The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Matshidiso Moeti

  • WHO tasks African leaders on mental health care

    The World Health Organisation ( WHO ) has urged African leaders not to relent in the training of Primary Health Care workers on how to detect and manage common mental health problems.

    Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, made the call in her message to mark the 2018 “World Mental Health Day” celebrated yearly on October 10.

    She also called on parents, caregivers and teachers to build life skills of children and adolescents to help them in coping with everyday challenges as those early years was a time of change for most young people.

    She said that this period could come with stress and anxiety which often led to serious mental illness if not recognised and managed on time.
    According to the regional director, worldwide, 10 to 20 per cent of children and adolescents suffer from mental disorders.

    She said that depression was the third leading cause of mental illness and disability among adolescents globally while suicide was the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29 year old.

    “Adolescence and the early years of adulthood are a time of change; moving, schools, leaving home and starting work.
    For many, these can be times of stress and anxiety and these feelings can lead to serious mental health if they are not recognized and managed well.

    “In the African region, it is estimated that five per cent of the population aged below 15 years suffer from a mental disorder.

    “Half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14 years but most cases go undetected and untreated with serious long term consequences for mental health.

    “Children and adolescents in humanitarian settings are particularly vulnerable to mental distress and illness.

    “The harmful use of alcohol and illicit drugs among adolescents contributes to risky behaviors such as violence, unsafe sex, and dangerous driving.

    “Children and adolescents with mental health disorders often face stigma and limited access to health care and education in violation of their human rights.

    “I therefore, call on governments in the region to develop and strengthen evidence-based programmes for young people with the support of national policy makers and programme managers.

    Moeti said that although countries in the region were making progress in addressing the problems of mental health, much more could be done to build mental resilience from an early age.

    Read Also: Police arrest four suspected armed robbers in calabar

    She said this would help prevent mental distress and illness among adolescents and young adults and manage recovery.

    The regional director maintained that mental health remained fundamental to overall health and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Moeti also called on governments, interested partners and civil society to continue collaborating with WHO to improve response to adolescents’ health needs.

    Every year the world observes World Mental Health Day to draw attention to the importance of mental health. The theme for this year is “Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World”.

  • Tobacco kills 7m people yearly…..WHO

    Tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than seven (7) million people yearly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated.

    WHO also declared that about 146,000 adults aged 30 years and above die every year from tobacco related diseases.

    The global health body made the disclosure on the occasion of the celebration of World No tobacco day. 31st May of every year has been declared as world No Tobacco Day to the dangers associated with using tobacco, and to press for policies to reduce tobacco use.

    This year’s theme: “Tobacco and heart disease,” focuses on tobacco use as a key risk factor for developing heart and related diseases, including stroke.

    In his message to mark the occasion, WHO Regional Director, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti called for increased efforts to further raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

    According to him, “the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 7 million people each year. Tobacco breaks hearts. Tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke contribute to about 12% of all heart disease deaths. There is no safe level for people, particularly children, women and workers, who have to be in the same room as smokers.

    “On the African Region, about 146 000 adults aged 30 years and above die every year from tobacco-related diseases. When tobacco users die prematurely in their productive years, families lose loved ones and income, and economic development is negatively affected.

    “Although concrete actions and measures exist to stem the tide of tobacco related diseases, more needs to be done to further raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use. Many people are unaware that tobacco is one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke.”

    Read Also: Tobacco: Groups hail Senate, Senator Tinubu

    He also called for “Policies that regulate tobacco, promote smoke-free environments and encourage people to quit smoking will contribute to improving the health and well-being of all people.

    This he noted requires strong leadership, political commitment and an informed civil society working together to press for heart-healthy policies and the right to health.”

    He therefore stated that “World No Tobacco Day is a chance for governments and the public to take firm action. Today, I call upon Member States to implement measures which we know will strengthen tobacco control as found in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    “Effective measures to reduce tobacco demand which can be accomplished in a short time and at reasonable cost include increasing tobacco taxes and prices, which will save lives as well as generate money for governments. Other steps include creating completely smoke-free indoor workplaces and public places, instituting hard-hitting warnings and graphic pictures about the dangers of smoking on cigarette packaging, and banning tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship.”

    He also urged everybody to play a role in promoting healthy hearts by committing not to use tobacco, helping others to quit, and protecting all people, including family members, workers and children, from tobacco smoke.

    “Eliminating tobacco use will help to protect hearts from breaking. Let us choose health, not tobacco,” he said.

  • Nigeria far from eliminating malaria – WHO

    Nigeria is yet to be listed among African countries who have made significant progress in eliminating malaria, a statement by the World Health Organisations ( WHO ) says.

    Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director of Africa, in her message to commemorate the “World Malaria Day 2018” in Abuja on Wednesday, said 14 countries with the world’s biggest malaria problem were in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    Moeti said these countries still accounted for 80 per cent of the global burden of malaria with 194 million new cases and 410,000 deaths recorded in 2016 alone.

