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Tag: Chikwe Ihekweazu

  • Governments must take responsibility for healthcare financing, reforms, says WHO Chief

    Governments must take responsibility for healthcare financing, reforms, says WHO Chief

    Despite the recent policy shift in United States government funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO), its Acting Regional Director for Africa, Chikwe Ihekweazu, has reiterated WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in tackling critical health challenges.

    Speaking on the broader challenges facing healthcare systems in Africa, Ihekweazu acknowledged the severe workforce shortages and inadequate infrastructure but stressed that solutions must go beyond these issues. 

    Ihekweazu, who spoke in Abuja during a roundtable at the United Nations (UN) House, emphasised the need for governments to take greater responsibility for healthcare financing and reforms, while WHO continues to provide guidance and technical assistance.

    “We have a young, vibrant population. The challenge is how the public sector absorbs healthcare workers being trained to serve our people.

    “That’s exactly where WHO helps, by supporting reform processes in areas such as health financing, regulation, and primary healthcare,” the Regional Director said.

    Addressing the financial strain on global health donors, he described the situation as an opportunity for African nations to take ownership of their healthcare systems. 

    “Through every crisis, there are opportunities. It is time for countries on the continent to rise up and take more responsibility for the health of their people,” he stressed.

    On the issue of emerging health threats, he highlighted WHO’s rapid response to the unknown disease recently detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

    Read Also: Changing face of healthcare delivery in Niger using Digital Public Infrastructure

    Ihekweazu reassured that the WHO team was already on the ground, assisting the DRC government in detecting and containing the outbreak.

    “Our responsibility is to support them. Whether it’s in Uganda with the Sudan virus outbreak, in Tanzania with Marburg, or in Nigeria, WHO is always there to ensure governments have the capacity to respond effectively,” he noted. 

    With the resurgence of measles in Texas raising concerns about global vaccine-preventable diseases, he underscored the importance of interconnectedness in global health. 

    He pointed out that no country, regardless of its resources, is immune to outbreaks, saying, “The measles outbreak in the U.S. demonstrates the universality of our challenges. We cannot isolate ourselves. The world is interconnected, and travel makes it even more so. 

    “That is why we need a strong WHO to bring countries together in a coordinated global response.”

    Following his meeting with Minister of Health to discuss the country’s ongoing battle against polio, the WHO Chief explained that this was his first since assuming office, while emphasizing the significance of Nigeria in WHO’s operations across Africa, describing it as the agency’s largest country office and program on the continent.

    With offices in all 36 States, the agency remains deeply embedded in Nigeria’s healthcare framework, he noted, saying, “Nigeria is our biggest country office, it’s our biggest program on the continent.

  • NCDC confirms 16 new cases of Lassa Fever in five states

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says it has confirmed 16 new cases of Lassa fever from five states in Nigeria.

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday ,while given an update about the disease and effort by the centre.

    He said that the 16 new cases have now brought the number of confirmed cases to 526 out of the 2,034 suspected cases since Jan. 1 in 21 states.

    He also said that a total of 121 deaths had been recorded since the onset of the outbreak.

    Ihekweazu said Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, w Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi and Cross River states have each recorded at least one confirmed case.

    He also confirmed that one health care worker was affected in Plateau state, bringing it to a total of 17 healthcare workers in seven states since the outbreak of the disease.

    The NCDC boss also said that 29 patients have been hospitalized at the designated centres.

    He said that 10 were hospitalized in Irrua, 9 in Owo, three in Abakiliki, two in Bauchi, three in Plateau, two in Taraba.

    Ihekweazu said a total of 6,489 people suspected to have contacts with those infected had been identified across 20 states.

    Read Also: Lassa fever claims 15 lives in Ondo

    He said that 1,443 of the suspected contacts were being followed up, while 4,983 had completed the mandatory 21 days of follow up to and have been declared  symptom free.

    He also said that 112 symptomatic contacts have been identified, of which 55 tested positive.

    The NCDC boss assured that the National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre will continue to coordinate the response activities at all levels.

    NAN

  • NCDC urges FG to combat resistance of diseases to antibiotics

    NCDC urges FG to combat resistance of diseases to antibiotics

    Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Chief Executive, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC ), says the spread of resistance to antibiotics in several microorganisms is complicating management of many infectious diseases.

    Addressing newsmen on the ‘2017 Antibiotics Awareness Week’ on Wednesday in Abuja, Ihekweazu said that the situation was adversely affecting the functioning of human and animal health systems.

    “The consequences of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) are serious as resistant microbes fail to respond to standard treatment.

    “This is resulting in prolonged illness, infectiousness, increased spread of disease, extended hospital stays and greater risk of death.

    “Developing countries, in the face of limited resources and their greater disease burden, will suffer more than the developed ones,’’ Ihekweazu said.

    According to him, AMR is decreasing the usefulness of modern medical technologies and jeopardises both common and complex surgical procedures.

    In addition to this jeopardy, AMR is also endangering animal health and welfare as well as food production, Ihekweazu said.

    He said that it was projected that 10 million people will die annually from AMR by 2050 if current trends are unabated.

