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Tag: WHO

  • 70 million Nigerians lack safe water, says UNICEF

    70 million Nigerians lack safe water, says UNICEF

    EARLY 70 million Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said at the weekend.

    The Chief of Water and Sanitation sector, UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Kannan Nadar who was represented by Dr. Boluwaji Onalede WASH specialist, stated thus in Abuja at the 2014 World Water Day.

    She said a staggering 768 million people do not have access to safe drinking water worldwide, according to a joint report from UNICEF and the World Health Organisation(WHO) published in 2013.

    The report, according to her, placed Nigeria as the third country with most people without access to safe water.

    Onalede said with support from EU and UKAid, over 1.9 million people gained access to safe water in rural Nigeria in 2013 through its Water and Sanitation Hygiene school programme.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, called for collaborations with stakeholders and agencies to tackle the challenges of access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

    Ochekpe, who was represented by the Director, Dam Operations Department in the Ministry, Dr. Emmanuel Adanu, said no nation can develop without adequate supply of water and energy.

    “We have over thirty dams in this country. The ministry of power conducted an engineering design of these dams. It is hoped that a total of about 147.60 mega watt will be generated from these dams,” the minister said.

     

    Also WaterAid Nigeria, an international agency, said about 112 million Nigerians lack access to basic sanitation and hygiene.

    Its Country Representative, Dr. Michael Ojo, added that Nigeria loses N455 billion annually to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.

    He called on government to increase budgetary allocation to the water sector to improve water service delivery.

    “We want to see that money go to the people who need it the most; the most vulnerable in our society. To ensure that the investment that is made go to those who need the services the most,” Ojo said.

     

  • WHO, expert warn against untreated wastewater

    WHO, expert warn against untreated wastewater

    Waste water can be hazardous if it gets into food, the immediate past, Chairman, Federation of African Nutrition Societies, Prof Tola Atinmo and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have said.

    He said, if untreated, wastewater, which comes mainly from factories and hospitals, is dangerous to plants.

    According to him, the crops could be harmful because they will accumulate microbes and bacteria from the sewage.

    He expressed concern that infectious diseases carried in polluted water can be transferred to vegetables, saying that even if one cleans vegetables carefully, it will be hard to neutralise the microbes. This, then, creates conditions in which infectious diseases can spread.

    He advised farmers against using wastewater to irrigate farms’ fields as it may present public health risks to others.

    According to international reports, farmers, particularly small landholders, have taken to using sewage water to increase crop productivity.

    Agricultural experts say that wastewater is fast becoming a cheap alternative to expensive fertiliser.

    Agriculturists contend that the use of effluent has increased crop yields by up to 25 per cent. Given such claims, most small farmers prefer wastewater for vegetable fields in place of expensive pesticides and fertilisers. The farmers added that tube well irrigation is fast becoming a ‘dream’ for agriculturalists because of the high price of fuel needed to power them.

    The use of wastewater lessens the cost of production by about 40 per cent.

    Sewage contains certain essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are essential to crops growth.

    The WHO has warned that the use of sewage for irrigation is a threat to health.

    It said‘food poisoning’ complaints arise when people consume food from land irrigated by polluted water, adding that such products bacteria, parasites, viruses, toxins and carcinogens; along with the nutrients that attract farmers to their use.

    The global organisation noted that the incidence of such diseases increases when vegetable crops are fed with wastewater and pesticides.

    Farmers using wastewater fail to follow minimum standards for safety requirements for foods meant for consumption.

    WHO added that wastewater used to irrigate agricultural crops may contribute to public health risks, such as diarrheal disease in children from rotavirus.

    A new study of these risks found that wastewater used to irrigate vegetable plots in Asian countries poses health risks that may exceed WHO guidelines. The authors recommend that stricter wastewater regulation may be needed to protect the health of farmers and consumers worldwide.

    A new study of these risks found that wastewater used to irrigate vegetable plots in Asian countries poses health risks that may exceed WHO guidelines.

    The new findings are coming at a time the climate change and increasing population pressure requires the development of methods to produce more food with fewer irrigation resources.

    Wastewater reuse is an economical method to grow food, but wastewater carries microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa that can contaminate food and cause disease.

    Asia accounts for the majority of the world’s reuse of wastewater in irrigation, and given that China is the world’s most populous country, millions of people may be exposed to health risks from contamination.

    However, normal cooking temperatures and food preservation strategies can reduce the risks posed by microorganisms and viruses.

