The Nation Newspaper

Tag: infection

  • Invasion of infection

    Invasion of infection

    •Nigeria must do more to combat disease

    One of the major ironies of the Nigerian situation is its continuing vulnerability to infections that have virtually disappeared from other countries. Two sobering reminders of this manifested themselves in the discovery of yellow fever in Kwara State and the ongoing depredations of cholera in Borno State.

    The yellow fever discovery resulted from the confirmation of a case of the disease in a young girl by the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, after diagnosis by the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The cholera outbreak has so far killed 44 people.

    In both cases, the health authorities have responded by the constitution of Outbreak Control Teams, investigations of affected areas and their vicinities, as well as increasing public enlightenment efforts to educate the public about the most effective prevention measures.

    Yellow fever and cholera are diseases which thrive in places that are unhygienic and crowded. Pools of standing water help to breed the mosquitoes which spread yellow fever, and the lack of access to potable water facilitates the transmission of cholera. Ignorance of the most effective preventive measures is often compounded by superstition that the diseases are the consequence of witchcraft or divine punishment.

    Nigeria is particularly vulnerable to attacks from both diseases. The country’s huge urban settlements have concentrated non-immune populations in ways that are amenable to the spread of yellow fever and created the insanitary conditions that facilitate cholera. The insurgency in the north-east has created some 1.7 million displaced persons, many of whom are crowded into poorly-managed camps. Communal conflicts across the nation have increased the number of citizens who have been displaced and are thus susceptible to disease.

    In 1986, a yellow fever outbreak in Nigeria infected 110,000 people and killed 24,000. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that the country had less than 50 per cent vaccination coverage for the disease.

    Cholera is a recurring problem across the nation, striking in areas as diverse as Lagos (September 2016), Sokoto (September 2014) and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps (September 2010, September 2015, September 2017). The 2010 epidemic recorded 41,787 cases and 1,716 deaths.  In 2014, Nigeria was the country most affected by the disease in west and central Africa, accounting for 39 per cent of all cases in the region.

    The country’s inability to cope with these diseases is a testimony to the perfect storm of decrepit health facilities, poor urban planning, reduced child vaccination rates and inadequate response which have come to characterise healthcare delivery. In the particular case of cholera, the eerie recurrence of the disease in September as well as the special vulnerability of IDP camps should have alerted the authorities to the obvious threat and enabled them to prepare accordingly.

    Given the resources required to combat these infections, it is vital that greater emphasis be placed on prevention. Increasing child-vaccination rates is especially important: yellow fever immunisation guarantees protection for 10 years. Educating the citizenry on the importance of hygienic environments is another crucial preventive measure.

    Improved urban planning in the nation’s cities will help to control the development of shanty towns where non-immune people congregate. Proper waste management and access to potable water are critical in this regard. The benefits of regular hand-washing and consistent personal and environmental hygiene must be relentlessly drummed into the populace.

    Greater effort must be made to ensure that the IDP camps are properly run. It is shameful that internally displaced persons suffer from inadequate feeding, shelter and healthcare in spite of the billions raised to cater to their needs.

    Nigeria’s claim to continental preeminence cannot be justified if the country is still vulnerable to diseases that have been forgotten elsewhere.

  • Ear infection: Buhari departs for London

    Ear infection: Buhari departs for London

    •President begins 10-day vacation

    President Muhammadu Buhari will today travel to London for a 10-day holiday,  his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina said in statement last night.

    Adesina said the President will see an Ear, Nose and Throat (E.N.T) specialist to treat a persisitent ear infection.

    The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari will take 10 days off and travel to London on Monday, June 6th to rest.

    “During the holiday, President Buhari will see an E.N.T. specialist for a persistent ear infection. He was earlier examined by his Personal Physician and an E.N.T Specialist in Abuja and was treated.”

    According to Adesina, the Nigerian doctors recommended further evaluation purely as a precaution.

  • ‘Vegetable consumption vital to check fibroid infection’

    Chairman, Abuja Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Fatima Mairami has disclosed that vegetable consumption is vital to prevent uterine fibroid infection among women.

    Mairami said at a sensitization forum organized by The Fibroid Initiative (TFI), Monday in Abuja that the infection is associated with women of reproductive age.

