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Tag: Onyebuchi Chukwu

  • HIV/AIDS status: Jonathan sets 80m target

    HIV/AIDS status: Jonathan sets 80m target

    The Federal Government has set in motion plans to ensure that Nigerians know their HIV/AIDS status.

    President Gooodluck Jonathan has set out plans to ensure that at least 80million Nigerians know their status.

    Consequently, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said government is mulling the idea of encouraging hospitals to engage patients as they visit health facility.

    He argued that it is the easiest way out since one-third of the Nigerian will have one reason or the other to visit hospitals yearly.

    Meanwhile, the minister has blamed operational issues for slow pace of polio immunization in Kano state.

    The minister spoke in Abuja during his one day working visit to agencies under the Ministry of Health, where he commended the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

     

     

  • Panel to facilitate take over of Otuoke Hospital

    Panel to facilitate take over of Otuoke Hospital

    The Federal Government has set up an 11-member committee for the transfer of the 40-bed Otuoke Cottage Hospital.

    It has two weeks to submit its report.

    The committee, inaugurated yesterday by the Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, is to assess the facilities at the Otuoke Cottage Hospital and draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the take over of the facility by the Federal Ministry of Health, to serve as an outreach of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa.

    Besides, the Dr. Patience Osinubi-led committee is to assess the human resources for health requirement of the hospital and determine the Organogram for the linkage of the Otuoke Cottage Hospital to the FMC, Yenogoa.

    Dr. Osinubi is the Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health.

    The committee is also to recommend other measures necessary for the smooth running of the hospital under the new ownership scheme.

    Other members of the committee include: Dr. Gods owed Eseimokumoh, Director of Medical Services (representing Bayelsa State governor); Dr. Tabowei, Acting Medical Director, Otuoke, also representing the governor; Chief Francis Egele, Attorney-General (representative of the governor; Dr. Brisibe Seiyefa and Dr. Mai Yakubu, representatives of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); Alhaji Mohammed Dambu, Chairman, Board of Management, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa; Dr. E. Etubu, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa; Mrs. C. Ibekwe, Legal Adviser, Federal Ministry of Health; Dr. Yang Oke, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister; and Dr. M. Onwudiwe, Head, FMC.

    The facility had been under-utilised since it was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan a few months ago.

    The project was initially abandoned by the then Bayelsa State government, only for Jonathan, then acting president, to direct the then Minister of Health Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, to assess the place with a view to completing the project.

  • FG sets up committee to take over Otuoke hospital

    The Federal Government has set up an 11- member committee for the transfer of the 40 bed Otuoke hospital.

    The committee has two weeks to submit its report.

    The committee which was inaugurated on Monday by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, is to assess the facilities at the Otuoke Cottage hospital and draft a Memorandum of Understanding for the takeover of the facility by the Federal Ministry of Health to serve as an outreach of the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC), Yenagoa.

    Besides, the Dr. Patience Osinubi led committee is also to assess the human resources for health requirement of the hospital, determine the organogram for the linkage of the Otuoke Cottage hospital to the FMC.

    Dr. Osinubi is the Director of Hospital services, Federal Ministry of Health.

    The committee is to also recommend any other measures necessary for the smooth running of the hospital under the new ownership scheme.

    Other members of the committee are – Dr. Gods owed Eseimokumoh, Director of Medical Services, (representing Bayelsa State governor), Dr. Tabowei, Acting Medical Director Otuoke, also representing the governor, Chief Francis Egele, Attorney General (representative of the governor; Dr. Brisibe Seiyefa and Dr. Mai Yakubu representatives of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs)and Alhaji Mohammed Dambu, Chairman, Board of Management, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

    Others are – Dr. E. Etubu, Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa; Mrs. C Ibekwe, Legal Adviser, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. yang Oke, Senior Special Assistant to the minister; and Dr. M. Onwudiwe, Head FMC.

    The facility had been under-utilized since it was commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan some months ago.

     

  • Minister inaugurates governing boards

    Minister inaugurates governing boards

    Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has told members of boards of parastatals in the ministry that it won’t be business as usual.

    He said any board that fails would be dissolved.

    Prof. Onyebuchi spoke yesterday in Abuja at the inauguration of the Boards of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakaliki and Ear Care Centre, Kaduna.

