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Tag: World Health Organisation (WHO)

  • UCH trains doctors, nurses, others on pain management

    UCH trains doctors, nurses, others on pain management

    The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, is training some doctors, nurses and other staffers on pain management to equip them to assess the condition and provide high-quality first line treatment.

    Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, Staff Champion Coordinator of the Pain-Free Hospital Initiative (PFHI), made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan.

    Afolabi, an endocrine surgeon, said the programme was being conducted in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the American Cancer Society.

    According to him, the goal of PFHI is to equip staff to assess pain, provide high-quality first line treatment to improve on the overall access to essential pain medication in Nigeria.

    He said that to effectively implement pain management in a healthcare system required more than just access to medicines.

    “It requires an understanding of when and how to give pain medication and prioritisation of pain management as an essential part of care.

    “Over the course of one year, PFHI is to train physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare providers on how to assess pain levels and dispense medication.

    “The programme is to stress the importance of pain management for patients, specifically those suffering from pain-related to cancer and HIV,” he said.

    Afolabi said that the PFHI was being piloted at four hospitals throughout Nigeria, including University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, and National Hospital, Abuja.

    He also said it was envisioned that the one-year pilot project would further refine the design of the project model for effective replication in other federal tertiary health facilities in Nigeria.

    He added that the primary goal was to actively raise the quality of life for every Nigerian through dedicated service delivery.

    According to him, the PFHI is a pilot programme to strengthen the skills of health workers and equip them to provide high-quality pain treatment to their patients in line with International Treatment Guidelines.

    “The project will ensure adequate supply of pain medicines at affordable rate in hospitals and will be used appropriately.

    “In 2012, about 180,000 people were estimated to have died from moderate or severe pain from HIV or cancer in Nigeria.

    “In the same year, the utilisation of narcotic medication like morphine which has been designated as an essential pain relief medication by the World Health Organisation (WHO) was enough to treat only 266 people out of the above number.

    “This represents only 0.2 per cent coverage of pain treatment needed,” he told NAN.

    “In response to this problem, the Federal Ministry of Health began working with the American Cancer Society’s “Treat the Pain” programme to implement a broad pain management system and imported 19.2kg of pulverised morphine.

    “The Roll-Out of Pain Free Hospital Initiative became the next step of the collaboration process.

    “The pain treatment is an international programme within the American Cancer Society to improve access to pain medicines.

    “The programme provides technical support to improve patient access to Opioid Analgesics with a focus on low and middle-income countries with high unmet need for pain relief.”

    Afolabi said that the focus of the project was to increase the consumption of opioid (pain analgesics) to 50 per cent at the end of the year.

    He said that the training of doctors, nurses and other allied-health workers would increase their awareness of pain, types of pains, how to evaluate pains and pain treatment.

    According to the endocrine surgeon, six to seven out of 10 patients come to hospitals because of pain, and therefore, training of these health professionals will go a long way in achieving set goals.

    “Because of this, we have made pain evaluation the fifth vital signs chart in UCH as our major aim to reduce pains of patients to the barest minimum or to zero level.

    “The training of staff on pain types, identification, evaluation and treatment will go a long way in helping the PFHI project through the charts.

    “Any patient who comes in can begin to use the charts to score their pains which in turn will assist doctors to gauge and apply appropriate dose of analgesics on them.

    “The project will be launched at a yet-to-be announced date after training has been completed,” he said.

  • WHO, UNICEF laud $1.2bn polio eradication fund for Nigeria, others

    WHO, UNICEF laud $1.2bn polio eradication fund for Nigeria, others

    The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have commended the 1.2 billion dollars funding initiative to eradicate polio disease in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, and WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, gave the commendations as global health leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fund the eradication of polio in the countries.

    The major pledges included 75 million dollars from Canada, 61.4 million dollars from the European Commission, 55 million dollars from Japan, and 30 million dollars from Sheikh Mohamed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

    Others pledges were 30 million dollars from the Dalio Foundation, 25 million dollars from Bloomberg Philanthropies, 15 million dollars from an anonymous donor, and 13.4 million dollars from Australia.

    There were also 11.2 million dollars from Germany, five million dollars each from EasyJet and Italy while the Republic of Korea pledged four million dollars.

    The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a public-private partnership dedicated to ending the disease, announced the pledges at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta.

    Lake said “today’s funding commitments will enable the programme to continue to improve performance and overcome challenges to reach every child, including vaccinating children in conflict areas.

