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Moses Emorinken, Abuja

Stakeholders in the health sector have called for increased funding for the sector, especially in the area of effective immunisation after the country’s transition from Gavi support.

They made the call Saturday in Abuja during a meeting convened by the development Research and Projects Centre under the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health at Scale (dRPC-PACFaH@Scale) in collaboration with the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS).

Nigeria would require $1.9bn to procure Routine Immunisation (RI) and VB Supplementary Immunization Activities (SIA) from 2018 to 2028, and less than $295 million annually following Gavi transition.

This was revealed by the Senior Programme Officer on Immunisation of the National Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre (NERICC), Dr. Bakunawa Bello.

The National Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre is a centre under the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDCA).

According to Dr. Bello, “The planned transition of Nigeria out of GAVI support in 2021 played a significant role in kick-starting the development of the Nigeria Strategy for Immunising and PHC System Strengthening (NSIPSS)”.

While explaining that the NSIPSS was aimed at improving immunisation and broader primary healthcare services, he said the goal was the attainment of 84 per cent average national immunization coverage by 2028.

Read Also: Polio immunisation compliance rate high in Sokoto

He emphasised that majority of states with low immunization coverage were located in the northern part of the country.

National President of National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Dr. Gloria Laraba Shoda, said the country’s 51 per cent statistics of unimmunized children in Africa was worrisome, adding that “there was need to scale up routine immunization in order to sustain family health in Nigeria”.

She said the council with its large spread all over the country has been sensitizing the populace on the importance of immunization.

A representative of the World Bank, Chijioke Okoro, said there was need for civil society organisations to advocate for the prioritization of health funding because it benefits women and children, and promotes economic development.

Sarti Marcel of the Budget Office also added that local vaccine production was key to the country’s immunization mechanism following transition from Gavi support.

Our Reporter

A total of 8,304 final year students of Kwara State origin have each been paid N5000 as bursary straight into their accounts following weeks of electronic processes and verification of their applications by the government.

The AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration had recently launched a strictly e-bursary in a step meant to ensure that the process is transparent, with all eligible students directed to apply through a dedicated portal.

Read Also: No cholera in Kwara — Govt

The governor had approved N50m for the second tranche of 2019 bursary, but insisted that applicants must apply online and have their money paid straight into their accounts without any middlemen.

“A total of 10,491 successful applications were received within a period of four weeks, but only 8,304 of them were verified to be genuine and therefore recommended for payments. Consequently, payment is now being effected, according to a statement by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Dr Musa Dasuki.

Twenty nine students of the Oduduwa University Ipetumodu (OUI), Osun State, on Thursday bagged First Class honours at the seventh graduation ceremony.

The event which was well attended by traditional rulers, including the Olugbo of Igbo, Oba Fredrick Obateru, who was honoured with doctorate degree, had a total 717 students who had completed their degrees in various departments.

The Vice Chancellor of the OUI, Professor Chibuzo Nnate Nwoke said out of 717 students that completed their first degrees from three colleges in the university, 29 came out with First Class Division,  282 finished with Second Class Upper Division while 354 made Second Class Lower Division. He added that 52 students fell into Third Class category.

Speaking at the event, the President of OUI, Chief Ramon Adedoyin, while congratulating the Olugbo of Igbo,  said the monarch had the wherewithal to take the institution to enviable heights.

He described Olugbo’s acceptance to be an alumnus of the Oduduwa varsity as a blessing.

He  praised  the Federal Government and the National Universities Commission for giving ample opportunities to individuals and corporate bodies to invest in education, especially at the tertiary level.  He said it has ‘given bright opportunities  to our children and others who are thirsty for University education.’

He disclosed that that OUI would continue to pursue self-reliance via developmental and entrepreneurial education.

The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the school, in his speech, said OUI has solid internal mechanisms to tackle cultism and other forms of insecurity tendencies on its campus and that students with academic excellence would be assisted to become successful in life.

The VC said the 10-year-old university that was granted operational license by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2009 has recorded modest achievements and that its town and gown relation is excellent.

He said “Oduduwa University enjoys a serene and scenic location, complemented with modern facilities, which constitute a very conducive environment for leaning. The welfare of our students is of paramount concern to us. We have set up full scholarship scheme for the benefit of brilliant indigent students. “

“Beyond our regular academic programmes, we have several professional and technical centers to cater for the increasing needs of our immediate community and beyond”, Professor Nwoke . said

Also represented at the event were  the Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Lawal.

