The Nation Newspaper

Tag: health

  • Health benefits of sleep, by experts

    Health benefits of sleep, by experts

    Nigerians have been asked to go for the right mattresses so as to get a sound sleep for the  repair of their bodies.

    Speaking at the unveiling of  Vono Products Plc’s new hospital furniture, GEO Medical Centre Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Adetomiwa George said: “What many people forget is that good sleep is linked to a good mattress. The quality of your mattress can have a huge impact on your sleep, and poorer quality mattresses, also expose you to toxic glues, chemicals, fire retardants, dust mites and allergens that can inhibit sleep and have adverse effects on health.

    “So getting enough sleep can mean the difference between a sick, tired, foggy, unfocused, life and one where you feel vibrantly healthy and fully tuned into the world around you. So people should pay more attention to getting the right mattress.”

    He added: “Sleep is when your body repairs and heals. Extreme sleep deprivation leads to psychosis. And you spend 30 percent of your life sleeping hence you must get the mattress right. New studies indicate that improving the quantity and quality of mattresses   have a more significant effect on overall health than either diet or exercise”.

    He noted that people should understand their mattress needs, and also must put same in a bed-frame and not on the bare floor.

    According to him, when searching for the best mattress, it is important to remember that mattresses are largely a matter of personal preference. “There is no single type of mattress or bed that works well for all people, and there is no best mattress for back problems. Likewise, there is no single sleep position known to be best for all people. The right mattress can really help one have a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause sleeplessness, back pain, and overall aches and pains. For people with a back problem, a mattress that isn’t a good fit can make the pain worse,” he explained.

    When choosing mattresses and frames, dr Adetomiwa said the selections of mattresses and frames are by size, design, style, material, and features. Sizes range from the smallest, twin, to king beds at the large end.

    “Each size should be designed with a specific use in mind- from children, to single adults, all the way to tall couples. Design is what shapes the bed frame itself. Style defines the overall look and theme of the bed. Frame materials for beds hold a small variety- metal, wood, or rattan. Vono can craft each into nearly any style or design of bed for consumers’ needs,” he stated.

    The Managing Director, Vono Products Plc., Mr Tunji Anjorin  said his company can supply adequately to the demand of Nigerians, either in public or local sector, and that all materials are sourced locally. He lamented the negative impacts of fake products on the company’s business and appealed to the Federal Government to intensify efforts in combating influx of these products into Nigeria.

    Anjorin said the influx of fake products makes the company’s experience low government patronage. Also the high exchange rate of the Naira to other convertible currencies have moderated capacity utilisation in the real sector.

    “For instance, Vono Products Plc has introduced new hospital examination bed, classic bed, cabinet and drip stand to enhance service delivery in the hospital. We can do with more patronage. Generations upon generations can attest to the quality of our products.’

    Anjorin stated that the hospital bed was a product of extensive research to address some of the critical issues affecting examination of patients in the hospital. Despite the inclement operating climate in Nigeria, Vono Products was set to deliver superior products at all times.

    According to him, the examination bed had been designed for comfort; the drip is adjustable while the bedside cabinet is not only waterproof but good for storage.

    Anjorin explained that the company had produced the furniture in commercial quantity and many hospitals in both the private and public sectors had embarked on placing orders on the new products.

    He re-stated the company’s resolved leverage on its strong brand to expand its products and services and boost shareholder value. “Despite the harsh operating environment, management is working round the clock to ensure timely delivery of quality products at all times. Our hospital furniture, particularly, our Examination Bed is a product of research and understanding of the needs of the end users particularly the functionality and durability as our basis for design.

    These components remain part of what Vono holds dear and what keeps our customers endearing to us. We are determined to satisfy our customers by constantly anticipating their needs and satisfying them even before they realize that such needs exist.” Anjorin stated.

    He assured the company’s shareholders of increased value as the company according to him would continue to place premium on quality and affordable products despite the high production cost. He stated that the company had capacity to meet demand at any point in time and end users of the products enjoy after sales service.

    Making a special presentation on the new products, Vono Products’s Project Manager,   Mr Raheal Oshinubi explained that the three furnitures were tailor-made to enhance service delivery in our hospitals. He noted that the products’ quality conformed to international best practices.

    On the prevalence of fake products in Nigeria, the Group Head, Sales and Marketing, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr Sola Owoade, noted that companies were co-operating with the statutory organisations, such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on surveillance to arrest the perpetrators.

    On the cost of foams in Nigeria, Owoade advocated the use of consumer buying rights to expose consumers to their peculiar needs as  done by Vitafoam.

  • Iraq’s health systems collapsing – WHO

    Iraq’s health systems collapsing – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday in Baghdad cautioned that Iraq’s public health, water and sanitation systems were collapsing.