    He said: “There is no room for business as usual. Any board, which does not meet the benchmark for performance as approved by President Goodluck Jonathan, risks being dissolved.”

    The minister noted that the main function of the board “is to provide oversight on management to ensure the implementation of government policies, effective and efficient utilisation of resources, observance of extant laws and regulations and ensure that resources are devoted for the benefit of patients and institutions.”

  • Group canvases support for tobacco control

    A nongovernmental organisation, Tobacco Control Nigeria, in conjunction with Social Responsibility Manager, has launched a Social Media Campaign to advance tobacco control and support the passage of a comprehensive Tobacco Control (TC) law in compliance with the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

    The Project Campaign Manager of Tobacco Control Nigeria, Olamide Egbayelo, in a statement issued to The Nation yesterday in Lagos, said “more than 600,000 who die annually from tobacco-related diseases are nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke. The world’s leading preventable cause of death claiming the lives of 6 million people each year, tobacco is a slow, but more often than not, sure killer.”

    He opined that although several efforts have been made since 2012 in this current administration particularly by the President to get a Tobacco Control bill passed. Most significant is the setup of a three-man ministerial team led by the Hon. Minister of Health and charged with the task of drafting an executive bill.

    Egbayelo noted that despite public utterances in May & July 2013 both by the President and the Hon. Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, assuring on the importance of making Nigeria smoke-free and reducing the smoking prevalence in the country, there is still no law to this effect.

    “We have launched an online petition to encourage the Honourable Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, in his commitment and quest to pass the comprehensive Tobacco Control for Legislature in Nigeria. The petition can be signed on http://tobaccoctrl.ng/petition-to-the-health-minister/”, he said.

  • FG introduces new Yellow card

    FG introduces new Yellow card

    The Federal Government has introduced a new International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis popularly called the “Yellow card” to replace the old card.

    Consequently, the old card ceases to be valid as from next month.

    The decision to introduce a new cardwas reached at the last the National Council on Health meeting in Abuja. It was one of the resolutions agreed for implementation at the meeting.

    The new card has an advanced security features that were lacking in the old ones.

    Besides, the new card will be produced centrally by the Federal Ministry of Health, while a transition period of six months would be allowed to withdraw the old cards after the introduction of the new one.

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, made the disclosure while speaking with journalists at the official flag-off of the new card in Abuja on Monday.

    Explaining the rationale behind the introduction of the new card, the minister said, “The new one follow the issue that arose sometimes last year about Nigerians travelling to South Africa and we looked into the issue. We actually found out that part of the confusion is that years ago, the National Council on Health felt as a way of making it easy for Nigerians to obtain it, we should decentralize it and they permitted state governments, even private sector to print their Yellow Card and issue as well as the Federal Government.”

    He said the card would be available in primary health centres across the country.

     

     

  • NHIS to cover all Nigerians – Tambuwal

    NHIS to cover all Nigerians – Tambuwal

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, pledged on Friday that the National Health Insurance Scheme would be extended to cover all Nigerians.

    Tambuwal made the pledge at the opening of the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and unveiling of the Face of Healthy Living in Nigeria in Sokoto.

    “A situation where only a paltry six per cent of Nigeria’s population is covered by the NHIS should no longer stand.

    “Accordingly, the National Assembly would seek ways and means of extending the NHIS coverage to reach, especially the vulnerable groups within the society, in the current amendment process of the NHIS act.

    “We call upon the NMA for partnership so we can be availed of the benefits of professional expertise.

    “This call for informed professional input also stands for all other health-related legislations receiving attention at the National Assembly,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Tambuwal as saying at the forum.

    He commended the leadership of the association for its “unparalleled commitment to nation building and advancement of the health of Nigerians.”

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, lauded the association for keeping faith with the “Asaba declaration” of near zero tolerance to the issue of strikes in the health sector.

    “This was amply demonstrated when the NMA mobilised doctors and all other health workers who did not join the JOHESU strike to maintain services,” he noted.

     

  • FG to ‘subsidise’ cost of medical checkup

    FG to ‘subsidise’ cost of medical checkup

    The Federal Government said on Thursday in Geneva that a budgetary allocation had been made to subsidise the cost of medical checkups for Nigerians.