    She however said some countries in the region have witnessed a decrease in malaria cases and deaths showing significant potential to eliminate malaria by 2020.

    According to Moeti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Senegal, Gambia and Zimbabwe are among 16 countries globally that witnessed a decrease in malaria cases and deaths by more than 20 per cent between 2015 and 2016.

    She said that Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Comoros, South Africa and Swaziland could potentially eliminate malaria by 2020.

    The WHO regional director expressed concern over the slow pace of progress in some African countries with significant gaps in the implementation measures to eliminate the disease.

    Moeti said international and domestic funding for malaria prevention and control has also stagnated in the region.

    “Some countries in the African region recorded the biggest rise of malaria testing in the public sector from 36 per cent of suspected cases in 2010 to 87 per cent in 2016.

    “Over half the people at risk of malaria across sub-Saharan Africa have been sleeping under insecticide-treated nets for the past five years indicating some success in behaviour change and outreach campaigns.

    “This progress needs to be sustained. Eliminating malaria requires above all political leadership at the highest level as well as leadership of programmes, resource mobilisation, inter sectoral and cross-border collaboration.

    “We are ready to beat malaria but the pace of progress must be accelerated to achieve a 40 per cent drop in global malaria cases and deaths by 2020 compared to 2015 levels,” Moeti said.

    She said that the world malaria day was an occasion to renew political commitment and continue investing in malaria prevention and control.

    The regional director said the day also focuses global attention on malaria and its devastating impact on families, communities and development.

    Moeti called on countries still affected by malaria to work with development partners to boost investments in malaria prevention and control, especially in new tools to combat the scourge.

    She said: “This will propel countries along the road to elimination and contribute to the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) such as improving maternal and child health.’’

    The theme for the 2018 World Malaria Day is “Ready to Beat Malaria”.

    The theme stresses the need to accelerate efforts to defeat malaria and remind countries of their commitment to end malaria epidemic by 2030 as one of the SDGs.

    The Federal Government on April 22, committed to securing $300 million from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank to eliminate malaria in the country.

    The government also pledged additional $18.7 million to leverage on $37 million from the Global Fund Grant to enable it distribute 15 million mosquito nets and support local manufacturing of essential malaria commodities.

    NAN

  • WHO appoints Toyin Saraki as special adviser

    Wife of the President of the Senate, Toyin Ojora-Saraki, has been named as special adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO).

    The Media Office of Toyin Saraki, in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said the appointment was made earlier this month by WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti.

    “This move is intended to bring Mrs Saraki’s considerable frontline experience to bear on WHO’s strategy and policy.”

    Read Also: APC moves to reconcile Buhari, Saraki, others

    Toyin Ojora-Saraki had since accepted the appointment based on the Advisory Group’s focus on women and children’s health and in view of her role as a global champion for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).

    “I welcome the Advisory Group meeting’s focus on the health of women, children and adolescents as flagship indicators for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) progress.

    “As a global champion for UHC, I advocate for a fuller understanding of its benefits, which go beyond health outcomes and include improved gender equality, higher levels of preparedness for epidemic outbreaks and transformative economic effects.

    “As Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives, I particularly welcome the introduction of WHO AFRO’s focused curriculum for the professional qualification education of Midwives and Nurses in Africa,” she said.

    “I am looking forward to hitting the ground running in my new role as special adviser at the Independent Advisory Group meeting this week in Johannesburg.

    “The experience I have gained as Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, working closely with our midwives on the frontline, as part of the global Every Woman, Every Child Strategy to end all preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, including stillbirths, by 2030, will inform my advice to the WHO,” she added.

    NAN

  • Africa must safeguard health of its youths – WHO

    African countries must come together to safeguard the health of their youths, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said on Tuesday.

    Moeti stated this in Kigali, Rwanda, at the first Africa Health Forum organised by WHO and Government of Rwanda.

    He urged private sector, African philanthropists and youth groups to tackle these challenges in order to improve the health of African people.

    Africa is the only region in the world  with large under 18 population.

    People under the age of 18 make up 50 per cent of the population in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

    However, despite the vitality of youths, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has disproportionately affected African children and adolescents.

    During the 30 years of the global HIV epidemic, around 17 million children have lost one or both parents due to AIDS and 90% of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa.

    In addition, the growth of non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Africa has resulted in 27 per cent increase in NCD-related deaths in the last 10 years.

    If this growth continues, there will be an obvious knock-on effect on the health of young people in Africa.

    A statement issued by an official in WHO media office, Charity Warigon, said partnerships and stronger collaboration are critical for better access to quality and affordable healthcare for everyone in Africa.

  • WHO unveils new malaria vaccine to be piloted in three African countries

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday unveiled a new malaria vaccine called RTS,S that will be piloted in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi next year to gauge its efficacy and safety.

    The WHO Regional Director for Africa,  Matshidiso Moeti, said the launch of the malaria vaccine, developed after years of painstaking research, marked a critical milestone in the fight against the tropical disease.

    The director added that “the prospect of a malaria vaccine is great news. Information gathered in the pilot programme will help us make decisions on the wider use of this vaccine.

