The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • International Mothers Day: Celebrating mothers

    International Mothers Day: Celebrating mothers

    “Who sat and watch my infant head, when sleeping on my cradle bed, and tears and sweet affection shed, my mother; When pains and sickness makes me cry, who gaze upon my heavy eyes, when pain is much that I should die, MY MOTHER.”

    This popular rhyme is one a lot of us can relate with, especially one that we sang with so much emotion for our mothers when we were yay high. It lays credence to the dedication, care, and even pains that a mother goes through all because of her child. A classic soul song by the legendary Asa goes like this, “nitori omo, o jiya nile oko…”; meaning “…because of her child, a mother suffers and stays in her husband’s house”.

    The dream of every girl is to transit conveniently from a single lady to being a mother with children. However, this enviable dream is one that comes with its own challenges and personal sacrifice. Without these responsibilities, the toga of “mother” becomes a mere nomenclature with no substance.

    Today we celebrate all the virtuous women in this teraqueous globe we call earth; women that would literally starve themselves just to feed their children, women that would garb themselves in cheap apparels just to ensure that their children are dressed in the best of clothing; women that would engage in businesses and petty trades to afford decent meals for their family. In fact, apart from being a mother, she assumes the role of chef, stylist, disciplinarian, doctor, fashion designer, teacher, etc., to her family.

    According to Bala an undergraduate of Kogi state university, “my mother is a perfect example of a virtuous woman. She is a great disciplinarian, who does not spoil the child by sparing the rod. She gives out a healthy blend of the carrot and stick. Since my father’s demise, she has been the breadwinner for I and my siblings.”

    Tijesunimi, a student of Computer Science, Yaba College of Technology, “My role model is my mom; I know that she is flawed with her personal foibles, however, I love her perfect imperfections. Being a single mother with so many burdens on her shoulders with little funds to get by each day, she somehow finds a way to ensure that education for me remains a priority. As a family, we have had our share of ups and downs, however, somehow with God and her dogged spirit, we scaled through,”

    Taking a cue from the inspiring story of Olajumoke “the bread seller” whose meteoric rise to fame and stardom became the buzzword on the street, we see the latent story of a mother hustling to make ends meet in order to cater for her child. In the process, she serendipitously met with good luck. At the time, she was not well-educated, howbeit, she made conscious efforts to see that her children get an education.

    As we come to the crux of this article, it is important that we stress the fact that the girl child should be treated with respect, kindness, and equity because the little girl of yesterday will someday become a wife and mother. Therefore, she should be protected and valued; even in times when she seeming go rusty, we should polish her until she gleams like new; she becomes special because we made her so.

    Finally, it is pertinent we realize that “behind every successful and peaceful home, community, and nation is a virtuous mother”.  With confidence I can proudly say that the loveliest master piece of God’s creation is the heart of a mother.

    God bless Nigeria!

  • Five effective ways to break a phone addiction

    Five effective ways to break a phone addiction

    An addition is basically when a thing begins to control your life and interferes with your daily activities, work and relationships. When your phone starts to do that to you, it has become an addiction you need to immediately break. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 effective ways to break a phone addiction.

    The First Few Minutes of Your Day

    The first way to break a phone addiction is to dedicate the first 10 to 30 minutes of your day, at least, to planning and creating a good start to your day, rather than unlocking your phone to browse various internet or social media platforms.

    Create No-Phone Periods

    You have to be strict with this one because this can significantly decrease your productivity and efficiency once you are unable to carry it out. If you find yourself constantly being distracted by your phone, it is necessary to create a no-phone period, where for a specific number of minutes or hours you close off your phone and stay completely dedicated to your work.

    Don’t Lose Sleep Over Your Phone

    Set limits. You should never allow your phone deprive you of your sleep. Be disciplined and set limits. The moment you stop putting energy into caring for your basic needs and start putting all your time and energy into your phone, you are allowing your phone dictate your health and well-being. Please stop that, your phone is not worth your health.