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said at the ongoing 66th session of the General Assembly of the World Health Organisation, that regular checkups would enable Nigeria to help address the issue of non-communicable diseases.

    He said the Federal Government had begun the fight against obesity, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan would inaugurate the campaign against the condition.

    “The president is also going to lead the fight against obesity; he has approved in writing that he will flag off the Federal Ministry of Health campaign, which is on NCDs.

    “He will publicly demostrate to the Nigerian public that there is need for a checkup, for your weight to be measured, your height to be taken and your BMI (body max index) calculated and then other test in terms of screening for stroke and cardiovascular disease.

    “In our budget this year we also have funds to begin to subsidise the cost of such tests for Nigerians; I will say we have started the journey.

    “Ultimately as you know, health remains in the hands of the individual; but it is our responsibility to give the right information evidence-based,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the minister as saying at the forum.

    Chukwu said enlightenment campaign against obesity and the consumption of unhealthy foods would be done to discourage people from patronising food products that were harmful to health.

    The minister, who said that the government would strive to scale up intervention on nutrition, gave the assurance that government would continue with its food fortification programme.

    The Director-General, World Health Organisation, Dr. Margaret Chan, who spoke at the event, said no one single country had succeeded in turning around its obesity epidemic in all age groups.

    “Just this one example makes us reflect on the importance of adopting the right policy options.”

    Chan recalled that the United Nations political declaration on NCDs clearly provided that prevention must be the cornerstone of global response.

     

  • Minister leads Nigeria´s delegates to WHA meeting

    Minister leads Nigeria´s delegates to WHA meeting

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Sunday led Nigeria’s delegation to the 66th Session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) Meeting in Geneva, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    NAN also reports that the WHA meeting, which will officially open on Monday, has communicable and non communicable diseases, promoting health through life course and health systems around the globe as some of the issues on its agenda.

    Some other issues are for the assembly to draft a comprehensive global monitoring framework and targets for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases as well as a draft an action plan for mental health.

    Other action plans to be drafted include the one for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment and universal health coverage.

    The agenda also showed that the assembly would deliberate on how to intensify the initiative for global eradication of poliomyelitis and evaluate the achievements of the health-related Millennium Development Goals, WHO reform and social determinants of health.

    Health in the post-2015 development agenda, counterfeit medicines, the report of Consultative Expert Working Group (CEWG) on research and development will also be discussed.

    The agenda of the 2012 assembly meeting covered some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing public health, which include non-communicable diseases and ageing.

    Others were maternal and child health, under- and over- nutrition, the eradication of polio and health demands during humanitarian emergencies.

    The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the World Health Organisation.

    The meeting which would be attended by delegations from WHO member states ends on May 28.

     

  • Nigeria listed among 22 countries with new TB cases

    Nigeria listed among 22 countries with new TB cases

    Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Friday revealed that a total of 190,000 new Tuberculosis cases were recorded in the country in 2011, out of which 27,000 persons died.

    The minister, who disclosed this in Abuja, on Friday, at the commemoration of the 2013 World Tuberculosis Day also said Nigeria is listed among 22 high burden countries in the world,.

    He stated that Nigeria contributed 80 per cent of the estimated 8.7 million new Tuberculosis (TB) cases globally in 2012.

    TB situation in the country, according to the minister is made worse by challenges of HIV co-infection, drug-resistant TB and TB among children.

    “The number of TB cases notified in the country has been on the increase over the years with about 97,799 TB cases notified in 2012. 81,156 of these cases (83 per cent) were tested for HIV with positivity rate of 26 per cent,” he said.

    The staggering revelation notwithstanding, the minister assured that the federal government is fully committed to providing substantial human and financial resources to tackle the disease in the country, including forging “new, strong partnerships to implement innovative strategies for the control of TB.”

    The minister, who also appealed to individuals and families to contribute to the fight against TB, said: “You can contribute to TB control efforts by identifying and encouraging anyone who has cough of more than two weeks duration to go for TB screening and supporting those on TB treatment to complete their full course of treatment which normally lasts six months.”

    He noted that in an effort to improve quality of care for TB patients in the country, about 83 per cent of them were screened for HIV in 2012.