     

  • The need to cut sugar intake

    The need to cut sugar intake

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the first ever public consultation on the recommended levels of sugar intake. When finalized, the new WHO guidelines will provide countries with recommendations to reduce major public health problems – especially in high-risk developing regions.

    The new sugar recommendations come in a dire time with the escalating rates of lifestyle-induced noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs – mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancers, obesity and chronic respiratory diseases – are now the world’s biggest killers.

    The proposed guidelines appear to have a two-tiered recommendation that one’s sugar intake should not exceed 10% of total energy intake per day, with 5% the target. It works out to be about 50g a day for a normal weight adult, said the WHO.

    “A recommendation like this one can be used to develop food-based dietary guidelines, can be used to develop nutrient profiling of food, can also be used as a basis to have policies to provide healthier food in public institutions, to restrict marketing of several products,” describes Dr Francesco Branca, the director of WHO’s Department for Nutrition for Health and Development.

    The vast majority of the sugar consumed is ‘hidden’ in processed and convenience food items. For example, sugar can be found in catsup, snack foods and sodas. The average serving of soda contains up to 35g of sugar with few healthy nutrients.

    To understand the recommendation, one must know the difference between free and intrinsic sugars. WHO’s recommendation does not apply to intrinsic sugars that are found in fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables lower rates of NCDs.

    Free sugars “…are added to the food by the manufacturers, by the cook, by the consumer or are naturally present in honey, in fruit syrups, fruit concentrates,” Dr Branca adds.

    Free sugars are commonly listed under other names such as sucrose, glucose, fructose and maltose on the food label. These are the chemical names of the different forms of sugar and they all apply to the new sugar recommendation.

    The new sugar guidelines could prove instrumental in halting the sharp rise of type 2 diabetes and obesity as described in WHO’s Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2020.

    Obesity plays a significant role in the high rates of maternal and infant mortality rates. For both, reducing one’s sugar intake to the new recommended levels would prove essential in achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    While deaths from noncommunicable diseases mainly occur in adulthood, exposure to risk factors usually begins in childhood and builds up throughout life – underpinning the importance of cross-cutting legislative and regulatory measures.

    Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases at a younger age. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related diseases, are largely preventable and reversible.

    The prevention of childhood obesity therefore needs to be a high priority. For all countries, the cost of inaction significantly outweighs the cost of taking action against noncommunicable diseases.

    Public consultation is open until 31st March 2014. Interested people will have to submit a declaration of interest through the WHO website and submit their comments, which will be thoroughly analysed by the WHO Secretariat.

     

    Dr Couillard is an international health columnist that works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and control. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsement.

    Facebook: Dr Cory Couillard

    Twitter: DrCoryCouillard

     

  • Tackling adolescents’ pregnancies

    Tackling adolescents’ pregnancies

    POPULATION and environment have been inseparable since the beginning of time. They have parasitic and symbiotic relationship. Population gets its existence from the environment and there is also an interplay of dependence between the two for mutual benefit. People have the natural urge to reproduce leading to overpopulation which eventually has adverse effects on the environment such as squalid and congested environment- a major cause of outbreak of epidemics-, food supply not keeping up with population growth, inadequate housing, poverty and social problems, chief of which is early adolescent sexuality which causes adolescent pregnancies among others.

    A bloated population means disproportionate of the land mass available for use by the populace, leading to over- crowding and not necessarily an increment in the source of income which could affect the quality of care made available to the children in term of education, feeding and shelter. A man with low source of income but with many children will not be able to provide basic things necessary to ensure his family’s comfort. And since most adolescents are restless and in case they are not positively engaged, they tend to expend their energy on frolicsome things such as engaging in sexual activities.

    According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, about 16 million girls between the ages of 15- 19 years give birth annually world-wide and about another 3 million girls under the age of 15 years give birth in poor countries of the world. In addition, it has been observed that 1 in 5 girls have given birth before the age of 18 mostly in underdeveloped countries. And this is largely a fall out of lack of access to basic education, because birth rates among women with low education are higher than for those with secondary or tertiary education.

    Girls in a large and poor family living in a congested environment may be under pressure to marry and bear children early to give room for other siblings to enjoy the scarce resources made available by their parents. Poor parents also see their daughters as gold mines and tickets out of poverty by giving them out to rich and older men who are in a hurry to make the girls mothers to prevent them from abandoning the marriage.

    In order to augment their daily incomes, most poor households send their adolescent girls to hawk and in the process expose them to dangers of being raped by men at times old enough to be their fathers. An instance that readily comes to mind is the case of a 76 year old man who put a young girl of 12 in a family way, all in the pretext of buying fish from her.

