advocate for the girl child. We have implemented the MYICN project in seven PHCs in Apapa LGA and 11 PHCs on Lagos Island presently,” she said.

  • Smart DNA data sheds new light on paternity questions in Nigeria

    Smart DNA data sheds new light on paternity questions in Nigeria

    A newly-released DNA relationship testing data has revealed that 74 per cent of tested men in Nigeria are biological fathers. Smart DNA, a leading DNA testing centre based in Lagos, released the comprehensive data analysis of all relationship DNA tests conducted at its facility between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Notable in the report is that 73.88 per cent of men who did relationship testing to verify the paternity of children came out positive as their biological fathers. Negative results were 26.12 per cent of those who were tested, the analysis released said.

     DNA or Deoxyribonucleic acid is the material that carries genetic information for the development and functioning of an organism. A DNA test (genetic testing) is a medical test that can identify mutations in one’s genes, chromosomes or proteins. These tests provide information about an individual’s ancestral roots. A DNA relationship test is the use of genetic profiles to determine whether an individual is the biological parent of another individual. The Smart DNA report, based on thousands of users, provides an unprecedented insight into the DNA testing trends across Nigeria.

     The analysis also showed startling findings about the reasons people seek testing, the demographics of those tested, and the outcomes of the tests. On geographical spread, the report showed that Lagos accounted for the highest percentage of tests, with 82.89 per cent of the total. This is followed by Oyo (3.29 per cent), Ogun (3.07 per cent) and FCT (2.63 per cent and Rivers (2.41 per cent). “This heavy concentration in Lagos, particularly the Mainland (68.14 percent) compared to the Island (31.86 per cent), is likely due to the location of Smart DNA’s office in Lagos. Also likely due to the purchasing power of the state’s residents, and the high population density of the state,” it said.

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     The report showed that the majority of tests (89.10 per cent) were conducted for ‘Peace of Mind,’ followed by ‘Immigration’ (8.97 per cent), and ‘Legal’ (0.64 per cent). “This suggests that individuals primarily seek DNA testing to confirm biological relationships for personal reasons rather than legal or immigration purposes. It showed that men were the predominant initiators of contact, making up 86.44 per cent of the first contacts, compared to 13.56 per cent made by women. This indicates that men are more likely to have doubts about paternity or other relationships and take the initiative to seek testing.

     “Positive results, indicating that the man tested is the biological father of the child, accounted for 73.88 per cent of tests; while negative results made up 26.12 per cent. This suggests that in the majority of cases, the men seeking testing are indeed the biological fathers, but in more than 1 in 4 cases, the tested father is not the biological father of the child.”

     Breaking down the ethnic group of those that turned up for tests, the Yoruba ethnic group had the highest percentage of tests (61.23 per cent), followed by Igbo (19.07 per cent). “Others (12.08 per cent), and Edo (6.78 per cent). This may be reflective of the ethnic distribution in Lagos and the surrounding areas.”  On the sex of the child, more tests were conducted on male children (56.62 per cent) compared to female children (43.38 per cent). It said that this may suggest a cultural preference for confirming paternity of male offspring, although further research would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

     Analysing the age range of those tested, it said that most tests were conducted on children aged 0-5 years (58.02 per cent), followed by the 6-12 age group (25.95 per cent). “This indicates that paternity tests are mostly done on children when they are younger rather than when they get older.’ The Smart DNA findings said that the men who opted for these DNA tests were mostly between the ages of 31-40 years (40 per cent) and 41-50 years (23 per cent). “This age group is likely to have young children and may be in a financial position to afford the testing.”

     Officials of Smart DNA said the centre is committed to providing fully accredited DNA testing services to clients in accordance with the highest international standards. According to Smart DNA management, the report, which it spent months and resources to compile and analyse, was done to help Nigeria shed light on the current trends in relationship DNA testing in Nigeria. The overall aim is to contribute to a better understanding of this important aspect in Nigeria where there is no national data on relationship DNA testing, which can help to confirm or refute false statistics being bandied around on child paternity fraud in the country.

