The Nation Newspaper

Category: Health

  • No hooting please…many people are going deaf

    No hooting please…many people are going deaf

    From the windows of my bedroom on the first floor of a house bordered by three roads, I distinctly hear private conversations going on on the street. At six in the morning, I am woken up by steel rollers of a factory gate in a residential house screeching against tight steel runners. At first, I thought motorists were not familiar with the road and were desperately trying to not plunge into a crevice where the road makes a 90 degrees left turn. I had cause to worry over those screeches because, about two years ago, a motorist ploughed into the fence of my residence after running over the open drainage and kerb stones beside it. The impact sounded like the sound of a blast. But the fence stood its ground with little few cracks here and there. This was a benefit of making the fence not with hollow but solid bricks which combined granite dust, sharp sand and cement, one bag of which produced not 30 bricks ,but 15. I noticed, amid it all, that there had recently come around professional drivers who either came early in the morning to take their bosses to work, or brought them back in the evenings. These men are not like the courier man who lives opposite my house and regularly picks things to dispatch for me or brings to me whatever other persons are sending to me. I know him as Bog Logistics Emmanuel (08134914838). He neither hoots nor knocks, let alone bang on my gate. Rather, he telephones me from the gate. He is an amazing world of difference from these drivers. They park on the road, hooting for minutes on end until their masters had boarded in the mornings or until the gates had been opened in the evenings. They are probably Christians or Moslems who had heard of the commandment Thou Shall  Not Steal. Are they aware they are stealing someone’s right to peace of mind? I always wonder. What if there was an insomniac around who hardly slept all night, who was just managing to catch 10 minutes sleep? What if there was a nursing mother around who didn’t sleep all night because her baby wouldn’t sleep but who was just about to fall asleep because she had just luckily got the baby to sleep? What of persons who rely on the calm of the night to do creative work and require dawn and early morning sleep to compensate their bodies and their health for the vicissitudes of night? I believe it is for those and more people, in fact because of all of us, both the noise maker and the noise consumer, that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared April 26 every year a No Horns Day. Actually, this article was originally intended for publication on or around 2022 No Horns Day.

    I do not know if on board a Nigerian passenger bus, you have ever paid attention to someone several seats ahead of you making a phone call. He may be talking so loudly that his voice will drown the sound of the bus engine. People who speak like that  are probably going deaf without realising it. They shout because they do not hear their voices. Only when they do they believe other people are hearing them. They do not realise that they are shouting! WHO knows about such persons and us, their defenceless victims. To protect them against themselves and to protect us from their nuisance, March 3 of every year is celebrated worldwide as World Hearing Day. This event complements the world’s campaign against environmental noise pollution, in which even motorists are encouraged to observe a No Horns Day on April 26.

     

    Noise poisoning  

    Unknown to many Nigerians, some type of noise can damage the cells in the inner ear and cause hearing loss or deafness. Shouting before one can hear oneself is as much a sign of hearing loss as it is of a large thunderous sound to hear. This is why sound levels are regulated in noise and hearing conscious societies. Internationally, sound is measured with a sound meter for this purpose. In Lagos, Nigeria, a very noisy city, the approved noise levels are

    • Daytime in residential areas…55 decibels
    • Night time in residential areas…45decibels
    • Day or night time in industrial areas…90 decibels

    Expensive and big electricity generators produce between 60 and 90 decibels of sound , but smaller, smoky ones overdue for servicing produce much more. You can, therefore, imagine an environment where many small, smoky and noisy electricity generators are running at the same time. I do not like to be a difficult neighbour to my neighbours but, once or twice, I had to invite one of them to my sitting room. His generator was at the back of his house which was adjacent to my sitting room. He was shocked to discover that, inadvertently, he had been pumping noise and smoke on my household. He apologised and relocated the generator. In the opposite house, a woman in the top flat was nasty. She put her generator right beside the ground floor bedroom of a medical doctor whose wife had just had a baby. I intervened, as an elder, in their quarrels to no avail. When the doctor got tired of complaining, he stopped the generator one night, opened the petrol tank and filled it with table salt. The engine knocked. The woman called the police who detained the doctor overnight for wilful damage to property. When the doctor came out of detention, he reported the disturbance to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency which promptly visited the property and sanctioned the woman. Many people who live in face-to-face room apartments experience worse circumstances. Electricity generators may run in the common corridors piling the rooms with noise, smoke and petrol fumes. The machines may mount in the compounds. Music may be played at the highest pitches. At outdoor parties, some people sit near the band stands or the massive loudspeakers. Agege Pen Cinema, like Oshodi motor park and Iyana-Ipaja, for example, are noise disaster areas in Lagos that LASEPA may never be able to control. It may shock many people who carelessly blare car horns that typical car horns may hit between 106 and 109 decibels. This is more than double the permissible level in residential areas during the day or night. In 2020, LASEPA received 4,700 complaints. About half of them were against noise making by churches and mosques. Twenty percent came from religious events in buildings and other enclosures not officially registered for religious activities. The remainder came from other sources. These included open air parties, business houses, and shops, which announce their businesses with loud music and, among others, motor parks which rely on loudspeakers to announce bus routes.

     

    Noise damage

    Noise causes not only the likelihood of hearing loss or deafness. It may also cause hypertension, insomnia and depression. That is why soldiers on a battlefield may suffer several types of damage to their health long after a war, and dwellers in the approaches of aircraft landing or take off need to be doubly concerned about their health. In noisy Lagos, a long track of rail line runs only a child’s stone throw from residential houses. In a residential estate I am familiar with, a boarding secondary school disturbs all day with drumming and microphone noise. According to www.cdc. gov: “Loud noise can damage cells and membranes in the cochlea. Listening to loud music can overwork hair cells in the ear, which can cause these cells to die. The hearing loss progresses as long as the exposure continues. Harmful effects might continue even after noise exposure has stopped.”