    “Combined with existing malaria interventions, such a vaccine would have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives in Africa.”

    Moeti explained that developed through a public-private partnership, RTS,S malaria vaccine was recommended by a scientific panel appointed by the WHO to gauge its efficacy.

    The selection of Kenya, Ghana and Malawi to participate in the malaria vaccine pilot programme was based on their well-laid structures to fight the disease alongside high prevalence levels.

    The WHO director noted that RTS,S vaccine would complement existing interventions like drugs, indoor spraying and treated nets to vanquish the malaria-causing parasite that transmitted by mosquitoes.

    “We require new diagnostics, more effective anti-malarial drugs and new chemical formulations to prevent insecticide resistance to win the war against malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Moeti said.

    She said the UN Health agency had mobilised funds to support implementation of the initial phase of the malaria vaccine pilot programme that covers 2017-2020.

    She said “the vaccine would be assessed as a complementary intervention in Africa that could be added to our existing toolbox of proven preventive, diagnostic and treatment measures.”

    She added that the Sub-Saharan African region prevented an estimated 6.8 million malaria deaths between 2001 and 2015, thanks to political goodwill and robust financing toward prevention and treatment tools.

    WHO statistics show that in 2015, 13 out of 15 countries accounting for 80 per cent of global malaria burden were in Africa.

    The Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, Pedro Alonso, urged African governments to scale up investments in proven interventions like insecticide treated nets, indoor spraying and medicines to reduce malaria infections and deaths.

    “We have highly efficacious prevention and treatment options that should be scaled up to eliminate malaria in high endemic African countries,” said Alonso.

    He said the initial pilot programme of the RTS,S malaria vaccine would target 700,000 African children.

    Kenya’s cabinet Secretary for Health, Cleopa Mailu, hailed the launch of the malaria vaccine, saying it would accelerate progress toward eliminating the disease.

  • World Health Day: WHO says depression affects 322m people worldwide

    World Health Day: WHO says depression affects 322m people worldwide

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide is affecting about 322 million people.

    The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said this in a statement to mark this year’s World Health Day in Abuja on Thursday.

    Moeti said in the African region alone, close to 30 million people suffer from depression.

    He said everyone was at risk of developing the disorder as it affected people of all ages, from all works of life and in all countries, adding that it is currently a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

    She therefore called on countries to support mental health programmes by allocating adequate human and financial resources to respond to this growing burden.

    “Depression is an illness characterised by persistent sadness, loss of interest and ability to perform daily activities for a period of over two weeks.

    “It is associated with feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, tiredness and poor concentration.

    “Major causes of depression include loss of loved ones or relationships, poverty, unemployment, physical illnesses, alcohol abuse, drug use and traumatic situations such as violence and war.

    “As we commemorate World Health Day, I appeal to Member States to include mental health in their national health development agenda.

    “The Brazzaville Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases states the necessary steps for achieving this.

    “More broadly, governments, partners and civil society can work together to bring depression out of the shadows in the Region.

    “WHO is committed to supporting countries to address it as an important public health problem.

    “Resources to prevent, identify and treat mental health problems such as depression are very scarce.

    “The African Region has a critical shortage of qualified professionals for mental health, with just one psychiatrist per one million people and a similar number of psychologists.

    “The mental health workforce of psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and social workers is woefully inadequate.

    “Lack of availability of psychotropic medicines, proper information with well-structured psychotherapy and other effective measures for primary healthcare services to treat depression is cause for concern,” Moeti said.

    She said that this condition at worst, could lead to suicide, which was the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29 year olds globally.

    The regional director said depression varied by age, peaking in older adults aged 55 to 74 years but also occurring in children and adolescents.

    She said if left untreated, depression could be recurrent, long-lasting and debilitating as it impairs an individual’s ability to cope with daily activities, and could have devastating consequences for relationships with families and friends.

    She therefore reiterated the urgent need to prevent and treat those affected by this serious and complex mental health condition, adding that those affected faced significant stigma and fear of isolation which prevented them from seeking help.

    According to Moeti, simply talking about depression can help prevent it by breaking down stigma.

    “Seeking help by talking with trusted people can be a first step towards recovery,’’ the director said.

    She said that early recognition of the symptoms was key to preventing depression from becoming a chronic illness.

    “Developing community-based services which focus on depression and talk out against stigma will encourage more people to seek treatment.

    “This can be done by having conversations about depression the same way we do with any other disease.

    “School-based programmes which provide counseling and support persons with depression and their families, as well as early detection and prevention especially among children and youths, are also strategies to keep depression at bay.

    “Individuals, families, caregivers and communities can take steps to help prevent depression by avoiding stressful situations, alcohol abuse and drug use.

    “Maintaining a proper diet and physical activity can improve wellbeing and can prevent depression. Depression is preventable and treatable if diagnosed early. Let’s talk about it,” Moeti urged.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation.

    This year, the theme is “Depression, let’s talk” to draw attention to the global burden of this common mental disorder.