  • Gates Foundation urges action against maternal, child mortality

    Gates Foundation urges action against maternal, child mortality

    • By Raphael Obiduba

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has called for urgent action to accelerate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and reduce maternal and child mortality. This was contained in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seventh annual Goalkeepers Report released on Tuesday.

     The Goalkeepers Report showed where the world has collectively fallen short at halfway point in achieving the SDGs. It also showed where innovation and investment could advance progress, particularly in the fight against the global epidemic of maternal and child mortality. The report, co-authored by the foundation Co-chairs, Melinda French-Gates and Bill Gates, highlighted new data that showed the potential of scaling up global access to seven innovations and practices.

     This, the report would address the leading causes of maternal and new-born deaths. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the global maternal mortality rate (MMR) in 2020 was 223 per 100, 000 live births, while achieving a global MMR below 70 by 2030 will require an annual rate of reduction of 11.6 per cent. “By making new innovations accessible to those who need them most, two million additional lives could be saved by 2030, and 6.4 million lives by 2040. That’s two million families spared an unimaginable heartbreak and two million more people who can shape and enrich our world,” the authors said.

     The report noted that since 2016, progress in reducing global maternal mortality had stalled, and in some countries, including the United States, death rates had risen steadily. It said, globally, nearly 800 women die in childbirth every day, acknowledging that deaths of children under five continued to decline since the mid-2010s. The report explained that the first month of a new-born’s life continued to be the most dangerous, accounting for almost half of all under-five deaths today

     It also said that 74 per cent of child deaths happen during a baby’s first year. The report acknowledged the global efforts between 2000 and 2015 that significantly improved the health of mothers and babies and the progress stalled since COVID-19 hit. It explained how the discovery of revolutionary information about maternal and child health in the last 10 years led to low-cost and easy-to-implement innovations and practices. According to the report, these innovations and practices prevent and treat deadly childbirth complications such as post-partum hemorrhaging, infections, and maternal anemia.

     It called for immediate action to help put the world back on track to achieve the global goal of cutting the maternal mortality rate to less than 70 out of 100,000 births and newborn mortality to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030.

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    “As is so often the case in global health, innovations aren’t making their way to the people who need them most; women in low-income countries, blacks and indigenous women in high-income countries like the United States, who are dying at three times the rate of white women. That needs to change. We have seen over and over again that when countries actually prioritise and invest in women’s health, they unleash a powerful engine for progress that can reduce poverty, advance gender equality, and build resilient economies.

     “Over the past decade, the field of child health has advanced faster and farther than I thought I’d see in my lifetime. If our delivery can keep pace with our learning; if researchers can continue developing new innovations and skilled health workers can get them to every mother and child who needs them. Then, more babies will survive those crucial first days,” the report said.

     It also said that the life-saving innovations and practices highlighted in the report could be delivered by midwives and birth attendants in communities. The report listed the innovations as a bundle of interventions that can reduce postpartum haemorrhage, the major cause of maternal death, by 60 per cent for less than one dollar per package. Bifidobacteria (B. Infantis), a new probiotic supplement that, when given to an infant alongside breastmilk, combats malnutrition—a leading cause of newborn deaths. Also, Multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) that boost survival rates for babies by helping replete nutrients stored in pregnant women and ensuring those vital nutrients are transferred to the baby.

    Others are one-time infusion of IV iron for women that replenishes iron reserves during pregnancy, protecting against and treating anaemia, a condition that is both a cause and effect of postpartum hemorrhage and affects almost 37 per cent of pregnant women. It also includes antenatal corticosteroids (ACS), which are given to women who will give birth prematurely to accelerate fetal lung growth, providing several weeks of maturation in just a few days. Also, Azithromycin, which reduces maternal infections during pregnancy and prevents infections from spiraling into sepsis—the cause of 23 per cent of maternal deaths in the United States—and reduces mortality when given to infants in high-mortality settings.

  • Seven things to know about gastric bypass surgery for weight loss

    Seven things to know about gastric bypass surgery for weight loss

    Gastric bypass surgery also known as bariatric surgery or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, is a is a weight loss surgical procedure used to promote weight loss in individuals who are severely obese. 