    Nigerians account for more than 8.5 million sufferers of hearing loss in a 466 million global population, according to Professor Julius Ademokoya, president of the Speech Pathologist and Audiologists Association in Nigeria (SPAAN) in 2020.

     

    How we hear

    How we hear is an interesting process. Many of us know of the ear and nothing else. The ear is the external end of the hearing process. It gathers sound waves from the environment and channels them through a narrow passage called the ear canal because ear wax sometimes fills it up in an attempt by the immune system to trap dust, germs and other substances which may cause trouble(s) for the delicate inner tissues of the hearing system. The sound waves channeled by the outer ear through this narrow tube are received at the inner end of the tube by the ear drum. This is a delicate tissue which may be perforated by pressure and other impacts, causing deafness. The vibrations of the ear drum impact the first of three small bones in the inner ear. The three small bones are called Hammer (also called malleus, incus and stapes). Hammer is the outermost of the three, incus, the middle one and stapes, the innermost which connects the middle ear to the inner ear. Each of these tiny bones pass on the vibrations they have received from the ear drum. In other words, it can be said that the hammer vibrates against the incus and the incus vibrates against the stapes. It is like baton changing hands in a relay race. Thus, the effectiveness and efficiency of these bones, through diet and hygeine and, of course, the right amount of sound pressure impacted on them is important for their fidelity of communication and premium hearing capacity.

     

    Inner ear

    The bony stapes stands on the outer boundary of the middle ear towards the inner ear, vibrating into the innermost section of the ear divided into three sections. These divisions are the vestibule, the three semi-circular canals and the cochlea.

    The vestibule, among other functions, is responsible for the body’s state of physical balance.

    The three sem-circular canals are fluid filled. Their fluids move hither and thither in response to the body’s physical movements, to keep balance. In the cochlea, amplified sound vibrations from the middle ear are received and converted into nerve impulses which the auditory nerves take to the brain for interpretation. About 25,000 nerve endings are believed to be involved in the process. In the cochlea are hair like projections which help in the sound transmission. It is believed that every new born has 12,000 hearing cells. These may be damaged or lost during earth life by loud noises or other inhospitable circumstances. They are irreplaceable; noise induced hearing loss affects many professionals— carpenters , miners, oil explorers, heavy duty construction workers and, none the least, soldiers. Many Gulf War soldiers suffered hearing loss. Back home in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari exhibits hearing loss symptoms from the Nigerian Civil War. Uncharitably, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar sought to exploit this in calling for a television debate with the President during their 2019 presidential election campaign.

    Some of the early signs of hearing loss may be ringing in the ear, buzzing sounds in the ear, inability to hear high pitch sounds such as the singing of birds or hooting of automobiles, fullness or pressure in the ear, exposure to noisy music. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) may be instant or gradual, depending on if the exposure is one off or continual.

     

    Remedies  

    Hearing is more about nerves than anything less. Thus, nerve nutrition and antioxidant defence against free radicals should be the cornerstone of daily care of the sense of hearing. I have sighted some proprietary formulas in the Nigerian market which may be of help. One of them is Hearing Health by Bell and the other is Neuro Booster by Shineway. Yet another is neurocell plus. There are others still that are not nerve specific by name but which nevertheless should favourably impact on the nervous system. In their ranks are such nutritives as Complete Phyto Energiser by Aim Global and from the same stable as well, C 247, an anti-aging formula designed to literally hold the hands of the clock or turn it backwards.

    Of hearing health, the product literature says: “An innovative combination of vitamins, minerals, herbs and bioflavonoids…may help maintain and support healthy hearing, attempts to relieve symptoms of Tinutus, rich in anti-oxidants for projection of your hearing, possibly halts damage from free radicals”. The ingredients include “marjoram extract, citrus bioflavonoids, magnesium, parsley extract, potassium, NAD, zinc, vitamin B-12, folic acid (as in folliate) and vitamin D3.”

    Neuro Booster from Shineway is, understandably, targeted at the brain, orign of the nerves. I added it to my shopping list for glaucoma after I read Joe Lovett’s report that he cleared his own glaucoma using coconut oil to stimulate brain derived neurotrophic factors (BDNFs). Referring to new studies which he said linked glaucoma to denaturing of brain cells which control the eyes, he said BDNFs must have cleared his brain discomfeitures to clear his glaucoma. This protection and strengthening of brain nerves is important for the health of nerves throughout the body. The nerve which makes hearing possible is called the Auditory Nerve. It arises from a complex web of nerves in the cochlea, located in the  inner ear, links up with the central nervous system (CNS) and eventually terminates in the neurons of the back brain in a location known as the “junction of the medulla and the pons”.

    What has Neuro Booster to offer against hearing loss? It’s literature speaks of four ingredients…Alpha Lipoic Acid, Acetyl N Carnitine, Co enzyme Q 10 and naturally-fermented ubiquinone.

    Neuro cell plus is another nerve health formula. It is put up as a stem cell formula and parades some important B complex vitamins. Some of them are methyl cobalamin, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), Niacinamide D panthenol. Methyl cobalamine produces vitamin B12. A deficiency of this vitamin may cause blood cells to develop into abnormally large shapes and cause megaloblastic anaemia. In sufficient amounts in the body, methylcobalamine may not only help to dissolve megaloblastic anaemia but address certain nerve problems as wel. Pyridoxine helps in the regulation of water balance. Dr. Shari Liberman, author of The Real Vitamin And Mineral Book, speaks eloquently of pyridoxine as not only important for formation of about 60 enzyme reactions, but for the making of melatonin in the brain. The association of pyridoxine to these neurotransmitters explains how important it could be to the nervous system. In fact, Liberman recommends it for such conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, especially when psychotropic drugs fail or cause toxicity. Liberman suggests, as well, that some childhood epileptic-like convulsions and some autistic children respond favourably to pyridoxine supplementation. Niacinamide relates with Niacin or Nicotinic Acid, the blood circulation promoting and cholesterol lowering vitamin B3. This vitamin is reported to exert beneficial influences on the nervous system. Pantheno is a derivative of pantothenic acid or vitamin B5, the growth and stress hormone.