    Customize Your Notifications

    The fact is the lesser notifications you receive, the less likely you are to get distracted by your smartphone and constantly check your smartphone. Therefore, customize your smartphone notifications by turning off notifications for the apps that distract you the most.

    Work on Building Real Life Relationships

    Rather than spending hours building virtual relationships, try to get real and work to develop real world relationships. Real world relationships are more physically and emotionally gratifying than virtual relationships, so try to move your relationships with people from your phone to a real world platform. Instead of chatting, try to meet up somewhere next time (but be careful with this however and take this step with people you are without a doubt sure you can trust. The key word here is ‘without a doubt’.)

     

  • Expectations for the Week

    Expectations for the Week

    Senator Danjuma Goje of Gombe state claimed last week that men of The Nigerian Police Force took away documents containing the 2017 budget last week and this sent down cold down the spines of many concerned Nigerians.

    Quickly, the Nigerian police came out to clear the air, they said they found some millions (although, this is no longer news to many Nigerians) and some incriminating materials too. The masses were happy, they leaped for joy, and they wanted to see where the investigation will lead to.

    Alas, their expectations were cut short when all materials and monies gotten from the former Gombe governor were given back to him. Now, why were the monies and materials returned? We may never know the full truth but many suspect that it was settled “politically”. Is this good for our democracy?

    Well, some may argue that we can’t separate politics from governance and such settlements are bound to happen.

    On the other hand, Nigerians are hopeful that the budget will be thoroughly worked upon by the National Assembly and approved soon. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adeshina has said that the budget for this year isn’t behind schedule yet because last year’s budget is to expire on the fifth of this month, therefore, we still have four days before we are due for a new budget.

    For the second time, the suspended boss of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke will be interrogated by the Vice President Yemi Osibanjo-led panel to listen to his side of the story concerning the cash found in an Ikoyi private home recently.

    Hopefully, the truth behind the found billions will be exposed to the world and it will serve as a deterrent to other public office holders.

    In the last few weeks, President Muhammadu Buhari has not been seen at public functions, in fact, he didn’t go for the usual Jumaat service last Friday which further fueled speculation that the President is not in a good shape.

    He also wasn’t available for the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting last week which has gotten many people worried. Many people including Wole Soyinka have asked the number one man in Nigeria to release the detailed medical record of his health to the public.

    Will he proceed to release that? Time will tell but we can all continue to hope for the betterment of his health for the benefit of the country.

    By @Segun_Odunayo

  • May Day: Workers’ struggles and hope

    May Day: Workers’ struggles and hope

    The first of May, unlike any other day, is one set apart to celebrate the dedication and consistent spirit of workers around the globe; in this case Nigerian workers.  Out of respect for the day, governments around the world declare it a work-free day.

    Going back to historical antecedents, workers day was promulgated by the International Workers Congress in Paris to commemorate the struggle of all workers for better conditions. It was originally an eight hours work-free period, unlike the 24-hour ‘largesse’ we enjoy today.

    In Nigeria, May Day was first declared by the People Redemption Party (PRP) of Kano State in 1980. It became a National holiday on the first of May, 1981 during Shagari’s administration.

    During the celebration, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, governors, and other dignitaries in Nigeria address the Nigeria workers, especially with respect to some issues bordering on workers welfare, remuneration, nationhood, etc.

    Till this time, workers have continued to demand for their rights from the government and management of organizations alike; their rights to decent wages, opportunities for training and development, and a safe and congenial working environment – these remains in the front burner for labour and its representatives.

    Also issues such as retirement packages, access to fringe benefits such as medical care, housing, transportation, soft loans etc., and compensation plans in case of injuries and accidents on or during work is also a major concern for labour.

    Regardless of the sundry challenges bedeviling the emancipation and evolution of labour, it is important that labour unions sustain their efforts without colourations of partisanship and politics to see that the Nigerian worker is translated from the dark valleys and alleys of stagnation to the joyous daybreak of material and economic prosperity.

