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Tag: Prof. Isaac Adewole

  • Nigeria third largest contributor to 15m premature babies

    Nigeria third largest contributor to 15m premature babies

    •FG launches policies on newborn care

    Nigeria is 3rd largest contributor to 15million babies born annually withan estimated 871,000pre-term.

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole disclosed this yesterday.

    He spoke during the commemoration of the World Prematurity and Pneumonia Day.

    To save newborns, the Federal Ministry of Health also launched three policy documents relating to their wellbeing.

    These are: Nigeria Every Newborn Action Plan, essential Newborn Care training package and National Chlorhexidine Scale up Strategy document.

    Adewole revealed babies born too soon have a higher risk of death thirteen times higher than babies born at term.

    He also disclosed one of every three newborn deaths is attributable to complications of prematurity.

    Those who survive, according to him, may face lifelong disabilities, including learning, visual and hearing problems with the quality of their lives greatly affected.

    The minister however said recent survey has shown reduction in under-five mortality rates from 157/1000 lives births in 2008 to 128/1000 in 2013.

    To tackle prematurity issues, the minister said: “It is important to promote essential care during childbirth and in the postnatal period for every mother and baby, including antenatal corticosteroids.

    Bishop seeks life imprisonment for looters

    From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

    Anglican Bishop Benjamin Kwashi yesterday pushed for life sentence for Nigerian leaders who divert education, health and agriculture funds.

    He made the call while delivering a keynote address on ‘The challenges of the Northern Nigerian Christians in Politics’ in Abuja.

    The Northern Nigeria Christian Politicians (NNCP) organised prayer for the nation, appreciation to the President and reception to honour the Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal.

    Stressing that anybody toying with health, education and agricultural funds is toying with the lives of Nigerians, Kwashi said that such diversion and stealing should be discouraged.

    He said that northern Christian leaders need to have skills, courage and integrity to deliver service to the masses.

    Noting the voices of the northern Christian politicians are hardly heard, he urged them to be honest and shun corruption.

    “He said: “A child of God should stand up for the truth all the time. They should look out for the good of everybody.”

    Urging them to always have the fear of God, faithful and just, he tasked the Nigerian leaders to resuscitate voluntary agencies in development.

    He said northern Christian politicians must do their best in their offices to honour God

    Noting that politics is important for theology and practical reasons, he said that Christian youths should be encouraged to go into politics.

    “The rule of God and righteousness cannot be separated from politics. Through politics, lives can be saved,” he stated

    Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi urged all Christians to come together and fight injustices.

    Umahi said there is no need to segregate Christianity into northern and southern Christians.

  • FG renew commitment to end Obstetric Fistula

    FG renew commitment to end Obstetric Fistula

    Federal Government has renewed its commitment to end obstetric fistula in the country.

    Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole made this known while launching the guideline on Urethral Catherisation for prevention and managing of Obstetric Fistula in Nigeria.

    The launch was part of the sixth International Conference of International Society on Obstetric Fistula Surgeon (ISOFS) in Abuja.

    The Minister while evaluating the surgical exercise held at Federal Medical Centre Jabi, Abuja in collaboration with the society urged the International Obstetric Fistula Centre Working Group to work with the Federal Ministry of Health not only to repair fistula patients but also to find lasting solution to the problem.

    The Minister said, “It is not enough to keep on repairing, we must close the tap, by closing the tap, I mean we should do everything possible to stop all new cases of obstetric fistula in Nigeria”.

    According to the Minister since it is part of the Federal Government’s contributions to repair all fistula cases, the ministry had established three hospitals dedicated for fistula repair in the country namely: Abalaki, Ebony State, Baba Ruga, Katsina State, and Ningi in Bauchi State, adding that the government intend to establish three more in the year 2017.

    Adewole said, “We need to tackle the root causes by addressing education and poverty: when a woman is educated, she would understand what it means to have a child, understand what it mean to seek for medical care when things are not going well”.

    The Minister reaffirmed that the Federal Government of Nigeria was committed to put in place reasonable resources in the current budget to address social welfare problem that would lift people out of poverty.

    He said when people are educated and have resources, they could live well, eat well, and they would really attend issues affecting not only their health but general wellbeing.