    An adolescent girl growing up in a single parent house hold is likely to become pregnant due to too much freedom especially if the mother is a career woman who has little or no time to counsel or take care of her daughter. This type of girl takes wrong advices either from her mates in school or from other not too credible sources. Also most of these single mothers may have male visitors that may sexually harass their teenage daughters which can lead to pregnancies.

    Early sexual education for teenagers is very important in the prevention of adolescent pregnancies, but an environment where such topic is a taboo due to either cultural or religious reasons, there tends to be high number of their adolescent girls getting pregnant at very young ages. Today, the rape epidemic in our society reflects the extent of the threat to women’s human rights. Each day, the media are awash with weird stories of varying degrees of inhuman treatments meted out to the female gender by their male counterparts, from child defilement to the rape of adolescent girls, who may be too frightened to report to her parents or the appropriate authorities. These may subsequently result in pregnancies.

    Apart from jeopardizing the health right of the girls through complications during pregnancy and childbirth, pregnant teenagers face deep discriminations and exclusions that prevent them from claiming their rights and living out their true potentials. It leads to their education being compromised. For instance, a 14 year old girl raped and subsequently impregnated by a 21 year old barber, who claimed to be a graduate was reported to have said that she will not go back to her former school for fear of being jeered at by her school mates. In this way, her education may be stopped and will eventually become a nuisance in the society.

    Health complications may arise as a result of adolescent pregnancies because the younger the mother, the higher the risk for the baby and the mother. These complications include, ruptured uterus, post partum haemorrhage [bleeding after child birth], still birth [death of the baby before birth] and most of all vesico-vagina fistula. The latter often cause rejection and abandonment of the girls by their spouses due to the continuous and uncontrolled leakage of urine.

    In order to nip the rising cases of adolescent pregnancies in the bud, parents of adolescent girls should invest quality time in giving them sexual education to serve as guides to prevent them from falling prey to randy and irresponsible men. Parents should also invest in the future of their adolescent girls through the provision of quality education for them to reach their full potentials. It is also important that government raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years at which time their bodies would have fully grown to withstand the rigors of pregnancies and childbirths, thereby minimizing complications arising out of the process of bringing forth younger ones. Adequate facilities and formulation of policies to increase the level of girl child education should also be provided by governments across the country as an essential catalyst for greater women empowerment .

    On a final note, major stake-holders need to provide a platform where they could regularly interact with adolescents for mentoring. It is, however, important for adolescent girls to bear in mind that depending on the opportunities or choices they have during adolescence, they can begin adulthood as empowered and active citizens or they can be entrenched in poverty.

    Bakare is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

  • No treatment for hearing loss- WHO

    No treatment for hearing loss- WHO

    It has been noted that any of the countries who responded to a new World Health Organization (WHO) survey lack the capacity to prevent and care for hearing loss, according to a report published on International Ear Care Day.

    WHO estimates that over 5 per cent of the world’s population – 360 million people – has disabling hearing loss. The highest prevalence is found in the Asia Pacific, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. About half of all cases of hearing loss worldwide are easily prevented or treated.

    A leading cause for hearing loss in younger ages, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, is untreated ear infections, which often presents with discharge from the ear.  Vaccine-preventable infectious diseases such as rubella, meningitis, measles, or mumps can also lead to hearing loss.

    Just 32 of the 76 countries who responded have developed plans and programmes to prevent and control ear diseases and hearing loss. According to the report, many lack trained health personnel, educational facilities, data and national plans to address the needs of those living with ear and hearing problems. The information received also indicates that the gap between need and services is greatest in sub-Saharan Africa.

    “The results of this survey are a clear call to action for governments and partners to invest in hearing care especially at community and primary level,” says
    Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability. “The programmes must aim to benefit all, including disadvantaged parts of the population who are least able to access hearing services.”

    Prevention and treatment of hearing loss at primary level

    Good ear care practices, such as reducing exposure to noise and avoiding insertion of objects into the ears, can prevent many from developing ear and hearing problems. A large percentage of people living with hearing loss can benefit from early identification and appropriate treatment.

    For example, screening programmes for infant hearing can minimize the impact of hearing loss on a child’s development.

    “Ear and hearing problems and the use of hearing aids are often associated with myths and misconceptions”, says Dr Shelly Chadha of the WHO unit for the Prevention of Blindness and Deafness. “National programmes should therefore not only focus on prevention and service provision but also on awareness raising.”

    The national plans that already exist in some countries can serve as a model for countries that still lack strategies to better address disabling hearing loss. However, each country needs to develop a unique plan based on its specific situation, the prevalent causes of hearing loss as well as the available health infrastructure.
     