     

    Other remedies  

    Bryophilium pinnatum is arguably Nigeria’s most popular solution for ear problems. The popular name of this plant is Miracle  Plant or Everlasting Plant. The Yoruba call it Abamoda(d:m:r:m). A leaf is taken from the plant, disinfected in saline solution or cider vinegar solution, placed on the cover of a cooking pot over a burning stove and, when tenderised by the heat, is squeezed to expel water which is gently eased in drops into an aching ear. This plant has other uses which space cannot permit me to mention here. In the book Natural Health Secrets From Around The  World, edited by Glenn W Geel Hoed M.D, and Jean Barillams, we learn of the use of ear drops from the oil of such plants as almond, echinacea, garlic, onion, mugwort, penny wort, and peppermint.

    Hearing loss is better averted than treated, as delicate organs and nerves may have been irreparably damaged before the problem is detected. For example, some ear specialists suggest linkages between heart and artery damage and high cholesterol damage of the hearing system. Such signals ae Tinitus or ringing in the ear may be cleared up with blood circulatory herbs such as gingko biloba, cayenne, black pepper, gotukola and in the proprietary bracket, Vida Max and ISK clear, among others. When all seems to fail, cochlear implants help better than hearing aids, according to scientific reports.

     

  • “There is urgent need to reduce neonatal mortality in Ado Ekiti” – Tolulope Ojo

    “There is urgent need to reduce neonatal mortality in Ado Ekiti” – Tolulope Ojo

    By Zainab Olufemi

    At the Annual College of Medicine and Health Sciences Research Day on 10 May 2022, held at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, one presentation that stood out for its detailed exploration of neonatal care practices and its focus on improving survival rates among newborns was the one delivered by Mrs Tolulope Funmilola Ojo, a Sociologist and Demographer from the University.

    Ojo’s presentation, which she collaborated on alongside other researchers, captivated attendees with its blend of research-driven insights and practical solutions to reduce neonatal mortality. Her focus on bridging knowledge gaps and promoting effective care practices made her session one of the event’s highlights.

    In an interview, Ojo spoke about the significance of her work and what made her presentation particularly impactful.

    Mrs. Ojo, your presentation drew the most engagement at the conference and caught my attention. What do you think made it stand out?

    Thank you. I think what made it resonate was its practical focus on an issue that affects so many lives—neonatal survival. Everyone in the room could relate to the urgency of reducing neonatal mortality, especially in rural communities. The presentation combined research findings with real-world implications, and I believe the audience appreciated the actionable nature of the recommendations.

    Your work focuses on thermal and umbilical cord care for neonates. Why did you choose this specific area of research?

    Neonates are extremely vulnerable, particularly in the first few days of life, and complications such as hypothermia and umbilical cord infections are significant contributors to neonatal mortality. These are preventable issues, but they persist due to gaps in care practices. I wanted to explore how mothers in Ado-Ekiti navigate these challenges and identify practical ways to support better outcomes for newborns.

    What did your research uncover about current practices among mothers in Ado-Ekiti?

    The study revealed that while many mothers rely on traditional practices, they are not always aligned with medical recommendations. For example, some mothers delay drying and warming the baby immediately after birth, which increases the risk of hypothermia. Similarly, cultural beliefs often influence umbilical cord care, leading to the use of unsterilized substances that can cause infections. These findings highlight the need for more effective engagement during antenatal and postnatal care.

     What do you believe sets your approach apart in addressing these issues?

    The approach is grounded in understanding the socio-cultural context of the mothers. By listening to their perspectives and tailoring interventions to fit their realities, we create solutions they are more likely to adopt. It’s not just about introducing new practices; it’s about integrating them into the existing framework of beliefs and behaviors in a way that respects and supports the mothers.

    You emphasized education during your presentation. What role does education play in neonatal care?

    Education is fundamental. When mothers understand the importance of practices like keeping the baby warm or maintaining sterile conditions for the umbilical cord, they are empowered to take proactive steps. Antenatal and postnatal care visits are great opportunities for healthcare providers to share this knowledge, demonstrate the practices, and address misconceptions in a supportive environment.

    What impact do you hope this research will have on neonatal care in Ado-Ekiti and beyond?

    I hope it will lead to policy shifts that prioritise maternal and neonatal health education, especially in rural areas. By equipping healthcare workers and mothers with the tools and knowledge they need, we can significantly reduce neonatal mortality rates. My ultimate goal is to see these practices integrated into routine healthcare delivery, ensuring that every newborn has the best chance at survival.

    Thank you, Mrs. Ojo, for your time and for sharing your insights. Your presentation has certainly highlighted an area of great importance.

    Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this work. I’m glad it has sparked interest and engagement.

  • mPharma reaffirms commitment to affordable healthcare

    mPharma reaffirms commitment to affordable healthcare

    mPharma, a leading pan-African healthcare technology company, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing access to affordable healthcare solutions in Africa.

    The CEO and co-founder of mPharma, Mr. Gregory Rockson, stated this during the virtual launch of its impact report, which was attended by the former Minister of Health, Ghana, Mr. Alex Segbefia, who represented the former President of Ghana, John Dramani, and Head of Value Creation, Gabon Sovereign Wealth Fund, Serge Amissah.

    Rockson noted that the contribution of mPharma to addressing the challenge of health care could not be over-emphasised, given its role during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He stated that the company, since its inception, has deployed a lot of innovative strategies to improve access, not only to medications but also to essential healthcare such as molecular diagnostics testing.

