The Nation Newspaper

Category: Health

  • World Menstruation Day…a bow for the circle (2)

    World Menstruation Day…a bow for the circle (2)

    Many young Nigerian women and teenage girls are still dirty downstairs, more than 20 years of intensive sex education in secondary schools. They do not know how to calculate their periods, rely on signs and early warning signals which sometimes fail to come, embarrassingly discover at school or in other public places that they are dripping and their clothes are stained, having laundered pants in the toilet or outdoor to dry, buy and wear second hand pants previously worn by euro American women, do not clean up after menstration and wear one pant for several days even in the scorching tropical sun. Hands up, young women and teenage girls who are not guilty as charged, even if not in all matters particular. Hands up, you mothers of my generation who did not have a running battle over these matters with your daughters and, perhaps even now with your grand daughters. Where is that father who did not learn to mind his business and leave the women  to run their own show? I have no daughter, and take my cue from my wife and the young women who come to discuss their menstrual health challenges with me, from some teenage girls who are brought to me by their mothers. If these young girls would not listen to their mothers, I put the picture of my wife in the bath room before them. On her arrival from work everyday, she went straight to the bath room, pulled her clothes, tops and all, and soaked them overnight. Before she got into the tub next day, she washed them all, and soaked the ones she wore overnight. We men have had a habit of piling up boxers and singlets, or to wear two or three sets in one week, and then pass over the mountain to our women to launder. I learned that washing them up in bits every day over about 10 minutes before the morning bath is one of the easiest of laundry chores to perform.

     

    The date

    Women of yore had a diary culture. Everything about the, including their period onset and all that, was an entry in the dictionary. I was not a diary person and I still am not. I file everything in the Brian and build daily work orders from them on the cell phone and elsewhere. But I learned to mark on the bedroom all calendar birth dates and other anniversaries as well as the likely date for the arrival of a new baby in the family. Today’s young girl keeps no diary. Her life hovers around the android phone, and the social media. She hardly has time for her studies. Let alone

    May educate her on  her menstrual cycle, a monthly and regular event in herself with it’s up and downs. At 18, I read Every Woman. This book offers the young girl information about her body and what may happen to it through out her earth life. It talks about how to calculate the due dates  of the different cycle tenures and the safe periods which makes the use of dangerous contraceptives  unnecessary. Ask the young woman  next to you if she had read the book Every Woman. She will very likely ask in return: likely ask in return: Which one is that one?  A 15 year old who was experiencing

    One day to discard dispose kitchen waste into the wast bin outdoor. A young man walked up to her right before the  pedestrian gate, and asked for direction to a nearby street. The one offer the right turn” she told him. He thanked her and explained that was not what he wanted to tell her. He pointed to her right leg. Blood was dripping down from her knickers. She looked up with a smile and thanked him!  Many girls her age and older are this careless. As several teachers in a all girls secondary school will confirm.

     

    The laundry

    Pants are hung in toilet rooms or out door to dry. In the toilet room, Every flush of the water closet displaces air which comes up with some germs which may settle on the exposed pants. This may be second jeopardy if the paint had been washed with harsh clothes the chemical molecules of which may not have been completely writing off with clean water. Out potten or spores from  plants blown by wind or mite bearing dust may settle on the under. Shaking or beating the under against hard objects may not get rid all unwanted “guests”. Ironing the pant with very hot iron may help. But being largely polyurethane (nylon), this is not always possible. Thus, this may cause vaginal infections such as vaginosis or candidiasis.

     

    Second hands

    I do not understand why women will not feel irritated by the thought of wearing another pant or brassaire. I am told the bottom line is money. A new pant may cost about #1,000 or more but a good GRADE ONE (used or damage)pant may go for about #500. I am told, also, the colours of new pants wash on the outer clothing during exposure to rain water and that the elastic band skiekers easily. I try to imagine if it is thought that the first wearer may have made some deposit unkind to  the vagina on this pant. That is how throughtless daughters and nieces can be when they turn to their mothers or anties briefs box. Often,they are too lazy and too dirty to clean theirs, and recycle dirty pant. One of the young women who sold pants and brassaires to pay her way through the federal technical college (FCT) in Yaba, Lagos, said many of the girls hardly washed their undies. In preparation for visits to their boyfriends at the weekends, they purchased about half a dozen pants and brassaires, pretending cleanliness to these men who, in any case, picked the bills. How would such women bring up clean daughters?

    The challenges to psychic health which like in one person wearing the personal effects of another is a subject for another day!

     

    Clean up

    When the period is over , life begins as usual for many women… Some of them cohabit in the week after because it may be a safe period, whereas it is probably a time to expel the dress still hanging here and there. The moon plants, cucumber and water melon in particular, have been shown to help flush back ups and hang outs while Jobelyn, the Nigerian proprietary blood formula helps to restore blood Loss. It is a time some women  try CLEAN WOMAN therapy (discussed elsewhere in this series) and wear panty liners over their pants. Who knows what chicken may still be coming home roost?

     

    How long

    For how many days should a woman wear one pants, is the function of her personal hygiene. It is like asking about ideal number of menstrual pads a woman should wear in one day. If I am a light bleeder, I would not wish to put the stuff back  on my body once I have shifted it to wee or to poop. For me it is like going to pooped not cleaning up, or cleaning up and sticking the paper back. In my days at the University about 45 years ago, I learned something about the cleans. If we went for morning lecture, they came in with a dress that would be different from the ones they would wear afternoon lecture. Their dresses for the evening lectures as the prep would be different as well. Out of curiosity, I often wondered if the under clothing were changed as well. I guessed they where because brassaires which may be carelessly or deliberately exposed were always changing, sometimes tune with the colours of the outside dressing. Please do not wonder if I was a prying into privacy. I was merely searching for and I got one!