    The reversible procedure comes with a lot of risks as an attempt to put back parts of the stomach and small intestine can make them not function quite the same. Before thinking of doing this surgery, it is very important that you check in with your doctor to discuss the risks, benefits, and suitability of gastric bypass surgery based on an individual’s needs and circumstances after which a decision can be made with the input of medical professionals.

    Recently, comedienne Anita Asuoha popularly known as Realwarripikin underwent the surgery in order to lose weight. She revealed: “In 2022…My husband woke me that night to say, ‘see this weight, I don’t want to lose you. I love you the way you are but… honey you have to lose weight.’  I tried to lose weight with the gym and diet, but I love food too much. I was determined to work out and eat right but it was a challenging time. Eventually I woke up one day and decide to go for a weight loss surgery; a difficult choice. Thankfully, I had the support of my husband, my Doctor, and my family. 

    “I’m happy with my decision. I’m fine. I feel better. I feel so good right now. And I would love to say this. Keeping fit should be normalised. We don’t talk about it enough because of ’self-love, body positivity.”

    After Realwarripikin revealed that she went through surgery to lose weight, some people might be wondering what the surgery is about, the risks, advantages, pros, cons amongst other things.

    Here are some of the key things you need to know about before going through this procedure(Gastric bypass):

    1. Evaluation

    Before undergoing this surgery, you need to have a thorough evaluation by your doctor(s) including a surgeon, dietitian, psychologist, etc. They will help assess if the procedure is appropriate for an individual at the time as well as provide guidance on how to prepare for the procedure and recovery process.

    Read Also: Post-surgery complications on six patients for probe

    2. Find out if you are eligible to go through this procedure

    Gastric bypass surgery is typically considered for individuals who have a body mass index (BMI) of 35-40 or higher (extreme obesity) with serious obesity-related health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea but as stated in point 1 above, be sure to speak to your doctors first before going forward.

    3. How the procedure works

    During gastric bypass surgery, a small pouch is created at the top of the stomach by stapling it off from the rest of the stomach which is then connected directly to the small intestine, bypassing a portion of the stomach and the first part of the small intestine. This procedure works through two mechanisms which are restriction and malabsorption. Restriction occurs because the small pouch can only hold a small amount of food, leading to reduced food intake. Malabsorption happens because the food bypasses a portion of the small intestine, limiting the absorption of calories and nutrients.

    4. Weight loss and lifestyle change

    Gastric bypass surgery most times results in significant weight loss as about 60-80% of excess body weight can be lost over a period of 12-18 months. This surgery would require a change in lifestyle for patients as they must follow and adhere to strict diets such as smaller food portions as well as avoiding certain type(s) of food so as to achieve long term success and is not a quick fix. It requires a lifelong or long-term commitment to dietary and lifestyle changes, as well as regular exercises and follow-up with healthcare providers for monitoring and nutritional support in order to achieve and maintain long term success.

    5. Health benefits

    Gastric bypass surgery has its benefits. In addition to weight loss, gastric bypass surgery can lead to significant improvements in obesity-related health conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and joint pain. It may also help improve and/or resolve conditions often related to being overweight including fertility, heart disease, etc.

    6. Side effects

    Like all surgeries, gastric bypass has its risks and potential complications which may include infection, bleeding, blood clots, hernias, dumping syndrome (rapid gastric emptying leading to nausea, cramping, and diarrhea), nutritional deficiencies, acid reflux, inability to eat certain foods, stomach perforation, low blood sugar, etc.

    7. Emotional and psychological factors

    Many patients experience emotional and psychological changes after this surgery as some may struggle with body image issues, depression, anxiety, mental health issues, binge eating disorder, etc. The support from family and friends after the surgery is very important.

  • UI, CARTA researcher seek informal caregivers policy in hospitals

    UI, CARTA researcher seek informal caregivers policy in hospitals

    A researcher with the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), Dr. Kudus Adebayo, has made the case for the formalisation of informal caregivers in hospitals.

    The don said informal caregivers hanging around tertiary health facilities need special attention and policy to attend to their precarious situation.

    According to Adebayo, there was the need for policy, program formulation, and implementation that would acknowledge the role of informal caregivers in hospitalisation care in Nigeria.