    He said further that the company’s intervention was geared towards addressing the issues of affordability and access to prescription drugs caused by excessive margins charged by the various stakeholders along the drug supply chain.

    “We needed a solution to remedy the challenge of availability, accessibility, and affordability of drugs to provide value to patients. To address availability and accessibility, we began with a pilot in Ghana, our QualityRx programme, which provides an innovative and affordable financing solution for struggling mom-and-pop pharmacies with a history of high performance. The programme offers funding for refurbishment, inventory, customer management, and technology costs. By “reviving” these pharmacies, we did not only expand our pharmacy network but, most importantly, increased access to affordable drugs. Pharmacies under the QualityRx model operate under the brand “a mutti pharmacy.”

    With QualityRx, we came to a step closer to our goal of making medicines more affordable to patients as we directly control prices for mutti pharmacies,” he said.

    He noted further that the company remains committed to building an African in good health, adding that the company recently secured $35 million in funding as the first tranche of a significant financing round for business operations.

    According to him, the funding would drive the expansion of company’s network of facilities and further improve its tech infrastructure. He explained further that the company had become an essential factor in providing solutions to the numerous problems caused by the pandemic. The company has leveraged its partnership with esteemed partners such as Breyer Capital in rolling our free COVID-19 test and millions of COVID-19 test kits across government institutions, private labs, and organisations in eight African countries.

    “We recognised that the private health sector is a significant partner in healthcare delivery, and we anticipated African governments facing challenges in rolling out free COVID-19 tests. We proactively leveraged our relationship with mPharma investor Breyer Capital to establish a partnership with Sansure Biotech to secure one million COVID-19 test kits and 150 Polymerase”.

    Dramani congratulated mPharma on promoting good health for Africans.

    He urged the company to keep pushing for technology-based, patients-centered, community-focused approaches that can meet the needs of patients irrespective of their location or financial status.

    Also, Amissah expressed his delight in supporting the rebuilding of the health sector in Gabon. He noted that health is one essential resource for future generations, and that is why the Fund partnered with mPharma to work out models to rebuild the central medical store of Gabon.

  • BluePeak invests $15m in Africure for affordable medicines

    BluePeak invests $15m in Africure for affordable medicines

    BluePeak Private Capital has announced a $15 million investment in Africure, a pioneering pan-African manufacturer and distributor of quality pharmaceutical goods, to improve access to affordable medicines to treat communicable diseases in Africa.

    The fund provides a vital capital boost to Africure and supports the company’s plan to strengthen its working capital to support the increased demand for pharmaceutical goods across its more than 10 African markets.  The funding further enables Africure to realise its growth ambitions to develop a range of innovative affordable brands that target chronic disease profiles such as cardiac and diabetes conditions. “Africure is a trusted manufacturing and distribution partner that has developed one of the most impactful pharmaceutical businesses across Africa,” said Fulton Shiundu, principal at BluePeak Private Capital in a statement.

    ‘’We are delighted to support the company’s growth trajectory as strengthening health systems plays a critical role in Africa’s recovery from the pandemic. Our partnership will boost access where there is an urgent need to provide quality and affordable treatment to consumers that need it the most,” Shiundu added.

    Similarly, Sinhue Noronha, founder and CEO of Africure, said that BluePeak’s investment is transformative for his organisation’s business, noting that the investment will act as an impetus to its growth trajectory that will take it to a critical size. “We have built a highly competitive pan-African manufacturing capability over the past five years. This investment will enable us to scale up significantly the number of customers we serve, as well as the number of patients we can reach with affordable, reliable treatments for communicable, infectious, and chronic diseases and conditions,” Noronha said.

    “I am sure that our existing capacities and those under creation will positively impact the wellbeing and quality of life of millions of Africans in need. With more than 90 percent of our employees being Africans, we believe that we are creating a positive impact on job creation, and technology dissemination, resulting in a better standard of living.”

    Founded in 2017, Africure’s portfolio of nearly 300 products spans several therapeutic areas ranging from anti-infectives, analgesics, anti-parasitic and respiratory treatments to generic drugs providing critical care for non-communicable diseases, increasingly prevalent in countries across the continent. It has generated approximately $30 million of revenues and operates manufacturing and distribution facilities in Tanzania, Cameroon, Namibia, Botswana, and Côte d’Ivoire, a finished goods packing unit, and has a manufacturing hub under construction in Ethiopia. The firm’s combined manufacturing capacity is the largest in sub-Saharan Africa for oral solid dosage pharmaceuticals.

    Sub-Saharan Africa imports more than 80 per cent of its requirements for pharmaceutical goods. Africure is strategically positioned to boost countries’ self-reliance through increased local pharmaceutical manufacturing and access to quality, affordable generic medications that are currently served by expensive imported branded generics and numerous low-quality counterfeit goods. The investment is highly aligned with the fund’s impact agenda and will support Africure in making a positive impact by increasing affordable access to critical medicines in countries with a high burden of disease, it said in a statement.

  • Mortein pushes prevention as cost-effective way against malaria

    Mortein pushes prevention as cost-effective way against malaria

    Mortein insecticide has identified prevention as one of the major cost-effective ways against the spread of malaria in Nigeria. In line with this year’s World Malaria Day theme, “Advance equity, build resilience, end malaria,” Mortein has partnered the Federal Ministry of Health through National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and other stakeholders to upscale awareness, action, and sustain the commitment for the elimination of the disease in Nigeria.  The World Malaria Day is an international yearly event commemorated by Mortein and Reckitt team in the quest to eradicate malaria from Nigeria, and Africa.

    Speaking at the briefing to commemorate the World Malaria Day, Marketing Director, Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Tanzim Rezwan, said community engagement and collaborations are part of numerous consumer engagement by the company to stem the prevalence of malaria scourge in Nigeria with the Mortein’s Fight to End Malaria campaign.