    Deputy Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Nigeria Country Office Eugene Kongnyuy, said experts should think differently from the normal routine. He called for robust campaign against early marriage and harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation which he considered the main cause of Obstetric Fistula.

    The wife of the Niger State Governor,  Dr Amina Abubakar Bello said her project Raise Foundation was working toward improving the lives of women and children including  creating awareness and repair of fistula patients in Niger State adding that the foundation was willing to partner with the Federal Government in the quest to end obstetric fistula.

  • FG to establish national agency for cancer control

    FG to establish national agency for cancer control

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has announced that Federal Government is tinkering with the possibility of setting up National Agency for Cancer Control (NACC) in Nigeria.

    The Minister made this known during a an audience with with Director, Head of Eastern Europe, Middle East, African (EEMEA ) region, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Pharmaceuticals Division Dr. Peter HUG in Abuja.

    The minister explained that the institution when establish would be responsible for research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care for cancer patients. It will also provide leadership and technical direction for cancer control in Nigeria integrating services provided by the National Cancer Centre and in-cooperating a cluster of public and private tertiary Hospitals.

    Other functions expected to be performed by the Agency include, policy formulation, advocacy and mobilization, adopt best practices as per the Global Non-Communicable Diseases Framework to make the NACC a Centre of Excellence for cancer prevention and care. It is also believed that the Agency would develop national plan for cancer prevention and care, measure burden and impact of cancer and establish registries for routine monitoring.

    He said that the Ministry in collaboration with other stakeholders in cancer control was working hard in creating awareness at the rural areas on early detection of cancer.

    The Minister expressed government’s determination and willingness to partner with Dr. Peter HUG on cancer prevention and control in Nigeria “If you ask me what do I want from Dr. Peter HUG, I will say how we can build a strong partnership and move from talking to action, what can you bring to the table in terms of partnership that would bring reliable service to Nigerians.”

    The Minister and Dr. Peter HUG later agreed that the partnership would focus more on Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) and Breast Cancer.

    Speaking earlier, on rationale behind his visit to Nigeria Dr. Peter HUG said that they were interested in partnering with the Nigerian Government on cancer prevention and treatment.

    He said they have the facilities to support Nigeria in the fight against cancer.

  • FG cancels plan to build 10,000 PHCs

    FG cancels plan to build 10,000 PHCs

    …To merge health department for effective performance

    Federal Government may have put off its earlier plan to build 10,000 primary health care centres across all senatorial zones across the country, it was learnt Thursday.

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said the decision to cancel the project was on the advice of Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, who felt that the states may not be able to meet up with their contributions.

    Adewole spoke during an audience with Under-Secretary-General and Executive-Director, United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin in Abuja

    Absolving the Finance minister of any blame, Adewole said the minister (Finance) had earlier pledged upon assumption of office that the PHCs would be made available by President Buhari-led administration within four years, and that the nation’s health systems would be driven through it.

    But with the turn of event in the country, she was concerned that the states may not be able to meet up with their contributions. This, Adeosun said will be a burden on the Federal Government.

    Minister of Health had on Tuesday assured the country that government would harmonize various departments in the ministry for effective performance. He said most of the health projects in the country are funded by sponsors, and that the best way to show seriousness as a government, and appreciate such aids is to expend the funds through a well-coordinated channel.

    He said of the PHC’s: “Truly, we came up with the agenda of revitalizing one PHC per political ward, that would lead us to ensuring 1000 PHCs are in place. But, then, there is a problem. Government set up an inter-ministerial committee. At our first meeting, it was obvious, the Minister of Finance said ‘wait a minute, when you take this up, the local government and states will abandon its responsibility. And, when they abandon it for you, you are in trouble.

    “About 40 percent of the resources go into personnel cost. So, if you want to bear the responsibility of the resources, you want to bear responsibility for commodities, then, what exactly will the states be doing?

    “So, we are trying to repackage the concept. We are taking on one hundred and ten for pilot. We are going through the backdoor, using the Save-One-Million-Lives, which is actually $500 million facility from the World Bank. We’ve given out to the states as grant, and what we’ve done is to advance them and advance payment at $1.5million. Use this, and then, in a year’s time, we would re-evaluate and match you with you. In other words, we compared, say Lagos State in 2015 with Lagos State in 2016. We then advance them with rewards based on improvements. And, I’ve been talking to many of the state governors, saying use this to strengthen your primary health care system. I think many of them are listening. If they do not invest, there will be nothing for them next year.”