    WHO said Iraq’s prime minister responded to protests this summer over failing public services by launching a campaign against corruption and mismanagement.

    It said less than four months later, there was little sign of improvement in one key sector such as healthcare.

    “With Iraqis fleeing Islamic State in ever greater numbers, the country’s growing population of internal refugees is straining public facilities already ground down by decades of war, sanctions and red tape.

    The human right groups also said that with lower revenues from oil exports and higher costs associated with the battle against Islamic State, the government was failing to help the most vulnerable.

    It said that the situation had become so desperate that thousands of Iraqis forced to flee Anbar province in the west, had opted to bypass the government and seek medical care from non-governmental organisations such as one called Dari.

    The group said based in a modest apartment building in Baghdad’s Karrada Mariam neighbourhood, Dari treated about 50 patients a day, mostly children and the elderly.

    Alaa Abdel-Sadaa, Dari President, said so far this year, the group had provided more than 15,000 families with food aid and registered another 8,400 patients at its free medical clinic.

    He said Dari relied partly on donations and supplies from pharmaceutical firms and food manufacturers.

    “On our part, we rely on volunteers and none of its more than 100 medical professionals are paid.

    “We can treat 100 patients with $1,000, and that is difficult for the health ministry or any government hospital to say,” he said.

    Ali Makki, Chief of the NGO Directorate in the Iraqi cabinet, said his office was intensifying efforts to facilitate the work of non-governmental organisations, especially those providing relief and health services.

    Health Ministry Spokesman, Rifaq al-Araji, said non-governmental organisations had helped to ease the pressure.

    He blamed economic sanctions imposed by the UN in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait, subsequent wars and violence, for the poor state of the health care system.

    Ameera Abdel-Muhsin, 50, a housewife, at a state hospital, said “I came to a government hospital because I can’t pay the high cost of private doctors.

    She said the problem was she still had to get medication from a private pharmacy as it is usually not available in government hospitals.

    Another patient, Qasim al-Kinani, 68, said he was admitted to hospital two days ago suffering with kidney failure but his condition was getting worse because of lack of treatment.

    “Look at this farce. I’m sleeping on a bloodstained mattress with a filthy smell. I feel like I’m sleeping in a zoo.”

    He said Al-Yarmouk hospital in western Baghdad was typical, as patients were transported through corridors littered with cigarette butts.

    The war with Islamic State has displaced more than 3 million Iraqis, with most belonging to the minority Sunni sect.

    The problem is also a political one which Iraq is poorly placed to handle following years of sectarian bloodletting between Sunnis and Shi’ite Muslims.

  • Different shades, perpetrators and health implications

    Poverty and child abuse

    Baby factories are springing up all over the country. The big idea is to get pregnant first and then pray that a good customer comes around to buy. Many of the girls involved do so for reasons of poverty. When there are no buyers, the babies are either thrown away or abandoned .they will end up in motherless baby’s homes , and probably grow up without the moral instructions available in intact homes

    Also, many women send out their daughters to hawk, ending up as street girls and girls of the street

    In addition, women celebrate when  agents of traffickers come to take their daighters to Italy and other parts of the world as sex slaves………

    Single parent hood,fractured marriages ,same sex marriage and child abuse

    In  homes where there is   harmony and parents or guardian are fully involved in the growth and development of  their kids, there are formidable challenges. For reasons too numerous to state here, it is an up hill task, raising a girl child on your own. Family values are very likely to be completely absent, truncated or deliberately misinterpreted. As always there are exceptions ,but the  bottom line is that chances are higher that a girl child in any of these arrangements will suffer abuses, in particular sex abuse ,the nature or severity depending on other circumstances.I am not against any one or particular group here. I am only stating circumstances

    Child abuse in schools and institutions

    In the first part of this article, much  waswritten about the possibility of individuals  entrusted with the care , health and education of a girl child actually contributing to her destruction by  first  tormenting her by many ways and means in order to weaken her capacity to refuse sexual advances.Given anuncompromising  environment, as found in many of our boarding institutions the world over, where a college student is afraid to tell, any thing can happenand sexual abuse can go on unchecked for years  creating a cycle that will see an abused girl child becoming an adult female abuser of women. In many parts of the world,a disturbing trend in remand homes, homes for the disabled  and other places established to serve as correction centres for children with extreme degrees of stubbornness and ,those that have been described as children on the street, is that many of them have become victims of sex abuse, and by individuals employed to take care of them. In boarding schools across the globe, children are for many reasons shut out from their parents and guardian. This has encouraged different forms of abuse; the understanding that except for serious  medical emergencies, parents are allowed to communicate with their parents only during visiting days creates near perfect conditions for adults with deviant behaviour and abnormal orientation  to prey on  victims too young and too fragile to understand  inappropriate  and potentially harmful situations and negotiate themselves out and into safety.

