Category: Health

The Federal Government has disclosed that since the beginning of the year, 11 new cases of the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) had been detected in the country.

While noting that in 2020 and 2021, a total of 22 and 1,027 cases were detected, respectively, it urged Nigerians not to get alarmed, as it only shows the effectiveness of the country’s surveillance system and capacity to detect even the wild poliovirus (WPV), should it be in circulation. It further disclosed that the routine immunisation coverage of the country has improved from 33 per cent to 56 per cent, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, who made this known at the 38th meeting of the Expert Review Committee (ERC) on polio and routine immunisation in Abuja, called for strengthening of the agency’s system to avoid an outbreak of the WPV, as there are reports of the WPV1 in Malawi and recently the WPV3 in Israel.

“The NPHCDA, having in mind the recommendations from the 37th ERC meeting in 2019, has made appreciable progress in both Routine Immunisation and the control of circulating Variant Polio Virus type 2 (cVPV2). For routine immunisation, the country is steadily improving from the 33 percent coverage in 2016 to 56 percent in 2022, according to the latest MICS/NICS report. We recognise that before the pandemic we had reached 71 percent within two years.

“The cVDPV2 has been a major concern during the last ERC meeting, and today the outbreak has snow-balled to even greater proportions to become one of the greatest challenges the country has faced in the polio programme, apart from the recent detection of Wild Polio Virus type 1 (WPV1) in Malawi in February, and WPV 3 report in Israel this March. This brings it very close to home that it is not over until it is over. The report from Malawi indicates that we must strengthen our system in order to avoid an outbreak of WPV in Nigeria.

“The 37th ERC had offered us guidance on how to contain cVPV2 spread, which has unfortunately now spread more to affect 29 States of the federation and FCT, including states in the Southern zones of the country. One of this guidance was the use of novel Oral Polio vaccine (nOPV2), which has been shown to be effective in halting the spread of cVPV2. So far all 36 states and FCT have completed at least two rounds of nOPV2, 18 states have completed at least four rounds of nOPV2 Outbreak Response, three states have completed three rounds, while an additional 16 states have completed at least two rounds of nOPV2 Outbreak response.

“Our surveillance system has remained robust despite the global COVID-19 pandemic that had a negative impact on the health system. In 2020, our surveillance had picked and detected 22 cases of CDVPV2, in 2021, 1027 cases and in 2022, 11 cases had already been detected. Although the figures may look scary, it is a demonstration that our surveillance system is effective, reliable and also means that if there is an Wild Polio Virus in circulation, it would have been detected.

“COVID-19 has impacted negatively not only on the economy, our social lives, but also the immunisation programme, where planned campaigns were suspended to address the pandemic. However, it is heart-warming to announce that about 19,316,980 Nigerians have been vaccinated with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; 8,799,052 have taken the second dose; while 725,459 have taken the booster dose. This is actually a far cry from the government’s plan to vaccinate 50 percent of the total population of the country by the end of March 2022.

“However, with the currently rolled out optimised SCALES Strategy and the Mass Vaccination Campaign (MVC) presently ongoing across the country, we are expecting a massive jump in the COVID-19 uptake throughout the country.  We now have vaccines, so we have now drilled down to micro-planning starting from the ward level, to local government to state and then to national, having a bottom up approach.”

The Chairman of the ERC, Prof Akin Osibogun, added: “Of course we have the challenge of circulating vaccine derived polio virus (cVDPV) which has now been compounded by the threat from the recent report of the detection of the wild polio virus in Malawi. Given the ease of human travel, it has become imperative for us to bring the Nigerian Polio Eradication programme thus far.  Nigeria has fought a long and hard battle with the wild poliovirus before its certification as a wild polio virus free country.

“With the recent wild poliovirus type 1 in Malawi, it has become imperative for us to urgently put in place strategies to prevent importation of the virus. The reconstitution of this expert review committee is one of such strategies and the leadership of the NPHCDA must be commended for being proactive.”

Traditional and natural medicines remain a veritable tool to the country’s health and overall economic prosperity. The Director- General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Dr Samuel Etatuvie, made this known in Abuja, during the Natural Medicines Day.

Dr Etatuvie stated that given the right tools, environment, policies and technology, Nigeria’s hugely untapped bio-resources – flora and fauna – can boost the health sector and provide much-needed prevention and treatment panaceas for a sundry of diseases bedevilling the citizens.

