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Tag: diarrhoea

  • Hand washing practice reduces risk of diseases by 40% – UNICEF

    Hand washing practice reduces risk of diseases by 40% – UNICEF

    The United Nations Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) says that hand washing practice can reduce the risk of contracting diarrhoea and other communicable diseases by 40 per cent.

    The UNICEF’s Country Representative, Mr Mohamed Fall made the assertion in Akure on Friday when he paid a courtesy visit to Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.

    Fall stressed the importance of promoting sanitation and hand washing in complementing the achievements of the state government in the areas of healthcare and quality education.

    He pointed out that partnership between UNICEF and the state government will go a long way to improve sanitation in the state.

    Fall noted that access to quality education and good healthcare is crucial to human capital development.

    Driving home the position of Nigeria in African Affairs, the country representative said, “if Nigeria does not make Sustainable Development Goals, Africa will not make it, especially the sub Saharan Africa.”

    He also commended the state’s achievements in the area of child survival, saying “From all indicators on child survival, the state is doing well, Ondo State is standing as one of the best performing state in under five (child) survival.

    “All investments might be lost without having good sanitation, but with joint effort must be geared towards better sanitation in the state,” he said.

    Fall urged the governor to ensure security of lives and property of the agency’s staff posted to Akure, saying, “Akure has the best sub-office so far.”

    Responding, Gov. Akeredolu thanked the UNICEF for its concerns about improving the sanitation in Akure and other parts of the state.

    The governor also assured UNICEF of adequate security of lives and property of all and sundry living in the state, saying that his administration was committed to achieving the SDGs and promoting hand washing and sanitation.

    He promised that measures would be taken to ensure that all houses have toilets to enhance the state’s environment and reduce open defecation.

    Billboards on importance of sanitation and having toilets were visible at the main entrance of the governor’s office.

    NAN

  • UN: 15,000 children die each day despite health progress

    UN: 15,000 children die each day despite health progress

    The number of children who die before their fifth birthday globally has more than halved since 1990, but the current death count of 15,000 children daily is far too high, the UN said on Thursday.

    “Despite this progress, large disparities in child survival still exist across regions and countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa,” Under-Secretary General, Liu Zhenmin, and top UN economic official, said.

    The UN said in a report that was published on Thursday that in countries south of the Sahara desert, one in 13 children die before they reach the age of five.

    In developed countries, the ratio is one in 189, according to the report that was drawn up by several agencies, including the World Health Organisation and the UN Children’s Fund.

    It said that preventable and treatable diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea, as well as birth complications are the biggest killers of young children around the globe.

    The agency is especially worried about newborn mortality, as 7,000 babies who are less than a month old die each day.

    According to the report, the vast majority of these newborn deaths occur in South Asian or sub-Saharan countries, pointing at high number rates in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia.

    The UN agencies urge countries to improve health care for pregnant women, and to promote immunisation, breastfeeding and cheap medicines.

    “Access to clean water and sanitation facilities are also key to keeping small children safe from illness,’’ the UN said.

    NAN

  • Two die of diarrhoea in Lagos

    Two persons have died of diarrhoea in Lagos State, Commissioner for Health Dr Jide Idris said yesterday.

    One died in Somolu; the other in Oshodi. They died at home.

    Idris told reporters in Alausa, Ikeja, that the diarrhoea was caused by the contamination of water sources with faecal from faulty septic tanks and soakaway following heavy rainfall.

    According to him, “following the heavy rainfall in the state recently and the aftermath flooding of some areas, the ministry has been receiving notifications on upsurge of acute diarrhoea diseases in some local government areas.

    “Twenty-Seven cases have been line-listed by the Epidemiology/Disease Surveillance Officers as at today (yesterday), regrettably two deaths were recorded from the 27 cases.

    “Six cases were recorded in Somolu, one of which died. Four were managed at Somolu General Hospital, one was managed at a private hospital, another one was managed at Mainland Hospital, while one died at home.

    “Two cases were recorded in Oshodi-Isolo. One was managed at a private hospital and he is alive, while one died at home.

    “Fourteen cases were reported at Surulere and managed at Randle General Hospital. No death was recorded.”

    He said two cases were managed at mainland hospital; the patients are alive. The three cases managed at Gbagada general hospital are all alive.

    He said samples of well water were collected and sent to the Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory.

    “It has become necessary to remind the general public once again that acute diarrhoea disease with or without vomiting is caused by a bacteria disease transmitted through ingestion of food or water contaminated with infective faeces.”

    Idris urged the public to maintain hygienic condition, adding that the government have instituted measures towards quick containment and control of the disease.