    Religion, culture  and child abuse

    It is well known that doctrines exist that encourage polygamy, polyandry and same sex marriages. Some of these doctrines are fired by religious organizations and fiercely defended. There may be advantages but the dis advantages are numerous. Large families are prone to deprivations, incestuous relationships from poor or conflicting parental control measures, and unhealthy rivalries. In all, the girl child is seriously at a disadvantage since in the understanding of the Nigerian African, the girl child is both an asset as well as a liability. In some communities, men are pressured into marrying more wives in order to have  moremale children and so ensure they have stronger capacity for full representation in family matters.

     

    Education and child abuse

    The woman with little or no education pays little attention to logic, finds it very difficult to break with traditions that are harmful to health, even her own health, most likely to accommodate absurdities .She is likely to look the other way if reporting unhealthy family practices threaten her matrimony .

    Politics and child abuse.

    Only few politicians consider dangers derivable from their actions and inactions. By extreme policies designed to maintain them in power and very comfortable  lifestyle, sometimes running with the hares and eating with hounds, they create wars and  disputes  where women and children become vulnerable-as street hawkers, brothel and non brothel sex workers ,women of comfort etc.

    Genetics and child abuse

    There are some individuals who are born with body composition and mind set tailored towards the abnormal, the absurd, and the wicked.  Knowledge about the disconnect between the acts that these classes of people are capable  of and  the normal human feeling is not  readily available.The traits can be picked up early if parents care and are watchful. They are in the province of  Doctors who are Specialists in disorders of the brain, mind and body.

    Science and child abuse

    Exposure to social media has it’s  good, bad and ugly sides; only few parents monitor their kids, many of whom may be exchanging messages of sexual nature with men old enough to be their fathers . Inappropriate relationships  for age are frequently the hall marks of child abuse.

     

    WAY FORWARD/RECOMMENDATIONS

    What  Government can do

    Data bank on sexual abuse will notonly  help in knowing the extent of the problem, it will also help in the design of programmes to address the issues involved

    Policies

    There should be conscientious efforts  with regards to conflict resolutions, to tackle issues of inequalities in the distribution of the common wealth. More  peace committees like the one that saw Nigeria through the 2015 elections are needed in various aspects of our social and geopolitical life as a nation  .As has been canvassed, ‘eyes to eyes  is better  than eyes for eyes’. Dialogue and patience  with groups that have genuine and reasonable grievances will prevent clashes and conflicts that place women and children in harm’s way .

    As concerns poverty, eradication  and not alleviation should be the right thing to do. It is the height of insensitivity and inhumanity for any one to complain about payment of eighteen thousand Naira as minimum wage, even as the current economic situation drives people to eat from waste dumps. Women should be empowered by way of interest free loans, with government  assisting them to form cooperatives. The campaign promise to pay five thousand Naira to unemployed should begin immediately with adequate statistical support. The arithmetic  and methodology can be worked out by setting up task force units drawn directly from the federal and state ministries of economic development where you have statisticians and enumerators among others that can do the job. This will save costs and avoid the mistakes being realized in the implementation of the single treasury account(TSA). Government should also  clear the mess created by corrupt officials in the administration of pension funds and then go ahead to look into social well fare services for the elderly .

    Child healthand  Child rights

    Many of the children that have suffered physical abuse including sexual molestation did not know any thingabout  rights until many years after . There should be health education using social media , and other cheap and simple means .Children need to know they have their own rights, that they don’t have to be afraid to report any inappropriate advances, unusual and unofficial  punishment etc. Authorities can use local and other means of communication so  children become aware that there are channels through which  an abused child can report past and current abuse cases.

    Governments at federal and state levels should  give due considerations  legislative backing to the child rights act and also provide support in the area of finance and logistics to individuals and organizations involved in anti  childtrafficking activities

    Family planning: for over two decades efforts to assist Nigerians accept behaviour change towards healthy family planning services have not been largely successful;    Ignorance due to the very high rate of illiteracy ,religious injunctions and  cultural practices that place the girl child second as necessary but not essential, have  been responsible. Sadly, the poor seem to think it is fun, producing boys and girls they have no means to feed and send to school.

  • Ex-minister scores health sector high

    A former Health minister in the Jonathan administration Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu has given the health sector a pass mark.

    Speaking at the Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi Foundation yearly lecture in Lagos, the ex-minister said: “We are making progress in the health sector.’’ He, however, urged the private sector to partner the government, adding: “Everything cannot be done by the government.’’