The family is God’s delight.  When God delights in you and you delight in Him, He makes your life and your home a delightful place. If it is joy you need, He gives it to you. If it is money that is in short supply, God releases it. If it is peace that is required, He brings peace. Everything it takes for your family to succeed is made available. When God delights in your family, everyone against your family progress is silenced and you enjoy all-round security and speedy answers to your prayers.

Furthermore, when your delight is in Him, your life will always be on the increase (Psalm 18:19); God will promote you and you will enjoy abundance in every area of your life. God’s Word says: Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken; neither shall thy land anymore be termed desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord DELIGHTETH in thee, and thy land shall be married (Isaiah 62:4). This is God Word’s for you right now.

Every successful home is a threat to satan’s kingdom, which is why he would do anything to destroy it.  Unfortunately, he gains entrance to many homes often through the woman. Remember, he gained access into the first home through Eve, and history always repeats itself. God’s Word says: But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

For this reason, men should protect their wives spiritually, to ensure that they do not engage in private discussions with hell, which can send them out of their “garden”.  Once the woman is effectively shielded from satan, he will have difficulty in trying to penetrate the home.

Read Also: Marriage: A garden of treasures (4)

Women are more susceptible to the attacks of satan, because of their roles in the home.  She is usually more at home than the man; so, she is more available to satan. He creeps in on her and tells her, “What makes you different from the man? Are you a slave? Have you forgotten that you too are educated as he (husband) is? Have you forgotten your placement in your office? There is no Jew nor Greek, male or female; the same Lord is rich over all.” If unguarded, the woman would be tempted to agree with him.

Somehow, satan is able to easily secure the attention of women, particularly when they are idle.  He barrages them with all sorts of negative information, which in turn makes them unhappy. He often arrests them by painting a deadly picture of calamity and woe, which they readily accept. But unfortunately, some women claim that it was God that revealed such information to them, not recognizing that it came through “the prince of the power of the air.”

Woman, please learn to prove the source of the information that comes to you.  Find things out for yourself from the Word of God, because nothing anybody says can make the Word of no effect.  The destruction many families have experienced today came from information that had satanic sources.

Man, it is time to awake and chase satan out of your garden! Until you say, “Get thee behind this family, satan”, he will keep hanging around. As man’s eternal enemy, satan has vowed to pull down the family unit.  God’s Word says: How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? (Deuteronomy 32:30). He wants to stop you from destroying his kingdom.

In the covenant, one can deal with 1,000, two, especially in marriage, are empowered to put 10,000 to flight!  Satan knows this and wants to keep his kingdom; so, he launches attacks on the family, to prevent them from destroying his kingdom.  Since one family can destroy 10,000 demons, Satan aims at destroying the 10,000 capacity destroyers.  If he succeeds, he has preserved more demons to run errands for him.

Another reason the devil wants to gain entrance into families is found in I Peter 3:7; Likewise, ye husband, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

When a man and his wife are at variance with each other, their prayers are hindered, and they are disconnected from God.  They may pray all the time, but there will be no response from heaven.  Heaven will be shut, making it impossible for them to enjoy the harvest of whatever seed they may have sown.

The man, who opens up his home to malice or discord, has blocked his access to God’s blessing.  Satan knows this, so he does all he can to see that there is rancour and strife between a man and his wife.  Anytime you sense any animosity rising within you against your spouse, know that satan is seeking an entrance.  Therefore, resist him steadfastly in the faith.  Tell yourself that since you have no intention of having another home, you will not give satan a foothold in your family!

In case you are not yet born again, this is another opportunity for you to do so today. If you want to overcome satanic loopholes in your family this year, don’t miss this golden opportunity. You can become born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. If you are ready for this new birth experience, please say this prayer: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins and cleanse me with Your Blood. I accept You as my Lord and personal Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for delivering me from sin and satan to serve the living God and thank You for accepting me into Your Kingdom.

Congratulations! If you prayed this simple prayer of faith with me, you are born again and now a child of God. He loves you and will never leave you. Read your Bible daily; obey God’s Word and seek Christian fellowship (John 14:21). With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace in Jesus’ name! Call or write to share your testimonies with me through contact@faithoyedepo.org, 07026385437 or 08141320204.

For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Building a Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

Moses Emorinken, Abuja

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday revealed that in 2018, more than 47 children and adolescents die every day from AIDS-related causes, as access to treatment by children living with HIV in Nigeria is only 35 percent.