    “We are truly on the verge of eradicating polio from the planet, but only if we work relentlessly to reach the children we have not yet reached.

    “We cannot fail to make this last effort.

    “If we do not now make history, we will be judged harshly by history’’.

    The UNICEF chief commended efforts towards ending the disease, saying polio has been eliminated from some of the most remote and challenging areas in the world.

    “For example, India, once considered the most difficult place in the world to stop the disease, hasn’t reported a case in more than six years.

    “No fewer than 16 million children worldwide, who would otherwise have been paralysed by the disease, are walking today,’’ he said.

    Similarly, Chan pointed out that polio resources in countries around the world were helping to advance other national health goals.

    “The key to ending polio will be to ensure that millions of health workers, some of whom work in the most challenging environments in the world, are able to reach every child, everywhere in the world,’’ Chan said.

    She noted that eradicating polio would be a perpetual gift to coming generations.

    “Today’s contributions and the continued commitment of all donors and partners will help end this devastating disease.

    “It will also ensure that the infrastructure and assets used to fight polio lay the foundation for better health outcomes for children everywhere for years to come.’’

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that financing of polio eradication has been remarkably successful over the past years.

    Between 1988 and 2013, donors have voluntarily contributed more than 9.5 billion dollars to polio eradication.

  • Alcohol increases breast cancer risk – Researchers

    Alcohol increases breast cancer risk – Researchers

    Researchers say a daily glass alcoholic beverage might increase the risk of breast cancer.

    According to a new report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research on Wednesday, an average of 10g of alcohol a day is associated with a five per cent risk increase of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women and nine per cent in post-menopausal women.

    Researchers analysed 119 observational studies on breast cancer risk from around the world, which included 12 million women and more than 260,000 cases of breast cancer.

    The report also revealed, for the first time, that vigorous exercise such as running or fast bicycling decreases the risk of both pre- and post-menopausal breast cancers.

    The new report also analyzes previous studies on associations between breast cancer risk and overall diet, nutrition, physical activity and weight.

    It finds that greater weight gain or body fatness in adulthood, for instance, increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.

    It also points out that mothers who breastfeed are at lower risk for breast cancer.

    Dr. Anne McTiernan, said: “with this comprehensive and up-to-date report, the evidence is clear: having a physically active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight throughout life and limiting alcohol – these are all steps women can take to lower their risk.”

    McTiernan, is the lead author of the report and cancer prevention expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre.

    According to WHO, globally, breast cancer is the top cancer form in women,.

    WHO also said that breast cancer can occur in men, rare though, accounting for less than 1 percent of cancer incidences and mortality among men in the U. S.

     

  • WHO gets African DG

    WHO gets African DG

    The Member States of the World Health Organisation (WHO) have elected Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the new Director-General.
    Dr Ghebreyesus was nominated by the Government of Ethiopia, and will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017.
    Prior to his election as WHO’s next Director-General, Ghebreyesus served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia from 2012-2016 and as Minister of Health, Ethiopia from 2005-2012.
    He has also served as chair of the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; as chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board, and as co-chair of the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
    As Minister of Health, Ethiopia, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus led a comprehensive reform effort of the country’s health system, including the expansion of the country’s health infrastructure, creating 3500 health centres and 16 000 health posts; expanded the health workforce by 38 000 health extension workers; and initiated financing mechanisms to expand health insurance coverage. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, he led the effort to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, in which 193 countries committed to the financing necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
    When he was  Chair of the Global Fund and of RBM, Ghebreyesus secured record funding for the two organisations and created the Global Malaria Action Plan, which expanded RBM’s reach beyond Africa to Asia and Latin America.
    The new DG will succeed Dr Margaret Chan, who has been WHO’s Director-General since 1 January 2007.
  • Tambuwal incorporates religious groups to support fight against polio

    Tambuwal incorporates religious groups to support fight against polio

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal has incorporated the Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), as part of the Task Force to support the fight against polio in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this came to the fore on Sunday, in Bodinga town, Bodinga Local Government Area of the state at the commencement of the immunisation plus days.

    Speaking at the event, the governor announced the formation of an expanded high powered task force, made up of leadership of JNI and CAN.

    He said that the committee will ensure the massive mobilisation of all persons resident in the state, towards the success of the exercise.

    He said,”my administration is committed in ensuring that the successes recorded in the fight against polio and other killer-diseases are not reversed.”

    Tambuwal further called on stakeholders not to relent until the country was free from the dreaded polio virus.