    Chukwu, who spoke on the topic New National Health Bill, described the Act as the best thing to happen to the country.

    He listed some of its salient areas as provision of additional funding for primary health by at least one per cent from federal revenue; right of Nigerians to universal health coverage; empowering  health ministers and state commissioners to, for example, to decide which civil servants qualified for medical tourism and “Every tertiary hospitals will now be regulated.’’

    He urged the government to muster the political will to execute the National Health Act, adding that if well done, Nigerians would benefit immensely from it.

    Chukwu praised the Jonathan administration for giving birth to the bill, which, he said, was initiated by the Umaru Yar’Adua administration. He called for a quick constitution of the National Health Council that would disburse the funds by next year. He asked President Muhammadu Buhari to increase the funding from the statutory one per cent to about five, saying he is constitutionally empowered to

    do so.

    Chukwu advised tertiary hospitals to also partner private hospitals, which have better personnel and equipment, if the aim is to assist the cause of the people.

    Health commissioner Lagos State Dr Jide Idris urged those seeking free medical health to have a rethink, as the system was ‘’bastardised’’ in the past. He however said the government would continue to cater for the poor, noting that public health delivery for them is mandatory.

    He said though the budget for health increased between 1999 and this year from two per cent to about nine per cent, over five per cent of the fund went into personnel. He canvassed a pool where the government, corporate bodies and individuals could contribute for the benefit of all.

    Eminent medic, Prof O. O. Akinkugbe, who chaired the occasion, criticised the National Health Insurance Scheme, saying: “It appears ‘’a little sophisticated for those in the rural  areas’’ and that as such some of the people might not be able to afford it.

    He praised St Nicholas Hospital founded by the late Dr Majekodunmi for its giant strides in the sector.

  • Health sector calamity

    Health sector calamity

    • Nigeria is second in maternal mortality and first in HIV children!

    UNICEF representative in Nigeria Ms. Jim Bolken told federal legislators last week that five women die hourly at childbirth in the country. This sad news only confirmed what has been an abiding part of health care in the country.  At present, a woman’s chance of dying at childbirth is 1 in 13. With this revelation, it is clear that the country is not securely on track to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially reduction of infant mortality by two thirds and of maternal mortality by three quarters. According to the UNICEF country representative, most of these deaths are prevented in other countries, just as they are preventable in Nigeria.

    All the problems that lead to maternal mortality: poor nutrition during pregnancy, hemorrhage, infection, obstructed or prolonged labour, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, etc. are preventable through timely intervention. In the country, over 40 percent of women still do not have access to pre-natal medical care. Less than 20 percent of health facilities provide emergency obstetric care while only 35 percent of deliveries are attended by skilled birth-care professionals.

    Ms. Bolken did not mince words when she told federal legislators that over 30,000 healthcare facilities in the country remain in comatose condition. She added that maternal mortality rate remains the most significant indicator of healthcare service and warned that unless the governments at all levels and health-related agencies nationwide provide adequate fund to the health sector, the 2020 MDGs stand the risk of  not being realised.

    The news about HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country is as alarming as the revelation about maternal mortality. At the marking of this year’s World AIDS Day, the country’s public health professionals and researchers revealed another shocker about HIV/AIDS in the country: 2.9 million Nigerians are still not on treatment for their infection. New HIV infections have increased in the country to 632 daily, with 174,253 dying from the disease in 2014. About three million of the 16 million currently living with HIV across the globe live in Nigeria. While 11 million in the WHO African Region are receiving treatment, only 500,000 in Nigeria have access to retroviral drugs. According to WHO Regional Director for Africa, “the number of people acquiring HIV infection is still too high and young women and girls continue to be disproportionately at risk.”

    Just as with maternal mortality, so does Nigeria appear a disaster zone with respect to HIV/AIDS, not to talk of death of children under five. Preventable or treatable infectious diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea still account for more than 70 percent of the estimated one million under-five deaths in the country.

    Paradoxically, there is no dearth of right rhetoric among government leaders about the centrality of good health to national development. There is no better illustration of good intention on the part of governments in respect of nurturing a healthy citizenry than the National Health Act of 2014. This Act contains all the right words about health care:  achievement of Universal Health Coverage, government commitment to meet the MDGs target, improving funding of health care services at the grassroots, provision of basic health care to be funded from Federal Government Annual Grant with not less than one percent of its Consolidated Revenue Funds, etc.

    But with the dismal statistics about health care in the country, it is obvious that what is missing on the part of government is not good intentions but effective implementation of good public health policies. Any country that treats its public health with levity stands the risk of continued underdevelopment. The wisdom that health is wealth does not apply in a country that is unable to prevent its mothers from dying of preventable complications and its infants from dying of treatable infections.