He further stressed that the traditional medicine sector, asides providing health benefits, is a strategic sector for providing employment for the citizens, especially the youth, through the stimulation of small and medium scale agro-businesses, small scale product industries in health/raw materials and a feedstock to the global knowledge economy in research and product development.

“Traditional medicine is one of the best things to happen to mankind. Even though it has been given different names, it remains one of the pillars of health and economic growth. Science and innovation will assist us in developing this economy. Nigeria has the potential in terms of traditional medicine and vast resources. The government has shown a lot of interest in developing this sector.

“We are here to highlight the potentials of natural medicine; – our indigenous (traditional) healthcare systems medication and non-medication healing arts, Sciences and Technology. To re-emphasise its medical benefits and utility to our people, and the economic prospects that if properly harnessed, explored and exploited could hugely improve our economy and provide employment to our teeming youths.

“With my many years as a researcher and administrator in this sector, it is my privileged conviction that natural medicine knowledge with its associated bio-resources, is a strategic sector for the overall development of the country, starting from the natural improvement of our health, stimulation of small and medium scale agro-business, small scale product industries in health/raw materials and a feedstock to the global knowledge economy in research and product development.

“The resources of natural medicine are of particular interest due the fact that at each point, their value chains constitute a major feedstock to economic activities to different society groups. It is our culture, it is our heritage and a hope for a healthier and wealthier future.

The Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency has spent the last 15 years identifying the challenges impeding the development of this critical sector and tried to find solutions. These include; the human actors in the sector, the specific challenges posed by near absence of documentation of practice outcomes and bio-resources, the issues of secrecy and fear of loss of intellectual property and benefit sharing, the needed clinical research data to validate traditional medicine knowledge products and the technology necessary to transform these resources into innovative and commercialisable products with wide acceptance by clinicians and the public.”

He added: “When people say there is no dosage or proper education for traditional medicines, I wonder. I believe education cannot be limited to what is within the four walls of a school.

“Our challenge is our impetus to work harder to make our sector do well. We have done a lot in product development, documentation, and training. We have trained over 70,000 traditional practitioners across the country. If you know their worth, political and economic leaders will be coming to consult with you. We must find a way to put our house in order. Government will listen to you if you put your house in order.”

In his remarks, the Chief Host of the occasion, Hon. Pharm. Victor Terah-patrick, lamented the loss of traditional knowledge and skills due to lack of proper attention to the sector. “It has been well-established globally that Nigeria is well-endowed with traditional medicine knowledge and skills. We should innovate, explore and convert the resources we have. We have traditional technologies in healthcare that have been abandoned. Millions of knowledge have been buried.

“It has been done in places like India, China, Malaysia, etc. We can do it here in Nigeria also. Also, we have the best land and conditions to achieve more. However, we must work as a team to see how we can put Nigeria on the map of traditional medicine globally.

“The Board of this agency will pursue the government plan to partner with relevant stakeholders in the sector in order to achieve our mandate and contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the Nigerian people,” he said.

The Royal Father of the Day, His Royal Highness, Pharm. Luka Panya Baba, added: “It is a known fact that a lot is being done by so many institutions and traditional medicine practitioners associations on the development of natural medicines.

“It is also known that we are blessed with bio-resources, both flora and fauna that we can use to develop our natural medicines. This government has continued to emphasise on the aspect of science and technology to effectively exploit these resources that we are blessed with in the country.

“We need to do some more aggressive discussions among institutions like the NIPRD and other institutions and associations of traditional medicine practitioners to synergise our ideas and have a compendium that will be applicable to all our healthcare delivery points. We have the technology and trained personnel to take drug development from where it is today to a higher level. The good thing about developing our own products is that we will be able to guarantee their quality.”

A dietician, Motunrayo Oduneye, says excessive consumption of soft drinks increased the risk of osteoporosis in children.

Oduneye, an Assistant Chief Dietitian, University College Hospital, Ibadan, made the assertion on Thursday in Ibadan while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

NAN reports that osteoporosis has been defined as a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility, and consequent increase in fracture risks.

Oduneye said that dinking carbonated beverages also known as soft drinks hindered the absorption of calcium into the body, which consequently lowered bone density and led to osteoporosis.