    He said the partnership with the Federal Government, which has been ongoing for years, demonstrates the company’s commitment to malaria prevention toward a healthier Nigeria.

    “The fight against malaria over the years has recorded many casualties with the 2021 World Malaria Report stating that one of four global malaria cases occur in Nigeria, almost 65 million malaria cases occur in Nigeria annually, and an estimated 23 persons die from malaria-related issues every hour in Nigeria.

    “With Mortein, our message is on prevention, seeing as the economic implication of prevention is better than treatment, especially for the high number of low-income citizens in the country. We have over the years partnered with Federal and State governments, as well as key opinion leaders and healthcare officials in a bid to drive awareness and sensitise the public on various ways to eliminate the malaria vector. We do this through several platforms: on-ground community engagement activities, mass media education through TV adverts, and education on digital media platforms,” he said.

    In his address at the event, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, reinforced the need for increased investments in malaria programmes by governments, the private sector, and individuals towards achieving full coverage of malaria services that ensures that all in need have access to malaria preventive and treatment services towards achieving a malaria-free country. He said: “For a malaria-free Nigeria, let each of us play our parts because every effort counts.”

  • ‘No one should die from preventable diseases’

    ‘No one should die from preventable diseases’

    With giant strides recorded in medicine, especially opportunities provided by routine immunisation, nobody should die from preventable diseases.

    That was the view of Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, a virologist, who said immunisation has saved lives for generations and will continue to do so in the future.

    Nasidi, who is also a pioneer Director of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that a long life for all begins with access to vaccines.

    According to him, vaccines are powerful tools to fight against emerging and re-emerging infections like Polio, yellow fever, cervical cancer and more. The virologist said that there was a need for the country to bridge routine immunisation vaccines access gap, ensuring that everyone everywhere especially people living in the hard to reach areas get vaccinated.

    “Pathogens and viruses are not bound by national borders; local or international mobility of people can rapidly spread infections, underpinning the need for immunisation/vaccination. Universal access to vaccines gives people a fair shot at a healthier future, free from the threat of preventable disease. Vaccines will help us end the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

    Nasidi stressed the need to strengthen the health information system in the country, to allow health workers and decision-makers to generate reliable and high-quality “fit-for-purpose” data to help manage immunisation programmes across the country. He stressed the need for African leaders to act fast in setting up policies and an enabling environment that would ensure equitable vaccine production to meet teeming demands.

    “With ongoing vaccine manufacturing plans for Africa, if we don’t have the right people in place, no amount of product will help us succeed. We need lab techs, clinicians, community health workers; they’re all health workers. And they’re all essential,” he said.

    He said investment should be followed with proper accountability and transparency.

    Nasidi said the experience of the defunct Yaba (Lagos State) Vaccine Centre should serve as a big lesson to the  government. He said the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) played an essential role in supporting communities and health systems.

    “They have been at the core of working with different government agencies to increase sustainable health access to communities that would otherwise miss out on the essential services. They play a critical role in supporting the overall immunisation agenda by expanding and deepening engagements of CSOs,” he said.

    On the COVID-19 vaccines, he said there was the need for more nurses, midwives, and community health workers, all ready and deployed to every city and community to support the COVID-19 vaccination drive.

  • Katchey Laboratories achieves ISO 17025 accreditation, launches new complex

    Katchey Laboratories achieves ISO 17025 accreditation, launches new complex

    Katchey Laboratories Limited has joined the league of the elite analytical laboratories across the world by attaining ISO 17025 Accreditation.

    According to the CEO of Katchey Laboratories Limited, Mrs. Kate Isa, the feat was achieved after a detailed audit by ANAB, an American accrediting body. (ANAB stands for ANSI National Accreditation Board and ANSI stands for American National Standards Institute).

    “It means that results coming out of Katchey Laboratories have the same quality as the best Laboratories in the US and across the world. In other words, this accreditation is like bringing global quality to our local environment, literally to our doorsteps.

    “This will have a great impact on our economy. Nigerian exporters will be able to receive globally acceptable certificates of analysis for their international trade.

    “The laboratory complex was born out of the need to raise the bar in the analytical space in Africa and to provide reliable, quality results that will inspire confidence to encourage trade across the continent, especially with the advent of AfCFTA,” she said

    CEO of Bloom Public Health, Professor Chimezie Anyakora, said it is an exciting moment for the country to have a lab of this quality available to support trade and public safety.

    According to him: “Beyond providing quality results, this lab will achieve much for the country by helping boost the confidence of Nigerians, both in international commerce, to export their Katchey-Laboratories-certified products globally, with confidence; and internally, to inspire a crop of analysts and scientists. Bloom Public Health is excited to be part of this history that is being made here!”

    Katchey’s backward integration plan will be officially initiated by the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Katchey Complex by Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun in Magboro in Ogun State on May 5, 2022.

    The proposed Katchey Complex will house manufacturing facilities for laboratory equipment and consumables, independent analytical laboratory complex, training centre for laboratory analysts & bio-engineers, conferencing & seminar facilities, offices and warehouses.

  • Does coconut oil offer promise of glaucoma cure?

    Does coconut oil offer promise of glaucoma cure?