     

     

  • Five effective ways to get a lazy person to work

    Five effective ways to get a lazy person to work

     

    There are ways to get lazy people to work and it just might be a bit easier than you’ve imagined. Jumia Travel and Jumia Mobile Week share 5 effective ways to get a lazy person to work.

    Consider the ‘Lazy’ Person

    Certain people you consider lazy might not see themselves as lazy. In their own eyes, they’re putting in as much effort as they can. People have different perspectives on what can be defined as laziness and they tend to do what’s in alignment to their goals and view of the world. Ultimately to change people, you have to try to understand them better and first understand their perspectives. You can do this by asking the person non-judgmental questions or talking to others who know the person to get a better picture of his/her personality.

    Consider Your Perspective

    You have to understand and learn to accept that the fact that another person doesn’t have the same approach to work as yours doesn’t make them lazy. You should try to understand that while your perspective on laziness makes much sense to you, it might not make sense to the other person (as much as this other person’s perspective on laziness doesn’t make sense to you too).

    Let Go of Your Preconceived Notions

    This basically involves being more understanding and being more flexible with your beliefs and notions on work and laziness. Ultimately, everyone is willing to work hard for things that truly matter to them, so lose your judgments and preconceived notions, and focus on influencing the other person to work based on his/her perspectives.

    Tap Into Their Deepest Motivations

    To effectively influence people, you have to learn to tap into their deepest motivations. When you give a person a good enough reason or a big enough motivation (based on their deepest motivations) to work and accomplish tasks, you would be surprised at how much they would work to accomplish just about anything you give to them.

    Focus on Results Not Activity

    Avoid obsessing on how active a person. Focus instead on if the person is achieving the desired results. As long as the person is achieving results, don’t fret so much about how many hours the person works or how diligent they appear to be. The better measure for work is results, rather than time spent.

     

  • Five smart kitchen gadgets to help you cook better

    Five smart kitchen gadgets to help you cook better

    Sincerely in recent times, it has become clear to the majority that technology has come to stay and make life so much easier in the process. Jumia Travel and Jumia Mobile Week shares 5 technologies that have been invented to make cooking better, faster and much easier, and to ultimately eliminate the extra kitchen hassle. However, they might be a bit or very pricey but in the end they are worthwhile investments.

    Tablet Stand

    You’ll be surprised how easy it is to find recipes online or watch online tutorial videos on you tablet when it’s resting conveniently on a tablet stand. Tablet stands also help to keep your tablets clean when kitchen counters get messy.

    Hello Egg

    This is the ultimate home cooking sidekick. It’s a smart kitchen assistant that helps you plan weekly meals based on dietary preferences and helps to keep track of what’s in your pantry, as well as organize your shopping list and help you come up with recipes based on the food stuffs you already have. It’s an AI powered device that helps assist in the kitchen in ways that reduce, if not completely eliminate, extra kitchen hassles.

    Smart Chef TRU Infrared Grill

    This is a Wi-Fi connected grill that helps you control grilling with your smartphone. It’s a TRU-Infrared Cooking System that provides even heat when grilling, prevents flare-ups (which is popular with conventional grills) and helps to cook juicier foods. It’s very effective and helps you grill your foods perfectly basically every time. With the smart chef, you can do things like adjusting the temperature of the grill and ultimately make the grilling process easier than ever before with just a tap on your phone.

    June Intelligent Oven

    It’s a powerful, easy-to-use and thoughtfully constructed computer based oven. The oven is built in with six carbon fiber heating elements to help roast, toast, broil and bake to perfection. It cooks foods 25% faster than conventional ovens and it’s engineered with safety in mind so you don’t have to worry about the oven blowing up and burning your house down. This is one oven with a ‘Wow’ factor indeed. All you need to do to get started with this oven is to install the June App on your iPhone or iPad (unfortunately, you need an IOS device only to use this device), and you can do things like preheat your oven from your device, receive notifications when the food is almost done etc.