    She said about 30 per cent of women are currently infected, adding that in 50 years, about 50 per cent of women globally would require treatment for fibroid.

    The medical expert identified need for women to embark on regular checkups for likely early detection and prevention.

    “It occurs 3 to 9 times more frequently in Blacks than Caucasian women and autopsy has shown that 20 – 50 per cent of women less than 30 years harbors fibroids. So major protective factors include eating vegetables, having at least one pregnancy beyond gestational period of 20 weeks is protective, two (2)pregnancy gives 50 per cent protection,” she said.

    However, Mairami called for intensive campaign against the ailment.

    Earlier, TFI founder, Amb. Grace Eke-Charrier disclosed how women, who falls victim are often stigmatised in the society and among family members.

    She said they often suffer in silence.

    According to her, the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is committed to strengthen awareness on international platform and encourage different approach to preventing the ailment and non-surgical treatments.

    “TFI is a global initiative that came into being as a result of my challenges with uterine fibroids and of close friends and associates, majority of whom are board members

    “Our mission is to raise public awareness and ignite coverage and conversations on the fibroid condition plus its negative impact on the total wellbeing of women,” Eke-Charrier added.

  • An infection called arrogance

    Selective sanction was apparent as Ahmed Gulak lost his job in the presidency on April 29. Apart from his official role as an adviser on political affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, he was an enthusiastic defender of the administration and a passionate promoter of a second term for Jonathan next year. His aggressively defensive voice was loud and clear whenever Jonathan’s critics and antagonists had anything to say against the president; and he seemed to be in the good books of party hierarchs until news of his removal from office changed all that.

    Surprisingly, not to say unbelievably, reports said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, while explaining the reason for the action against Gulak, declared that he only had himself to blame and mentioned two alleged faults, arrogance and irrational disposition.  With all due respect to the new PDP leader, it must be noted that Gulak, a lawyer and former legislator in Adamawa State, perhaps had good grounds for self-importance, given his closeness to Jonathan based on his contribution as director of mobilisation in the campaign leading to the president’s election in 2011.

    Moreover, reflecting his degree of involvement in Jonathan’s affairs, just before his sack he inaugurated the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. Ironically, this same mission led to his undoing as the governor, Godswill Akpabio, and the state chapter of the PDP reportedly accused him of associating with individuals opposed to the state government. He was said to have visited the state “to inaugurate a sectional and unknown Support Group in favour of our dear President without bothering to pay any courtesies to the state leadership of the party.” His role was described as “ignoble and contemptuous”.

    Gulak’s subsequent resignation on May 2 as national coordinator of the Goodluck Support Group provided sufficient evidence that he was experiencing a storm, although he reportedly gave no reason for his disengagement.

    On the allegation of arrogance, it is no news that highly positioned members of the PDP in particular, and those connected with them, are usually peacockish, which is to say that they are proudly power-conscious and carry the mentality to a nauseating extent. Consider the specific major example of Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who has controversially snubbed the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, which is investigating the N10 billion chartered jets’ scandal linked with her.

    The lady is accused of blowing the money on flying in chartered Challenger 850 in her official capacity in the last three years; and further findings indicated that she allegedly chartered other jets, including a Global Express XRS, all pointing to insensitive wastefulness in the country’s oil and gas sector.

    Instructively, the probe is bogged down by alleged intransigence by Alison-Madueke and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Andrew Yakubu, who have been requested, without success, to provide information on the funding of the minister’s mode of air transport as well as possible enabling regulation. Not a word has been received from these individuals in response to the committee’s enquiries.

    Given such egregious exhibition of the arrogance of power, among others, should Gulak be faulted for allegedly showing symptoms of what looks like a PDP infection?

  • How to get rid of a yeast infection

    A  yeast infection occurs when a certain species of fungi start to grow without any boundaries in the human body. This species is most commonly the Candida albicans species, and exists in mucous membranes of the body, such as the oral cavity and genitalia, but also in any warm, moist areas like the folds of skin in the toes and fingers. These fungi in the body are usually under control by good bacteria. Sometimes these good bacteria are reduced due to the intake of certain foods or medication, which lets the fungi rapidly multiply, causing an infection.