    “The medical directors of our general hospitals have been placed on alert and fact sheets on diarrhoea forwarded to both public and private hospitals. Our community health workers, especially the medical officers of health, health educators, disease surveillance/notification officers, environmental health officers are in the community striving assiduously towards quick containment and control of spread of the disease.

    “Chlorination of water supply has been intensified, awareness campaign is on-going and cases are being promptly diagnosed and appropriately managed in our hospitals.”

    He advised people to wash their hands with soap and water frequently and boil their water before drinking, among others, to prevent the spread of the disease.

  • ‘Diarrhoea still kills children in sub-Saharan Africa’

    Chairperson, African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation Mrs Doreen Wandera has said diarrhoea remains a major killer of children under-five years in sub-Saharan Africa.
    Wandera told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the disease was largely due to consumption of unsafe water and poor hygiene culture.
    Quoting a 2016 WaterAid Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Watch, she said deliberate efforts should be made by all governments in Africa to prioritise access to water and sanitation.
    The chairperson described as sad a situation where by 650 million people around the world lived without access to water, a development she said made people consume unsafe water to survive.
    She said the region had 15 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) six.
    According to her, SDGs envision universal, sustainable, affordable and equitable access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and hygiene.
    ‘‘We call on African governments and ministries to proritise WASH as fundamental in the implementation and achievement of the SDGs.
    ‘‘As a civil society group, we understand that for the development of Africa, particularly regarding the health and dignity of our people, requires demanding action from our governments.
    ‘‘Only by prioritising and achieving the global goal 6 on water and sanitation that we will see the change we want and we recognise that we have a long way to go.”
    Wandera also called for increased domestic resource mobilisation to achieve sustainable service delivery to leave no one behind.
    The chairperson also called on all countries to progressively reduce inequalities arising from accessing water.
    The African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation is a coalition of CSOs working to scale up access to water and sanitation in the region.
    It works through advocacy and coordination to influence governments’ decisions to keep to the promises of meeting the Africa Water Vision 2025 and the AU’s Agenda 2063 of managing water resources effectively.

  • Diarrhoea can cause erectile dysfunction – Biochemist

    Prof. Musa Yakubu of the University of Ilorin has asserted that diarrhoea can cause erectile dysfunction in men.

    Yakubu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Friday that diarrhoea was a condition in which watery faeces was frequently discharged.

    The biochemistry lecturer also revealed that the prevalence of diarrhoea in the country was as high as 18.8 per cent above the average of 16 per cent.

    Yakubu, renowned for herbal remedies, said that plantain could be used to cure diarrhoea.

    He also explained that ceratotheca sesamoides or false sesame had medicinal properties to cure the disease.

    The biochemist said that mangifera indica or mango was also an efficacious treatment for the disease.

    “Our finding shows that the plants and their sap contained relevant secondary anti-diarrhoeal bioactive agents that prolonged the onset time of diarrhoea.

    “It increased the inhibition of defecations and small intestine sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase,” he said.

    He said that the plants could be explored as alternatives in the management of diarrhoea.

    Yakubu reiterated that people with diarrhoea would not think of any sexual activity let alone reproduction.

     

  • NGOs take ‘kick diarrhoea out’ campaign to schools

    Two non-governmental organisations (NGO), Save the Children and Stop Diarrhea Initiative, have inspired public schools in Bariga Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) and Shomolu Local Government Area (LGA) to intensify a campaign against diarrhea.

    With the support of Reckitt Benckiser and the state government, the event tagged: ‘Kick diarrhea out of Lagos,’ saw participating schools engage in a football match that saw their contemporaries and guests applauding to no end.

    Head of School (support) of Shomolu LGA, Mr Tajudeen Lawal, said the competition was uniquely designed to generate enthusiasm among participants, particularly concerning their health.

    He said: “We aim to increase the awareness of the project in all Shomolu communities and also to enhance the participation of pupils beyond the project. It will also help shape the teaching-learning process for pupils in the school project so that they can share the learned health message of diarrhea preventions and control when they go home.”

    The football contest was witnessed by about 1,500 pupils drawn from 48 public schools in the two councils. They came from School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), Local Government Authority (LGEA), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Parent Forum (PF).

    Bishop Howell Memorial School dwarfed others to clinch the star prize.  St. Augustine Primary School and Bishop Crowther Memorial Primary School emerged first and second runners-up, while Saviour Primary School took the fourth position.