    Samsung Smart Refrigerator (Samsung Family Hub)

    This is a revolutionary new refrigerator by Samsung that has a Wi-Fi enabled touchscreen that can be used to manage groceries, connect with your family and entertain yourself like never before. One of its impressive features is that the refrigerator has in-built cameras that take photos every time the doors close which you can access from the touch screen on the fridge or on your phone to know what’s in the fridge at every moment in time. You can also play your favourite music and tv shows on the Family Hub.

     

  • Five exotic places Nigerians can visit in Ghana

    Five exotic places Nigerians can visit in Ghana

    Ghana is like second home to Nigerians, just like Nigeria is same to Ghanaians. Both countries and its citizens share some common affinities. If you’re planning to travel from Nigeria to Ghana or you haven’t decided which African country to visit, you should try shooting your best shot at Ghana. There are lots of exciting places to visit in this country such as its castles, and forts used during the slave trade. There is also the less travelled Volta region.

    Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 5 exciting places to visit when in Ghana.

    Elmina & St. George’s Castle

    If you’re enthusiastic about fishing or knowing the story of slave trade in the country, this castle is a good place for fishing and learning about their history. It is synonymous to Nigeria’s slave trade in Badagry. The castle is not too far from Cape Coast. According to history, the castle was built by the Portugese in 1842 but was later taken over by the Dutch some 150 years later. There are tour guides at the castle and a small museum.

    Kumasi

    Kumasi is located at the southern-central Ghana and it’s the second largest city. The Ashantis who are famous artisans domicile mostly in Kumasi. They are famous for making gold jewelry and trinkets around the world. Surprisingly, the king of Ashanti is always enthusiastic to meet visitors every 42 days. When you are in Kumasi, make effort to visit the Kejetia market where they make Kente clothings.

    Busua Beach

    This is one of the best beaches in Ghana. It is a large and modern hotel with dining facilities, pool and chalets. There are lots of low and high budget hotels located along the beach. The bar and restaurant of the hotels serve excellent French foods. It is a great place to relax, paddle around in the Atlantic and enjoy some lobsters.

    Volta Lake

    If you enjoy visiting a lake, doing boat rides and all, Volta Lake is your best choice. It’s the largest man-made lake in the entire world. The entire length of the lake takes about 24 hours to complete. Although, there are smaller ferry services on the lake. Bookings can be made through the Volta Lake Transport Company. When on the boat, you will have some livestock and vegetables to share the ride with.

    Accra, Ghana’s Capital

    Accra is the capital of Ghana with over 2 million residents. It’s a mixture of shanty towns, castle and lively markets and modern buildings. There are a lot of attractions in the city such as the National Museum which showcases the country’s culture and history; Makola market, a colourful and blissful market where you can shop for everything and anything; and some fantastic beaches.

     

     

  • CYFI trains 60 adolescent girls on computer skills and coding

    CYFI trains 60 adolescent girls on computer skills and coding

    (L-R): Mrs Olanrewaju (Ifelodun LCDA HOD Education), Tosin Animashaun (PyNigeria), Jerry Odili and Anu Adelakun (CYFI Education Team), Representative of U.S. Consulate, Parents of beneficiaries.

    Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI) Education team recently concluded the free training of 60 disadvantaged adolescent girls on computer skills and coding. The program entitled “Smart Girls” was very well received by teachers, students and the entire Ajegunle community where the program took place. The program empowers young, marginalized girls using ICT.

    One of the project beneficiaries, Anuoluwa Opatola, had never operated a computer before the project but can now write lines of python code. Twenty girls were selected, based on their excellent performance in the program, to receive brand new Raspberry Pis at no cost.

    The CYFI Education team made up of Anu Adelakun, Charles Adewole, Jerry Odili, and Tosin Akingbulu expressed their satisfaction at the successful implementation of the program and hoped that the beneficiaries will further pursue computer science and other science-related courses in the university as this was the main objective of the program. They encouraged people to no longer consider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as a male-dominated field but hope more girls will be encouraged to take up science-related courses and perform well. 