    While it may be premature to blame the new Federal Government for the depressing statistics in the healthcare sector, it is proper to call on the government brought to power on the promise of change from business as usual to give urgent attention to a sector that looks ready for declaration of emergency. The lack of political will that turned Nigeria into the second country of funerals for infants and young mothers in the world has to come to an end under the new administration at all the three levels of government but with the right leadership that comes from the power of example by the Federal Government. This is the time to implement all the good policies in the books with regard to provision of universal health.

     

  • Health expert needs N10m to live

    Health expert needs N10m to live

    A 36-year-old Safety health expert, Mr Kehinde Adesina has called for public assistance to raise N10 million for a kidney transplant to save his own life.

    His twin sister, Taiwo Iro (Nee Adesina) was at The Nation to seek assistance from the public on his behalf yesterday.

    She said her twin brother, who is married with a child, was diagnosed with kidney failure in February this year and has been receiving treatment.

    Taiwo said his ailment has since deteriorated to level five, where he is surviving entirely on dialysis, which costs more than N30 000 per session and he goes for three sessions every week.

    Doctors’ consultations have advised urgent kidney transplant, as Kehinde cannot keep up with the expenses of dialysis anymore.

    Kehinde, in a social media message asked for well-meaning Nigerians to assist him to raise the needed funds for his transplant in order to help him live a long, healthy and fulfilled life.

    “I hereby appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians to come to my aid and support me with whatever they can so that I can have a successful transplant that will help me live a fulfilling life and continue to add value to Nigeria as a whole,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Kehinde’s family and friends have started a social media campaign tagged #LetKennyLive to raise awareness and support of the public to the course.

    To donate to save Kehinde’s life, kindly contact The Nation headquarters at Mushin or contact Tijani on 08066443324

    First Bank account: Kehinde Adesina; Account number: 3069734130.

  • In Search of… good health

    When heads come together in a well-meaning, genuine, round-table knocking, I believe that doctors, jingles and pounded yam can indeed mix to translate to more health.

    As I am writing this, there are many people in this country who are right now traversing Nigerian roads to attend the burial ceremony of one close relative or another, most of who have died prematurely. Whenever I have heard that someone has died and have asked what killed the fellow, I have often been told ‘Death’. How is it, I ask, that death can kill so… so… so… irrevocably when it has no hands? Turn left or right and you see your fellow Nigerians of all ages dropping off like… like… flies from all kinds of diseases! Just the other day, someone mentioned how she had been to an office one day in search of a contract and had chatted with everyone at each desk only to have gone back the week after and been told that one of them had died. Talk of a surprise.

    No, I am not talking about life expectancy today; I am talking about how Nigerians are allowed to eat and die in ignorance with very little intervention from the body that should be needling them into long life. It’s often been said that ignorance is bliss, but no one has ever tried to sit down to calculate whether the level of bliss is commensurate with the ignorance that spurns it or even calculate the very high cost of blissful ignorance. When someone eats him/herself to death in ignorance, the costs are borne by the survivors who have to carry on in his/her absence. Sadly, some of them never recover.

    Ultimately, everyone holds his health in his hands, with complete responsibility devolving on him or his family. However, when an individual takes decisions from a vantage point of blissful ignorance, then we are dealing with weighty matters indeed. Worse, he may even find himself not taking any decision because he cannot. So, leaving all issues concerning health in our hands is downright dangerous I say.

    Look, there are two matters compounding this problem. The first is that what we know as the Nigerian diet is seriously in need of divine intervention. It is a given that the larger part of the nation’s population is rural based with little or no education; therefore, the likelihood is high that they would mostly be the victims of the diet situation. Now, you and I agree that what constitutes our diet on this hemmed-in island is mostly what you would call the sugars with little relief. What I mean by relief is this. In this here parts, when a child is given his dish, his face breaks out in grins larger than that of the Cheshire cat at the sight of what he believes will fill his stomach. That is the main concern; what will fill his stomach. So he, least of all, notices that the contents of his dish are designed to satisfy only one aspect of his ravenous hunger. He hardly notices that there are other parts of his body also badly in need of satiation; those parts in need of protein, vitamins and minerals. Too often, these are absent. On a steady stream of that starchy diet therefore, your young Nigerian child grows into an adult who is more developed in physical terms than in mental ones. Either way, officer, we are being cheated by our consummations. Now, I wonder indeed if I know what I’m talking about.