    LAST WEEK

    I discussed PAINFUL MENSTRUATION as one of the commonest menstrual health challenges in Nigeria, after listing some of them …

    • Painful menstration
    • Absence of menstration
    • Heavy bleeding
    • irregular menstration
    • scanty menstration
    • Dark , blood clots in menstration
    • ovarian cysts and polycystic ovarian syndrome
    • uterine fibroids
    • endometriosis
    • smelly menstration
    • Hormonal imbalance

     

    Heavy bleeding

    bleeding, silica or plants which supply it such as horsetail, may, like diatomaceous earth (Diatom), it’s natural  source, strengthen the collagen matrix and reduce blood outflow from the blood vessels. Shepherd’s purse, known for reducing or stopping internal bleeding, helps as well. So does rutin, a carotenoid used especially for strenghtening blood vessels in the eyes that are leaking and causing a condition known as Retinitis pigmentosa .So does Nimosa pudica which yorubas call PATANMO. This words means “put your thighs together”. The plant is also called SENSITIVE PLANT. Its leaves are arranged almost opposite one another. When the hand touches it, both sides come together. This led its observers to believe that, in uterine or other bleeding, Nimosa pudica can act on the nerves to shrink and constrict apertures for blood outflow pawpaw (papaya)leaves may act likewise because it stimulates the production of blood platelets which clump  to prevent excessive bleeding  at the sites of injury. In Asia, it is used to stop the bleeding of Dengue fever about anywhere the eyes, nostrils, ears,mouth, anus, urinary tract etc. Heavy bleeders may also wish to try potato leaves either as a juice cooked vegetable. Their rich store of vitamin K should position them to reduce bleeding.

    Heavy bleeders run the risk of anaemia caused by iron loss. They become easily fatigued and weak due to the loss of blood water volume and iron to make haemoglobin for the production of red blood cells. A shortage of red blood cells means that less oxygen will be transported round the body. This would cause oxygen starvation and many problems which accompany it. Intake of vitamin c in foods or as food supplements should help iron absorbtion. Iron may also be supplied to the body through the consumption of deep leafy vegetables and their juices, beetroot and fruits such as water cress. The fastest way to get iron into the body and rapidly improve the blood hematocrit within 24 hours, has proven in clinical and research studies, is by supplementing the diet with Jobelyn blood formula capsules. This Nigerian herbal blood formula is now sold worldwide for all anaemia related conditions including the treatment of cancers,  and doctor-prescribed.

    Heavy bleeders are girls and women who menstruate for up to 7 days and have to change their pads several times in one day. Apart from iron loss, they may also lose blood water volume and electrolytes for which it may be advisable that they regularly hydrate with pinches of sea salt to help them keep the water and , if need be, be on an oral rehydration therapy.

    Irregular menstruation

    Stress

    And hormonal imbalance are some of the disposing triggers. Peace of mind and good nutrition are among the solutions. Where the hormones (Estrogen), progesterone and  prolactin, among others, are out of balance, it may be restored using herbs such as vitex, Dong Quai, Peruvian Macca, Ashwaganda and black cohosh. To any of these or their combinations may be added marigold flowers in any form, zinc, the fertility mineral, essential fatty acids a proprietary formula , PHTOESTROGEN which helps the body replace harsh human estrogen fraction (Estriol and estradiol) with more friendly plant estrogens. These plant estrogens may be as weak as estrone (E1), the first human estrogene which is produced by young girls just coming to puberty and by menopausal women.

    North American Indians bequeath black cohosh to humanity. They use it for anything from irregular menstruation to absence of menstruation. Modern researchers believe black cohosh raises the blood levels of estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and help to balance them. I know of a woman who was not happy in the neighbourhood where she lived. She was happy at work, and always did not wish to return home. She lost three pregnancies in a row due to hormonal imbalances. She stabilised after she relocated from that neighbourhood and supplemented her diet with these ovarian herbs.

     

    Hypomenorrhoea

    Many women are alarmed when their periods Become scanty. They assume they are on the way “out of circulation”. In many women, the period starts with spotting on the first day which dovetails into normal flow over two or three days before patering out. Spotting occurs in menarchy, the first periods and in premenopausal time. It may, also, arise  as an early sign of pregnancy, weight gain or loss and the corresponding body metabolic rate, (especially in cases of overactive thyroid glands), stress, hormone based contracptives, problems in the ovaries called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), cervical stenosis (weak cervix), early menopause, blood loss, thin endometrium lining of the uterus or scar tissue(s) in the uterus. Each of these possible causes is an interesting subject for which a concerned woman may seek detailed explanations from her gynaecologist. Some explanations may be found in the book EVERY WOMAN by DEREK LLEWELLYN JONES, which I read at 18 in 1968 and gave out as birthday gifts in those days, and WOMEN’S BODY, WOMEN’S WISDOM, by CHRISTIANE NORTHRUP, a gift from my wife about 20 years ago.

    Women respond to blood clots in their periods in different ways. The clots mean nothing to some but means a lot to others .

    These clots may be red in colour, brownish or black. They may be natural or a warning signal of possible oncoming menstrual trouble. They may cause no harm if they are sealants produced by the plasma and blood platelets to block unnecessary bleeding of tiny or fragile blood vessels during menstruation. They may suggest the need for action if they are from previous incomplete menstrual discharge. When not completely discharged, left over menstrual blood backs up in the uterus to become a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses and fungi, all of which are found in uterine fibroid tissue, suggesting that this retrograde blood may be one of about 20 or more possible causes of uterine fibroids. The dark blood clots suggest a state of deoxygenation in the uterus which may cause some of the muscle fibers to die or to grow differently from normal cells in an adaptive process. Apple cider vinegar, taken orally, clears these clots. So does Cayenne pepper and proprietary blood formulas such as cardiotonic pills , vidamax and ISK clear which target blood clots for dissolution. Deoxygenated condition of the uterus may suggest the weakness of it’s muscles which may cause prolapse of the uterus. In this condition, the weakened uterus literally collapses, sometimes blocking passage way from the cervix to the uterus. Ladies mantle may help, being useful in promoting ovulation and boosting progesterone production to prepare the uterus for conception.

     

    Ovarian cyst

    Cysts may occur in any organ. They are fluid filled sacs which may cause health complications if they are not promptly addressed. They arise on the surface of the ovary and may disappear on their own. Where they do not, they may cause infections and disturb ovulation. It is suggested in some studies that they proliferate when the female hormones are out of balance and the male hormones predominate. Sometimes, the cysts are many and the condition is called POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME(PCOS). PCOS may be unilateral, that is affecting only one ovary, or bilateral, affecting both.

    Myoplasma plant medicines such as the proprietary myomin also helps. So do the female-balancing herbs. CLEAN WOMAN is also in the picture. It is inserted into the vagina the second day after menstruation and left on for between three to five days. The contents enter the cervix and, from there, the vagina from where , it is claimed, they may move up to the fallopian tubes, cleansing all the way and resolving health disturbances, before they finally arrive in the ovaries . PCOS may be painful, inhibit fertility and warrant surgical removal of the ovaries in extreme conditions .