    There are types of yeast infection such as Intertrigo yeast infection of the skin, and can usually be found in any skin folds of the body, because it is warm and moist. Examples would be any folds of fat, the armpits, the groin, and the fingers and toes. This infection will often look like a rash, with scaly edges, and red, swollen patches of skin. The rash usually extends just to the outside of the folds of the skin. Small lesions may form around the area of the rash as well. Usually the affected areas are itchy and uncomfortable.

    A vaginal yeast infection can be identified by a white, cheesy discharge, in addition to the area around the vagina, and labial folds being red, swollen and itchy. An oral yeast infection is mainly characterized by white patches forming on the tongue and soft palate of the mouth. These cannot be easily wiped away, and if one attempts to scrape them the skin underneath will bleed so this is not advised. Infections occurring between the fingers and toes usually form a patch of red, dry skin that flakes off and is extremely itchy.

    1. Use anti-fungal medications.

    The most common way to cure a yeast infection is to use anti-fungal medications. There are many topical treatments for yeast infection available on the market including clotrimazole and terconazole. Remember, though, that it is highly suggested to consult your doctor first before using any medication. If you mistake your condition for another disease, using yeast infection treatments might make the problem worse.

    2. Keep your vaginal area dry.

    Failing to clean your vaginal area makes it easier for fungi to thrive and overgrow. This might lead to infection of other parts of your body, a case which can be life-threatening. Make it a habit to clean your vaginal area – and your whole body for that matter – regularly. Many women can get away with washing twice daily but for those who engage in strenuous activities, extra care must be observed.

    3. Avoid products that can cause irritation.

    Some products might cause irritation to the genital area, especially scented soaps, sprays, and creams. If you find that you feel itchy down there after using a certain product, discontinue use immediately. Scented products might give the false feeling that you are cleaner but this is not the case and these products will just make it more difficult for you to get rid of a yeast infection fast. Fragrance-free products are enough to get the job done and keep you feeling clean and fresh.

    4. Watch what you wear.

    Tight clothing that emphasizes your curvy figure might be the new trend, but this won’t help when you are trying to treat a yeast infection. Tight jeans and underwear can cause further irritation. It is advisable to wear loose-fitting clothes and wear underwear made from cotton. Fabrics made from synthetic materials do not allow your skin to breath, trapping moisture which attracts fungi.

    5. Consult your doctor.

    As with any other condition, it is recommended to consult your doctor for proper diagnosis. Without the guidance of an expert, you might make the problem worse and cause further complications. Doctors usually prescribe oral medications and vaginal tablets or suppositories. Ask which one is the best option for you to get rid of a yeast infection. Also do not forget to ask how to use the recommended treatment properly.

     

  • How to treat a yeast infection

    There are more effective way to treat a yeast infection and prevent the infection coming back:

    For infected genital :

    •Eat plain yogurt. The good bacteria in yogurt can destroy yeast. It also work externally, apply some into infected place and wash it after 1-2 hour. Remember to only use unsweetened yogurt with active cultures.

    •Use a garlic clove as a suppository. Garlic contains a natural anti-fungi agent and provide soothing and instant relief.

    •White vinegar. However, it is very strong, so it is not recommended that you apply it directly on the skin. The best application is to mix it with water or add a cup of it to your bathtub and take a nice hot bath

    For infected mouth:

    •Eat cool yogurt for soothing and instant relief.

    •Rinse you mouth with saltwater.

    •Avoid sugar and sugary foods. Sugar will make yeast growth.

    •Apply crushed garlic to infected area.

    What to avoid when you fighting yeast infection:

    •Tight underwear – creates a warm environment for yeast to grow

    •Taking antibiotic and birth control pills – they weaken your immune system

    •Douching – douching can kill good bacteria in vagina

    •Food that make the yeast grow faster such as sugar

     

  • Road to achieving zero new hiv infection in lagos

    When AIDS emerged from the shadows three decades ago, few people could predict how the epidemic would evolve, and fewer still could describe with any certainty the best ways of combating it. Today, we have passed the stage of conjecture. We know from experience that AIDS can knock decades off national development, widen the gulf between rich and poor nations and push already-stigmatised groups closer to the margins of society. Unlike time when the affliction of HIV/AIDS was considered by many as the Western World’s burden, the concern of everyone today is about the best way to tackle the spread of this killer disease.