    JOE Lovett, a former glaucoma sufferer who says he cured this dangerous eye disease with coconut oil, says it can help other challenged persons as well. Joe Lovett should know what he is saying. For his background does not potray him as an irresponsible person. The world’s leading opthalmologists (eye doctors) say glaucoma is incurable, that it runs its course up to the stage of blindness, that that course can only be delayed through early detection and appropriate treatment. That treatment comes in three levels. The first is the use of eye drops to lower intra-occular pressure (IOP). Occular tension is pressure of fluid at the back of the eye pressing against light sensitive optic nerve and damaging or killing it. The second level of treatment is surgery. This is employed to open up blocked drainage channels in the front chamber of the eye so that fluid can move out from the back chamber and stop pressing on the retina and optic nerve and damaging them. Sometimes, if not often, this surgery fails and the “gutter ” it creates in the front chamber gets blocked again, leading the patient to status quo ante. The third intervention, which is the use of eye antioxidants, recognise that the patient may have been suffering from nutritional deficiencies which make the eye unable to stand up against oxidative stress, photochemical reactions and other challenges. That is why, for example, worldwide , children are now given vitamin A as food supplement and adults are going for fermented vitamin A which has a huge arsenal of zinc and other eye friendly nutrients.

    If Joe Lovett emerged from this regimen of treatment for his glaucoma, saying it did not help him, and that it was coconut oil which finally cured his glaucoma, it is either that he is a crank, if he is lying, or that he is a frontier man of medicine , if his statements are true. The new frontier person is that man or woman who tells us we didn’t know all we needed to know about a problem, which was why we are always unable to decisively  solve it, and presents us with new information which, to our surprise, easily clears up the dross and leads us into a new world of freedom. Glaucoma is one of those problems. Mankind has not defeated it. Increasingly, more people all over the world are still diagnosed with glaucoma which, after cataracts of the eye lens, remains the second major cause of blindness. If Joe Lovett is now telling us that glaucoma can be cured simply by drinking some tablespoonfuls of it everyday or consuming it with our food, that is great news. And that is why we must quickly check his background to see if he has a reputation he will not wish to damage with careless talk. To prove his point, Joe Lovett has written two books on the cure of glaucoma and other eye diseases, using coconut oil. As a sinking person will cling to any straw for a lifeline, I expect glaucoma challenged persons to try out it’s postulations. Being a journalist myself, I do not believe any veteran of the profession will like to spike a hard-earned golden reputation as his. So, who is Joe Lovett and what are the postulations which may qualify him to be described as a new frontiers man of medicine ?

    Joe Lovett

    This man, according to an article in which his views were presented as an introduction to some books he has written on his glaucoma cure, waves the following testimonial before his claims.

    “Joe was a successful director and film maker living in New York City. In the 1980s, he was the producer for ABC News 20/20 programme with Huge Downs and Barbara Walters. After leaving ABC News in 1989, he founded his own company, Lovett Productions, producing documentary and highlighting social and health issues”.

    Lovett’s hypothesis

    According to the originating article titled “Is There a cure for Glaucoma?” A coconut oil based therapy offers promise:

    “Many researchers now view glaucoma as a neurological disorder that causes nerve cells in the brain to degenerate and die, similar to what occurs in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Chronic inflammation characteristic of all neurodegenerative disorders, is now becoming recognised as an important factor in glaucoma”.

    The article began with a settled idea about how vision occurs when it says: “Elevated pressure may be a symptom rather than the initiating factor…

    “In Parkinson’s disease, the area of the brain called the Substantia Nigra, which controls movement is affected most. In Alzheimer’s, it is the Hippocampus Frontal Lobes, areas which involve memory. In glaucoma, it is the eyes. Damage to, and death of cells in the retina, mimics the same type of degeneration in brain cells. In fact, the same type of plaque that forms in Alzheimer’s brain, also forms in the retina. Studies show that Alzheimer’s patients have an increased risk of developing glaucoma. For example, a German institutional study of Alzheimer’s patients showed a 24.5 per cent increase, increase prevalence of glaucoma compared to only 6.5 per cent of aged matched patients without the disease. A Japanese study showed similar results. Alzheimer’s patients have an increased prevalence of glaucoma of 23.8 per cent compared with control patients of 9.9 per cent. Not only are Alzheimer’s patients more likely to develop glaucoma, but glaucoma patients are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. A study of 812 glaucoma subjects, 72 years of age and older, found that they were four times more likely to develop dementia”.

    Comments

    These are serious statements which, nevertheless, should not frighten health pursuers. For when the roots of a problem are known and can be decisively uprooted, the chances of a cure are very bright. I have had glaucoma since I was 45 in 1995. That means I have had it for 27 years with serious impact on my vision. But my brain still serves me well for my age, with no visible signs of Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s. My memory is still fairly good. My movements are not wobbly. I still wear my knickers or my pair of trousers, standing. I still write as fast as in the examination halls in my days at the university. I sleep when I wish to and wake up as easily as I fall asleep when I am done with sleep. Years ago,  I relished coconut oil in my meals because it gave support to my digestive system. At that time, I read of how it may be good for cancer and HIV. There was a story of a Caribbean woman whose name I do not remember now. This story made one of my columns. She lived in the United States where she developed cancer of the brain. Chemotherapy did not help her. So she returned home. The Caribbeans grew a lot of coconuts. Her father had a large farm. She went through a coconut oil therapy and, in one year, her cancer was gone. There are many such stories. Joe Lovett’s about glaucoma is about the first I will hear of this condition. I do not know if I am relatively healthy upstairs, irrespective of glaucoma, because I load up everyday on antioxidants in my daily nutrition, in particular with those which protect and help the brain as well. Ever since I knew of the antioxidant and phenolic compounds in Jobelyn, I have hardly missed it. Dr. Ray Strand taught me about 40 years ago to respect Grape Seed Extract. In www.olufemikusa.com, you would read in four articles I posted early this year of how it helped his wife recover from irksome fibromyalgia and restore life to some of his patients with neurological vision and lower limbs challenges. That series of four articles is titled Dr. Ray Strand, The Grape Seed Doctor. What about Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Essential FattyAcids, Zinc, Magnesium and many more? I have been on and off on coconut oil. I have been witness to how it helps to arrest the “opportunistic diseases” in persons challenged with human immuno virus (HIV) and how it has helped in many cases of cancer. But Joe Lovett’s use of it for glaucoma, and with a reversal success as he says is something I have to grapple with.

