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Tag: WHO

  • WHO donates 22 motorcycles for health surveillance

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated 22 motorcycles to the Plateau Ministry of Health to help improve health surveillance.

    Mr. Williams Bassey, the Plateau State Coordinator of WHO, presented the motorcycles to Dr. Kuden Deyin, the State Commissioner for Health,   on Monday in Jos.

    Bassey said that the donation was informed by the observation of inadequate means of transportation in reviews and monthly meetings with Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs).

    He said health surveillance systems generate data that help public health officials understand existing and emerging infectious and non-infectious diseases.

    “Without a proper understanding of the health problem, it will be difficult to ameliorate the health issues and without surveillance, public health officials and the government would be stabbing blindly at health problems.

    “So continuous data collection is needed to monitor new diseases that threaten global health security,” he said.

    He further said that some of the major activities of surveillance is active case search, line listing and case monitoring with the sole aim of early diagnosis and treatment.

    According to him, strong public health surveillance systems help health officials to accurately describe and assess the state of health problems as reliable data can improve health promotion programmes while helping policy makers and investors to allocate resources effectively.

    Deyin, who received the motorcycles with reflective jackets and helmets, thanked WHO for the donation and expressed optimism that   the state’s surveillance system would be greatly improved.

    The commissioner said that the ministry was expecting quality data through functional surveillance to help take an informed decision that would make a positive impact on the health of the public.

    Deyin cautioned the DSNOs to ensure that they use the motorcycles for health surveillance and not `personal surveillance,”  adding that they must remain committed to their duties.

    NAN

     

  • World Malaria Day: Let’s fight malaria

    All around the world, the consciousness of people is evermore increased with respect to the sundry life-threatening disease, of which malaria is not an exception.

    Malaria is a life-threatening disease. It’s typically transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito.

    Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite. When this mosquito bites you, the parasite is released into your bloodstream.

    This day is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.

    There are four ways by which malaria can infect humans: Plasmodium Vivax, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium falciparum. They cause a lot of severe form of the disease and those who contract this type of malaria have a higher risk of death.

    An infected person ( mother ) can also pass the disease to her baby at birth. This is known as congenital malaria. It is transmitted by blood.

    A push for prevention on the occasion of malaria

    The Prevention of the disease involves protecting yourself against mosquito bites and taking antimalarial medicines.

    However, pregnant women should avoid staying in areas where malaria is common; not only them but young children should also avoid playing in dangerous areas.

    In the lead-up to 25 April, WHO is shining a spotlight on prevention, a critical strategy for reducing the toll of a disease that continues to kill more than 400,000 people annually.

    Since 2000, malaria prevention has played an important role in reducing cases and deaths, primarily through the scale up of insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying with insecticides.

    Across sub-Saharan Africa where the disease is heavily concentrated, a greater share of the population is sleeping under insecticide-treated nets.

    In 2015, an estimated 53% of the population at risk slept under a treated net compared to 30% in 2010.

    In 20 African countries, preventive treatment for pregnant women increased five-fold between 2010 and 2015.

    As we commemorate this day, it is pertinent that we embrace healthy attitudes towards our sundry environment.

    Cleanliness they say is next to godliness, therefore, the need to collectively work towards a clean and safe neighbourhood cannot be overemphasized.

    Also, government needs to increase its intervention programmes to curb this menace, especially in the rural areas where education and finance might be a major concern.

  • Borno confirms three dead from fresh cholera outbreak

    No fewer than three persons died in fresh cholera outbreak in Kukawa Local Government area of Borno, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Haruna Mshelia, has said.

    Mshelia made the disclosure when the Director General, World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Ghebrayesus, visited the WHO’s Emergency and Response Centre on Friday in Maiduguri.

    He said that about 700 cases of cholera were recorded in Baga, Doron Baga and Kukawa in the past weeks.

    He said that the state government in collaboration with WHO and other partner agencies had scaled up activities to combat the outbreak in the affected communities.

    Mshelia said the state government in the past six months conducted vaccination to control the disease.