    At the end of the graduation event, the parents of the girls could not hide their joy at seeing their daughters become experts in the use of computers and they promised to keep encouraging them in this field. 

    CYFI is a US-Consulate Lagos sponsored initiative aimed at developing leadership skills in young Nigerians.

     

  • World leaders to tackle neglected tropical diseases

    …citing Remarkable Progress Since 2012

     Governments and private donors pledge US$812 millionaround five-day summit in Geneva; World Health Organization releases data showing medicines to prevent NTDs reach nearly a billion people each year

    GENEVA (19 April 2017) – This week, leaders from governments, pharmaceutical companies and charitable organizations convened at a five-day summit in Geneva to pledge new commitments to the collective efforts to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The summit coincided with the launch of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Fourth Report on NTDs, showing transformational progress against these debilitating diseases, and a commitment by the United Kingdom to more than double its funding for NTDs.

    The meeting comes five years after the launch of the London Declaration on NTDs, a commitment by the public and private sectors to achieve the WHO goals for control, elimination and eradication of 10 NTDs. In that time, billions of treatments have been donated by pharmaceutical companies and delivered to impoverished communities in nearly 150 countries, reaching nearly a billion people in 2015.

    NTDs are some of the oldest and most painful diseases, afflicting the world’s poorest communities. One in six people suffer from NTDs worldwide, including more than half a billion children. NTDs disable, debilitate and perpetuate cycles of poverty, keeping children out of school, parents out of work, and dampening hope of any chance of an economic future.

    New Report Shows Dramatic Progress

    A new report titled Integrating Neglected Tropical Diseases in Global Health and Development by the WHO revealed that more people are being reached with needed NTD interventions than ever before. In 2015, nearly a billion people receivedtreatments donated by pharmaceutical companies for at least one NTD, representing a 36 percent increase since 2011, the year before the launch of the London Declaration. As more districts, countries and regions eliminate NTDs,the number of people requiring treatments has decreased from 2 billion in 2010 to 1.6 billion in 2015.

    “WHO has observed record-breaking progress towards bringing ancient scourges like sleeping sickness and elephantiasis to their knees,” says WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan. “Over the past 10 years, millions of people have been rescued from disability and poverty, thanks to one of the most effective global partnerships in modern public health.”

    The report detailed progress against each disease, citing countries and regions that are reaching control and elimination goals for specific NTDs. Highlights include:

     

    • Lymphatic filariasis (LF) racing toward finish line: In the last year, eight countries(Cambodia, Cook Islands, Maldives, Marshall Islands,Niue, Sri Lanka, Togo and Vanuatu) eliminatedLF, and 10 other countries are waiting on surveillance results to verify elimination. Thanks to strong programs, the number of people globally requiring preventative treatment has dropped from 1.4 billion in 2011 to fewer than 950 million in 2015.
    • Fewest-ever cases of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness): In2015, there were fewer reported cases of sleeping sickness than any other year in history, with fewer than 3,000 cases worldwide – an 89 percent reduction since 2000. Innovative vector control and diagnostic technologies, supported by increasing numbers of product development partnerships, are revolutionizing sleeping sickness diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
    • Eighty-two percent decrease in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases in India, Nepal and Bangladesh: Since 2008, cases of VLacross India, Nepal and Bangladesh have decreased by 82 percent due to improvements in vector control, social mobilization of village volunteers, collaboration with other NTD programs and drug donations from industry partners.
    • Guinea worm disease nearing eradication: Cases of Guinea worm disease have reduced from an estimated 3.5 million in 1986 to just 25 human cases in 2016 in just three countries – Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

     

    Global Donors Pledge Additional Support

    Governments and other donors announced new commitments at the summit to expand the reach and impact of NTD programs around the world. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed $335 million in grants over the next four years to support a diverse group of NTD programs focused on drug development and delivery, disease surveillance and vector control. The commitment includes $42 million to support The Carter Center’s guinea worm eradication initiative, as well as dedicated funding to accelerate the elimination of African sleeping sickness.