    Tambuwal said,” the Sokoto State Government has committed huge sums of money for the renovation of hospitals, construction of staff houses, as well as provision of basic medical equipment to Primary Healthcare Centres.

    “This is to enable them provide qualitative primary and secondary health care services to the people.

    “We will also continue to renovate our health facilities and construct some additional primary health centers for equitable distribution of facilities in all areas where there are none.”

    Tambuwal also directed all the 23 local government areas to provide all needed support towards the success of the exercise.

    The governor also inaugurated the task force on polio immunisation and implementation in all the 23 LGAs with each council chairman serving as head.

    In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, represented by the Magajin Rafin Sokoto, Alhaji Rilwanu Bello, called on all district heads to be fully involved in the immunisation drive.

    In their separate remarks, representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Rotary International and national primary Healthcare Development Agency, reiterated their determination to ensure that Nigeria is free from the wild polio virus (WPV).

    On his part, the state commissioner of health, Dr. Balarabe Kakale called on all communities to take precautionary measures on the impending risk of Gastro enteritis, especially as the raining season is about to set in.

    He also appealed to people to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, adding that the ministry will continue to discharge its duties effectively.

    Other members of the task force announced by the governor include development partners, women groups, heads of security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, labour leaders, political officers, student groups, members of the civil societies, among others.

  • Kenya announces outbreak of dengue fever in coast region

    Kenya’s health authorities on Sunday announced the outbreak of dengue fever in the coastal region.

    Mombasa County Director of Health, Khadija Shikelly, said 119 cases had been confirmed in all six sub counties following rapid diagnostic test kits conducted at the hospitals in Mombasa.

    Shikelly said that Kisauni had the highest number of case, 37, followed by Mvita, 25, Changamwe 21 and Likoni 21.

    She said there was no record of any death from the fever this year. Last year, three people died of the fever.

    “This is to notify you that there is dengue fever outbreak in Mombasa County and we, therefore, need to respond effectively and in a coordinated approach to contain the outbreak,” Shikelly.

    County officials last week warned that the onset of the long rains could spur water and vector borne disease.

    Symptoms of the disease include severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands or rash.

    Heavy rains in the region are said to have created new breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which are the vectors transmitting the disease to humans.

    Shikelly said dengue fever is transmitted by a mosquito and has no treatment or vaccination but can be controlled by spraying stagnant water and clearing bushes around homes.

    Shikelly said haemorrhagic dengue fever is the severe type, which causes immediate death.

    Dengue fever was last reported in northern Kenya in 2011, in Mandera town, bordering Somalia and Ethiopia.

    The disease, associated with large population movements, was at the time traced to African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops stationed in the war-torn country, and who frequented the Kenya border.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the disease, whose symptoms are similar to those of malaria, is now present in 125 countries.

    The disease in 2012 ranked as the world’s fastest spreading vector-borne viral disease, with an estimated 6,000 deaths annually.

    The UN health agency says there is no specific treatment for dengue but early detection and access to proper medical care lowers the risk.

  • 1.25m people die in road accidents annually – WHO

    1.25m people die in road accidents annually – WHO

    No fewer than 1.25 million people died as a result of road accidents every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO), said on Friday.

    WHO, in a new report ‘Managing Speed’, also said that “excessive or inappropriate speed contributes to one in three road traffic fatalities worldwide”.

    Road traffic fatality rates are nearly 3 times lower in Europe compared to Africa, WHO said.

    According to the global health body, measures to address speed prevents road traffic deaths and injuries, make populations healthier, and cities more sustainable.

    “Around 1.25 million people die every year on the world’s roads. Studies indicate that typically 40 to 50 per cent of drivers go over posted speed limits.

    “Drivers who are male, young and under the influence of alcohol are more likely to be involved in speed-related crashes.

    “Road traffic crashes remain the number one cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29 years.

    “They are estimated to cost countries from three to five per cent of Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) and push many families into poverty,” WHO said.

    WHO said only 47 countries comply with speed management measures.

    These measures are, implementing an urban speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour or less and allowing local authorities to reduce these limits further on roads around schools, residences and businesses.

    WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said “speed is at the core of the global road traffic injury problem.

    “If countries were to address just this key risk, they would soon reap the rewards of safer roads, both in terms of lives saved and increases in walking and cycling, with profound and lasting effects on health”.

    The UN agency recommended some speed management measures, among which are building or modifying roads to include features that calm traffic, such as roundabouts and speed bumps; and establishing speed limits appropriate to the function of each road.