     

  • WHO certifies Nigeria Guinea worm free

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified Nigeria a Guinea Worm Disease Free Country
    From 24th June to 12th July, 2013 the International Certification Team (ICT) for GWD Eradication led by Professor David Molyneux toured Nigeria to assess Nigeria for certification and make recommendations to the International Certification Commission on Dracunculiasis Eradication (ICCDE) of the WHO.
    It was based on the recommendation of the ICT to the ICCDE that Nigeria was certified GWD free.

  • Are kids getting too fat?

    Are kids getting too fat?

    The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity is increasing and health officials are worried that many parents think obese children are healthy children.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the childhood ‘obesity epidemic’ is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century. More deaths are now attributed to being overweight than underweight.

    Large parts of the country are still plagued with malnutrition but changing social and lifestyle factors has created overweight and obesity to become much more prevalent – especially in urban centres.

    Overweight and obesity is directly linked to poor eating habits and physical inactivity levels. The widespread problem of high-fat street foods, trans-fat deep-fried snacks, and soda drinks is so great that it can be found on almost every street corner.

    “It’s closely related to urbanisation and industrialisation. In the cities, there is an increasing lack of activity and cheap foods are more accessible and affordable,” says Dr Timothy Armstrong from WHO’s Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.

    The long-term problem is overweight children are more likely to become obese adults. Being overweight increases one’s risk of developing very serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer at a younger age.

    Additionally, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who analysed data from 27 countries in Africa, say the sharp rise in maternal obesity is threatening the lives of newborns. Babies born to obese mothers have a 50 per cent higher risk of dying in the first month.

    Poor eating and physical inactivity habits are not genetic but often passed on from the parents. As a form of babysitting, many kids like to watch TV, play video games and play on their computer but this causes them to be physically inactive.

    Children’s physical activity levels have diminished significantly in recent years. Children once walked to school and played a lot, but now they are picked up and dropped off in front of the TV with takeaways for dinner.

    Interventions such as limiting the amount of TV, eliminating highly processed foods, and limiting sugar-sweetened soda drinks can help lower a child’s weight and eliminate the risk of developing life-threatening health conditions in the future.

    Up to 80 per cent of heart disease and type 2 diabetes could be prevented and 40 per cent of cancer with improved dietary choices and adequate physical activity levels.

    It has been estimated that physical inactivity levels could be reduced by 31 per cent through improved environmental interventions, including pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly urban land use and transport, leisure and workplace facilities, and policies that support more active lifestyles.

    Physical activity and exercise is needed for all – regardless of weight, health condition or age – to achieve optimal health and fight off disease. Strive to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week – the more the better.

    Couillard is an international health columnist that works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and control. Views do not necessarily reflect endorsement. He can be contacted via:

    Email: drcorycouillard@gmail.com
    Facebook: Dr Cory Couillard
    Twitter: DrCoryCouillard

  • Saving children from lead poisoning

    Saving children from lead poisoning

    World trade and the globalisation of goods can literally bring lead poisoning to our front doors. Lead paint found on toys, furniture and other imported objects present immediate and serious health risks to our children.

    On the occasion of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, increased awareness is needed to prevent 143 000 deaths and 600 000 new cases of irreversible lead-induced intellectual disability every year.

    Mouthing and chewing on lead-painted toys and other objects has been found to be a major cause of exposure. Lead paint commonly has a sweet taste and encourages children to pick off and swallow small chips of paint. Lead paint chips can also be picked off decaying walls, furniture and other painted surfaces.

    High exposures to lead can damage the brain, central nervous system and cause coma, convulsions and death. Children who survive such poisonings are often left with lower IQs and lead-induced behavioural disorders. Behaviour disorders can include shortened attention spans and increased antisocial behaviours that result in diminished educational attainment.

    Initial low-level lead poisoning can present with no symptoms or include headaches, constipation, abdominal pain, cramping and difficulty sleeping. Initial symptoms of high-lead exposure can include muscle weakness, staggering walk and vomiting.

    “The good news is that exposure to lead paint can be entirely stopped through a range of measures to restrict the production and use of lead paint,” says Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director for Public Health and Environment.

    Pregnant mothers and young children living in economically deprived communities are exposed to the highest levels of lead through unsafe household paints, particularly in colours red and yellow, where lead is added as a pigment. Such paint should be stripped off, replaced and special
    care given to any lead dust and waste products.