In commemoration of the World AIDS Day, UNICEF said the latest global data, regional disparities in access to treatment among children living with HIV is very high – with West and Central Africa faring worst.

The report explains that access is highest in South Asia, at 91 per cent, followed by the Middle East and North Africa (73 per cent), Eastern and Southern Africa (61 per cent), East Asia and the Pacific (61 percent), Latin America and the Caribbean (46 per cent) and West and Central Africa (28 per cent).

Low access to antiretroviral treatment and limited prevention efforts are the leading causes for these deaths, with only 54 per cent of children aged 0-14 living with HIV globally in 2018 – or 790,000 children – receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy.

According to the UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative Peter Hawkins, “Progress has been made in the battle against HIV and AIDS – but we must do more, especially when it comes to Nigerian children and adolescents.

“Testing and treating for children and adolescents is a matter of life and death – and we must choose life”.

The UNICEF report further revealed that mothers’ access to antiretroviral therapy to prevent the transmission of the virus to their babies has increased globally, however, reaching 82 per cent, up from 44 per cent less than 10 years ago. This figure in Nigeria is 44 per cent, up from 22 per cent in 2009.

READ ALSO: Lagos steps up fight against HIV/AIDS

“It is good news that more and more pregnant women are receiving antiretroviral treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, which has helped avert about 2 million new HIV infections and prevented the deaths of over 1 million children under five years old around the word.

“But we need to see the same kind of progress in ensuring that children who already have the virus are receiving lifesaving treatment. HIV programmes need to be fully funded and equipped to preserve, protect and improve the quality of life for Nigerian children. We cannot and must not abandon these children,” said Hawkins.

Additional data from the report include: In 2018, around 160,000 children aged 0-9 were newly infected with HIV, bringing the total number of children in this age group living with HIV to 1.1 million.

89,000 children under the age of five were infected during pregnancy or birth and 76,000 were infected during breastfeeding in 2018

140,000 adolescent girls were newly infected with HIV in 2018, compared to 50,000 adolescent boys.

To end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat for future generations, UNICEF is urging governments and partners to Improve HIV testing and treatment data for children and adolescents to better respond to the needs of this vulnerable population, and invest in and implement effective and innovative interventions to urgently close the persistent testing and treatment gap for children and adolescents living with HIV.

Kelvin Osa Okunbor

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health, accident and emergency response industries have demanded increased government and private sector investments in facilities that will ease the plight of trauma victims.

The call was made in Lagos at the 2019 trauma conference organised by Trauma Care International Foundation (TCIF) where participants expressed the worry over the plight of victims, the majority lacking access to requisite facilities for speedy treatment and help from professionals.

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who spoke at the event, lamented the stressed-induced trauma that thousands of residents face daily in the state due to infrastructural gaps , assuring that efforts were made to mitigate the impact on citizens.

Abayomi, also decried the activities of irresponsible commercial motorcyclists saying they had become a source of trauma to many.

Trauma Care International Foundation said the conference was organized to provide a platform for debate and stimulation of inter-disciplinary discussions in the field of trauma care and emergency response management.

Some of the topics discussed at the conference include: Transforming healthcare in Nigeria through trauma network, securing healthcare financing for trauma and emergency services, National Health Act and its provision for emergency care, and improvement in pre-hospital emergency care systems.

Participants were drawn from federal and states ministry of health, national assembly, hospitals, Federal Road Safety Corps, first responders to trauma and accidents, media, insurance and NGOs.

The confence had become necessary given that in recent years, the country has witnessed an increase in the number of suicides occasioned by depression. There are also several cases of persons traumatized owing to the loss of family members or friends, accident victims from road, water, and air mishaps, just as fire disasters, floods, homelessness, failed marriages, truncated relationships, collapsed businesses, loss of jobs have wrecked emotional havoc on thousands of Nigerians.

The Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), Enugu state Wing, has called for the extension of teachers retirement age in the state from 60 years to 65 years.

The association’s Chairman, Mr Chilotanwa Okoli, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Friday that the state government should also review the teachers service duration to 40 years.

According to him, the teachers service duration and retirement age should be at par with lecturers in the universities.

He said: “We all know that the experiences and competencies of teachers increase with years of service and age.

“Therefore, increase in the number of years will be of immense benefit to our school children.’’