    Sometimes, the shape of an organ may signal what may be used to treat it. The ovaries are shaped like the almond. Can this be a secret code? Will eating almonds or drinking almond milk help? We know red kidney beans pod tea like The Golden Six , heals the kidneys. The golden six has also been suggested for the ovaries and fertility like the red clover which is said to dry out the cysts and support ovarian function.

     

    • To be continued

     

     

  • ‘Nigerians don’t need medicines if they eat right’

    ‘Nigerians don’t need medicines if they eat right’

    Many Nigerians do not need medicines if they eat right, since eating right means making healthy food choices from safe, wholesome, and nutritious foods.

    The Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, who stated this, urged Nigerians to ensure that only safe, and wholesome foods are consumed to enhance and boost the immunity and improve the body’s natural defenses in fighting diseases.

    Adeyeye gave the admonition in Abuja during the Fourth World Food Safety Day, with the theme ‘Safer food, better health.’

    Where food is unsafe, nutritional goals cannot be achieved, she advised.

    In a statement, Sayo Akintola, Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, quoted Adeyeye as saying that safe food is essential to sustainable development, since it contributes to the improvement of public health, poverty reduction, and increased food security.

    She noted that the theme of this year is very apt, as the world gradually returns to normal with the COVID-19 pandemic having lost its firm grip on the world.

    Adeyeye pointed out that the theme also aligns with the World Health Assembly 75 theme, which is ‘Health for peace and peace for health,’ adding that safer food indeed takes the front and centre position for better health and relative personal and world peace. “You all know my popular saying about not needing medicine if one eats right. Eating right means making healthy food choices from safe, wholesome, and nutritious foods.

    “The occasion of World Food Safety Day is an added opportunity for us to create and generate awareness around food safety and situate it as a very significant issue of public health concern, especially in the light of safe, wholesome food being important for boosting immunity and improving the body’s natural defences in fighting diseases.

    “The theme ‘Safer food, better health’ is very relevant to us here in Nigeria as a large proportion of the foods we consume are produced by micro- and small-scale producers; these include our smallholder farmers, street food vendors, the traditional, open food markets.”

    Adeyeye, however, noted with dismay that their activities were of concern to safe food practices or lack of it. She added that these foods were exposed to less than hygienic and sanitary conditions, resulting in contamination and leading to incidences and outbreaks of foodborne diseases, situations that are steadily becoming significant food safety concerns.

    The NAFDAC chief said unsafe foods are the cause of many diseases and contribute to poor health conditions, such as impaired growth and development. “We know that food safety is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play in ensuring we have safer food for better health: from growers to processors, to transporters, sellers, buyers, and those who prepare or serve food. Policy makers, educational institutions and workplaces, as well as consumers, are not left out; food safety is the responsibility of all. We must work together to help achieve safer food for better health,” she added.

    She said her ‘Call to action’ on the World Food Safety Day goes out to four groups of stakeholders, namely policy makers and food regulators, food businesses, educational institutions and workplaces as well as the consumers.

    She urged policy makers and food regulators to design public procurement of food, such as food aid, school feeding and other publicly owned food outlets, so that consumers could access safe and healthy foods.

    She added that they should support policy measures and legal frameworks to strengthen the national food safety system and ensure it complies with food safety standards and regulations.

    She, however, urged them to encourage and engage in multisectoral collaboration at the local, national, regional, and global levels.

    Adeyeye said food businesses should also engage employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders to grow and develop a food safety culture; and comply with international and national food standards.

    Also, Adeyeye said educational institutions and workplaces should promote safe food handling as well as engage with families and involve them in food safety activities.

    Above all, Adeyeye admonished consumers to practice safe food handling at home and follow the WHO’s Five Keys to Safer Food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures and use safe water and raw materials.

    She pointed out that NAFDAC as a key actor in the food safety system has the responsibility to key into global best practices that ensure that food placed on the market for sale is safe, wholesome, nutritious and of good quality.

    “We have seized the opportunity of the World Food Safety Day to put together this capacity building event for staff members, and I believe that it will provide an additional layer of awareness and knowledge on food safety as well as ensure a food safety culture that will go beyond the celebration of World Food Safety Day today, while making us true advocates of the consumption of safe foods, leading to improved health outcomes.”

  • Afriglobal joins list of ISO accredited labs in Africa

    Afriglobal joins list of ISO accredited labs in Africa

    Afriglobal Medicare, a diagnostics services company, has been issued ISO 15189:2012 certification, a standard intended to improve the quality and reliability of medical laboratories.

    This represents an essential milestone in a long-term strategic journey in providing much-needed, quality, and affordable diagnostics services to a broad demographic in Nigeria.

    This accreditation demonstrates Afriglobal Medicare’s commitment to quality.

    The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria Accreditation Service conducted the audit of Afriglobal Medicare.

    The certificate presentation ceremony took place on June 7, 2022. The company offers cardiology, pathology, radiology, and wellness services using state-of-the-art technology. ISO 15189:2012 is the world’s most  recognised quality standard for a medical laboratory in developing quality management systems and assessing competence. It guides companies in developing a quality management system that aligns quality with their global business strategy.

    Registrar MLSCN, Dr Tosan Erhabor, noted that Afriglobal was joining the big leagues of medical labs in Nigeria with ISO certification.

    The Chief Executuve Officer (CEO), Afriglobal, Tani Fafunwa, stated the organisation’s goals at inception were simple. “First, build labs around globally recognised systems using operations structured on best practices. Secondly, ultimately, to ensure that the labs operate the highest quality standards for their customers and the society at large.”

    The General Manager Operations, Afriglobal, Bisi Akinjide said: “Our customers have put their trust in our diagnostic systems. Achievement of ISO certification in Afriglobal demonstrates our commitment to a consistently high-quality standard in every aspect of running our laboratories. It gives credence to our core value of putting patient care first.”

    A member of the Afriglobal Group, Afriglobal is one of the foremost medical laboratories in Nigeria. Over the last seven years, Afriglobal has helped over one million Nigerians enjoy access to world-class diagnostics services catering to individuals and corporates. Its services include radiology, pathology, cardiology, endoscopy, wellness, and COVID-19 testing.

  • 2,000 benefit from TREM medical outreach

    2,000 benefit from TREM medical outreach

    No fewer than 2000 people   graced the special medical outreach held to celebrate the 70th birthday of Dr Peace Okonkwo, wife of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) founder, Dr Mike Okonkwo.

