The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Diseases

  • Experts caution against sharing of bath towel

    Two health experts on Wednesday in Lagos cautioned against sharing of bath towels, saying it could lead to transmission of infections and diseases.

    They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that sharing of bath towels could result in transmission of diseases like gonorrhea, trichomonas, rashes, eczema among others.

    A medical practitioner, Dr Ayinde Noah, told NAN that people who use bath towels of others risk skin infections and diseases.

    “Towels retain moisture for long periods and have the ability to breed bacteria.

    “Towels harbour bacteria than any household item and they are used to wipe hands and body which already have germs.

    “You can contact bacteria from other people’s towels, because the owner might have used one side to wipe his or her private part and then you pick it to wipe your face.

    “Towels have the ability to fester germs because they are made with wool.

    “It is not hygienic to share towels with others; try and get your own and keep it clean,’’ Noah, who works at Rains Hospital, Ikorodu said.

    A dermatologist, Mrs Funke Davies, also said that one could contact skin infections and diseases through sharing of towels.

    “Skin diseases such as acne, rashes, eczema, moles, among others can be contacted through sharing of towels.

    “It is not advisable to share towels with anyone; get yours separately and keep it clean.

    “Normal washing of towels will reduce risk of germs being transmitted, but it is advisable to wash with hot water and disinfectant which will kill the bacteria.

    “It is also advisable that we should wash our towels once in a week and put them on the rail to dry so they don’t fester germs,” she said.

     

  • ‘Poor lifestyle, diseases cause men’s low libido’

    Poor lifestyle, injuries and diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, have been identified as causes of low libido among men.

    According to Dr Narasimhan Subramanian, Senior Consultant Urologist at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi, India,  poor libido also known as erectile dysfunction (ED), is common because  most men lack adequate flow of blood to their organs.

    Subramanian, who spoke at a training organised by Diamond Helix Health Support Ltd for physicians in Lagos, said poor lifestyle, such as smoking, drinking and fatigue/chronic stress, impact on a man’s sex drive.

    “The inability of men to achieve and maintain a normal erection adequate for penetration implies erectile dysfunction. Similarly, a delay in achieving erection or an inability to maintain an erection also implies ED. ED may occur under various circumstances, ranging from spinal injuries, neurological and psychological dysfunction, also unidentifiable cause is often common,”he said.

    Some extreme symptoms of ED, he said, were loss of erection, acute psychological distress and gradual loss of desire for sex.

    Subramanian said it was more frequent in diabetics and in those with cardio vascular diseases, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease.The effect on the nerves and on the blood vessels leading to poor blood flow seems to be the primary reason.

    He said in the country, plants and herbs have served as sources of medicines for the treatment of chronic ED among the poor but this may not be sufficient.

    Subramanian said various plant products and herbal medications have reportedly produced good results but there are no controlled studies comparing those with established allopathic medicines.

    To obtain impressive treatment, Subramanian advised men to seek qualified healthcare practitioners who would do an assessment of their blood sugar, cardiovascular health and measurement of hormones, such testosterone and prolactin.

    “Besides, a psychological evaluation will often benefit those who suffer from performance anxiety while depression is often seen as an accompanying factor of ED in many people. A detailed evaluation of one’s medication is also important. Smoking and excessive drinking are known to have significant adverse impact on ED, so it is good to avoid them altogether and embrace a holistic lifestyle,” he said.

  • Disorders of sex: sexually transmitted diseases (Stds)

    Properly conducted, sex is an enjoyable exercise.

    Sex is like everything around us: It too is guided by some natural and man-made rules. When these rules are flouted or when an individual is abused or his/her sex organs are somewhat tampered with or the body is mishandled, then sex becomes a problem and an infection, an unwanted dangerous outside agent may be introduced into the person’s system. It’s not the intention of the author of this book to write on every sexually transmitted disease.

    A general guidance will be enough. Any disease agent can become sexually transmitted so long as it affects the genitals or reproductive organs or the disease affects the entry point used for “sex”.

    The following are the common sexual disorders or agents of sexual diseases: Bacteria: • Gonorrhoea • Chlamydia trachomatis • Syphilis • Lyphogranuloma Inguinale 5. Chancroid •Less well recognised but can be considered as sexually transmitted is a bacteria called Staph. Aureus. Viruses • Human Immune-Deficiency Virus (HIV) • Herpes simplex: Type I and Type II • Human Papilloma Virus • Hepatitis B and C Parasites Trichomonas vaginalis (common in women but can be found in men too).