    He noted that the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance was on the increase with little or no support for research into the production of new medicines.

    “We need to sustain our response at reducing the burden of AMR and its associated implications.

    “Nigerians should play key roles as we take up the message and awareness creation on the rational and judicious use of antibiotics in the country,’’ he said.

    Ihekweazu said antibiotics have saved millions of lives and reduced disease burden, adding that modern human and veterinary medicine was built on access to effective antimicrobials.

    According to him, antibiotics have improved quality of life, contributed to improved food production and helped increase life expectancy.

    Omotayo Hamzat, WHO expert on Essential Drugs and Medicine, said that the world body recognised that antibiotics resistance was becoming a global challenge that needed to be addressed.

    Hamzat said that without tackling anti-drugs resistance, it might be difficult to meet the Sustainable Development Goals in the health sector.

    The awareness week is celebrated annually between Nov. 13 and Nov. 19.

    Hamzat noted that the celebration was aimed at making antibiotic resistance a globally recognised health issue.

    It is also aimed at increasing and recognising the roles that individuals, health and agriculture professionals as well as governments must play in tackling antibiotic resistance.

    NAN

  • FG to contain further spread of yellow fever – NCDC

    FG to contain further spread of yellow fever – NCDC

    The Federal Government on Tuesday expressed its readiness to contain further spread of yellow fever in the country.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC ), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said this in a statement he issued in Abuja.

    He also said that the government would also limit the impact of the killer ailment.

    Ihekweazu said that following the case of yellow fever in Kwara state, laboratory diagnosis was carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and confirmed at the Institute Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal.

    He said that a multi-agency Incident Management System has been constituted at the NCDC to ensure a rapid and coordinated response.

    ”In response to the case, and in line with WHO guidelines, a vaccination campaign is being planned to begin in the affected and surrounding Local Government Areas on 30th September to prevent further spread.

    ”Communication activities are being intensified to enlighten health care workers and the general public,’’ he said.

    The CEO also said that an Emergency Operations Centre is being activated in the state to ensure a coordinated and efficient response at the state level.

    The NCDC boss described yellow fever as an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes.

    He listed the symptoms to include fever, headache, jaundice (yellowness of the eyes), muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.

    According to him, some infected people may not experience any of these symptoms, while in some the symptoms might be mild.

    He added that in severe cases, jaundice and bleeding may occur from the mouth, nose, eyes or stomach.

    Ihekweazu said that vaccination against the disease remained the most important measure in preventing Yellow Fever.

    He said the Yellow Fever vaccine had been part of the childhood immunisation schedule in Nigeria.

    ”Other methods of prevention include using insect repellents, sleeping under a long-lasting insecticide treated nets, living in net screened accommodation, ensuring proper sanitation and getting rid of stagnant water or breeding places for mosquitoes.

    ”Although there is no specific medicine to treat the disease, intensive supportive care can be provided, most patients would recover with appropriate care when they present early enough,” he said.

    He, therefore, advised health care workers to practice standard precautions while handling patients or body fluids at all times and to be familiar with the case definition and maintain a high index of suspicion.

    Ihekweazu advised Nigerians to remain calm, avoid self-medication and report to the nearest health facility if feeling unwell or if they notice any of the above symptoms in anyone around.

  • Cholera: NCDC sends response team to Borno

    Cholera: NCDC sends response team to Borno

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC ) has deployed a team to support the Borno Ministry of Health to contain a cholera outbreak in some parts of  the state.

    The Chief  Executive Officer of  NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Ihekweazu said that following investigations led by the Borno State Ministry of Health with support from the WHO and other partner agencies,  cholera was confirmed by NCDC’s Central Public Health Laboratory in Lagos.

    According to him, the disease is currently affecting six areas in the state with Muna Garage IDP Camp  on the outskirts of the state capital,  Maiduguri,  worst affected.

    He added that the NCDC in collaboration with other partners and humanitarian agencies were working closely to support the state government in curtailing the spread of the outbreak.

    Ihekweazu said that NCDC had deployed a Rapid Response Team to support the State Ministry of Health in coordination, contact identification, tracing and laboratory investigation as well as case management.

    He said that public health measures have been initiated  which include the establishment of a Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) in the affected camp and surrounding areas.

    Ihekweazu also said that strengthening access to water, sanitation and hygiene were other measures taken to curb the spread of the disease, adding that partners were working together to conduct a cholera vaccination of the state.

    The CEO said that risk communications activities, using both conventional media and door-to-door enlightenment, had  been reinforced.

    He said that 319 suspected cases and 20 deaths had been reported in the state as at Saturday.

    “Cholera is a disease that causes acute watery diarrhea in children and adults.

    “While Cholera is endemic in Nigeria, we find an  increase in the number of cases during the rainy season.

    “The disease is most often spread by drinking water or eating food that has been contaminated and is more common in areas with overcrowding as well as  poor sanitation and hygiene practices.

    “Cholera is characterised by sudden onset of severe acute watery diarrhea which can lead to death as a result of dehydration,’’ he said.

    Ihekweazu said that other symptoms of cholera include nausea, vomiting and weakness.