    Anyway, one notable result from this skewed consumption pattern is the rise in diseases. Now, doctors tell us that diabetes and hypertension are almost in epidemic proportions. Nearly every one of two people you meet in the city is swallowing something to fight something else. On the other hand, nearly every rustic you meet in the hinterlands does not even know he/she has anything to fight until that something comes to punch them in the face, belly, arm, leg, blood, head or any other susceptible part. That is when the doctor’s questions or admonitions concerning the badness of the culinary habits handed down from ancestors without end really sound like Greek. Then you don’t know who to pity more: the poor man who is obviously sick and does not understand why it is not his neighbour ‘doing him’, or the doctor who is vainly trying to marry two incompatible people – modern medicine and traditional man. Me, I stay in their middle: firmly on the fence.

    The second matter is that there are just too many folk beliefs firmly ranged as arsenals against the doctor’s doctrines. Our rural folks do not believe that taking things like milk and eggs, etc., is morally good. One, they spoil the teeth and they encourage children to steal. Two, those things spoil children rotten. I have visited a number of villages having large, lush lands for growing things to take to the market while their children have skins that look like crocodile’s scales. The villagers just do not believe in feeding milk and eggs and chicken meat to their children. Come to think of it, neither do many chicken farmers. After raising their chickens, do they not cart the whole lot off to the economic market to sell, leaving the neighbours with only the scented whiffs of chicken droppings?

    Interestingly, even many parents living in the city are not much different. Their credos revolve around preserving the children’s honour rather than their lives. Then people find that in the face of ill-health, honour is not as valuable a premium as good eating sense. Oh wait, there is this health insurance scheme that is as incomprehensible to me as I think it appears to many. The reason is that there are still many questions not yet answered. Many civil servants do not know the limit that can be spent on their health; many of us do not know what happens when big illnesses strike; who takes care of the rural folks who succumb to these big illnesses; etc. Right now, health insurance or not, most people are bearing their health expenses out of their pockets and the health care providers are smiling to the bank.

    Doctors have sounded some warning bells on the rising phenomena called cancer, diabetes and hypertension, which, together are killing people off silently. Sadly, most people put such deaths down to ‘spiritual attacks’ or ‘wicked home people’. I am not here to argue with them though because everyone is entitled to a second opinion, so I am consulting my own crystal glass again. Yep, it tells me such people are suffering from severe cases of ‘deep, debilitating ignorance’.

    Honestly, this country can help itself preserve the lives of its citizens. Even in advanced countries, the government still sponsors advertisements which advise citizens on the proper diet to follow, the consequences of wrong diets, as well as admonitions on taking the right stuff such as milk, eggs and greens. This country can borrow a leaf from that. There must be a way of letting us the uninformed people know why we should keep a wary eye on the calorie contents of our steaming, mouth-watering plates of well-rounded eba, amala, pounded yam and rice, and why we should also keep the other eye on the meat to be sure it does not walk off the plate in indignation about its tiny size.

    How about we try radio jingles? They are catchy, cheap to produce and are definitely more far-reaching. Yeah, I know, in many cases it’s not the knowledge that is lacking, it’s the financial will. Even with that, there must be a way. All that this country – government, corporate world, people, etc. – needs is for heads to come together in a well-meaning, genuine round-table knocking. That is where we will find that doctors, jingles and pounded yam can indeed mix to translate to more health.

    • This article was first published in 2013.
  • Nutritionists: Daily breakfast ‘ll ensure cardiac, physical health

    Nutritionists: Daily breakfast ‘ll ensure cardiac, physical health

    The Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) has recommended daily intake of breakfast to maintain a healthy body weight and cardiac health.

    The Vice President of the society, Mr. Bartholomew Brai, said breakfast skipping had been found to pre-dispose people of various age groups to obesity and low levels of physical activity.

    This is because skipping breakfast leads to over-eating later in the day and, as such, encourages nibbling on high calorie snacks during the day, he added.

    He spoke at the re-launch of Milo with Activ-Go in Lagos.

    According to Brai, regular breakfast eaters have higher dietary quality as they usually have increased intake of fibre, calcium, vitamins A & C, riboflavin, zinc and iron as well as decreased intake of fat, cholesterol and calories.

    “Breakfast also provides people with the energy to keep going throughout the day. This encourages them to stay active which, in turn, helps to burn unwanted fat,” he said.

    Giving other reasons why breakfast is important, Brai said it breaks the overnight fast and supplies the energy to kick start the metabolism for the day.

    “It also supplies many beneficial nutrients and re-fuels glycogen stores. Regular eating  of breakfast has been shown to improve performance (memory recall, attention span and creativity) in school children and children who eat breakfast are known to be more physically fit and active,” he said.

    Describing breakfast as the ‘most important meal of the day’, Brai expressed regret that this meal is, however, usually the most likely meal to be skipped in a day.