    Fungus(Candidiasis) Otherwise called yeasts, is a common infection of the warm and moist areas of human body especially vagina. It may also affect other parts of the body such as mouth, gut, anus, and armpit. Untreated, it may be sexually transmitted to the sexual partner. Precautions The probability of getting any of these is low provided: a. You stick to one sexual partner b. You are honest with your partner c.

    You put your sexual organs into the partner’s correct and biologically appropriate body entry point for which it was designed. d. You use barrier method such as condom when engaging in sex with non-regular sexual partner. Although herpes type I may be contacted from kissing as are above hepatitis viruses. Recent Developments In recent years, there has been a spate of developments in what would otherwise not amount to sexually transmitted diseases.

    In the last two years of so, Ebola ravaged West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. In recent times, there is a solid scientific proof that 9 months after an individual has recovered from Ebola infection, he or she can transmit the infection to his or her spouse. We are still not sure if the duration of carrying the virus can be longer than 9 months. Thus, Ebola is effectively a sexually transmissible disease.

    The lesson is many folds: When you are in Ebola-infected country, take caution in sexual engagement. Use protective methods such as condom or consider complete abstinence. Similarly, in the last one year, an old viral disease carried by mosquito has emerged. It’s called Zika virus.

     

  • Expert seeks funding to reduce livestock, crop diseases

    Deputy Director-General, General Management, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, Dr Ademola Adeyemo, has urged the government to increase funding of beneficial management practices (BMPs) in the agric industry to help reduce the risk of spreading crop and livestock diseases between  farms.

    The spread of livestock diseases such as avian flu has caused millions of naira of losses to farmers and economies in years.

    According to him, stronger measures are needed to monitor, prevent, and control disease to boost food security, and make it safer to trade livestock and livestock products.

    Livestock accounts for a significant portion of the nation’s agricultural gross domestic product.

    However, animal diseases have been spreading quickly in recent years within the country.

    Concerns are also rising about the spread of infectious diseases from animals to humans.

    He urged for a better surveillance information system to issue regular animal health reports and for support for public and private sector agencies to expand their expertise in disease diagnosis, surveillance, reporting and investigation of disease outbreaks.

    According to him, farmers need to be empowered to continually improving their operations and putting best management practices into place.

    This, he maintained, would ensure the long-term health and economic strength of the industry. After the bird flu attacks, he stressed the need to strengthen the surveillance and monitoring mechanism to reduce the spread of diseases between farms.

    Improved funding, according to him, will help farmers and agribusinesses better protect the businesses and ensure strong measures are in place to for the entire industry.

  • Lifestyle changes ‘ll prevent non-communicable diseases

    Former  Chief Medical Director (CMD), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and a public health physician, Prof  Akin Osibogun, has advised the Federal Government to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to avoid double jeopardy as Nigeria  is already grappling  with communicable diseases.

    He  urged people to make lifestyle changes to avoid coming down with NCDs.

    Osibogun spoke at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM)/ Scientific Conference of the Guild of Medical Directors (GMD). The theme was: Combating the burden of NCDs in Nigeria through lifestyle changes.

    He said poor or unhealthy lifestyle is responsible for the high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary heart problem, among other NCDs in Nigeria.

    The don attributed NCDs to factors, such as sedentary lifestyle and inactivity, coupled with poor diets can pre-dispose people to NCDs.

    The professor of public health said many young people are dying from NCDs these days, adding that in the past record of NCDs deaths in developed countries showed that two persons out of 10 those above 70 years die yearly.

    In the developing world, the data shows that seven in 10 persons die from NCDs, he added.

    Osibogun, who was keynote speaker, identified tobacco use, elevated cholesterol and blood sugar as well as wrong/poor diet as factors responsible for rising cases of NCDs.

    Others are alcohol abuse, adoption of western lifestyle, unprotected sexual activity and lack of exercise.

    Besides, 80 per cent of coronary heart disease is caused by poor diet while 90 per cent of cancers are linked to poor lifestyle.

    “One third of cancer cases can be prevented by eating healthily. Modest weight loss will also prevent diabetes in some people,” he said.

    Quoting a study done by Lagos State, he said only 20 per cent of Nigerians eat fresh fish. About seven per cent eat vegetables.