    Others are enforcing speed limits through the use of manual and automated controls; installing in-vehicle technologies in new cars, such as intelligent speed assistance and autonomous emergency braking; and raising awareness about the dangers of speed.

    “By reducing speed and improving safety, their populations benefit from the added advantages of increases in walking and cycling and reductions in air and noise pollution.

    “Such actions, in turn, have positive health benefits on rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases,” it said.

    ‘Managing Speed’ was released in advance of the Fourth UN Global Road Safety Week, from May 8 to 14.

    The week and its related campaign “Save Lives: #SlowDown” draw attention to the dangers of speed and the measures which should be put in place to address this leading risk for road traffic deaths and injuries.

    Among hundreds of other events would feature symposia in Nigeria, Montenegro, Philippines, Poland and Sierra Leone.

    The UN Week is a unique advocacy opportunity that contributes to achievement of the road safety-related Sustainable Development Goal targets 3.6 and 11.2.

    On the occasion of the UN Week, WHO will also release ‘Save LIVES: a road safety technical package’.

    The package details 22 key evidence-based measures considered most likely to impact on road traffic deaths and injuries, including a number linked to managing speed.

  • Africa Vaccination: WHO urges govt to ensure regular funding 

    Africa Vaccination: WHO urges govt to ensure regular funding 

    World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged government at all Levels in Africa to ensure additional commitments with regular funding to increase coverage of vaccinations.

    The WHO Regional Director, Dr Matshidiso Moetic made this call Tuesday during the celebration of the 2017 African Vaccination Week in Oyo State.

    Moetic who was represented Dr Ada Erinle said regular funding for will increase coverage to levels high enough to interrupt transmission of diseases and introduce new vaccines into the country immunisation system.

    “Immunisation saves millions of lives and is widely recognised as one of the world’s most successful and cost effective public health Interventions. Vaccines provides beyond health outcomes and reduces time spend on caring for sick children. These savings accrue to improve education, economic growth and accelerated poverty reduction for families, communities, an nations.

    “Immunisations coverage has improved dramatically in Africa. Vaccination for diphtheria, tetanus and peruses containing vaccine (DTP3) have increased from 52 percent in 2000 to 76 percent in 2015. Cases of many vaccines preventable diseases such as measles and meningitis have fallen in many country saving millions of lives” he said

    In his welcome address,Acting Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Waheed Lanre said the meeting is aimed at improving on the delivery of vaccination in the state.

    “We need more stakeholders to improve the vaccination to make Nigeria polio free and other diseases. We need more awareness on the vaccination and sensitize people, religious leaders, head of countries on the importance of vaccination.”

     

  • AEDC presents N1.5m relief materials in IDPs camp

    The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) on Thursday presented  relief materials worth N1.5 million to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Aso Gurku camp, Nasarawa State.

    It will also sponsor the immunisation of 400 children in the camp to demonstrate  its love and care  for  the less privileged in the society.

    AEDC’s  Managing Director, Mr Ernest Mupwaya, made the presentation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 1,300 displaced persons from the North East are currently resident in the Gurku inter-faith based camp, with women and children under-12 constituting a higher number of the population.

    The exercise was part of programme AEDC ‘s activities  to celebrate the World Immunization Week, celebrated every  last week of April annually.

    The immunization week is aimed at promoting the use of vaccines to protect  people of all ages against diseases.

    Mupwaya, represented by the Head of Corporate Communication, AEDC, Mr Oyebode Fadipe, said that the gesturee was part of AEDC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    He said that the IDP camp was chosen to futher actualise the commitment and mandate of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    “By this exercise, the management of AEDC further demonstrates its commitment to the belief that strengthening the healthy systems is key to breaking the cycle of extreme poverty and disease.“

    He said that the process was also designed to promote health, productivity and prosperity among the less privileged.

    Mupwaya thanked the traditional ruler of the community for providing a space for the IDPs in his kingdom.

    Responding, the Ese of Gurku, Mai Kasuwa Darbmir who spoke through an interpreter, expressed gratitude to AEDC for the gesture.

    According to him, members of his community are living  in peace with the IDPs.

    The Chairman of the camp, Mr Yohanna  Zidico exprssed happiness over the exercise, adding that a committee had already been set up to distribute the items equitably.

    He called on the government to provide more assistance, especially immunization to the camp, adding that over 600 children required the service.

    Items presented to the camp included food stuffs like bags of rice and nodules.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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