    The event, which took place in the headquarters of TREM in Gbagada, Lagos, attracted mainly non-members of the church.

    The medical outreach, included donations from Dr Okonkwo, who is also the Resident Pastor of TREM. Beneficiaries, mostly non-members of the church, trooped to TREM premises in Gbagada, Lagos on Saturday, where they had access to medical check-ups and treatment.

    Beneficiaries received foodstuffs, clothes, exercise books for school children, among other items.

    While interacting with reporters, Dr Okonkwo said: “When I turned 60, I did an outreach on the prevention of cervical cancer. But this time, I decided to be more practical and reach out to people in the society. There are people who are suffering from different illnesses and do not have enough money to pay their medical bills. That is what has informed my decision to help them. There are qualified doctors here in this outreach who I believe can help these people in need.”

    Dr Okonkwo said she acted on her urge to help members of the society who could not afford to get medical attention irrespective of whether they were members of TREM or not.

    She urged other wealthy women to reach out and give back to society. She also urged women to come out and vote in their numbers at the forthcoming elections. “Women who have the means should find their area of calling and give back so that God can use them to bless others. As the elections are coming up, women need to come out and vote because if they refuse to carry out their civic rights, they will inadvertently lose the right to complain in the long run if the wrong candidate later emerges,” she said.

    According to  the Chairman, We Care Ministry, TREM headquarters, Frank Nabena, various services that were rendered during the medical outreach were put together to address the most pressing needs of the needy. The event featured 14 doctors, 16 nurses, lab scientists and several pharmacist.

    Beneficiaries were tested and treated for blood pressure level, sugar level, breast cancer, prostate cancer for men, typhoid and malaria.

    “The church has a non-governmental organisation called Caring Heart Heritage Initiative which helps to extend the helping hand to those who need it. Asides from that, the Care Department in church has already got some reports of people who need further medical help and we intend to get it for them soon,” he said.

    A resident of Gbagada, Bunmi Adejaro, thanked the church for bringing help to the community. “I am not a member of the church but I just finished undergoing the blood pressure and sugar level tests and I was directed to the pharmacy to get some drugs,” she said while appreciating the efforts of the celebrator.

    Another beneficiary, who is not a member of the church, Patience Abraham, described Dr Okonkwo as a woman with a giving heart.

  • Nigeria launches tobacco control website

    Nigeria launches tobacco control website

    The Federal Government in collaboration with Development Gateway (DG), a data for development nonprofit organisation, has developed the Tobacco Control Data Initiative (TCDI) website, which creates a “ one-stop-shop” that would allow stakeholders and the public access the relevant and up-to-date data to advance tobacco control legislation in the country.

    In a statement in Abuja, Development Gateway said the TCDI is in response to the increased use of tobacco products in Nigeria and the various dangers it portends for the public, especially young people.

    According to the Development Gateway, the TCDI has become necessary due to the staggering statistic about tobacco use in Nigeria.

    “At least 16,100 Nigerians die annually because of illnesses linked to tobacco use. 3.2 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 49 used tobacco in 2018; and about 200,000 tobacco users are women (NDHS, 2018). While tobacco consumption globally is decreasing, by 2030 the number of smokers in Africa is anticipated to rise by nearly 40% from 2010 levels.

    “This is the largest expected increase in the world; particularly alarming when juxtaposed with the fact that Nigeria is a tobacco production hub and was the third largest exporter of cigarettes in 2018 (Africa’s Tobacco Epidemic, Tobacco Tactics, 2020).”

    The organisation said the TCDI would fill in the data gap in tobacco control that would enable legislators and decision makers use correct data to inform public health policies.

    “Certain legislative policies are proven to reduce the use of tobacco products. Through their research, the TCDI team identified common themes in the data landscape. These relate to concerns about data accuracy, comparability, timeliness, and accessibility. As a result, the TCDI team understands the data needs and gaps, has identified existing data, and developed the TCDI Nigeria website that enables decision-makers to use essential data to inform tobacco control policy more effectively.”

    Read Also: Tobacco, still the silent killer

    Speaking further, the Development Gateway said the website would make use of primary and secondary data to present tobacco control information in a user-friendly format with graphs, facts and success stories.

    “Together, partners co-designed a publicly available website (https://nigeria.tobaccocontroldata.org/) that aims to address key decision-making needs. The website equips stakeholders in government, civil society, academia, and the general public with reliable and up-to-date evidence to promote tobacco control and public health.

    “It draws on both primary and secondary data sources and presents tobacco control information in user-friendly formats such as graphs, infographics, myths and facts, and success stories. The website will feature six themes: tobacco prevalence, tobacco harm, illicit trade, taxation, industry interference, and shisha use. The website will be updated with new information as this becomes available over the course of the program.”

    In developing the dashboard, the Development Gateway said it made use of existing data as well as interviews with key members of the tobacco control community.  “Before creating the TCDI Nigeria website, the TCDI team assessed the existing data and stakeholder needs through hour-long interviews with key members of the tobacco control community. The learnings from the assessment were validated with stakeholders during a workshop in November 2020 before technical development was started in early 2021. The website was created through an agile, co-design process in close consultation with key tobacco control stakeholders in Nigeria, including the Federal Ministry of Health; Nigerian Tobacco Research Group, Federal Revenue Inland Services.”

    Among the partners working on the dashboard are the Federal Ministry of Health, University of Cape Town Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) and the Development Gateway.

  • Things to know about your doctor before cosmetic surgery

    Things to know about your doctor before cosmetic surgery

    A Port-Harcourt based lady Christabel was confirmed dead in a Lagos hospital from complications after cosmetic surgery, fuelling speculations it could have been a case of medical miscalculation.

    Christabel’s friend alleged on Twitter she complained of bleeding after the surgery but the doctor assured her it was a normal post-surgery symptom.

    Here are five things you should know about your doctor before undergoing cosmetic surgery:

    1. Verify the competence of your surgeon: This would determine your safety and outcome of the surgery. Also ensure he is legally registered under the Nigeria Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon (NAPRAS) to perform a plastic surgery. This association is an umbrella body for trained and certified plastic surgeons as well as trainees to guarantee your safety and competence. The association has a varied list of certified plastic surgeons in Nigeria and to ensure your surgeon has had an extensive training specifically in plastic surgery.

    2. Find out if your surgeon has operating privileges. These privileges are granted to surgeon based on recommendations by their peers/ colleagues.