    He urged the government to promote physical activities in school to stop child obesity.

    “In Amsterdam, Holland, there are more bicycles than cars. So, the people engage in daily exercise by riding on their bicycles,” he said.

    Health, he said, should be promoted in transportation and agricultural policies, among others.

    President of the Guild, Dr Tony Phillips, said the theme was germane because NCDs is on the rise.

    He said most diseases are caused by people’s lifestyles, especially what they take. This may make or mar their health, he noted.

    Phillips said people can be free from non-communicable diseases if they make lifestyle changes.  “Obesity is one reason people develop NCDs. So, they must learn to eat right,” he said.

  • World Toilet Day: Reasons you should use a toilet

    World Toilet Day: Reasons you should use a toilet

    World Toilet Day is a day recognised by the United Nations to motivate and mobilize millions around the world on issues of sanitation.

    2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation and nearly 1 billion people (15 per cent of the world population) defecate in the open.

    The theme for 2015 World Toilet Day is ‘Sanitation and Nutrition’.

    Identified as the day for action and raising awareness about all the people who do not have access to a toilet, it emphasizes the urgent need to end the sanitation crisis.

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    Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets Clean Water and Sanitation for all by 2030.

  • Students sensitise host community on diseases, hygiene

    IT was a week-long of activities at the Kogi State University (KSU) in Anyigba when the medical students held their Health Week. The event, with the theme: Knowing your health status: A prerequisite for healthy living, had the objective to ensure members of the university and the host community live healthy life.

    The students under the aegis of KSU Medical Students Association (KSUMSA) held campaign round the campus to sensitise members of staff and students on the need to know their health status.

    At a symposium organised during the Health Week, the KSUMSA president, Anthony Edogbo, said the event was to create awareness on some health challenges in the host community.

    The students educated Ayingba residents about various diseases and ailments, including hypertension, diabetes and HIV/AIDS.

    While saying the diseases spread due to people’s ignorance, Anthony advised the participants to ensure hygiene in their daily activities.

    He said hypertension killed thousands in Nigeria yearly, adding that 60 per cent of people living with hypertension do not know they have high blood pressure. Quoting the statistics of the World Health Organisation, he said Nigeria has the highest mortality rate in Africa, with over 105,000 deaths through diabetes recorded yearly.

    He said: “Hypertension and diabetes, which have been seen to be silent killers, are conditions that have minimum or no symptoms and are capable of causing death if not treated. These silent killers were known to be common among the elderly. Reverse is the case today, because a lot of young men and women have been diagnosed of the ailments.

    “This is why KSUMSA has made it a burden in this Health Week to let the public have useful knowledge about the ailments and the need to get tested for HIV/AIDS.”

    The event featured social activities and humanitarian service, including public awareness,  counseling and free medical test for students and members of the Ayingba community.

    Delegates from national and international medical students’ bodies attended the event. They include Emmanuel Abogunde, West Africa Coordinator of Federation of African Medical Students Association (FAMSA), Damilola Ogundare, FAMSA Secretary, and Rasheed Oloyede, FAMSA Director of Standing Committee on Health and Environment.

  • Dangote Foundation to campaign against childhood diseases

    Dangote Foundation to campaign against childhood diseases

    The Dangote Foundation has promised to step up its advocacy campaign against preventable diseases in the country.

    This followed report that an estimated 124,000 children under the age of four years are dying annually due to poor sanitation,

    The foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Zuoera Youssoufou, gave this promise in a message she sent to the Community Staff School, venue of the demonstration of the United Nation’s Global Hand Washing Day observed in Abuja in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and other organisations like the United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) and Water Aids.

    She lamented that Nigeria was still contributing so much to the number of children deaths recorded globally, owing to poor sanitation and described the situation as unacceptable.

    Mrs. Youssoufou stated that the foundation had already planned to scale up it advocacy and intervention in the preventable deaths, owing to equally preventable diseases such as poor sanitation, hunger and malnutrition, diarrhoea, cholera and dysentery.

    The Foundation boss explained that it was in realisation of the factor of hygiene and good sanitation in the prevention of these avoidable deaths that made the United Nation to set aside a day to mark the Hand Washing Day to demonstrate and encourage the children on the need to always wash their hands and maintain good sanitation so as to stay healthy.