    “NTDs are some of the most painful, debilitating and stigmatizing diseases that affect the world’s poorest communities. That’s why we helped launch the London Declaration, a historic milestone that led to significant progress in treating and reducing the spread of NTDs and demonstrated the impact that the public sector, the private sector, communities and NGOs can have by working together,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    “Thanks to this partnership, these neglected diseases are now getting the attention they deserve so fewer people have to suffer from these treatable conditions. There have been many successes in the past five years, but the job is not done yet. We have set ambitious targets for 2020 that require the continued commitment of pharmaceutical companies, donor and recipient governments, and frontline health workers to ensure drugs are available and delivered to the hardest to reach people.”

    The Belgian government also pledged an additional $27 million, spread equally over the next nine years, toward the elimination of sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This amount will be matched for the next three years by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, establishing a platform for increased collaboration between Belgium, the DRC and the broader NTD partnership.

    As part of its commitment to eliminating HAT, Vestergaard pledged to donate 20 percent of its insecticide-treated “tiny targets” used to control the tsetse flies that carry the disease, scaling over the next three years towards 100 percent as elimination nears.

    These commitments build on the UK Government’s announcement earlier this week, in which it pledgedalmost $450 million over 5 yearsto support NTD control and elimination efforts around the world.

    Industry Contributions Expand Scale and Reach of NTD Program

    Progress against NTDs has been enabled by the large-scale donation of medicines by 10 pharmaceutical companies. In the five years since the London Declaration,companies have donated over 7 billion treatments that, with the support of partners, now reach nearly 1 billion people every year. These donations, worth an estimated $19 billion from 2012 through 2020, greatly multiply the impact of donor investments; USAID estimates that each dollar invested in delivery leverages $26 worth of donated drugs.

    In a statement released today, industry leaders reaffirmed their 2012 pledge to do their part to beat these diseases, and encouraged other sectors to maintain their commitments as well.

    “The London Declaration is a powerful example of the impact of successful partnerships,” said Haruo Naito, CEO of Eisai and an original signatory of the London Declaration. “By leveraging our resources and focusing on a common goal, we are already making unprecedented progress towards eliminating these horrific diseases. The work we are doing today is a long-term investment into a healthier and more prosperous future.”

    In addition to donations, pharmaceutical companies are working together and with research institutes to discover and develop new tools to prevent, diagnose and treat NTDs. A report released today by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations collected the full scope of industry investment in NTD R&D, including:

    • Sanofi and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) are developing a new oral drug candidate for HAT, fexinidazole, which would replace the current mixed oral-intravenous drug regimen. Fexinidazole could represent a therapeutic breakthrough which will support sustainable elimination efforts as per the WHO roadmap for 2020. The drug is expected to be submitted for regulatory approval later in 2017.
    • Several companies are working to develop pediatric formulations of existing NTD medicines, including Bayer (nifurtimox, for Chagas disease), Merck KGaA (praziquantel, for schistosomiasis),and Elea/Mundo Sano (who are working with DNDito develop a second pediatric source of benznidazole, for Chagas disease), while Johnson & Johnson (mebendazole, for soil-transmitted helminths) developed a new chewable form of mebendazole, recently approved by the FDA, for children too young to swallow.
    • AbbVie, Bayer, Eisai, Johnson & Johnson and Merck KGaAare part of the Macrofilaricide Drug Accelerator Program, an initiative aimed at identifying and generating new drug compounds that can kill the adult worms that cause onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.
    • Bayer is working with DNDi to develop emodepside, an oral treatment for lymphatic filariasis and river blindness
    • Eisai is working with DNDi to develop ravuconazole, a new oral drug currently in clinical trials for Chagas disease, and is partnering with DNDi to develop ravuconazole in a new disease area, mycetoma.
    • GlaxoSmithKline and DNDi have agreed to jointly pursue the pre-clinical development of the two novel candidates for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis; the candidates were developed by a collaboration between GSK and the University of Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit, and the work was funded by Wellcome. The agreement for pre-clinical development will be conditional on signing an additional agreement.
    • In 2015, Eisai, Shionogi, Takeda, AstraZeneca and DNDi launched the NTD Drug Discovery Booster, a multi-company effort to accelerate the discovery of new drugs for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.In 2016 they were joined by Celgene Global Health. Merck KGaA announced today that it will join the consortium.
    • Many companies – including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Chemo, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai,Elea, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck KGaA, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Shionogi, and Takeda– have given DNDi and other non-profits access to their compound libraries and/or contribute scientific and technical expertise to DNDi and conduct pre-clinical and clinical studies to facilitate the development of new drugs to combat various NTDs.
    • Gilead is collaborating with the US Department of Defense, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health as well as multiple academic institutions to discover and develop novel antivirals for highly pathogenic infections and neglected/emerging viral diseases, including dengue fever. GS-5734, Gilead’s most advanced investigational agent, is currently being studied in Ebola survivors.