    Nutritionists, he said, recommend that people take breakfast within an hour of waking up and not later than 8 o’clock in the morning to get its full benefits.

    While breakfast foods vary from place to place, culture to culture, household to household and from individual to individual; breakfast should include: carbohydrates (e.g. grains or cereals, bread); Protein (e.g. beans, eggs, fish, meat); Beverages (e. g. Milo, tea, coffee, milk, yoghurt) and Fruits & Vegetables (e. g. apple, orange, banana, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber).

    Recommending its addition to a healthy breakfast formula, Dr. Bartholomew Brai said Milo has been re- formulated and is now fortified with ACTIV-GO made from PROTOMALT extract and a specifically designed combination of nine micro-nutrients including six vitamins and three minerals. He said the Nutrition Society of Nigeria took time to do the analyses of the Milo product and found out that it is first in its class.

    “The Milo Activ –Go re-launched is another momentous achievement of Nestle Milo. I really commend the innovation that went into the new Milo with Activ-Go which is a unique blend of vitamins and minerals that help the individual to achieve the Milo promise.”

    The NSN Vice President insisted that the specific size and type of breakfast is not too important as the goal at breakfast is to replenish liver glycogen.

    The Category Manager-Beverages at Nestle Nigeria Plc, Olufemi Akintola who traced the history of Milo since it was first formulated in Australia in 1934, stated that ‘“Milo, through its unique delicious coco malt  taste  provides winning energy for daily success.

    “Activ–Go supports energy release, muscle function and bone maintenance that are essential for physical activity in children”.

     

  • Modern abattoir: Oyo set to boost health, economy

    Modern abattoir: Oyo set to boost health, economy

    After years of construction and perfecting administrative procedures, the Oyo State Government is set to inaugurate a multi-billion naira abattoir, which is the largest in Nigeria. BISI OLADELE writes that the project, will bring about world-class meat  processing standard and transform the city’s economy.

    Along Ibadan-Oyo Expressway in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State is the sprawling Ibadan Central Abattoir. It holds the key to hygienically produced meat, job opportunities, revenue generation for the government as well as protection of public interest.

    In its resolve to build a model abattoir that meets the standard set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the government spent N4 billion on the project which sits on a 10-hectare land. Construction of the state-of-the-art abattoir lasted for about one year.

    The abattoir  is, perhaps, the largest in West Africa.

    By the time Governor Abiola Ajimobi inaugurates the project for operation by the end of the year, meat processing will  have stepped up to the standard of the World Health Organisation (WHO). No fewer than 200 traders, including meat retailers and those trading in ancillary products and services, are expected to be  employed. More traders will also access shops at the market complex and the in-built motor park; thereby injecting life into the small community.

    With a police station, clinic, commercial bank and other social services incorporated in the abattoir complex, Ajimobi’s name will go down in the history of Oyo State as a governor whose tenure witnessed massive economic rebound and urban renewal. When fully operational, the abattoir will create an economic cluster and mini-town with potential for growth and development based in meat and allied products from the slaughtering and processing centre.

    The project

    The Ibadan Central Abattoir is a Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) project undertaken by C & E Limited, a local construction company that specialises in PPP ventures. The abattoir project was conceived and initiated in 2009 during the tenure of former governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala. It was conceived as a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) project for 30 years.

    His successor, Abiola Ajimobi, continued with the arrangement though with a minor amendment in the shareholding and tenure structure. Currently, the tenure stands at 25 years with the government earning 30 per cent of the abattoir’s total annual revenue.

    The abattoir offers both modern and traditional slaughtering methods, rapid turn-around time and excellent hygienic conditions as against the current informal structure that leaves room for unhygienic slaughtering and meat distribution processes.

    The project has the capacity for 1,000 heads of animals (cow, sheep/goats and pigs) per day and is expandable to 5,000 heads per day with excellent ancillary facilities.

    Manual slaughter slabs

    The abattoir has two manual slaughter slabs with average area of 1500 m2 each and well furnished to accommodate over 200 butchers slaughtering cows, pigs, goats and sheep simultaneously.

    Mechanical slaughter slab

    The abattoir boasts of the mechanical slaughter slab, which is in use in all developed countries. It has the capacity to slaughter 500 cows per day, which is expandable to 2,000 per day.

    Lairage

    The lairage comprises the Veterinary Doctors’ Office, Health Officers’ Office, Modern Laboratory and three concrete-paved holding pens for animals before slaughtering. The holding pens are approximately 12, 000 m2 in size. Arrangement for offices for veterinary doctors and health officers makes the environment conducive to the discharge of their duties. Since animals are brought into the abattoir in large quantity, the doctors and health officers will find it more convenient to offer services in a centralised place; thereby ensuring that all animals pass health test before they are slaughtered and passed on to the public for consumption. Their services will also be enhanced with the provision of the modern laboratory.