    Speaking in Ibadan during a dissemination workshop for a CARTA-funded study on “Lived experiences of migrating informal caregivers,” Adebayo, who is the principal investigator, said informal caregivers are central to the care of hospitalised patients in Nigeria.

    He stated that despite limited acknowledgment of their indispensable roles and contributions, they will remain critical in the nations health system until factors creating the gap they are filling are addressed.

    He noted that neglecting those providing hospital-based informal caregiving will continue to slow down the attainment of UHC in Nigeria.

    According to him, caregivers are the heart of Universal Health Coverage as they supply valuable labour to the health system, but they face challenges that can be worsened by circumstances under which they support patients on admission.

    “Informal Caregivers are individuals, usually family members, relatives or friends who provide unpaid supportive care to those unable to care for themselves because of health challenges or hospitalisation.

    “Informal Caregivers with hospitalised relatives are constrained to stay around hospitals because the daily movement to and from their regular place of residence is difficult, costly, inefficient, impracticable  or impossible.

    Read Also: UI Vice-Chancellor decries state of sport  facilities 

    “The challenges faced by Informal caregivers have a  negative impact on their health with additional consequences for health workers and the hospital.”

    “Informal caregivers face many challenges related to health and well-being, facility deficiencies, social and economic issues, security and safety, relational and attitudinal problem and hygiene maintenance.”

    The University Co-focal person, CARTA, Dr Olufunke Fayehun, announced the consortium has spent $3.6million on 36 personnel of the University of Ibadan in the past 12 years for doctoral training, adding that “25 have graduated while 11 fellows are still on their PhD programs at Ibadan or other CARTA partner institutions outside Nigeria”.

    According to Fayehun, CARTA hopes that the findings of the funded research will inform policy and program formulation and implementation that acknowledges caregivers’ role in hospitalization care in Nigeria.

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  • Prof Utomi: Prof Ekwueme brings cancer cure hopes (3)

    Prof Utomi: Prof Ekwueme brings cancer cure hopes (3)

    All things being equal, as we often say, the curtain should fall on this subject today, for a while. We are conversing again because some doctors  do not see cure guarantees in professor Kingsley Ekwueme’s efforts to cure prostate cancer with laparascopic keyhole camera surgery. Last month, this column exclusively reported the first of such hi-technology surgeries in Nigeria by professor Ekwueme from London.  Afterwards, he went back to London, promising to return this month for 50 or more such surgeries. There were prospects that this type of surgery, done in only 150 minutes, with no damage to nerves or erectile function and in which the patient can leave hospital on the same day, will grow in number as more prostate cancer patients regain their lives through it bearing encouraging testimonies.

    Some Nigerian doctors who read of that first surgery in this column told me they did not believe the technology could  cure cancer that have spread or metastasised,  to other parts of the body. I communicated to Professor Ekwueme their doubts and my beliefs, as a lay person in cancer surgery cures. These beliefs are founded on the understanding that, if the head and body of a cancer are killed,but the roots survive, it may regrow even more vengefully.

    Prof Ekwueme admitted fears were  founded where the cancer had spread. However, he said that, even then, the technology was on the trail of this complication and, sometimes, subdued it.

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    As a lay person on this technological battle field with cancer,  I have no reason to discard any thought on this matter, firmly standing, as I do, on the reasoning of alternative medicine, some of which I mentioned in the last column. As a reminder of that reasoning, I said any cancer has many possible causes and that, in prostate cancer, the culprits may include but were not limited to….de oxygenation, congestion, free radical damage and antioxidant deficiency, flat worms and other worms infestation, heavy metal toxicity( especially of lead, Mercury, cadmium, nickel etc), leaky intestine or leaky gut syndrome, bacteria, viral and fungal infections, zinc and other nutritional deficiencies, and elevation of five-Alpha Reductase(an enzyme), Colon congestion etc.  Alternative medicine believes that every disease has a root cause or root causes and that the cure of disease, therefore, is not achieved by eliminating the flowering and fruiting parts, the symptoms. This is like cutting the aerial parts of a flourishing field of stubborn grass and leaving the roots in the soil. It would in time regrow. This explains why uterine fibroids and even cancers surgically removed regrow, and why surgical removal of one cancerous breast  does not prevent the other breast from later becoming cancerous as well .