    The first three positions were given different Save The Children branded educational materials, while other team players who represent their various schools also went home with consolation prizes. Similarly, the trio of Victor Opara, Tobi Abdullah and Kehinde Azeez who emerged best player, best goalkeeper and best goal scorer respectively, were presented with medals by Roy Chikum of Save the Children.

    Meanwhile, the pupils of the Health Club from each school also enlightened participants on how to prevent and control the disease.

    Mr Olaniran Josef, the Sports Director to Shomolu council, thanked the organisers for making the competition possible.

    “We have been able to train pupils for the future and also encourage them to always have the strength to be healthy players. This will help shape them to be good players and to see themselves as role models. It has not only encouraged them but also made them happy and ready to do more,” he said.

  • Pupils ‘kick diarrhoea out’ of Lagos

    Two non-governmental organisations (NGO), Save the Children and Stop Diarrhea Initiative, are inspiring public schools in Bariga Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) and Shomolu Local Government Area (LGA), to intensify a campaign against diarrhea.

    With the support of Reckitt Benckiser and the Lagos State Government, the event tagged: ‘kick diarrhea out of Lagos,’ saw participating schools engage in a football that saw their contemporaries and guest applauding to no end.

    Head of School (support) of Shomolu LGA Mr Tajudeen Lawal, said the competition was uniquely designed to generate enthusiasm among participants particularly concerning their health

    He said: “We aim to increase the awareness of the project in all Shomolu communities and also to enhance the participation of pupils beyond the project. It will also help shape the teaching-learning process for pupils in the school project so that they can share the learned health message of diarrhea preventions and control when they go home.”

    The football contest was witnessed by about 1,500 pupils drawn from 48 public schools in the two aforementioned councils witnessing attendees that included; School Based Management Committee (SBMC), Local Government Authority (LGEA), Lagos State Universal Basic Education board (SUBEB) and Parent Forum (PF).

    Bishop Howell Memorial School dwarfed others to clinch the star prize.  St. Augustine Primary School and Bishop Crowther Memorial Primary School came second and third, while Saviour Primary School took the fourth position. The first three positions were given branded educational materials while others got consolation prizes. Similarly, the trio-Victor Opara, Tobi Abdullah and Kehinde Azeez who emerged best player, goalkeeper and goal scorer were presented with medals by Roy Chikum of Save the Children.

    Pupils of the Health Club from each school also enlightened participants on how to prevent and control the disease.

    Mr Olaniran Josef, Sport Director to Shomolu Council thanked the organisers for the competition.

    “This will help shape them to be good players and to see themselves as role models. It has not only encouraged them but also made them happy and ready to do more,” he said.

  • Despair as diarrhoea hits Unity School in Ekiti

    Despair as diarrhoea hits Unity School in Ekiti

    There was disquiet at Federal Government Girls’ College, Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State penultimate week where about 300 students were reportedly suffered from diarrhoea. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that the outbreak caused panic in the community and created anxiety in the minds of parents and guardians.

    For parents and guardians whose children and wards are students of Federal Government Girls’ College, Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State, there were moments of pandemonium and despair. First, there were rumours that some of the students had fallen ill. The news spread like wildfire but there was no specific information with regard to what the ailment was. The nature of the ‘epidemic’ was shrouded in mystery. Parents became so anxious to know their children’s health status.

    The incident could no longer be kept secret as scores of school girls were taken to the hospital.

    What was first suspected was cholera, but after officials of the state Ministry of Health visited the school, it was discovered that the students were down with diarrhoea after some of the victims were subjected to medical scrutiny.

    •One of the sources of water at the college
    •One of the sources of water at the college

    Cholera or diarrhoea, no parent wants his/her ward to be afflicted with any of the two. After series of tests were carried out on the students, food and water facilities at the school,  it became clearer and the situation was brought under control.

    This was the scenario at the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Efon Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State where normalcy has since returned after many of its students suffered bouts of diarrhoea.

    As the news spread, some parents stormed the school to ascertain the health status of their children. Others who couldn’t appear physically were monitoring the development on the telephone.

    It was not only the parents that were worried, the school authorities led by the Principal, Mrs. Grace Ogunyomi, could not sleep until the last victim was discharged from the hospital.

    Besides the management, the leadership of the school’s Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) were also inundated with phone calls by concerned parents and guardians.

    Doctors, nurses and other workers at the General Hospital, Efon Alaaye, were stretched to their limits and they worked round the clock to ensure that the embattled school girls regained their health.

    The traditional ruler of the town, the Obalufon Alayemore of Efon Kingdom, Oba Emmanuel Adesanya Aladejare, also visited the hospital to know how the students were faring.