    The commissioner added that the state government, with the support from WHO and other organizations, had also executed various programmes to control, hepatitis E, malaria, polio, measles, meningitis and other diseases.

    Mshelia called for closer collaboration with WHO to enhance healthcare delivery in the state.

    Read Also: Borno free of cholera outbreak – Commissioner

    Ghebrayesus assured of WHO’s commitment to contain the spread of cholera, polio and other diseases in the state.

    He said: “The current cholera outbreak was recorded in areas where vaccination was not conducted. The outbreak would be analysed to avert future ocurrence.”

    He commanded the state government for demonstrating the political will to control the outbreak and transform healthcare service delivery in the state.

    It would be recalled that 61 persons died of cholera between June and December, 2017.

  • WHO collaborates with NAFDAC to tackle sale of substandard drugs

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is collaborating with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to address the sale of substandard drugs in Nigeria.

    The WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, stated this on Saturday during the commemoration of the World Health Day 2018 at the WHO Head Office in Abuja.

    He said that addressing the sale of substandard drugs in the country was very pivotal if WHO was to achieve its target of supporting member states in reaching Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030.

    He said it was only when Nigeria ensured sale and consumption of genuine medicines the country would be on its way to achieving good health for all.

    Alemu said WHO was therefore working with NAFDAC to introduce and implement a specific mechanism which would ensure that fake drugs were not in circulation in the country.

    He said the mechanism would also ensure that fake and substandard drugs already on sale in the country were stopped.

    NAN

  • WHO warns Nigeria, 15 other African countries of listeriosis outbreak

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned Nigeria and 15 other African countries of a listeriosis outbreak that started in South Africa in 2017, confirming its support for their preparedness and response to the disease.

    The other African countries are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    Listeriosis is a bacterial infection most commonly caused by Listeria monocytogenes.

    It can cause severe illness, including severe sepsis, meningitis, or encephalitis, sometimes resulting in lifelong harm and even death.

    Listeria is ubiquitous and is primarily transmitted via the oral route after ingestion of contaminated food products

    According to WHO, nearly 200 South Africans have died since January 2017 as a result of contaminated ready-to-eat meat products that are widely consumed in the country and may also have been exported to two West African countries and 14 members of the South African Development Community.

    South African health authorities recently declared the source of the outbreak as a factory in Polokwane, in the country’s northeast.

    This prompted a national and international recall of the food products.

    However, in light of the potentially long incubation period of listeriosis and the challenges relating to large-scale nationwide recall processes, further cases are likely to occur.

     

  • WHO warns Nigeria, 15 others on listeriosis outbreak

    The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned Nigeria and 15 other African countries of a listeriosis outbreak that started in South Africa in 2017, confirming its support for their preparedness and response to the disease.

    The other African countries are Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

    Listeriosis is a bacterial infection most commonly caused by Listeria monocytogenes.

    It can cause severe illness, including severe sepsis, meningitis, or encephalitis, sometimes resulting in lifelong harm and even death.

    Listeria is ubiquitous and is primarily transmitted via the oral route after ingestion of contaminated food products.

    According to WHO data, nearly 200 South Africans have died since January 2017 as a result of contaminated ready-to-eat meat products that are widely consumed in the country and may also have been exported to two West African countries and 14 members of the South African Development Community (SADC).

    South African health authorities recently declared the source of the outbreak as a factory in Polokwane, in the country’s northeast.

    This prompted a national and international recall of the food products.

    However, in light of the potentially long incubation period of listeriosis and the challenges relating to large scale nationwide recall processes, further cases are likely to occur.

    NAN

  • Saraki’s wife gets WHO job

    Wife of President of the Senate Toyin Ojora-Saraki has been named 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 yesterday, 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.”

    Toyin Ojora-Saraki had 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).

    She said: “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.”

  • Lassa Fever: WHO lauds Edo Emergency Operation Centre

    Lassa Fever: WHO lauds Edo Emergency Operation Centre

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) delegation in Edo State drafted to support the state’s team handling the outbreak of Lassa Fever, has commended the Edo State Government for its swift response to the public health emergency, especially with the setting up of the Emergency Operation Centre at the Irrua Specialist Hospital, in the state.