     Nigerian testimonies

    We do not have many public testimonials as yet that laparascopic key hole camera surgery is a masterstroke conqueror of prostate cancer. Many beneficiaries believe that sharing their experience to create awareness of it, to give hope to fellow challenged persons, is like washing their dirty health linen in public. Many women would appear to have benefitted from this technology for uterine fibroids. About two or three years ago, a natural medicine and agriculture – inclined multi level marketing company  called Leimall came to Nigeria from Israel and was flying in Indian surgeons to perform laparascopic key hole camera uterine fibroids surgery. Uterine fibroids have grown into epidemic proportions among Nigerian women, and become a huge market for possible recipes. Some women patronise leimall. But it has not been possible to determine what came out of it. I found illogical and, therefore, unbelievable the story of one of the marketers who was trying to invite me to endorse Leimall. She said a large mass of tissue was brought out of the womb of a woman. I wondered how a large mass could be brought up and out through a tiny hole. Even the marketer could not explain how. So, I walked out of the subject for want of conviction . My temperament  could not stand such information, moreso in an unregulated environment.  It is still unclear if  these surgeries succeeded or if the uterine fibroids regrew, largely on account of poor record keeping and record tracking, not to mention the culture of silence among patients. But thanks to  Nobel prize laurette Professor Woke Soyinka and Dr Kunle Okupe, whose testimonies are still hope building for prostate cancer challenged men who look up to laparascopic keyhole camera surgery for a cure.

    Doubts

        The Nigerian doctors who expressed doubts are, like professor Ekwueme, reputable physicians. I have been acquainted with one of them since about 1995. He practises Complementary medicine. He sent me the following to express his fears:

     “My dear Dr. Femi Kusa, I feel led to send you my “insignificant comment” on this post that you shared with me (and I believe with some others).

     While I thank God for what these specialists, consultants, and all big names in Medicine are able to do, I am no longer ever carried away by such write ups.

    And for that reason, I couldn’t even read upto half of this epistle let alone even finish it.

     Questions are:

    1. after such fine surgery that often cost so much, how many of the patients survive beyond a few years?

    2. does this kind of hi-tech surgery take care of things like widespread metastasis especially to the bones  , liver and lungs?

     It’s not just about  removing a small localised cancer with hi-tech surgery and people start making announcements of curing prostate cancer. Does it help a man in stage 4 cancer, when most of them come?

     Right now one of my most recent three prostate cancer cases with severe bone metstasis had received such hi-tech (key-hole) prostate surgery two years ago. Today, we are managing him for wide spread bone metstasis; he started consulting with us four days ago, after spending almost all his living in the care of well publicised specialists.

    May God help all of us.

    Regards.”

    I summarised it in the following message to Professor Ekwueme:

    “Dear Professor Ekwueme, thank you most sincerely for acknowleding my publication of your prostate cancer cure hope for Nigerians through laparoscopic key hole camera surgery.

         I am a journalist intensely passionate about health and non or list invasive methods of rebalancing health when it fails. So, I couldn’t have treated your offer to Nigerians with attention lesser than it deserved.

         Congratulations, Sir.

          Irrespective of the prospects of this method of surgery making prostate cancer surgery safer, less traumatic and possibly cheaper, I have some questions which I raised in the second part of the series of publication on your intervention in Nigeria. Basic to these questions is the fact that every disease had an orign or a multiplicity of origns or roots. We have found that where surgery does not address these origns or roots causes, the disease  may flare again, sometimes more devastatingly. About one year ago, one of my older friends at first went through surgery to remove his testes because his doctors said his bleeding prostate cancer was fuelled by his male sexual hormones. His pain and bleeding subsided for a while. When the prostate cancer flared again, he went in for surgery on the gland. A short while later, he departed.

         Some of the doctors in Lagos who read the column expressed misgivings about the capacity of laparoscopic keyhole camera surgery to cure prostate cancer, especially where it has overgrowñ his bounds and impacted through metastasis, other tissues and organs.

        In the final column on this series, I intend to give them the opportunity to express their opinion, and wonder if you would like to make any contributions  in respect of these fears and the earlier one I raised regarding root causes of prostate cancer. With the best wishes for your health and work…Femi Kusa….www.olufemikusa.com”.