    The holding pens offer a comfortable place for the animals to stay for a minimum of 24 hours before they are slaughtered. This enables the animals to be stable after a long journey from the northern part of the country before they are slaughtered. The pen for the cattle is different from the sheep’s and pigs’.

    Security and storage

    The abattoir has two large cold rooms with 24-hour electricity supply and a modern red brick incinerator. It also has three gate houses and a police station for security purposes.

    Administration/hospitality

    Within the large complex is an administrative block, which comprises offices for members of staff of the firm and related workers. The block also houses Butchers Cooperative Building, a commercial bank, a canteen and a clinic to cater for ailing butchers, staff and customers.

    Market and shops 

    There are currently 224 shops for grabs by meat sellers and other traders in the abattoir.

    External services

    IMG_1402The abattoir contains five conveniences, good road network with asphaltic pavement and concrete drains as well as external electrification, including solar-powered street lights.

    As part of the agreement reached by the government and the firm, all other abattoirs in the 11 local government areas in Ibadan are to move to the central abattoir to ensure slaughtering of animals in a hygienic manner. The idea is to guarantee standardisation of the meat being processed in the city for the health of consumers.

    Other smaller informal abattoirs in the city have already been declared illegal by the government; with the expectation that butchers will move to the central abattoir to begin operation before the end of the year.

    Representatives of government and the firm have held series of meeting with the butchers’ association in a bid to educate them on the importance and gains of the central abattoir to their businesses and the health of members of the public. The association, in a December 10, 2014 letter to Ajimobi, also expressed their preparedness to move to the new abattoir.

    Government has also written to all other abattoirs in the city to move to the modern abattoir for further activities.

    When the government finally enforces the order by December, activities in the central abattoir will be in full swing, bringing fulfilment to all stakeholders, including residents in the community.

    It is estimated that the project will generate about 2,000 jobs with coordinated revenue to the government and protection of the health of the public.

    Much more than the government and members of the public, veterinary doctors practising in the state are very excited at the project.

    Speaking about the abattoir, the Chairman of the Oyo State branch of the Association of Veterinary Doctors, Dr Musbau Ibrahim, said the association would be the happiest to witness its inauguration.

    According to him, the association had been in the forefront of agitation for a modern abattoir, given the dangers inherent in informal abattoirs which he described as unfit.

    Dr Ibrahim said a modern abattoir is central to the health of the public, given the fact that Nigerians consume much meat.

    He explained that the new project will ensure that all necessary ante-mortem and post-mortem tests are conducted on all the animals before they are passed onto the public for consumption.

    He added that the central abattoir would also ensure the welfare of animals; from where they are purchased to where they are slaughtered.

    “The animals are properly checked to ensure wholesome meat is delivered to the populace, thereby reducing diseases such as tuberculosis, brucellosis and anthrax that could be contracted from eating meat,” he said.

    The veterinarian also expressed hope that meat can be exported from the abattoir if properly managed, adding that it will also help the disease reporting system in the country.

    He added: “We have met with butchers to educate them on the need to run a proper abattoir.”

    He said the association was willing to partner with the government on the project for the health of the public.

  • Herbal drug hawkers and public health

    Over the age’s faith healing, acupuncture, and many more alternative sources of medication existed. From Africa to Middle East, Asia mirror, Far East Asia and indeed the rest of the remote inhabited Earth, the story is the same. The holy bible also recorded a story of how Naaman, a captain in the then Syrian army who was affected with the dreaded disease of leprosy, was cured by dipping himself in the River Jordan for seven times.

    The way and manner herbal medicine and sometimes orthodox drugs are advertised and hawked in public places in Nigeria dishearten and calls for indicate attention from relevant authorities. In motor parks and markets places, both in urban and sub urban areas, the story is the same. All manner of information determination is employed by these merchants to trade and advertise their wares. The social and print media, radio and television, bill boards and megaphones mounted on top vehicles. The noise they generate in most cases is source of worry and discomfort to innocent citizens.

    The desperate mobile advertisers and marketers claim that their products have NAFDAC numbers and are capable of curing all known illnesses.

    Because of the NAFDAC name attacked to the medicine, the unsuspecting public falls prey. Many people now resort to self medication without going to hospitals for diagnosis and advice? Medical doctors and other certified health workers and paramedics complain that many people especially rural folks rush to hospital only when they are at the point of death. This has resulted to increased mortality among the down trodden in the society.

    • Dickson Nnaji Ogbodo

    Agbani Town,

    Enugu State.