    The team which also include officials of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), led by Dr. Emmanuel Musa, commended the state-of-the-art equipment deployed by the state government to the Institute to fast-track the management of cases of Lassa Fever disease, which have halted deaths from the disease in the state.

    An accident victim, a girl, was recently saved with the timely intervention of staff of the hospital, who deployed the ventilator equipment in managing her treatment, officials of the hospital revealed at the weekend.

    Recall that in the wake of the outbreak, the Edo State Government launched a state-wide, multi-pronged approach that culminated in the purchase of two dialysis machines, an x-ray machine; a ventilator and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the hospital.

    The state’s response team is led by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shiabu, who has been coordinating efforts to stem the spread of the disease in the state.

    “The Emergency Operation Centre at the Institute of Lassa Fever Control and Research at Irrua has been commended by the WHO delegation in the state, who are on ground to assess our preparedness to handle the Lassa Fever health emergency,” Shaibu said in a visit to Irrua Specialist Hospital.

    The equipment, procured as part of the intervention programme of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration, is intended to inflate the lungs and provide victims of Lassa Fever or any similar ailment or injury with an opportunity for assisted-respiration.

  • Anti-depressants do work: study

    Anti-depressants do work: study

    Anti-depressants do help lift people’s mood, although their effects vary, according to a recent study published in the London-based medical journal The Lancet.

    The study, which analysed data from 522 trials involving 21 common anti-depressants, found that all tested drugs were effective in treating depression.

    Drugs were deemed effective if symptoms were reduced in at least half of patients over two months.

    Lead author Dr. Andrea Cipriani said he was “very excited” about the findings, which he said provided a “final answer” to the controversy over the effectiveness of the drugs.

    The study also gives a comparison of the 21 types of anti-depressants.

    It says that agomelatine, amitriptyline, escitalopram, mirtazapine and paroxetine were the most effective anti-depressants among the ones that were tested.

    Meanwhile, the well-known brand Prozac, or fluoxetine, was one of the least effective ones.

    Led by Oxford University, the study hopes to settle doubts and debates over anti-depressants, which has been described by some people as conspiracies of big firms or no more effective than placebos.

    WHO says depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 300 million people affected.

    The world health body said depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life.

    WHO also said close to 800 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29-year-olds.

    The UN organisation also warned that the burden of depression and other mental health conditions is on the rise globally.

    A World Health Assembly resolution passed in May 2013 has called for a comprehensive, coordinated response to mental disorders at country level.

    Xinhua/NAN

  • WHO moves against Lassa fever

    WHO moves against Lassa fever

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has scaled up its response to Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria.

    The epidemic has spread to 17 states and may have infected up to 450 people in less than five weeks.

    WHO, in a statement, said it has deployed its workers from the national and state levels to support the country’s Lassa Fever Emergency Operations Centre and state surveillance.

    It is co-ordinating health actors and has joined in the risk assessment teams travelling to hot spots to investigate the outbreak.

    Between January 1 and February 4 , about 450 suspected cases of Lassa fever were reported, of which 132 are laboratory confirmed. Of these, 43 deaths were reported, 37 of which were laboratory confirmed.

    The acute viral haemorrhagic fever is endemic in the country, but for the current outbreak the hot spots are Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi states.

    “The high number of Lassa fever cases is a serious concern. We are observing an unusually high number of cases for this time of year,” Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, WHO representative to Nigeria, said.

    Among those infected are 11 health workers, four of whom have died. WHO is advising authorities on strengthening infection, prevention and control practices in healthcare settings. Healthcare workers caring for Lassa fever patients require extra infection and control measures, including the use of personal protective equipment to prevent contact with patients’ bodily fluids.

    With the increase in Lassa fever cases, the WHO initially donated  protective equipment to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and to the affected states and procured laboratory reagents to support the diagnosis of Lassa fever.

    WHO has deployed experts to coordinate the response, strengthen surveillance, provide treatment guidelines, and engage with communities to raise awareness on prevention and treatment.

    Lassa fever is endemic in several West African countries. Republic of Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone have all reported cases in the past month.