    Professor Ekwueme replied the mail:

     “Dear Mr Kusa,

     Good to hear from you

     Sorry for delayed response. I have been busy operating.

     I am sorry to read of your friend who sadly passed following prostate cancer treatment. – To answer your questions:-

     – Yes I agree with your reasoning that tackling the origin of cancer might offer cure to it. Indeed this is subject to various researches looking to target cancers at various levels and pathways. But prostate cancer ‘origin’ remains enigmatic but we know of the risk factors.

     – With regards to prostate cancer, unfortunately when it has spread, then cure cannot be achieved but control can. In the case of your older friend, the fact that testicle removal (orchidectomy) was offered to him would suggest to me that his cancer had spread beyond cure (metastatic). This is because, orchidectomy is only indicated in cases of metastatic prostate cancer. In contemporary times, surgical removal of the testes is not routinely performed as we now have injections that can achieve same result. This is called medical castration.

     – That said, my ambition for coming back home is that no man should have metastatic prostate cancer at all. That is why I have been alerting Nigerians at every lecture that I have been opportuned to give to the benefit of early prostate cancer detection. In the UK, the vast majority of prostate cancers (>80%) are detected early . But in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. this is an urgent problem and one that I have dedicated my life to do.

      – Unfortunately, once prostate cancer spreads, although we now have more ammunition to fight it,  control is very expensive and ultimately would fail over time. It is, therefore, much cheaper to detect it early and cure it. This is why I need you to help with spreading this information. So I thank you so much for the passion for health that you have.

     In your email, you also mentioned some doctors who have contacted you in Lagos with reservations on the capacity of laparoscopic surgery when the cancer has ‘overgrown’ and metastasised.

    – Well, I think I have partly addressed this already above. But the question should not even arise as surgery is no longer indicated once the cancer has spread. This is the current practice. However, We are currently conducting research in UK to find out if some men whose cancer has spread will benefit from surgical removal of their prostate. This would be a game-changer for men in this situation and we are currently halfway in this research. I will revert in the future once we have concluded.

     I hope this explains your questions.

    Thanks again

    Kind Regards”.

    New  Surgeries

    All other things being equal, as I said earlier, the curtain should fall on this subject for a while, while we await the return of Professor Ekwueme   for 50 cases of surgeries on his bill.

    Slumber…On African Traditional Medicine Day. By Femi Kusa

    This is the second and bottom article for Femi Kusa’s column for Thursday 07/09/2023. Please publish with own headline under the top article which is on Prof Utomi and Prof Ekwueme

    Why did most of us literally fall asleep on August 31,2023? I am addressing all of us lovers of Nigerian Traditional Medicine (NTM) , whether we are teachers of traditional medicine, researchers, practitioners , backyard garden or plantation herb growers, health food shop owners, manufacturers and…who else? For August 31, 2023 was yet another African Traditional Medicine (ATM) day, which the entire world celebrated with us. Yet no leaf appeared to shake in the Nigerian  forest, and no trumpet sounded in town.

    On VOA Africa that day, I heard the story of a Kenyan woman  told by herself. Before she became a practitioner, she suffered from endometriosis  and pain during menstration. No pharmaceutical medicine helped her. She recovered through the bark of a plant an old woman gave to her. I wondered how many persons listened to her and would like to research this bark and even turn it into a plant medicine  from the heart of Africa for the rest of the world.

    Ahead of  August 31, 2023 ATM Day, the world health organisation (WHO) on 17 and 18 August 2023 supported ATM with  a summit in Gand Hinagar, Gujarat, India, home of ayurvedic medicine(Indian Traditional Medicine) .

    In Lagos on August 31, 2023, eminent researchers gathered at the pharmacognosy department of the faculty of pharmacy of the University of Lagos. The outcome, in my humble view , was that the eminent gathering of academic bigwigs and the outpouring of intellectual prowess did not celebrate NTM. What could have, would have been the launch of doctor prescribed plant medicines , not just herbal teas and slimming pills about which even the public  knows little or nothing about. Forgive me if Iam somewhat hard. It was in this department decades ago that JOBELYN , then known as JUBI BLOOD FORMULA , was researched , cut its teeth and grew wings to fly around the world.