    “Paints with extremely high levels of lead are still available and… in most of the countries with lead paint, equivalent paint with no added lead is also available, suggesting that alternatives to lead are readily available to manufacturers,” says David Piper, Deputy Director, UNEP DTIE Chemicals Branch.

    If you think you or your child has been exposed to lead, see your doctor or contact your local public health department. A simple test can help determine the level of lead in the blood.

    Couillard can be reached via:

    Email: drcorycouillard@gmail.com
    Facebook: Dr Cory Couillard
    Twitter: DrCoryCouillard

     

     

  • More Nigerian universities urged to run Lab Science courses

    MORE Nigerian universities have been advised to start a degree programme in Medical Laboratory Science in order to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) requirement in the discipline.

    Speaking at a Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria conference in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Chairman of the association in Ife/Ijesha zone of Osun State, Dr. Ganiyu Adosun, urged the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife to take the lead in running the course.

    He maintained that the nation’s universities need to brace up to the challenge facing health care delivery in the country.

    He lamented that very few universities are offering Medical Laboratory Science, adding that other universities in the country where the course is being run should work on the relevant professional bodies for accreditation.

    He called on the management of the university to commence work on the take-off of the programme.

  • World AIDS Day: End to an epidemic

    World AIDS Day: End to an epidemic

    World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

    Bunn and Netter took their idea to Dr. Jonathan Mann, Director of the Global Programme on AIDS (now known as UNAIDS). Dr. Mann liked the concept, approved it, and agreed with the recommendation that the first observance of World AIDS Day should be 1 December 1988

    This year, WHO focuses its campaign on improving access to prevention, treatment and care services for adolescents (10-19 years), a group regarded as ‘vulnerable’.

    “More than 2 million adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 years are living with HIV, and many do not receive the care and support that they need to stay in good health and prevent transmission. In addition, millions more adolescents are at risk of infection.

    ‘The failure to support effective and acceptable HIV services for adolescents has resulted in a 50% increase in reported AIDS-related deaths in this group compared with the 30% decline seen in the general population from 2005 to 2012,’ WHO stated in a report.

    Regarding the adolescents as the neglected group, Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO HIV/AIDS Department said:  “Adolescents need health services and support, tailored to their needs. They are less likely than adults to be tested for HIV and often need more support than adults to help them maintain care and to stick to treatment.”

    In a statement signed by Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS states that  the HIV stigma and complacency by people has limited the eradication of the virus. He therefore urges all to join their voices to end AIDS.

    The statement in full:

    “On this World AIDS Day—as we gather to remember friends and family lost to AIDS—we can also rejoice in incredible hope for the future.

    “For the first time we can see an end to an epidemic that has wrought such staggering devastation around the world. For the first time we can say that we are beginning to control the epidemic and not that the epidemic is controlling us.

    “Few thought that we could achieve the progress which we are seeing today. Progress is clear in the scientific breakthroughs, visionary leadership and precision programming. The combination of these powerful factors means that people living with HIV can live long and healthy lives, can now protect their partners from becoming infected with the virus, and can keep their children free from HIV. Determining what the end of AIDS could look like is complex. To help answer these questions UNAIDS, together with The Lancet have set up a Commission to find answers to what ending AIDS will look like.

    “It is certain that ending the AIDS epidemic will mean so much to many. It will mean zero new HIV infections, zero people dying of AIDS—and all people living with dignity and without fear of discrimination. Ending AIDS will mean celebrating birthdays instead of attending funerals.

    “But make no mistake, stigma, denial and complacency are still among us, putting us in danger of failing the next generation. We must join our hearts and our voices––together we are stronger.

    “The world is poised to end AIDS and if we stay true to our vision we will remember this as the day that a lifelong of dreams began to transform into reality.”

    There are 3.4 million people are currently living with the Human Immune Virus (HIV) in Nigeria, thus placing it in the position of the second worst affected country in the world according to National Action Committee on Aids (NACA). This figure adds up to 35.3 million people who are currently living with HIV in the world.

    The continent of Africa is the most affected region having sixty nine per cent of the 36 million of people living with HIV. This results to nearly 1 in every 20 adults living with HIV.

    This HIV population, in order to reduce it arises a day set aside to create the awareness. World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 every year. It is a day ‘dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.’

    The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) targets the immune system and weakens people’s surveillance and defense systems against infections and some types of cancer. As the virus destroys and impairs the function of immune cells, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

    This virus can be transferred through the exchange of a variety of body fluids from infected individuals, such as blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions.

    However, it cannot become infected through ordinary day-to-day contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal objects, food or water.