    Companies are also working with partners to solve supply chain problems, develop program strategies and build in-country capacity to ensure that drugs, tools and other interventions reach those who need them most.

     Addressing the Challenges Ahead

    Though tremendous progress has been made in reducing the burden of NTDs, global control and elimination targets cannot be met without increased financial support, stronger political commitment and better tools to prevent, diagnose and treat the diseases. This week, partners from private philanthropy, affected country governments and cross-sector partnerships recommitted to leveraging their respective resources and expertise to fill critical gaps.

     

    Financial Resources

    Although nearly a billion people received NTD treatments in 2015, more funding is needed to ensure that NTD programs reach all people and communities affected by the diseases. WHO estimates that 340 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa could be covered by new investments of $150 million per year through the year 2020.

    In addition to government commitments, private philanthropy is helping to address these gaps by supporting drug delivery and surveillance programs, as well as research and development into new medicines, diagnostics and other health tools. The END Fund, founded shortly after the London Declaration, has raised over $75 million to target the five most common NTDs, helping to treat over 145 million people around the world.

     

    Political Commitment

    Strong leadership from affected countries is vital to sustaining progress against NTDs, particularly in the face of shifting economic climates and competing health priorities. Despite these challenges, some countries are increasing financing for NTD programs and integrating them into national health systems. Among other countries, Ethiopia has made significant strides in fighting trachoma by including progress against the disease as a target in its national health plan, providing significant domestic funding, participating in the Global Trachoma Mapping Project and training surgeons to conduct eye-lid surgeries to correct the effects of trachoma.

    “Ethiopia is fully committed to realizing ambitious, yet achievable, elimination targets for trachoma and other NTDs with proactive program coordination,” said H.E Professor YifruBerhanMitke, Ethiopian Minister of Health.“An increased direct program financial contribution by the government to NTDs, as high as 3 million USD by 2016, is a big step forward in alleviating the burden and stigma of these diseases.”

     

    New Tools and Innovations

    To meet control and elimination targets, more research and development is needed to provide NTD programs with improved tools to prevent, detect and treat the diseases. Promising new therapies are in the pipeline: A new three-drug regimen for LF known as triple therapy has the potential to dramatically accelerate the pace of elimination in affected countries, and is currently in large-scale safety trials in India.

    R&D organizations such as PATH and partnerships like DNDiand the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund have catalyzed the development of better and more cost-effective tools. These innovations, which include new drugs and rapid diagnostic tests for sleeping sickness and river blindness, are especially critical in the low-resource settings most burdened by NTDs. Several new vector control tools are under development and being piloted to address the growing problem of diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitos.