        Thus, I expected to hear of gigantic new strides. This thought led me again to jobelyn this week and to what has been happening to this herbal blood formular which , arguably ,is the most researched and most marketed Nigerian plant medicine at home and abroad.

                 JOBELYN

        I found that, beyond studies on how it helps anaemia  in all anaemia -related conditions, used as an Energiser, antioxidant, immune booster, well being in psychiatric conditions, HIV-AIDS, cancer and more, there is an ongoing effort to robe it as anti-diabetic. But this effort, like those to show that it can be of some value in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s therapies, is still limited and requires more work to present it as a definitive anti diabetic formula. For the benefit of whoever may wish to try it out, that work is presented below…

       Case note for Diabetes Patient

     “Title: patient ABC XYZ Journey with Diabetes and the Remarkable Impact of Jobelyn Extract

     Introduction:

    In this blog post, we will explore the history and treatment of patient ABC XYZ diabetes, as well as the significant role played by Jobelyn extract in managing his condition. We will delve into the data showcasing the improvements in his blood sugar levels and the subsequent successful eye surgeries he underwent. Finally, we will discuss the efficacy of Jobelyn extract as a stand alone treatment option for diabetes.

     History of patient ABC XYZ Diabetes:

    Patient ABC XYZ was diagnosed with diabetes in March 2015. He had been managing his condition by taking a daily dosage of Metformin and Daonil, two commonly prescribed medications for diabetes.

     Concerns and Eye Condition:

    In April 2022, patient ABC XYZreported a deterioration in his eye condition, necessitating corrective eye surgery. However, as a diabetic patient, this presented a challenge as his blood sugar levels were high, posing a risk of delayed healing and potentially worsening his eye condition.

     Pre-Jobelyn Treatment Data:

    At this point, patient ABC XYZ’s fasting blood sugar level was 168 mg/dL, while his post-meal blood sugar levels ranged from 170-175 mg/dL. The data collected over a period showed consistently high blood sugar readings.

     Introduction of Jobelyn:

    To address patient ABC XYZ’selevated blood sugar levels, he was prescribed Jobelyn (250mg). The recommended dosage was three capsules, three times daily. The immediate effect of Jobelyn was evident in his blood sugar readings after the first week.

     Post-Jobelyn Treatment Data:

    Over the course of several weeks, patient ABC XYZ’S blood sugar levels showed a significant improvement. The readings gradually decreased, indicating the effectiveness of Jobelyn in reducing his blood sugar to a normal range.

     Successful Eye Surgeries:

    As a result of the improved blood sugar control, patient ABC XYZ successfully underwent eye surgeries in June and November 2022 for his left and right eyes, respectively. He reported a substantial improvement in his vision following the surgeries.

     Continued Treatment with Jobelyn:

    Patient ABC XYZ has been consistently taking Jobelyn since then, and his blood sugar readings have remained within the normal range. Encouraged by these results, he recently started taking a high-grade Jobelyn extract, which further improved his blood sugar levels.

     High-Grade Jobelyn Extract and Blood Sugar Readings:

    The data collected while patient ABC XYZ was taking the high-grade Jobelyn extract alongside Metformin and Daonil showcased outstanding blood sugar readings. His levels resembled those of a person without diabetes.

     Jobelyn as a Standalone Treatment:

    To further evaluate the efficacy of Jobelyn, patient ABC XYZ suspended the use of Metformin and Daonil and continued with a daily dose of the Jobelyn extract alone. Although there was a slight increase in his blood sugar levels, it remained significantly improved compared to when he was only taking Metformin and Daonil.

     Conclusion:

    The data collected over three weeks of using Jobelyn extract alone demonstrated that patient ABC XYZ was able to maintain normal blood sugar levels ranging from 127-133 mg/dL. This suggests that Jobelyn extract can effectively regulate blood sugar without the need for other conventional medications. The remarkable improvements in patient ABC XYZ’S condition highlight the potential of Jobelyn as a valuable treatment option for diabetes.

     Disclaimer: It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diabetes treatment plan”.