    He added that one of the core goals of the ministry under his leadership is promote family planning services as the best way for mothers to plan and live their lives meaningfully.

    In his remark, Prof. Osotimehin, who was accompanied by Permanent Secretary, United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, DfID, Mark Lowcock, expressed the concern of UNFPA and DfID over high maternal death rate in the country.

    He however reiterated the support of international community for the country to reduce the incidence. He however informed that family planning would effectively reduce the deaths by 30 percent, and that it should be embraced by all people in the country.

  • Nigeria to end malaria mortality by 2020 – Minister

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said on Tuesday that Nigeria would end malaria mortality by 2020.

    The minister stated this at a town hall meeting and policy dialogue for good governance jointly organised by the Alumni Association of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (AANI) and Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Abuja.

    “We have set some time frame for ourselves. We are committed to reducing maternal mortality before the life span of this administration,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the minister as saying at the forum.

    “We want to end malaria mortality by the end of 2020.”

    Adewole said government was on the verge of putting in place a new health policy for the country.

    He recalled that attempts had been made twice –  1988 and 2004 – to develop a robust health policy for Nigeria.

    “This year, government is designing a new health policy deliberately captured to promote the health of Nigerians to accelerate socio-economic development.

    “We want to make a statement that when we improve the health of the people, we can engender socio-economic development,’’ he added.

    The minister said the 2016 budget features three prominent areas in the health sector – immunisation, management of disease outbreak and maternal and child mortality.

    He said government is committed to ensuring accountability, transparency and reducing inefficiency in the health sector.

  • ‘Nigeria’s health matters to Africa’

    ‘Nigeria’s health matters to Africa’

    The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti, has pledged to support the Nigerian Health Agenda especially in the areas of Universal Health Coverage, primary healthcare and resource mobilization.

    The Regional Director also promised to help with capacity building, maternal and child health, immunization to prevent child killer diseases, as well to improve surveillance and preparedness against health emergencies.

    Dr Moeti made this known on Monday while meeting with the management of the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja.

    She said that the essence of her visit was to meet with national authorities in Nigeria to strategies on ways of sustaining the landmark achievements so far in the health sector.

    Her words: “Nigeria is biggest country in Africa in terms of population, so it is very important to work with Nigerian Government to improve the healthcare system of the country  if Nigerians are healthy it means African people are healthy.”

    Speaking on Primary Healthcare, the WHO Regional Director for Africa said that Primary Healthcare and Universal Health Coverage is number one priority in WHO Agenda, Nigeria and WHO would share experience, ideas on Primary Healthcare System with a view to achieving the Universal Health Coverage in the country.

    “I want to assure you of our firm commitment and support to make sure that Nigeria realize and achieve the laudable Health Agenda,” she said.

    She further suggested that government at all levels should provide incentives to healthcare officials residing in rural areas, such incentive will encourage them to put in their best no matter the difficult circumstance they find themselves.

    Earlier in his presentation titled: “Universal Health Coverage an Agenda for Change”, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that the Ministry’s focus is more on achieving the Universal Health Coverage as it was believed that it would change the perspective of Health to the one that is contributory to National Development.

    He said that the Federal Government is in the process of rehabilitating 10,000 PHC in the next two years with a minimum of one functional PHC per ward.

    “Having at least 1 functional health facility per ward offering quality health services 24 hour 7 days a week for free, will go a long way of closing the gap between the rich and the poor in accessing the healthcare service,” he said.