    He, therefore,  urged members of the public to report all sick persons with these signs or symptoms to a health care facility immediately for early initiation of treatment.

    The official also advised health care workers to strongly practise universal care precautions while handling patients at all times.

    “The NCDC urges all states to report cases of cholera immediately, while improving on the timeliness of their reporting generally to prevent widespread outbreaks,’’  Ihekweazu added.

  • Health Minister urges physicians to engage in more researches

    Health Minister urges physicians to engage in more researches

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Thursday called on physicians to engage in more researches that would enhance the living standard of Nigerians.

    Adewole made the call at the 2nd Annual Scientific Conference on Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme organised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control in Abuja.

    The minister, represented by Hajia Binta Bello, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, said that strengthening the nation’s health system would protect citizens from outbreak of diseases.

    ”To be free of infectious diseases, we need an approach which requires more direct efforts that focuses on inter-play between human health and animal health into one initiative,” he said.

    Also, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, said that the conference was aimed at creating a platform for epidemiologists and public health physicians to share scientific work.

    Ihekweazu said that physicians, through sharing of scientific works, would deliberate on the application of epidemiological methods to resolve the pertinent current public health issues in Nigeria.

    He said that one of the objectives of the conference was to provide residents and graduates of the programme a forum to share findings from various field-based activities.

    Ihekweazu said that the conference would also provide a training opportunity for the trainees on scientific communication and an opportunity for epidemiological networking and partnership.

  • Meningitis cases declining – NCDC

    The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says the number of new cases of suspected Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) is declining as outbreak control measures takes effect.

    The Communication Manager of NCDC, Dr Lawal Bakare, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

    Bakare said that the cumulative number of suspected cases recorded in Nigeria throughout the outbreak period was now 9, 646 and 839 deaths from 43 local government areas in 23 states.

    “A total of 628 new cases were reported in week 16 against 1,935 in week 15 and 2,127 in week 14.

    “While the total number of suspected cases will rise with each new case, the number of new cases recorded per week is dropping in the affected states indicating that the outbreak is likely to have peaked.

    “We expect a continued decline in the number of new cases with the intensification of control measures in the affected states,’’ Bakare said.

    He said that the national response has identified the need to provide technical support to all affected states in the areas of case management, epidemiology and risk communication.

    The manager added that support teams were currently being deployed to the most severely affected states of Zamfara and Sokoto to further strengthen and support the states in their response.

    Bakare further said that a large reactive vaccination campaign, which would cover over 800,000 persons aged between two and 29 years would commence in Sokoto on April 27.

    He explained that a national support team, led by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), would be providing support to Sokoto state in order to ensure that vaccination activities were well coordinated.

    “Partners from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and others are all collaborating with NPHCDA and NCDC to provide the best possible support to Sokoto during the vaccination.

    “Teams have been mobilised to all the LGAs in Sokoto State, and people are being mobilised to turn out en mass to be vaccinated,’’ he said.

    According to Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, the lessons from this outbreak would inform our future response activities.

    “This includes the need to strengthen awareness, improve clinical skills of health workers, strengthen laboratory capacities to confirm diagnosis of meningitis promptly,” he said.

     

  • Meningitis: NCDC confirms 282 deaths in five states

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed the outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in five states with 282 deaths.

    Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Chief Executive Officer of the centre, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

    Ihekweazu said that 1,966 suspected cases have been recorded while 109 have been confirmed since the outbreak of the disease in February in the country.

    He said that the centre had deployed a response team to the affected states to vaccinate the residents and control further spread of CSM.

    According to him, Zamfara has the highest number of confirmed cases of 44, followed by Katsina with 32, Sokoto 19, Kebbi 10 and Niger 4 confirmed cases.

    He also said that there is an inter-agency response supporting the states to contain the outbreak through the primary mode of vaccination.

    However, Ihekweazu explained that a new strand of meningitis called “stereotype C” has emerged in place of the previous known type “stereotype A”, which has disappeared.

    He regretted that there was not yet commercially available vaccine for this new stereotype “C” meningitis.

    “There is a vaccine available but it is not commercially available for the stereotype involved in this specific outbreak and we have to make application to the World Health Organisation for the vaccines.

    “Thankfully the vaccines have arrived and we have started vaccination campaign in Zamfara. We are in the process of starting in Sokoto and Kebbi states.

    “We continue to advocate for scientists and for the global community to really try and push to develop a vaccine for meningitis ‘C’, on the other hand all we can do is prevention,” he said.

    Ihekweazu said that prevention and early detection was key to combating the disease, if detected early, it could be treated with antibiotics.

    He said that the centre was working with the states by supporting and ensuring they have the supplies to combat the disease.

    “Meningitis is a tough disease especially during this period and it is associated with over-crowding, understanding the living conditions in the country, people must keep their building ventilated,” he said.

    He urged Nigerians to avoid sleeping in overcrowded condition and if a lot of people must sleep together in the same room, the windows and doors must be open to allow enough ventilation.

    The chief executive officer assured that the centre would work with state governments in the North West and North Central, where most cases were recorded, to ensure better preparation and avert similar outbreak next year.