    That became understandable because the school was an important mark of federal presence in the community.

    Teachers, non-teaching staff and students of the school which has a population of over 700 students are still wondering how diarrhoea crept into the school.

    Throughout the period the diarrhoea scourge lasted, confusion loomed large at the college established in 1999 following claims in some quarters that as much as 300 of the students were hospitalised for exhibiting symptoms such as stooling, vomiting and weakness of the body, among other symptoms.

    Sources at the school confided in Southwest Report that some students began exhibiting signs of the illness on October 10 by vomiting and stooling uncontrollably.

    As the matter became worse, the Principal, Mrs Ogunyomi, was said to have reported the case to the Ekiti State government on Wednesday, October 21, through the Ministry of Health for prompt action.

    The source revealed that the students were not infected at the same time, but were taken to the hospital in batches for medication.

     

  • Alert on better treatment of pneumonia, diarrhoea

    Mothers have been alerted to better ways of treating pneumonia and diarrhoea. The treatable diseases, account for the death of over 400,000 children under the age of five yearly. They can be treated with Amoxicillin Dispersable tablet (Amoxicillin DT) and Zinc- Lo ORS.

    The Pharmaceutical Society of Ngeria (PSN) said it influenced the  inclusion of Amoxicillin Dispersible tablets and Zinc-Lo ORS in the basic package of health services/Essential Medicine List, to be funded by the one percent Consolidated Revenue of the Government.

    According to its President, Olumide Akintayo, the move is in consonance with the WHO/UNICEF new guidelines on first line treatment for childhood pneumonia and diarrhoea.

    Akintayo said PSN in collaboration with Partnership for Advocacy for Child Health (PACFaH) embarked on a three-year programme on child and family health, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and coordinated by an indigenous firm-Development Research and Project Centre (DRPC) to domesticate this WHO/UNICEF new guidelines.

    He said the flag off of the new guideline is slated for November 12-World Pneumonia Day. “A National Policy Dialogue is being organised, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health on that day, as the new guidelines have been successful both at the pilot states-Kaduna and Kano,” he stated.

    Meanwhile, the 88th Annual National Conference of the Society holds in Abuja from Monday November 9th – Saturday November 14th 2015.

    “We expect a massive turnout as pharmacists all over the States of the federation will witness change of baton of the leadership of PSN which will take place at the AGM holding on Friday, November 13,” said Mr Akintayo.

  • Few days old opposition not allowed – APC Scandinavia

    Few days old opposition not allowed – APC Scandinavia


    • We need each other to make Nigeria great again.

     

    The National Coordinator of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Scandinavia chapter, Ayoola Lawal, has said it is a welcoming development that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is coming on board as an opposition to the ruling party.

    According to him, as much as such it is a welcoming development of our growing democracy and for APC, ‘the PDP spokesperson should be more constructive and put on his thinking cap before making a berating statement against the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration’.

    “Trying to impress as an opposition on board is one thing, facing the reality of rebuilding, development and leadership is another.

    “The PDP in the name of an opposition party trying to pressurise PMB into acting in their paradigm ways of good governance is a political trick that will not work against this current administration.

    “The PDP government, while in authority, completely immersed the fabric of the nation in ruin and the economy in comatose but kept deceiving Nigerians and the world that all was well, which could be likened to the mega financial meltdown of the world in the recent years passed.”

    “President Muhammad Buhari pace of leading is necessitated by the current situations on ground. He is a strategist that sacrificed several years to prepare for the leadership as president-elect.

    “No individual or few days old as an opposition party can push PMB into deliberate traps and holes premeditated.

    “Sixteen years of heavy looting of the treasury of the nation, setting up the country for total failure and making it a sink ship, then turning around to be pressurising PMB after barely 31 days in office is a shame on any individual or opposition party,” he noted.

    Lawal further stated that President Buhari and the APC leadership will always welcome any real and constructive advice, as well as meaningful pressures that will be useful in meeting the justifiable expectations of Nigerians, which the party uses every opportunity to reiterate.

    He therefore maintained that: “Diarrhoea mouthed, vendetta pressure and ill-intent criticisms are not amongst the ranks. Well meaning Nigerian or party will at this stage in the annals of Nigeria be praying for PMB to get it right and take a very calculated steps rather than rampaging.

    “Nigerian is already in a dark mess caused by callous, greedy and shameless people who still has the gut to make vacuum noise in the name of opposition.”

    Thus, he prayed that Almighty God continues to strengthen the president and the APC leadership in wisdom to make the country great again. “Welcome, all to a new Nigeria of our dream,” he added.