Okoli also called for the elevation of the position of Principal or Head Teachers General (HTG) in the state to Grade Level 17.

He contended that some states had started promoting their teachers to the highest grade level, saying that Enugu state should follow suit.

He requested for the appointment of more teachers as special assistants, personal assistants, executive assistants and permanent secretaries in the state.

“This will evidently avail the state government the opportunity to tap from their rich experiences of our teachers,’’ he said.

The association’s chairman commended the government for paying 13th month of basic salaries to civil servants in the state in 2017 and 2018.

“On behalf of head teachers, I hereby plead that this magnanimity be extended to the teachers in the primary school.

“There is no doubt that the gesture will boost their morale and increase their productivity,’’ Okoli said.

(NAN)

Dr Joel Akande

To my surprise, our recent articles on skin disorders have generated considerable interests. Little did I realise the enormity of the skin illnesses in our population. From the very young to the very old, skin diseases seem to be an epidemic matter in Nigeria. For millennia, we know for certainty that women have been concerned with their appearances, perhaps to attract the opposite gender for reproduction. Even at that, there are a lot of skin or dermatological illnesses in women that indicate women’s intimately-held concerns. Thus, I will spend the next couple of weeks to shed more light on skin illnesses in our population, especially as related to our environment. In the past, I have discussed such common issues as pimples and body odour that afflict both men and women. I have also explained why these events occur and what may be done to curtail their effects on us.

Role of Skin in Health and Diseases

For the next series on skin (dermatological) disorders, I will endeavour to take a deeper look at specific diseases. Once again, let me indicate here that, skin is the largest organ in the human body. The importance of the skin cannot be over-emphasised. Skin functions in many ways to our advantage. For a start, our skin is the first in the line of defences of our body against adverse environmental forces. These forces include the weather, bacteria, viruses, parasites and also chemical attacks, which we may apply or which nature may throw at us. Some of these chemicals are body creams, soaps and hair spray. Industrial waste exposures or as it often the case, being a factory worker (of whatever nature) may significantly impact our skin. Further, our skin is exposed to electromagnetic forces that are all around us – from natural earth fields to man-made electromagnetism such as phone masts and so forth.

Some members of our population are uniquely at risk of developing skin disorders as a result of environmental impacts, their professions and their lifestyles. In this category are women, farmers and factory workers. Moving inside the human body, our skin plays a significant role in manifestation of internal diseases that afflict us. In fact, the human skin may be the first reporter of a human illness. In so many ways, our skin attempts to tell us what is going on inside us. What we may have covered up or what we may have done in secret is so often easily revealed by our skin. Let me cite some critical examples here. Sexually transmitted diseases very often manifest in our skin.

Read Also: Understanding common skin diseases

Example, syphilis and herpes simplex produce sores or ulcers that are visible to us. Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) produce rashes on the skin even though this is a disease located inside the human body. Cancers occurring in other internal organs may show up on the skin. Example is breast cancer. Poor nutrition or effects of what we ingested such as medications, toxic conventional or traditional substances so easily show up on our skin. Our aging process is gauged through, principally, our skin.  Mentally, our sadness or happiness is measured through the reactions that our skin portrays to the world: frowning faces in everyone, red faces in fairer people demonstrate sadness or anger while, relaxed facial skin shows happiness in everyone.

That said, skin also functions to regulate our wellbeing. Our skin is a “respirator” and also an organ working like the kidneys. The skin does these works by allowing water and chemicals in and expelling waste products from our body. This is why our sweat tastes like salt and if the sweats stay too long without us removing them, our body develops body odour and smells like urine because our skin may produce urea like kidneys do.

We should remember that our nails and hairs are part of the skin. The nails function in part as objects of beauty but also a defensive appendage to help us remove unwanted matters from our body. Hairs, adds to our beauty or handsomeness. In addition, the hair, helps us to regulate our well-being by opening up pores to allow waste matters to pass to the outside world. The hairs, a beauty object, also alongside the rest of the skin, regulate our temperate against being too cold and or too hot.

From all of these, we can see the great importance of the skin and the considerable need to protect the largest organ that any human being have. In health and or disease, your skin is telling you and the world, something about you and your behaviour or what you have been exposed to. We will continue next week when we shall begin a more elaborate discussion on individual skin illnesses.

In the meantime, if you have been affected by this article and you require assistance, you may call / or WhatsApp 07087733114 or 08188343865 for support.