    3. You should look out for accreditated ambulatory facility: should a problem arise; this would give you an assurance that your surgeon have all the life support, capabilities, training and equipment to see to life threatening situations.

    4. Ask questions on your surgeon’s anesthetist: It is very important to find out your surgeon uses a trained, registered and certified anesthetist as it is one of the riskiest aspects of cosmetic pro surgery.
    5. Lastly ask about your recovery and how long it would take to return to your usuals.

  • World Menstruation Day…a bow for the circle (1)

    World Menstruation Day…a bow for the circle (1)

    May 28 was the Day of the “Red Indians” or, if you like, of “The Chinese Army”. If the headline did not give me out, “the Red Indians” or “the Chinese Army” was the coded language for describing menstruation in the circles of the male teenagers and young men of my growing up years. In those days, about 50 years ago, girls and women talked about menstration in hush tones, father’s left everything about the menstruation of their daughters to the mothers or to some other women, mothers only warned their daughters against being “touched” by boys and men, and the young girls gathered most of the information they needed to understand this monthly bleeding condition from their peers who, before them, had learned to ride over the storm. Today, menstruation and menstrual health talk have become more open…thanks to a day such as May 28, the World Menstrual Health Day, when almost everything about menstruation is brought out from under the bushel to the table top for display in the manner of a fair.

    On May 17, 2022, the Spanish Government became the first European country to propose to parliament a bill which made government finance three to five days menstrual vacation for work-class women who suffered from painful menstruation, if their doctors certified them unfit for work. Equality Minister Irene Monero said: “The law will recognise a health problem that has been largely swept under the carpet for long. Periods will no longer be a taboo…we would be the first country in Europe to introduce a temporary sick leave that is fully financed by the state for painful and incapacitating periods. No more going to work with pain, no more taking pills before arriving at work and having to hide the fact we are in pain that makes us unable to work.”

    The bill is not 100 per cent popular among women and politicians. Some women say it would stigmatise women in offices and encourage employers to prefer male workers to them. The draft bill is not surprising. Since the government came to power in 2018, more women featured in the cabinet, taking powerful positions such as economy, defence and finance. This probably explains why the draft bill on menstrual health even crosses the boundary to reproductive health, seeking to offer girls aged 16 and 17 the right to not obtain the permission of their parents before having abortions which may be free in public hospitals. Not only that, contraceptions and menstrual hygiene products will be distributed free in high schools, while sex education will be expanded and “strengthened” .

    Pauline Keden Tallen

    The Spanish women’s offensive in the public space may have been giving Pauline Tallen, Nigeria’s Women Affairs minister  nightmares. Where do we start from, one can almost hear her asking herself. But before she gets cracking and roaring, I would like to say the Spanish model is not much of a good idea to copy. It is like chasing shadows, sparing leprosy to wage war on ring worm. Wouldn’t it have been better to get to the root of what causes menstrual health problems, that is the diet, and dietarily resolve them? In any case, what time has Pauline Tallen got left in the Buhari-led administration to begin to talk about menstration and, on top of that, railroad President Buhari to pay for menstrual cramps or heavy bleeding from lean government resources? Wouldn’t the men say that is dirty blood talk for which they never wanted women in government? Right now, the men have gone into the trenches to fight for their political lives. Atiku Abubakar has just picked the PDP, opposition party ticket for the 2023 presidential election. He is not a political mince meat. His victory in the PDP has put Southeastern and Middle Belt politicians in confusion, if not in disarray. Southwestern politicians now have the candidature of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the APC to contend with. His coming is like that of a thief in the night to disrupt a banquet when the tables are almost all well set. In the core North, there is rejoicing that another Fulani president and a Moslem is again on the way. But it cannot be Uhuru until the insulted Southwest has been boxed up for the next eight years.

    Away from politics

    Who even says women  may have been biologically designed to menstruate? This question was posed to humanity in the 1980s by two sisters, Leslie and Barbara Kenton, in two books, Raw Energy and The New Raw Energy. They led us to the wild where some female animals were not menstruating but  reproductive. Leslie and Barbara followed for years researchers who found that these animals ate a lot of food very rich in Beta carotene. Could Betacarotene be the secret of their reproductive health wonder, the researchers wondered. So, they set up studies with some women. Some were fed Betacarotene rich foods, others foods deficient in Betacarotene. Those who ate Betacarotene deficient food menstruated regularly or irregularly while those who are in abundance of Betacarotene in the diet failed to menstruate. In Nigeria, and perhaps in other parts of the world, reproductive age women panic if they suddenly fail to menstruate. The researchers, too, wondered… would the stoppage of menstruation make the volunteers for their human studies become infertile? They were surprised that, in the study duration, many women who had high blood levels of Betacarotene became pregnant! I saw an example of such women about 10 years later, during a conference of Traditional medicine at the Gothe Institute in Lagos. She came with two  children. They had been expelled from her home by the townfolks somewhere in Benue or Plateau State for not menstruating but fertile and having babies! Her situation reminded me of the fate of twins in Calabar before the advent of the missionary Mary Slessor. Calabar people hitherto considered twins bad omen and killed them. Can we today not wonder if menstruation is a disease and menstrual mishaps co-travellers of this disease?

    The researchers found that women who did not menstrate but were, nevertheless, reproductive did not shed the lining of their wombs every month if they were not pregnant. Pregnancy means one or more eggs from one or both ovaries have been fertilised by sperm in the fallopian tube. The fertilised egg descends into the womb and embeds itself in the lining of the womb which, thereafter, grows to become the placenta. If no fertilisation takes place, the egg and the lining, known as the endometrium,  disintegrate and are expelled from the womb in the blood flow known as menstration. The researchers found that in women who had an abundance of Betacarotene, no such disintegration and blood outflow took place. This let them to conclude that women are menstrating today probably because they do not have enough Betacarotene in their systems, and menstration may be a symptom of Betacarotene deficiency. Gynaecologists may wish to examine this assumption. One of the facts known about Betacarotene today is that it is a pro vitamin or a precursor of vitamin A. Secondly, it is also known that vitamin A is a nutritional friend of the inner lining of all hollow tubes in the human body, including the uterus.