    The AIDS epidemic is a global catastrophe responsible for over 20 million deaths world-wide, leaving tens of millions of children orphaned and some 33 million people living with the dreaded virus. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 25 million of these people and estimates from the joint United Nations AIDS programme (UNAIDS) revealed that not less than 3.14 million Nigerians were found living with HIV as at the end of 2011.

    Currently, Nigeria bears the second highest burden of HIV/AIDS in Africa, next to South Africa and third in the whole world after South Africa and India. It is estimated that approximately 220,000 people died of AIDS in Nigeria in 2009 and the disease has also been associated with Nigeria’s declining life expectancy which in 2010 was only 52 years. Since HIV is found in body fluids-such as blood, semen and vaginal secretions, it can be transmitted when fluid from an infected person enters the body of another person. Given this modes of transmission, everyone is at risk of contracting the virus. This can happen through sexual intercourse, during blood transfusion, when using unsterilised skin piercing instruments and from an infected mother to her baby during child birth or after birth through breastfeeding.

    Regarding HIV/AIDS, it is worrisome that the average Nigerian have turned knowledge is power into knowledge is death certificate. Despite the availability of many voluntary counseling and testing services in various hospitals/centers across the country, very few know their HIV status. For instance, in Lagos, there are currently over 57 free HCT sites run by government, civil societies and the private sector. There are 29 free PMTCT (prevention of mother to child) sites, 24 free ART (Anti-retroviral therapy) sites, 6 EID (early infant diagnosis) sites in secondary and tertiary health facilities across the state.

    Till date, the figures on HIV in Nigeria are still one obtained through surveys of women attending antenatal clinics. Yet, only few comprehend how to assess risk to HIV with behaviour and practices that increase risk of HIV infection still rampant among our people. The big question, of course, is can we get to zero new HIV infection? We can achieve zero new HIV infection by committing large sums of fund to prevention especially when it is a fact that HIV is largely a preventable infection. We can achieve it by first of all attaining zero discrimination. Persons living with HIV and AIDS require information, counseling, care and support and not discrimination.

    Given its strategic place and importance in Nigeria, Lagos State has been very proactive and in the forefront of the national response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic through strengthening of institutions, social mobilisation and enlightenment.

    In Lagos, the State Law for the Protection of persons living with HIV and AIDS was signed into law in 2007. To ensure full implementation of the law, a mechanism whereby PLWHA (People living with HIV and AIDS) who have had their rights infringed upon can seek legal advice at no cost was set up. This is in line with the views of Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia when he said: “paradoxically enough, the only way in which we can deal effectively with the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS is by respecting and protecting the rights of those already exposed to it and those most at risk”. How apt!

    A vital means of achieving zero new infection in the state is what is being done at the health facilities concerning encouraging all pregnant women to get tested for HIV and providing ARVs to all pregnant positive women. Over 80% of infections in children under 15 are acquired from their mothers. PMTCT interventions, when properly implemented, have been proven to reduce the risk of MTCT of HIV to less than 2% (from about 40% in the absence of any intervention). It is therefore obvious that one of the fundamental pillars of getting to zero would be to ensure increased uptake of PMTCT services. This is already being done at the 29 PMTCT sites located in secondary and tertiary institutions across the state.

    Another way is to provide care and support to PLWHA. People should be aware that AIDS is NOT a moral issue- it is a public health problem. The vicious circle of fear, prejudice and ignorance has not and cannot help our quest to eradicate the problem. This is high time people should stop imagining number of partners PLWHA must have slept with to be in the condition. Do we turn our back on thousands of children who are infected and are living with the virus due to circumcision by untrained health personnel? What of many who got infected through transfusion by unscreened blood? Do we also turn our back on millions of children who got infected by their positive parents? Ed Koch said: “if you turn your back on these people (PLWHA), you (yourself) are an animal. You may be a well-dressed animal, but you are never the less an animal.”

    The state government has also scaled up its counseling and testing. Beside the over 57 free HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) sites, in marking last year World Aids Day; the Lagos State Government provided mobile HIV counseling and testing campaign in the five divisions of the state. The large attendance of Lagosians at the five centres gives hope that the journey is achievable. In 2013, the target of the state is to get 1.3 million people in the HCT net. Treatment as prevention is a new buzz phrase that is doing the round in the HIV and AIDS field. The raising of the CD4 threshold for treatment from 200 to 350 means more people are eligible for treatment and is expected to translate into fever new infections.