    She said a situation where the nation is losing her children to preventable deaths would not augur well for the development of the country in future because the rank of the children on whose shoulders the task of the development lie would have been depleted.

    Said she: “Children are change agents and that is why we have to target them to ensure they stay healthy for the betterment of our society. Our partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water resources on this demonstration of globally accepted hand washing methods was in furtherance of our believe in focusing more on the health of our children.”

    The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Musa Istifanus, said the hand washing campaign was introduced to reduce childhood mortality rates relating to respiratory, diarrhoea and other related diseases by introducing simple behavioural change of hand wash with soap.

    The UNICEF Country Representative, Kannan Nadar, pointed out that a survey carried out recently indicated that in six states, 53 per cent of the children don’t wash hands after defecation, which, he said, was “a great disincentive to the campaign for proper sanitation among the children”.

  • Buhari at UN, urges world leaders to eliminate hunger, diseases by 2030

    Buhari at UN, urges world leaders to eliminate hunger, diseases by 2030

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in New York reaffirmed his administration’s total commitment to the entrenchment of a fully transparent and accountable public revenue management system in Nigeria.

    Addressing the United Nations Plenary Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, President Buhari said his administration was taking steps to improve and streamline internal generation of revenue and to plug all loopholes that have led to illicit capital flight from Nigeria.

    He told the gathering that his government was also putting mechanisms in place to prevent oil theft and other criminal practices that are detrimental to Nigeria’s economy.

    Applauding the adoption of the Post-2015 Global Development Agenda, President Buhari, in a statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that he was very pleased that world leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development, international peace and security and the protection of the planet.

    He said: “These are really the major issues of the day. For the first time, we have at our disposal a framework that is universal in scope and outlook, with clearly defined goals and targets and appropriately crafted methods of implementation.

    “The declaration that we have adopted today testifies to the urgency and the necessity for action by all of us. It is not for want of commitment that previous initiatives have failed or could not be fully realized. What seemed to be lacking in the past were political will and the required global partnership to pursue and implement the programmes to which we committed ourselves.

    “This declaration enjoys global consensus. We have agreed to deliver as one and to leave no one behind. This is a promise worth keeping. We have agreed to create viable partnerships and to adopt the means of implementation for the goals and targets of the global sustainable development agenda in all its three dimensions; namely economic, social and environmental.

    “The Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) together with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda that we adopted in July 2015 offer us a unique opportunity to address the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    “They also provide the basis for a new set of global development priorities to usher in a peaceful and prosperous world, where no one is left behind, and where the freedom from fear and want, and for everyone to live in dignity, is enthroned,” President Buhari said.

    Stressing that illiteracy, hunger and diseases are associated evils that go hand in hand with poverty, the President urged the assembled world leaders to do everything possible “to eliminate these ills from our midst by 2030 as the declaration loudly proclaims”.

    “The bottom billion that has neither safety nets nor social protection need to be rescued from their perpetual state of hopelessness, fear and indignity. This is a task that should have been accomplished decades ago. Now that it has fallen on our shoulders to discharge this responsibility, we should do so with the enthusiasm and commitment that is worthy of the cause.

    “We must adopt targeted interventions at both policy and practical levels, to address extreme poverty and combat illiteracy, hunger and diseases. We must create viable partnerships that bring together national, regional and global actors with shared objectives to carry this forward.

    “We must also create the enabling environments for executing this global agenda, by developing the relevant frameworks for working with different types of partners and constituencies that recognize the contributions of civil society, religious and cultural bodies, private sector, academia and, most importantly, governments.

    “Just as the relative success of the MDGs was underpinned by national ownership, the Post-2015 and the SDGs frameworks must also be guided by national priorities and ownership. Domestic resource mobilization supplemented by improved terms of trade between industrial and developing economies should drive the implementation processes in both streams. The facilitation of remittances by migrant and overseas workers, as well as efficient tax collection are needed as complimentary sources of financing for development,” the President said.

    He also said that Nigeria was proud to have availed her services to the United Nations in co-chairing the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, whose work contributed in no small measure to the expansion of financing for development strategies.

    Meanwhile, President Buhari would be among world leaders, speaking at a  special event tomorrow at the ongoing United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York.