    Nigeria  Outlook

    The way Nigerian women celebrated  May 28, 2022 World  Menstrual Health Day was “normal normal” as we say. There were talk shows on radio and television and speeches were made here and there. The bottom line was that talk of menstruation between girls and their mothers or among grown up males and females in society was still done hush hush. Maybe this has still to do with the awe in which the human blood is held or with the mystery of the blood. Understandably, many women still  find it unwomanly to discuss their personal experiences where men are. Girls and women said the prices of sanitary products have more than doubled in one year. There was little or no mention of how many Nigerian women are confronted by uterine fibroids every year, although this condition would appear to have gained epidemic status and, very soon, like menstruation, may be considered a natural biological feature of women. Similarly, we did not learn about maternal health. I thought this should be of interest to women, even if it is not related to menstrual health. My mother died in 1959 after having her fifth baby at what is now Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos (Then a general hospital, because she could not expel the placenta and she bled to death. How I wish she or my father knew about Ewe Abiwere, a Yoruba herb which facilitates easy birthing. Between then and now, many more women do not return home from the labour room. Nigeria is now said to be the country on earth where the most women die of pregnancy-related matters. This should be more of concern to women’s empowerment advocates. Of what use is getting a girl through university if she would die in the labour room some day? Our women do not face menstruation questions in the work place as do European women. Most male bosses show understanding and respect for the menstral woman. They have wives, daughters and sisters. Any woman can get round a naughty male boss with a doctor’s “sick leave” certificate in Nigeria!

    Nigeria’s menstrual health issues

    Among the commonest menstrual health questions in Nigeria are:

    • Painful menstruation
    • Absence of menstruation
    • Heavy bleeding
    • Irregular menstruation
    • Scanty menstruation
    • Dark blood clots in menstruation
    • Ovarian cysts and polycystic ovarian syndrome
    • Uterine fibroids
    • Endometriosis
    • Smelly menstruation
    • Hormonal imbalance

    Painful Menstruation

    My sister was a spectacle to behold in her teens. Heavy migraines accompanied her periods which also came with heavy, painful cramping of the uterine muscles. She would cry, scream and sprawl on the floor. One day, our mother’s father in the village sent for her. He took her to a nearby bush, picked a certain leaf, placed it on her head and asked her to tie her scarf on it. At sunset, she was to remove the leaf without letting it fall and bury it in the soil anywhere. That process ended her nightmares. Unfortunately, that generation is gone with priceless medical knowledge. The popular belief about pain is that it comes from irritation which begets inflamation. There are many irritants in the uterus. These may range from heavy metals, microbes and elevated levels of arachidonic acid and excess levels of estrogen, the female hormone and the pro-inflamatory prostaglandins, hormone like substances. Where heavy metals are suspected, chelated minerals, such as chelated zinc, may be used. Chlorella is a good chelating herb. It works well with cilantro. Elsewhere, I will mention the use of Clean Woman and specially medicated panty liners.

    Estrogenated women are known to experience painful periods. Estrogenation means they have more estrogen in their bodies than they ought to have in relation to other female hormones, especially progesterone. Sometimes, estrogen levels are not over the bar. It may be progesterone levels that are below the mark, thereby artifificially creating an estrogen surfeit. In that situation, zinc, a fertility mineral, and lady’s mantle, a uterine herb, may be taken to increase progesterone levels. Where estrogen levels are very high, sometimes dragging prolactin levels up as well, the diet may be the first port of call. Many women enjoy drinking milk. They do not know that, for a female cow to produce milk almost everyday of her life, and in commercial quantity for that matter, estrogen is fed into her diet to stimulate her milk-producing glands. The residues of the estrogen mix gets into the milk product and enters the body of a human milk drinker. With this exposure, and the retreat from dairy milk by many persons, the dairy milk industry is powerfully fighting back to protect and expand its market.

    This year, it has proclaimed June 1, that is yesterday, as World Dairy Milk Day. The celebrations were preceded with Enjoy Dairy activities from May 29 to 31. The programmes were aimed at educating populations around the world that dairy milk was good for their health. Estrogenated women will also have to do away with poultry chicken and poultry egg. The hen in the poultry is given estrogen in the feed to produce egg almost every day. Residues of the estrogen in the eggs and bodies of hens are consumed by some women almost everyday, stimulating their own bodies unknown to them. Some studies have shown that young girls exposed to dairy and poultry products come to puberty too early in life, with all the attendant problems, and that some men so exposed may bear estrogen loads higher than those of their wives, causing reproductive challenges. Even where estrogenated women abstain from dairy and poultry products, they will still have the products stored in soft plastics to abstain from. In Nigeria, one of these products is “pure water”. When sun heat or other heat impact this satchet water brand, Zeno estrogens migrate from the plastic to the water.

    One way to address estrogenation is to empower the liver to adequately break down excess estrogen complexes into fragments, wrap them up with bile salt produced in the liver and concentrated in the gall bladder from where they are released into the intestine for evacuation of estrogen fragments in the intestine out of the body through the stool. The liver requires bitter principles to make bile salts but, unfortunately, many Nigerian women hate to take bitter food or herbs. Even where they do, they will still need fiber in the diet to wholesomely evacuate the estrogen fragments through the stool. Unfortunately, again, women tend to have specialised in quick fix non- fibre foods, especially white flour foods, over processed cereals and fries. The result is that when estrogen fragments arrive in the colon without dietary fiber to “imprison” them, they may be easily absorbed into the bloodstream, thereby increasing the estrogen load and continuing the vicious cycle. There are many forms of dietary fibre in the Nigerian market. Some of them are slippery elm, psyllium seed husk, chia seeds, diatom and milla which is my favourite.

    Some studies point out to magnesium deficiency and an excess calcium load as causes of painful periods. Free calcium may cause wild contractions which rapidly produce lactic acid and sore muscles easily quietened with potassium. In this conception of painful menstruation, magnesium may be given orally before or at the onset of the period or, in liquid form, massaged deep into the pain site. This may be pure magnesium oil or a mixture of it and pure aloe vera juice, the anthroquinones of which ease pain . Omega 3 fatty acids help out as an anti-inflammatory and is, in fact, preferred to ibruprofen by some care givers. Vitamin E cannot be left out.

    It is the vitamin of muscles. On the Nigerian shelf today are proprietary formulas such as Choleduz (Omega 3 fish oil and vitamin E), Abeta care (Vitamin A), Betacarotene, vitamin C  and vitamin E and singlet blends such as evening primerose oil, a good friend of the female body and zinc, the fertility mineral. Many women do not eat well and, so, have too little potassium in their muscles, especially the uterine muscles. Potassium helps to neutralise lactic acid which is formed in the muscles when they are active. Lactic acid causes soreness and pain in the muscles. Potassium neutralises it. If you have not done muscular work for a long time such as hoeing, exercising, lifting heavy objects etc, you are likely to feel muscle pains the following day or after. This is because when the muscles burn blood sugar to produce energy for the work, the process releases lactic acid as a waste product. It is the lactic acid which torments the muscles until enough potassium may be mobilised to neutralise it.