    Coconut oil

    Joe Lovett says that when we consume a ketogenic diet, a low carbohydrate diet, high protein and high healthy fat diet (Omega 3 oils) for cancer and diabetes patients, we may increase BDNS to such levels that may beneficially impact the brain.

    BDNFS is a brain derived neuro Trophic Factor

    Joe Lovett’s article says:

    “Another way to raise blood ketones is by drinking coconut oil. When coconut oil is consumed, a portion of the medium fatty acids ( MCFAs) in the oil will automatically be converted into ketones, regardless of blood glucose levels. You can raise blood ketones and subsequently BDNFs, to therapeutic levels by eating coconut oil. Combining coconut oil with a ketogenic diet enhances the production of ketones and BDNFs, improving their therapeutic effects. If a ketogenic coconut oil-based diet is maintained for a period of time, it can allow the time needed to bring about healing and repair within the Central Nervous System. Ketones are proven to be successful in reversing epilepsy, Alzheimer’s , Parkinson’s and other neuro degenerative diseases. The eyes are also part of the Central Nervous System and can be protected with Ketone -induced BDNFs. In animal studies where the retina and optiic nerve s are intentionally injured, BDNFs are proven to lessen the damage and stimulate healing and regrowth of these tissues, preserving eyesight…It seems like, despite what you may have been told, degenerative diseases like glaucoma are not easily reversible.

    Lovett’s  experience

    Eighteen years ago, he was diagnosed with glaucoma. Six years ago, he reversed it on coconut oil diet. That means he suffered glaucoma for 12 years. It all began in his 20s. His doctor then did not think too much of it. He gave eye drops to lower the eye pressure. Joe Lovett was like many glaucoma-challenged persons. He used the eye drops, believing it will bring about a cure. He did not realise that elevated eye pressure was merely a symptom of many damaging biochemical and photochemical activities going on inside his eyes. Many opthalmologists do not sit their patients down to explain the nitty gritty of this problem. They only look at the eyes, hand them new supplies of their eye drops or change the eye drops, if they believe the eyes are not responding to the old ones. This may be because the opthalmologist has too many patients to attend to and too many eyes to examine. They shuttle from consulting to surgery, to teaching, to preparing academic papers for seminars and conferences. They hardly have time for themselves! At 40, another doctor discovered Joe Lovett was going blind and sent him for an eye examination. He was shocked when, during this eye check, he discovered he could only see a subject from the chest up and from the waist down. The mid region of the body was missing in his vision. He went on various eye drops to lower his intra occular pressure, but with no very satisfactory results. The story of how Lovett got his vision back is told in two books he has written on this subject. They are Stop Vision Loss Now and Prevent And Heal Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration and other eye disorders

    Lovett acknowledges the fact that it is better to prevent these diseases than to heal them and, given his personal experience, believes they can be reversed nevertheless, irrespective of iron-cast medical beliefs of our time. I recommend that you click on thislink to read Joe Lovett’s article in full at

    Is There a Cure for Glaucoma?

    I recommend, also, that you read his books. Definitely, they will provide details of how he came to the conception that glaucoma begins in the brain and not in the eyes.

    My acknowledgement for the introduction of Joe Lovett’s works goes to a young friend of mine, Hassan Oyekan who is aware I am glaucoma challenged, who, through regularly reading my column, has become a health student. So interested in health he is that, not withstanding the fact that he is an entrepreneurship student of the Nigerian Open University, Hassan Oyekan has taken online courses on health management and become a health coach. He is a member of one of my chat groups on health. This group is called incubating. It is where new comers to product lines of AIM GLOBAL and SHINEWAY health networks are informed about the uses of these products and goings-on in the Nigerian Alternative Medicine Market. He knows I am glaucoma challenged and regularly sends to me information he believes I will cherish. Joe Lovett’s story is the latest of his messages.

     Okubena

    Where is Otunba Adejuwon Okubena, producer of Jobelyn, Nigeria’s leading herbal medicine formula. He deserves an honour on a day such as this. Okubena has been canvassing the use of coconut oil-based eye drops to treat glaucoma. I am asking after him because this subject should be of interest to him. Mention of Otunba Olajuwon Okubena reminds me not only of Jobelyn, but also a coconut oil-based eye drop for glaucoma management, if not a cure. Where a challenged person requires two or three drops of a pharmaceutical drug to hold down destructive glaucoma pressure in one day or a combination of drugs to do the job, Otunba Okubena says one drop of a coconut oil and some natural ingredients-based formula can hold the pressure down for five days and even reverse it. I know of persons who used coconut oil eye drops. I do not have scientific proof of its efficacy but I learned from www.healthline.com that it acts against dry eyes for which there is a pharmaceutical preparation. Dry eyes are often caused by some nutritional deficiencies including vitamin A deficiency, and long use of glaucoma eye drops. Anyone who has the nerves to try coconut oil eye drops may report his or her observations to www.healthline.com, which is researching it. Recently, I injured my navel when I tried to bring out some small stony materials lodged in it. The skin peeled deep inside and whenever I touched it, I smelt unpleasant odour on my finger. Two drops of coconut oil in two days cleared it off.

    Conclusion

    The idea that we need to address brain health along with eye health in glaucoma treatment should not surprise us. In glaucoma, we are dealing with damage to the optic nerve. The nervous system originates in the brain from the neurons. We observe damage to them in strokes when the affected parts cause loss of sensitivity or action in the limbs they control or in the organs they control such as the tongue, the urinary or digestive systems. In wisdom we should not throw ideas away with waves of the hand. Lion’s mane Mushroom is known to help the repair of damaged nerves.