“Unfortunately many children are victims of sugary drinks every day because that is what their mothers gave them.

“Taking plenty of sugary drinks hindered the absorption of calcium into the body.

“Soft drinks consumption increases the risk of fracture”, she said.

Oduneye advised mothers to train their children to consume milk as a drink and as a substitute for soft drinks.

“Taking sugary drinks instead of milk, which contains calcium, results in low calcium in their body and therefore increased the risk of osteoporosis, that is weak bones, which explained why some children easily fractured.

READ ALSO:Osteoporosis: How to make bones strong and healthy

“Unfortunately, in this part of the country parents are not used to giving them milk as a drink.

“It is good to train children to take milk as a drink, milk can be gotten from yogurts, plain or unsweetened yogurts,” she said.

Oduneye also said that excessive consumption of carbonated drinks was associated with childhood obesity.

“Excessive consumption of soft drinks increased the risk of childhood obesity.

“Soft drinks have a significant association with the risk of obesity, especially in children.

“Studies showed that children who consumed more than one sugary drink per day, are 50 to 60 per cent more likely to be overweight or obese than children who don’t.

“Having more than one carbonated drink per day predisposes a child to obesity or excessive weight gain,” she said.

She added that reducing soft drinks consumption, especially among children, should be considered as an important strategy to reduce the rate of osteoporosis and childhood obesity in Nigeria. (NAN)

PurerVita has announced the launch of PurerMama, a nutritional and wellness brand founded by a leading award-winning United Kingdom obstetrician to revolutionise pregnancy supplements. The products are formulated for pregnancy, breastfeeding and postnatal recovery.

The team includes a paediatrician, psychologist and obstetrician with decades of experience in treating women taking pregnancy supplements but who still experienced deficiencies. Frustrated at the lack of an innovative pregnancy supplement, which was up to date with research and met the needs of the mothers, they decided to create their own and developed this in line with new research. Their fundamental approach was to recognise work in the field of epigenetics – the study of what nutritional components switch on healthy genes in pregnancy.

The brand was inspired after the obstetrician started an online antenatal course called PRISM (Preparation, Recovery, Inspiration and Support for Motherhood) during the COVID pandemic and taught thousands of mums who were isolated and needed a trusted source of right information. The mums were interested the most about nutritional gaps including articles on ‘Are we missing a choline supplement crisis in the UK? (BMJ)’. Out of the pandemic came a focus from both doctor and mothers to maximise health in pregnancy and the fourth trimester.

A certified dance and aerobics instructor, Victoria Akingbade, has urged women to engage in exercises and prioritise their health and continuously keep fit.

She gave the charge at the weekend during the third edition of Lagos Women Dance at the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos to commemorate International Women’s Day.

The event tagged: “Entertainment meets health” is an annual dance event for women in Lagos.

Akingbade, who stressed the importance of dance, admonished women to avoid things detrimental to their health.

“Dance is a high-energy activity which is beneficial to the health. Therefore, women should be actively involved in exercises, stay fit and relax when tired. They should also avoid sedentary lifestyles,” she said.

READ ALSO: Heritage Bank, Foundation lift women

Convener, Mrs Angela Tony Iji, who sought the support of the Lagos Government, stated that the need to let out accumulated stress inspired the event which is in its third year.

“Lagos Women Dance was borne out of a depressive time for me during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. People lost their jobs. I realized women were going through so much stress, thus, it was important for them to dance, unwind and network,” she said.

Mrs Blessing Kuje, a pregnant participant, said she attended the event to encourage other women to be involved in exercise.

“I came here to encourage women despite being pregnant. I feel happy and delighted. Dance is good for the body, it helps to burn calories and makes one relaxed,” she said.

In line with its “An Africa in Good Health” vision, mPharma, Africa’s fast-rising health tech start-up, has launched the Ten Thousand Women Initiative (TTWI) in Nigeria.

The campaign, according to  the Chief Executive Officer,  mPharma, Greg Rockson, is to make free HPV (human papillomavirus) testing available to women between 35 and 60, who have never had one.

The launch coincided with  this year’s International Women’s Day.

mPharma boss said: “Women, when healthy, can reach their maximum potential and contribute to thriving families. They construct resilient communities and become powerful drivers of economic growth. Failure to address a preventable disease that takes the lives of so many women yearly is unethical. It deprives the nation of women’s contribution to building the nation and its development,” Rockson said.