    The Global Partners Meeting on Neglected Tropical Diseases will be hosted by the World Health Organization on 19 April 2017. From 20-22 April, Uniting to Combat NTDs and the global NTD community will host the NTD Summit, which will feature technical discussions on the best strategies to reach the NTD control and elimination goals.

    About Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases:Established in 2012, Uniting to Combat NTDs is a group of organizations committed to achieving the WHO’s 2020 goal to control and eliminate 10 NTDs as laid out in in the London Declaration. By working together, Uniting to Combat NTDs aims to chart a new course toward health and sustainability among the world’s poorest communities.

    The 10 diseases covered by the London Declaration include onchocerciasis (river blindness), Guinea worm disease, lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), blinding trachoma, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, leprosy, Chagas disease, visceral leishmaniasis and human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). To find out more about the work of Uniting to Combat NTDs and to learn more about NTDs, please visit our website.

    About the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases: The London Declaration on NTDs, launched on 30 January 2012, is a joint commitment to control, eliminate or eradicate NTDs, signed by WHO, 13 pharmaceutical companies, donor and endemic country governments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank.

     

  • Health tops US support for Nigeria

    Health tops US support for Nigeria

    Funding of health tops the United States ( US ) support for Nigeria in the grassroots and Non-Governmental Organisations.

    The Chief Information Officer of the United States Embassy, Nigeria, Mr. Russel Brooks stated this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the head office of The Nation Newspaper in Lagos.

    According to him, the US spends the great majority of it funds in dealing with health situations such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria; even the current Cerebrospinal Meningitis outbreak in the Northern region of the country.

    “We have organizations in Nigeria that are focused on intervening on health situations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development – USAID, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and also the Walter Reed medical centre.

    “In fact, the Walter Reed Medical Centre’s office located in Nigeria is currently the only one there is on this continent; this shows the importance that the U.S. places on Nigeria and the particular health problems that is prevalent here. Health is a major issues and it concerns the entire world, not just the United States and Nigeria. For that reason, it is so important to us,” Brooks said.

    He added that the US also partners with Nigeria in education where it continues to engage the people, especially those at the grassroots level.

    “EducationUSA is a department through which thousands of Nigerians get information about the possibility of studying in the United States – at the undergraduate, graduate level, and even community colleges. By taking advantage of that opportunities, and bringing back skills and information to the country, obviously, we are helping the development and future prosperity of Nigeria.

    Concerning Cultural/Academic exchange between the two countries, Mr. Russel spoke on the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), of which the Mandela Washington programme is an offshoot.

    “We have the Mandela Washington fellow, the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, and some others. It is obvious that the US assistance here to Nigeria and its people is broad, varied, and extremely helpful. It contributes to the strong leadership that we have not just on a governmental level, but on a people to people level.

    “The Mandela Washington Programme is one that provides an opportunity for fellows from Africa to visit the United States each year and do a variety of things – attend academic institutes, colleges, and university. The Mandela Programme is only one component of YALI.

    “There are other programmes related to YALI that take place on this continent.  We have some leadership institutes here that help find internships for returning Mandela Washington fellows. We also look for opportunities to engage with corporations in businesses here on the continent.

    “Pertaining to the fellowship programmes, it is true that when administration changes, there is a possibility of a change in policy, but at the moment, there has not been a diminishment of our interest or support for the Mandela Programme. Thousands of Africans went for the programme last year, there are thousand going this year, and the largest number of Africans attending the programme comes from Nigeria. Slightly over a hundred Nigerians are going to participate in this programme.

    “We believe that it is a wonderful programme, and has paid tremendous dividends for Nigeria. Therefore, there is no reason to stop supporting the programme. The administrative change from Former President Obama to President Trump does not affect the programme.”

    Brooks was accompanied by the Deputy Public Affairs Officer of the agency, Mr. Frank Sellin, and Mr. Temitayo Famutimi, Information Specialist to the United States Consulate General, Lagos.

    Twitter: @memorinken

    Instagram: @memorinken

    Email: brandphase@yahoo.com