    But how do we get people on treatment if they do not know their status? HCT is the entry point to all services. People who tested negative would have had access to information which would hopefully influence their lifestyle. Positive people are referred to whatever service they need and can prevent progression to AIDS. One other way through which the government is working to achieve zero new infection is strengthening of prevention programs by targeting young people in and out of school. Reaching young people even before their sexual debut with information about HIV and other reproductive health issues would help to avert new infections. There is one British AIDS education slogan which could also be adopted in our schools. It goes thus: Every time you sleep with a boy you sleep with all his old girl friends.

    In Lagos State the availability of a screening test to detect HIV in donated blood has nearly eliminated blood transfusions as a possible source of infection. Other preventive efforts include education about safer sex practices, such as consistent condom use, and avoidance of needle sharing among people who inject drugs.

    It is hoped that with desired interest from all stakeholders, increase and expansion of interpersonal communication and community mobilisation approaches at the LGA level, the journey will become interesting and reaching the destination will become easier.

     

    Musbau is of Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

     

  • How to avoid SKIN infection

    How to avoid SKIN infection

    A good skin is indeed something to treasure. For many a glowing skin brings out their beauty and help to enhance the other features and parts of the body. Some have it while some don’t and those in the latter category have to put in a lot of efforts to make their skin look good. If you really want to have a good skin, then you need to understand how to take care of your skin, some common skin infections and how you can avoid them.

     

    It encase your entire body

    The human skin is a vast immunological organ system that encases the entire body.

    What most people don’t realise is that it’s comprised not only of the skin but the hair & scalp and nails. There are literally thousands of pathogens that can impact the human skin. One of the most import roles the skin plays in avoiding skin infections is to act as barricade to these outside pathogens. These invaders can be in the form of bacteria, fungus or viruses.

    The average person’s skin weighs almost 9 lbs., and is comprised of three separate layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. There are two major kinds of human skin: glabrous skin, the non-hairy skin on the palms and soles, and hair-bearing skin. Within the last cited kind, the hairs are organised each with hair follicle, sebaceous gland, and an affiliated arrector pili muscle.

     

    Common Skin Infections

    Fungi can cause many kinds of skin infections. Fungal infections are persistent and the invading fungal particle prefer damp places on the human body, although they are fairly capable of infecting any part of the skin. Some typical skin infections caused by fungus are athlete’s foot, jock itch, and yeast infections. Typical symptoms include persistent itching sensations, flaking of the skin, and eruptions on the skin. Without proper care they can become extremely hard to clear up.

    Another very common fungal illness is ringworm. Ringworm usually infects the region of the groin where it is slightly wet, though it can infect almost all other places on the body.

    .

    Bacterial Skin infections

    The skin is a natural hosts for thousands of bacterial species. These bacteria create colonies on the skin and for the most part are considered part of the regular, healthy skin flora.

    Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes are not frequent visitors to the skin’s flora, but they can survive without necessarily causing an outbreak. Over exposing the skin to pollution, natural trauma, pre-existing skin illnesses, and poor hygiene, can contribute to the weakening of healthy skin flora allowing offensive bacteria to proliferate – resulting in a major disruption. For the athlete, skin-to-skin contact (including hair) with an infected individual or surface can cause skin infections to occur as well.

     

    Viral infections

    Outbreaks of vital infections, Herpes simplex virus (HSV) being one of the most common, occur once the virus gains a direct foothold at mucosal coverings or on locations where the skin is abraded. After the main implantation, the virus then travels to the adjacent dorsal ganglia. There it stays dormant if not reactivated by psychological stress, bodily strain, or even sunlight.

     

    Fungal and Yeast Infections

    Skin Infections due to fungi organisms can occur frequently especially in the form of jock itch and athletes foot, because these organisms have a very high affinity for keratinised tissue. In other words, skin and hair.

    The majority of fungal infections consist of three main categories of fungusTrichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. Most of these fungal colonies thrive in loamy soil, on animals, and on infected human skin and hair.