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women globally and greatly affects young females in Africa.

According to the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Information Center on HPV and Cancer, estimates showed that  yearly, 12,075 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, among which 7,968 die from the disease in Nigeria.

Cervical cancer also ranks the second most frequent cancers that affect women in Nigeria, the report said.

The link between HPV infection and cervical cancer and improved access to HPV testing and vaccination is a sure way to reduce cervical cancer risk.The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended HPV testing due to its high performance and sensitivity as the primary screening test for women.

“As a home to over 100 million women, Nigeria has a huge responsibility of prioritising the health and welfare of women. This is especially important at a time cervical cancer has become a common cause of death among women in the region despite the disease being treatable and preventable.

“Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in many countries such as Nigeria. Sadly, diagnosis and treatment remain out of reach – medically and financially – for most women. The journey from receiving HPV screening to the treatment course can be filled with many mental, social and financial challenges for women,” mPharma boss said.

According to the Vice President, Global diagnostics, mPharma, John Allotey, the 10,000-women campaign is health tech start-up’s most significant commitment to women’s health because it aims to normalise screening for HPV – the most common risk factor for cervical cancer. The campaign also offers women affordable vaccination and treatment options, he added.

Allotey, who described women as “doyens of our society,” the objective of the campaign is to “transform the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer, which takes us one step closer to an Africa in good health”.

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has launched ‘Project Eagle’ to improve the quality of its services as well as ease the challenge of the state-owned hospital, its Chief Medical Directorw, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, has said.

The scope of the project includes enforcing proactive management policies, bed management policies, adverse report registers and management systems, regular staff training and retraining, advocacy to reduce the influx of non-tertiary patients, automation/international accreditation as well as formalising collaboration with highbrow private hospitals in Lagos.

Highlighting some of the benefits of the projects, Fabamwo explained that part of the management policies is to  provide advanced medical care as a tertiary institution without any distractions from non-tertiary patients.

“LASUTH as a tertiary institution aims at becoming a quaternary healthcare service delivery centre in the nearest future. Our utmost priority is in the advanced medical care. This is the core of the health care services provided by the institution but there are a lot of distractions. It is a fact that uncomplicated cases that can be handled by the many primary health centres and the 27 general hospitals located across the state are usually brought to LASUTH. As such, this impedes the core activities of the institution. Eighty per cent of cases brought to LASUTH as emergencies are not tertiary cases.

“Though our hospital has a policy of not turning any emergency back, in the event of unavailability of bed space, first aid is administered to the patient before any form of referral to other reputable health institutions. The Lagos State Government has assiduously improved and empowered the primary and secondary healthcare facilities. A lot of infrastructural upgrades are ongoing.

“Cancer is one of the major health scourges of this century and we are poised to become a one-stop centre for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Our world-class surgeons and oncologists provide excellent care for cancer patients and we will soon embark on establishing a radiotherapy centre.

‘’In addition, a palliative care centre will soon be set up to provide end-of-life-care services to terminally ill patients,” he said.

Lamenting the shortage of workforce in the sector, the CMD said LASUTH is  affected by the mass migration of health care workers to overseas every year.

“The 200 slots approved by the government for us are new nurses and doctors; we have been able to fix 66 despite various advertisements because a lot of medical experts don’t want to work in Nigeria again. In fact, many of our students studying medicine in Nigeria are doing so they can travel abroad to work as a nurse. People are studying nursing, not because they love to nurse patients but because it’s a cool passport for them to travel abroad.”

Also,  Chairman, Staff Welfare Committee, LASUTH Board, Yewande Munirah, said the hospital is faced with challenges, including a high attrition rate of medical personnel, infrastructure and excessive patient load.

She said the board had, since its inauguration in 2018, provided strategic leadership in addressing these challenges.

“I make bold to say that the hospital management, despite the difficult environmental and operational terrain, has assiduously implemented the strategic plan to attain the objectives of the hospital,” she said.

Fabamwo added that the hospital management is working on communicating its vision, mission, core values and policies to internal and external publics of the hospital.

This, he said, is intended to assure the public of their commitment to provide excellent health care and showcase the hospital as an attractive destination for corporate social responsibility programmes by companies and high net-worth individuals.