    The uterus is a bundle of muscles and needs plenty of potassium, especially during the menstrual cycle. I do not recommend proprietary potassium supplements because the kidneys of some people may not be able to handle them. Potassium is better obtained from foods and potassium rich herbal supplements. A herb very rich in potassium is dandelion. A proprietary herbal formulas rich in potassium is the Canadian-made Matol. Fruits and vegetables are rich in potassium. Banana and avocado pear are good sources of it. Watermelon, orange are also fairly good sources. They may obtain lots of potassium from green leafy vegetables, water, golden melons etc. In my household, we strive to eat well. My wife never experienced painful menstruation and she has always been uterine fibroids free.

  • How to sanitise drug distribution

    How to sanitise drug distribution

    At a conference organised by the Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Distribution Association of Nigeria (PDWAN), stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector have suggested strategies for achieving a seamless distribution of pharmaceutical products, reports Associate Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF.

    It was its maiden yearly conference – and stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector believed it lived up to its billings.

    One year after its inauguration, the Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Distribution Association of Nigeria (PWDAN), a group which fosters and promotes best practices in the pharmaceutical supply chain, gathered the crème de la crème in the pharmaceutical industry to brainstorm on the best ways to sanitise the moribund drug distribution environment. The conference, with the theme, “Pharmaceutical supply chain in Nigeria – Quo Vadis,” aimed at bringing sanity to the drug supply chain.

    For years, stakeholders in the health sector have advocated for a holistic sanitisation of the pharmaceutical supply chain as well as proper regulation to enthrone a consistent flow of safe and affordable medicines across the country. This position, experts have often insisted, is anchored on the belief that the growth of the wholesale distribution sector of the pharmaceutical supply chain in Nigeria is perpetually hampered by poor infrastructure, lopsided regulations, and lack of political will on the part of the government as well as unprofessional conducts on the part of the practitioners. In other words, an unending chaotic drug distribution system has promoted the circulation of fake and adulterated drugs, leading to treatment failures and other aberrations.

    Applauding the birth of PWDAN and expressing their desires to work with the group to enable the country to have a more robust system that is devoid of ugly practices plaguing the pharmaceutical supply chain in the country, dignitaries from various subsectors of the industry that attended the conference said the time has come for Nigeria to evolve a new order where sanity rules.

    In his keynote address, Dr Solomon Aigbavboa, a renowned expert in global drug distribution chain, asked  stakeholders to commence action to re-shape the supply chain system in Nigeria.

    He asked his audience: “Where are we going with our pharma supply chains in Nigeria?” His presentation, based on theme admitted that the pharmaceutical supply chain is beleaguered with many challenges, which are impacting negatively on the performance of the healthcare delivery as a whole. Aigbavboa listed some of the woes of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain: stock-outs and product shortages; fake and counterfeit products; product expiration; corruption; poor Infrastructure; weak regulatory system and other disruptions.

    According to him, the supply of medicines in Nigeria is largely dependent on imports, with estimated 70 per cent of medicines supply imported; while the balance from local production. Despite the purported good news that this figure has risen to about 40 per cent for local production, he lamented that this is not sufficient to guarantee national drug security aspiration; given the fact that the critical take-off point (the inbound segment) is largely vulnerable.

    “The configuration of our pharmaceutical supply chains is linked to the organisational structure of the country both at the public and private sectors. This results in multiple layers of decision points both for stock storage and distribution along the supply chains. The public sector supply chains are  managed by the Ministries of Health at the three tiers of government who operate through the various Central Medical Stores and sometimes, a pool of motor vehicles, whether owned or outsourced.

    “As a result, they have remained weak and ineffective, threatening the overall success, efficiency and effectiveness of the various chemotherapies and outcomes of the healthcare delivery systems. Ultimately, the overall health system fails in its ability to adequately cater for the healthcare essentials of the population. To varying degrees, these challenges negatively affect the effectiveness and efficiencies of the countries’ pharmaceutical supply chains and pose a big risk to medicine security, among other factors,” he said.

    To move forward and achieve a resilient, efficient, and effective supply chain system in Nigeria, Aigbavboa said there must be political will and commitment from the government, pharma supply chain education, regulatory harmonisation and cohesion, IT-driven channels’ integration as well as collaboration.

    Describing PWDAN as a child of necessity, which has come to redress the putrid chaos pervading the pharmaceutical product distribution,  President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PCN), Prof Cyril Usifoh, promised that efforts were afoot to perfect the drug distribution system. He was represented at the event by the national treasurer of the society, Gafar ‘Lanre Madehin.

    While the Chairman of the event, Prof Lere Baale, urged PDWAN to address drug distribution, which he said is the most important challenge in the marketing of pharmaceutical products; the National Chairman of PDWAN, Ernest Okafor, said the group  was ready to collaborate with  stakeholders to correct the chaotic drug distribution.

    Also, in her address, Clare Omatseye, Managing Director of JNC International, a pharmaceutical company, called for a functional pharmaceutical supply chain to ensure consistent flow of affordable medicine in Nigeria. Decrying Nigeria’s chaotic drug distribution, Omatseye said the process should not be allowed to remain porous as it is poses serious threat to drug security.

    “We should be able to streamline our drug distribution, and make sure people have access to quality medicines, vaccines and other pharmaceutical consumables. In my opinion and based on other reports, our drug distribution in the country is under a serious threat due to the porous and chaotic ways things are being run. The objective of what we are talking about today is access to quality healthcare that is affordable, efficacious and effective.

    “The only way we can overcome these challenges of chaotic drug distribution is to be self-sufficient through local production. Our healthcare system was exposed during the height of COVID-19 pandemic, and it shows our fragmented system as it is, because there was shortage of pharmaceuticals consumables. We should not be dependent on other nations for drugs; we need to have our raw materials, packaging materials and other needed essentials. Any nation that is import-dependent cannot talk about drug security. As a country, we have suffered from two types of drains, because, prior to COVID-19 pandemic, every week, about six doctors left the country to look for greener pasture. We also have patient drain, because people travel abroad to seek medical care, and this amounts to a lot of money every year. If the money is spent on the country, it will be a major boost to our healthcare system,” she said.