  • FG inaugurates Governing Board of the ECOWAS RCDC

    In order to increase the surveillance and information system for early detection, strengthening of laboratory capacity, preparedness and emergency response and retention of trained healthcare workforce in West Africa, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has flagged off the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Disease Control (RCDC).
    Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Governing Board of the RCDC in Abuja, the minister charged members to build upon the existing structures and successes recorded by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
    Prof Adewole said the Centre was also pilot – testing an open source Surveillance and outbreak response management and analytic system (SORMAS) software that uses smart phones to improve bi-directional communication and management of outbreak, thereby significantly reducing outbreak response time. This, he said contributed to making our health system more resilient and improved response time to health emergencies.
    He said the Government’s commitment towards providing the necessary infrastructures for the immediate operationalisation of the ECOWAS RCDC, as contained in the MOU and our acceptance to use Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as a platform for the immediate take of the RCDC.
    The Director General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), Dr. Crespin Xavier, said that the Governing council has the difficult task of supervising the activities of the Centre in strict compliance with ECOWAS rules and regulations. due to the rampant outbreaks of disease epidemics in environment with scarce resources. “The stakes are high, the task is difficult but there is no doubt that we have what it takes to deliver best practices for disease surveillance and control which already exist, indeed we have the support  and goodwill of our heads of state and government’’, he said.
    Dr. Xavier expressed gratitude to the Government for all the support given to WAHO, for the smooth take off of ECOWAS RCDC in the country and also thanked the technical partners for their support.
    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Amina Shamaki, represented by Director, Public Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Evelyn Ngige, urged the Governing Board to use their expertise in carrying out the assignment for the overall benefit of the West African populace.
    The Members of the Governing Board are:   Dr. Xavier Crespin (DG WAHO) as Chairman of the Governing Board,   Prof. Dagnan N’cho Simplice – ( Cote D’ ivore),  Dr. Badu Sarkodie -(Ghana),  Dr. Placido Monteiro Carddoso – ( Guinea Bissau), Lamine Koivogui – (Guinea),  Dr. Abdoulaye Bousso – (Senegal), Dr. Henri Kabore –  (Mali),  Dr. Carlos Pedrio Faria de Brito – (WAHO), Mr. Richard Awunyo – ( WAHO), Mme Savage Ami Ibrahim – (WAHO) and  Maitre Ely Diallo – (WAHO)
  • Health Minister to hospitals: Save lives first in emergency

    Health Minister to hospitals: Save lives first in emergency

    Health Minister Prof Isaac Adewole, Friday directed tertiary hospitals across the country to save patients’ lives first during emergency cases before demanding for money.

    Adewole, spoke during a facility tour of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said people’s lives were more important than the money being demanded before treatment.

    According to him, accidents, among other emergency cases can occur at anytime, so patients should not be refrained from accessing treatment.

    Adewole advised hospitals not to allow patients stay beyond a day at the Accident and Emergency (A and E) ward to enable them have room for other new patients on emergency.

    He urged LUTH management to ensure that the poor receive treatment, stressing that the hospital should operate a social system to enable it know those that are genuinely poor.

    “We cannot continue to turn poor patients away from the hospitals. The poverty indicator shows that 60 to 70 percent of Nigerians is poor. This means about 100 million people are poor in Nigeria. So, we will provide basic care through the primary health care (PHC) system for Nigerians,” he said.

    He lamented poor funding of the health care, saying there was chronic underfunding of the sector.

    Moreover, Nigerians and the media should take the fight to increase health budget to the front burner because health is wealth. “The sick cannot make the country strong,” the minister said.

    He charged patients with minor ailments to visit primary health care (PHC) centres rather than going to teaching hospitals.

    Prof Adewole said Nigeria needs 140 radiotherapy machines, adding that the seven machines now available were inadequate.

    “Only two or three presently work at a time.  Poor power supply has marred our effort to keep the machines running regularly. If power improves, the equipment will last longer,” he said.

    He charged people to improve their lifestyle, exercise and eat healthily.

    Besides, they should have regular checkups.

    “Many late cancer cases cannot be cured

  • FG orders MLSCN boss to vacate office

    FG orders MLSCN boss to vacate office

    The Federal Government has ordered the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Prof Anthony Emeribe to vacate office “with immediate effect’’.

    The directive was contained in a letter to Emeribe by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, dated Feb. 19, 2016.

    The letter signed on behalf of the Minister by Dr Patience Oshinubi, the Head, Department of Hospital Services in the Ministry stated that Emeribe should hand over to the most senior Director in the council.

    It also stated that the position of the Registrar and CEO of the Council should be advertised.

    “The Honourable Minister of Health has approved the advertisement of the post of the Registrar/CEO of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria.

    “In view of the above, I am directed to inform you to hand over the administration of the council and of government property under your purview to the most senior Director in the council, with immediate effect.

    “Please, accept the assurances of the Honourable Minister of Health’s best regards,’’ the letter read.