    Gotu Kola has been shown to improve micro and macro blood circulation in the brain, like gingko biloba. The fatty substances in the brain need protection from Free Radicals Two great ones for these purposes are Grape Seed Extract  and Alpha Lipoic Acid. GSE, (As Grape seed extract) is also called, easily crosses the brain-blood barrier to suffuse the brain. In experiments to determine it’s therapeutic effects, it is often used at 350mg daily. But dosages of 1000mg and more are also known. GSE is about 50 times more powerful than vitamin c or vitamin E as antioxidants. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is active in both fat and fluid media and, is, therefore, good for the brain. We cannot forget CBD oil which fuels the body’s master system, the endocannabidiol system, the system which normalises other systems. There are more brain antioxidants than can be mentioned here. The brain sleeps not at night or during the day. Like burning coal or wood which must produce sparks, smoke and ash and other waste materials, constant activities of the brain produce free radicals or dangerous substances which are removed by the body’s derived antioxidants. What Joe Lovett has challenged us to do  in the treatment of glaucoma is to not treat the eye in isolation but to clean up its origin, the brain, as well.

  • Adamawa Senator takes medical outreach to 9th council, treats 70,000 patients

    Adamawa Senator takes medical outreach to 9th council, treats 70,000 patients

    The senator representing Adamawa South, Binos Yaroe, has flagged off a three-day free medical outreach in Lamurde local government area.

    Lamurde is the 9th and the last LGA his outreach would cover in the nine-LGA Adamawa Southern Zone which the senator represents.

    Yaroe recalled to newsmen in the course of the Lamurde outreach which entered its 2nd day Tuesday that he started the free medical outreach in Demsa LGA in 2019.

    He said commissioned a mobile clinic that would reach where the regular outreach could not get to.

    The lead medical consultant of the Senator Binos Yaroe Outreach, Dr. Talemoh Dah, who also fielded questions from newsmen on the programme, said that in the previous eight medical outreaches, no fewer than 64,000 patients were attended to.

    ‘We are targeting 6,000 patients in the ongoing outreach which will last three days,” he said.

    He stated about 30% of all the cases are eye challenges, for which reason a grand finale for only people with eye problems will be conducted by the senator in the nearest future.

    Shedding light on the organisation of the outreaches, Dr Dah said he coordinates the process by putting together the doctors and other medical personnel from across the country and arrange for the supply of drugs and other needs, but that Senator Binos Yaroe provides all the funds.

    “The senator is responsible for all the bills, including cost of drugs, transportation, equipments, accomodation, feeding and the honorarium involved in the medical outreaches,” he said.

    Senator Binos Yaroe with newsmen in the course of the Lamurde Medical Outreach flag-off

  • Six reasons you shouldn’t clean earwax with cotton buds

    Six reasons you shouldn’t clean earwax with cotton buds

    Using earbuds or cotton buds as many know it to be is a common practice. Many use them to clean out wax from the ears. It’s something everyone has done at some point.

    It is habitual like brushing teeth. Many enjoy the tingling feeling they get when using cotton buds in their ears.

    However, health care professionals advise against using a bud to clean earwax.

    Earwax is composed of layers of skin, fatty acids, cholesterol and alcohol all designed to protect the inner ear from water and infections. It also helps prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in the inner ear.

    In most cases, the ear canal does not need to be cleaned. The skin in the ear canal naturally grows in an outward, spiral pattern.

    As it slips off, ear wax goes with it. Most of the time the wax will loosen and be absorbed by the body. Thus, the need for a cotton swab becomes absolutely unnecessary.

    Here are six reasons why you shouldn’t use cotton buds to clean out wax from your ears:

    Ear wax serves a protective purpose for the ears

    Ear wax is there for a reason. It protects your ear canal from dust, microorganism and foreign particles. It also lubricates the skin of your ears and prevents infections due to its antibacterial properties.

    Ears have its’ own wax removal mechanisms

    The ears have its own mechanisms for cleaning out wax. Usually, ears get cleaned when you take a shower. As water and soap enter the ears, it loosens the accumulated ear wax aids the loosened wax to come out on its own.

    The skin present in the ears grows in a spiral pattern so when the dead skin is shed, the ear wax also comes out with it.

    The wax is also pushed out due to a person’s jaw movements like chewing, yawning and talking.

    Cotton buds pushes wax further into the ears

    Using cotton buds to clean the other part of the ears is cool but not the inner part. When you attempt to do this, you end up pushing the wax further down into the ear canal.

    Sometimes, with the earwax, you are also pushing down foreign particles present in them. More so, you are also driving the wax against the eardrum in the process.

    This can lead to problems like ear pain and loss of hearing. By using a cotton bud you are creating more issues for your organs (ears) and senses (hearing) than forestalling one.

    Pushing the wax further down the ear carnal can cause earwax blockage

    As you continue using cotton buds to clean your ears, you keep pushing the wax further down the ear canal, this can ultimately result in earwax blockage.

    Earwax blockage can in turn lead to dizziness, itching, pain in the ears and eventual loss of hearing.

    Excessive removal of ear wax can lead to dryness

    As mentioned earlier, ear wax also lubricates the skin of your ears. So, when you remove the wax, the skin becomes dry and itchy. More importantly, your ears will also become more prone to infections.

    The delicate nature of the ear drum

    Because the eardrum is so delicate, it can be easily ruptured if a cotton bud is accidentally pushed too deep.

    Sometimes during the cleaning of the ear canal, somebody could come along and hit the ear.

    At this moment the ear canal might experience trauma and it can also lead to the bleeding of the ear resulting in complications that could eventually damage one of your crucial sensory organs.

    Note: Although, there are persons who have heavy wax build-up, a trip to the doctor may be needed.

    Doctors can easily remove ear wax with a suction machine. The process is virtually painless and is very effective in removing impacted wax.