    The event is targeted at investing in young people to secure peace and security in Lake Chad  Basin nations attacked by terrorists

    According to a statement from the United Nations media advisory, the forum is organized in support of ongoing initiatives for countries affected by the current terrorist crisis in the Lake Chad Basin area  namely Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

    It is said that the event will make an important contribution to dealing with the crisis, building resilient communities in the sub-region and preserving their gains from the Millennium Development Goals, while helping affected countries pursue the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals.

    “In Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, insurgents are exploiting the huge youth populations which, otherwise, could be assets for employment, innovation and development.

    “It is the potential which, if combined with the right policies and demographic transitions, could provide the region with the opportunity to harness a demographic dividend that leads to rapid economic development.

    “The demographic dividend is the accelerated economic growth that could result when a country’s working age population grows larger than the non-working dependents.

    “While the crisis damages entire communities, women are particularly targeted. As of April 2015, more than 2,000 women and young girls have been abducted, according to Amnesty International”, the statement said.

    Other heads of states of affected countries expected to address the forum include President of Benin, Boni Yayi; President of Cameroon, Paul Biya; President of Chad, Idriss Deby Itno; President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou;  and the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin.

    The UNFPA event, which   proposes strategic initiatives to support and empower young people and protect them from manipulation and radicalization, holds between 10 a.m and1 p.m New York time.

  • Businessman, foundation tackle tropical diseases

    The Jimmy Carter Foundation in collaboration with Sir Emeka Offor Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Health have mounted a campaign against neglected tropical diseases.

    The team visited Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states where it held meetings with commissioners of health and other stakeholders in the health sector.

    The two foundations plan to give free drugs to all states in Nigeria to facilitate the fight against river blindness and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like leprosy, guinea worm, buruli ulcer and other related killer- diseases endemic in some states of the federation.

    The Jimmy Carter foundation had in the past years been in the forefront of the fight against guinea worm disease in Nigeria.

    In line with the Federal Ministry of Health’s campaign on eradication of river blindness before 2020, the foundation alongside Sir Emeka Offor Foundation joined the ministry on advocacy visits to state ministries of health in South-East to collaborate with them in the fight against NTD.

    Dr. Okoeguale
    Dr. Okoeguale

    During their  visit to the Enugu and Anambra states ministries of health on the elimination and control of NTDs in Nigeria, Dr. Bridget Okoeguale, Director of public health, Federal Ministry of health, empasised the need for collaboration in the fight against the diseases.

    “We have target to eradicate some of the neglected tropical diseases”, she stressed.

    Okoeguale stressed the importance of educating the people in the grassroots on ways to prevent and control the sporadic neglected tropical diseases

    She  appealed to the federal government to collaborate with the state government to provide basic incentives like motorcycles, T- Shirts, and umbrellas to health workers in the states to facilitate the sharing of drugs against NTDs.

    The permanent secretary in the Enugu state ministry of health, Mr. Moses Otuji who represented the commissioner for health gave his assurrance that “ Enugu state has the wherewithal to combat the NTDs”, therefore it requires a concerted effort to eliminate the killer- diseases.

    Otuji further emphasised the commitment of the state government in the fight against diseases. He said that “Enugu state is lucky to have a governor who is interested in heath -related issues.”

    In Anambra State, the commissiner for health, Dr Joe Akabike expressed his concern in the eradication of the diseases and assured that the state was not ready to revert the wheel in the fight against diseases.

    “We should sensitise those affected by the diseases on how to apply the drugs and as well as show them love”.

    The programme officer in Sir Emeka offor foundation, Mr. Peter Onu disclosed that Sir Emeka Offor was  a key supporter in the campaign for eradication of the killer-diseases.

    He therefore appealed to the state governments to take bold steps in the fight against the diseases.

     

     

     

    Confirming the readiness to eliminate river blindness in Nigeria the representative of Carter Centre, Nigeria office, Dr. Emmanuel Miri told The Nation that efforts were on ground to eradicate river blindness in Nigeria before 2020.

    Miri called on the states to tackle the diseases in four years.

    Dr. Mmiri
    Dr. Mmiri

     

    The team also visited the commissioner for ministry of local government in Anambra state , Greg Obi.

    The commissioner expressed his concern for the fight against neglected tropical diseases and called for a concerted effort among the local government chairmen in the state to ward off the diseases.

    He congratulated the advocacy group led by the director of public health federal ministry of health, Dr. Okoeguale  and  the country representative of Carter Centre, Nigeria office, Dr. Miri on their efforts in the disease eradication campaign.