    Meanwhile, Emeribe has acknowledged the receipt of the letter in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    The professor, whose second term of four years as Registrar/CEO of the council ought to end in 2018, however, said that the letter was “sub judice’’.

    He said there were subsisting cases in court in respect of the advertisement of the position of the Registrar/CEO of the Council, awaiting judicial determination.

    “The cases are in court. The issues that gave rise to that letter are all in court and the ministry knows that it is sub judice.

    “The Ministry was misadvised into taken that decision because the ministry should know that you cannot take an action on a case that is in court,’’ he said.

  • Lassa fever: One patient escapes from hospital – Minister

    Lassa fever: One patient escapes from hospital – Minister

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole Tuesday announced the escape of a Lassa fever patient in Ebonyi state.

    The patient, whose identity was not made public, it was learnt escaped from the health facility where he was receiving treatment.

    The minister made the disclosure during the emergency meeting of National Council on Health in Abuja. The National Council on Health is the highest advisory body on health in the country.

    The minister also inaugurated the 15 member Lassa fever eradication committee, to address the outbreak of the disease and other communicable disease in the country. The committee is headed by Prof.

    The minister while the meeting was on announced to the entire gathering that he just received a text that a Lassa fever patient had escaped from a health facility in Ebonyi while undergoing treatment.

    The minister therefore urged the relevant agency and the state government to do everything possible to trace the patient and those who might have had contact with the patient.

    The Emergency session of the National Council on Health (NCH) on Lassa Fever Outbreak approved that a high index of suspicion should be maintained and the surveillance systems should be robust enough to detect further infections.

    Other decision reached at the meeting also approved the inauguration of the Multi-Sectoral Lassa Fever Eradication Committee and also implementation of the Multi-Sectoral Response Strategy.

    The meeting broadly aimed to lay the foundation for a Multi-Sectoral Response to the Lassa Fever Outbreak which has claimed about 46 lives since the outbreak of the disease in August 2015 in Niger.

    Council received a presentation from Prof. Isaac F. Adewole, Hon. Minister of Health titled “Laying the Foundation for a Multi-Sectoral Response to Lassa Fever”. The presentation elucidated the Multi-Sectoral Response Strategy for the control of Lassa fever and other similar diseases.

    He called on all the States to strengthen their surveillance systems, report all cases and collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health in the successful implementation of the Multi-Sectoral Response Strategy.  Six Councils also received a presentation on Epidemiological Situation of the current Lassa Fever Outbreak in Nigeria including available Response Infrastructure/Resource requirements by Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi, National Coordinator/CEO, NCDC; updates from Lassa Fever affected states who detailed the progression of the outbreak(s) in their states and current efforts to contain and prevent further spread of the disease and reassure the affected Communities; as well as updates from CMDs/MDs of Federal Tertiary Health Institutions located within the affected States on their response and high index of suspicion towards all cases coming to their institutions, their management of confirmed cases, and measures being implemented to prevent nosocomial spread within their facilities as well as their community outreach efforts.

    The Council also observed that unlike Ebola, Lassa fever is treatable if detected early and there are adequate treatment centres spread across the country. Council therefore reassured the Public on the adequacy of the response to the outbreak and urged the Public, Community and Religious leaders to cooperate with the Health Agencies in their States to ensure prompt reporting of any suspected case.

    Meanwhile, Chairman of the inaugurated Lassa fever committee, Prof. Oyewole Tomori has disabused the mind of the people on the possibility of eradicating the disease.

    Tomori said that as far as there are rodents it will be impossible to eradicate the disease.

    He however said that what the committee will work hard at is to ensure that the disease is brought under control to the point that it is no longer an epidemic.

    He said: “We cannot eradicate Lassa fever but we can control it as not to allow it to become an epidemic.”

    He further tresses that it is not that the country does not know what to do but “We don’t put our money where our mouth is.”

    He therefore added that “this committee is not about Lassa alone but one that tackles all communicable diseases.

    On the expected challenge the committee might encounter, Prof. Tomori said main challenge the committee might encounter could be in the area of funds.

    He however said with the assurance given by the minister, it is believed that is over.

    Tomori also said that it was important for the committee to properly utilize the funds that will be released to it in a transparent manner.