    Also, former PSN president, Dr Ahmed Yakasai, urged PWDAN to work assiduously to achieve the association’s objectives. “We know the problem of drug distribution in Nigeria, and I think now is the time to put an end to the problem. I expect PWDAN members to remain committed to their objective and goals in everything they do, and they must work with other bodies to achieve their aim. We cannot shy away from block-chain technology; we have to go through the rigours to learn about block-chain technology from manufacturers to end-users. We must be IT-driven in whatever we want to do as practitioners in this field or we will remain in the analogue stage,” he said.

  • MTN Foundation calls for collaborative fight against substance abuse

    MTN Foundation calls for collaborative fight against substance abuse

    It’s no news that substance abuse is a major public health, social and individual problem and is seen as an aggravating factor for economic crises.

    A 2019 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that 35 million people suffer from drug disorders globally and opioids such as codeine, morphine and many others are responsible for the death of two-thirds of the 585,000 people who died from substance abuse.

    In Nigeria, drug abuse has become worrisome among youths. According to Atinuke Aduloju, the Chief Superintendent of Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), over 40 per cent of youths within 18-and 35 abuse drugs. This is not just a threat to public health, but also to the future of young Nigerians, as there is still a rapid increase in the number of youths addicted to drugs.

    The effects of substance abuse are limitless and can affect the quality of life of those who fall victim. The youth constitute a large percentage of the labour market in Nigeria, and addiction to drugs affects workplace productivity, which is detrimental to the nation’s economy. Students involved in substance abuse are not left out as academic performance, relationships with fellow students and the society at large are negatively affected.

    In 2018, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) released a documentary on substance abuse in Nigeria and the development of addiction. In response, the Federal Government prohibited the importation and production of codeine-containing cough syrup to reduce the availability of codeine, especially from pharmacies. Policies and taxes such as the sin tax have been developed to increase the cost of tobacco and alcohol to reduce purchase and consumption.

    To curb this menace among youths, various programmes, campaigns and initiatives have been established to raise awareness against substance abuse among the youth. One of such initiatives is the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) by the MTN Foundation.

    MTN Foundation launched the ASAP initiative in 2019 as a multi-sectoral platform to increase awareness of the negative impact of substance abuse and addiction among young Nigerians. The goal of this scheme is to discourage first-time and causal use of addictive drugs amongst the youth. Since its inception, influential Nigerians such as singer, Joseph Akinfenwa (popularly known as Joeboy), neuro-psychiatrist and mental health advocate, Maymunah Kadiri, and the former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, have lent their voice and shown commitment to working with stakeholders to drive this good cause.

    This year, in partnership with the UNODC, the Ministry of Education and the NDLEA, the MTN Foundation is starting another campaign to drive this purposeful cause. The campaign will include various activities, such as the Unplugged Training, Volunteer Training, Quiz Competition, an Advocacy Walk and a National Conference

    The training is an evidence-based programme in partnership with UNODC and the Ministry to educate and enlighten secondary school teachers in 30 schools about substance abuse and the application of knowledge gained to positively impact the students. The volunteer training on the other hand is aimed at educating select individuals on how to counsel victims of substance abuse and help them overcome addiction. As much as the ASAP initiative is to discourage first-time drug abuse, there is also an urgent need to help those  dealing with substance abuse.

    The advocacy walk is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of substance abuse on young Nigerians and its effects on society. The walk would also be an opportunity to inform the  public of the national conference and other activities taking place as a result of the ASAP initiative.

    To enlighten young Nigerians about substance abuse and its consequence, the MTN Foundation in coalition with NDLEA is organising a quiz on substance abuse for youths in secondary schools. The winners of the quiz will be announced on June 26 during the national conference.

    The national conference, which will hold on June 26, is to commemorate the World Drug Day and have important conversations about the role and responsibilities of people and organisations in the fight against substance abuse.

    The ASAP campaign is a strategic endeavour by the MTN Foundation to impact and make a significant change in the lives of many young Nigerians. In partnership with public and private organisations, all the activities lined up for the ASAP campaign will enlighten more people and help  Nigerians understand that they have a part to play in the fight against substance abuse and addiction.

  • What you probably didn’t know about monkeypox outbreak

    What you probably didn’t know about monkeypox outbreak

    The World Health Organisation(WHO) has reported 1,365 cases and 69 fatalities related to monkey pox in five African nations where the virus is endemic.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) confirmed 21 cases of the disease across Rivers (1), Imo (1), Kano (2), FCT (2), Cross River (2), Delta (2), Bayelsa (2), Lagos (4) and Adamawa (5)

    The viral zoonosis monkey pox, is a virus transferred to people from animals with symptoms comparable to those seen in smallpox patients in the past, however it is less severe clinically.

    Monkey pox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health since the eradication of smallpox, and the consequent suspension of smallpox vaccination.

    On May 7, 2022, United Kingdom authorities officially notified the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of a confirmed case of monkey pox with a link to Nigeria. In this notification, it was stressed that the individual is a UK resident who arrived in Nigeria on April 20, 2022, travelled to Lagos and Delta States during the time spent in Nigeria, departed Lagos on May 3, 2022 and arrived in the UK on May 4, 2022.

    Fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and tiredness are some of the symptoms. A rash can appear, usually on the face, and then spread to other parts of the body. The rash evolves and progresses through stages, similar to chicken pox, before creating a scab that eventually falls off.

    Anyone, according to the World Health Organisation, is at risk of getting infected with the virus. Children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people are thought to be particularly vulnerable.

    These diseases were recorded between the middle of December and the end of May, however it is less severe clinically.

    At this time, the World Health Organization (WHO) does not suggest any specific treatment for monkeyypox. The smallpox vaccine, on the other hand, was crucial in eradicating smallpox decades ago, and it can be highly effective — 85 percent – in preventing monkey pox.

    Although monkey pox is not a sexually transmitted illness, it can be spread by close contact during sex when a rash is present.

    People with possible, probable or confirmed monkey pox should avoid contact with other people until their lesions have healed and the scabs have dried off. Cases can reduce the risk of transmission by following standard cleaning and disinfection methods and washing their own clothing and bed linen with standard detergents in a washing machine.

    Taking precautions such as hand hygiene is especially important following interaction with diseased or suspected infected animals or humans. Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.