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Tag: World Health Organisation (WHO)

  • WHO calls for urgent action to fight hepatitis

    The World Health Organisation (WHO)  on Friday called for urgent action to expand hepatitis treatment, as only a small fraction of the 325 million people who live with hepatitis “B’’ and ‘’C’’  know they are ill.

    The WHO demanded for action to fight the liver disease.

    The UN agency said an estimated 1.3 million people died from the virus in 2015, more than from illnesses caused by HIV.

    “We see an increasing mortality,” said Gottfried Hirnschall, who heads the agency’s hepatitis programme.

    The WHO said better access to vaccines and medicines is needed, as well as policies to reduce infections among people who inject drugs.

    The agency presented a report on the regional spread of hepatitis “B” and “C“, two types of the virus that cause nearly all hepatitis deaths around the world.

    The East Asia and Oceania region has the highest hepatitis “B’’ rates, followed by Africa.

    Only nine per cent who have this virus type know they are infected, and only eight per cent who get a diagnosis receive treatment.

    The share of diagnoses and treatments for hepatitis“C’’infections are also very low.

    The Middle East has the highest hepatitis“C’’rates, due to lacking hygiene. Europe, where the virus is mainly spread among drug users, comes second.

    Hepatitis is spread through blood and other body fluids.

    It can cause lethal liver damage and cancer decades after the infection.

    Although hepatitis deaths linked to long-term cases have been rising, new infections have fallen over the past decade, as more and more countries immunised children against hepatitis “B”.

     

  • Telecom masts, towers constitute no health hazards — NCC

    Telecom masts, towers constitute no health hazards — NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says there is no health issue surrounding telecom masts and towers mounted anywhere in the country.

    The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said this in a statement issued at the ongoing 2017 Enugu International Trade Fair on Monday.

    Danbatta said that such belief and claim were mere imagination and myth, adding, “it has no scientific base”.

    “There are some individuals who still believe that telecom masts and towers constitute health hazards to humans.

    “The commission still maintains that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has affirmed that no result of any such hazard has been established against base stations.

    “Therefore, any individual or community adducing such reasons to deny right of way to the telecom companies, and prevent them from expanding services are invariably contributing to the poor quality of service in the network,’’ he said.

    Danbatta said that NCC had been on top of its game as the telecom regulator had not done badly.

    “Recently, the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) awarded a Platinum Score to the commission for exemplary performance as an agency of government.

    “This award is an encouragement to us and we will not rest on our oars in continuing to deliver on our mandate, especially as it concerns the consumer,’’ he said.

    The Enugu International Trade Fair, which is being supported by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, is organised to showcase Nigeria’s non-oil products.

    The exhibition, which is the 28th in the series is also providing opportunity for local and foreign businesses to explore and access commercially viable markets in the South-East.

    The theme of the fair, organised by Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) is “Promoting Nigeria’s Industrial Sector and SMEs for Inclusive and Robust Economy”.

    The 10 days trade fair, which started on March 31, will end on April 10.

  • World Health Day: WHO says depression affects 322m people worldwide

    World Health Day: WHO says depression affects 322m people worldwide

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) says depression as the leading cause of disability worldwide is affecting about 322 million people.

    The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said this in a statement to mark this year’s World Health Day in Abuja on Thursday.

    Moeti said in the African region alone, close to 30 million people suffer from depression.

    He said everyone was at risk of developing the disorder as it affected people of all ages, from all works of life and in all countries, adding that it is currently a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

    She therefore called on countries to support mental health programmes by allocating adequate human and financial resources to respond to this growing burden.

    “Depression is an illness characterised by persistent sadness, loss of interest and ability to perform daily activities for a period of over two weeks.

    “It is associated with feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, tiredness and poor concentration.

    “Major causes of depression include loss of loved ones or relationships, poverty, unemployment, physical illnesses, alcohol abuse, drug use and traumatic situations such as violence and war.

    “As we commemorate World Health Day, I appeal to Member States to include mental health in their national health development agenda.

    “The Brazzaville Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases states the necessary steps for achieving this.

    “More broadly, governments, partners and civil society can work together to bring depression out of the shadows in the Region.

    “WHO is committed to supporting countries to address it as an important public health problem.

    “Resources to prevent, identify and treat mental health problems such as depression are very scarce.

    “The African Region has a critical shortage of qualified professionals for mental health, with just one psychiatrist per one million people and a similar number of psychologists.

    “The mental health workforce of psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and social workers is woefully inadequate.

    “Lack of availability of psychotropic medicines, proper information with well-structured psychotherapy and other effective measures for primary healthcare services to treat depression is cause for concern,” Moeti said.

    She said that this condition at worst, could lead to suicide, which was the second leading cause of death in 15 to 29 year olds globally.

    The regional director said depression varied by age, peaking in older adults aged 55 to 74 years but also occurring in children and adolescents.

    She said if left untreated, depression could be recurrent, long-lasting and debilitating as it impairs an individual’s ability to cope with daily activities, and could have devastating consequences for relationships with families and friends.

    She therefore reiterated the urgent need to prevent and treat those affected by this serious and complex mental health condition, adding that those affected faced significant stigma and fear of isolation which prevented them from seeking help.

    According to Moeti, simply talking about depression can help prevent it by breaking down stigma.

    “Seeking help by talking with trusted people can be a first step towards recovery,’’ the director said.

    She said that early recognition of the symptoms was key to preventing depression from becoming a chronic illness.

    “Developing community-based services which focus on depression and talk out against stigma will encourage more people to seek treatment.

    “This can be done by having conversations about depression the same way we do with any other disease.

    “School-based programmes which provide counseling and support persons with depression and their families, as well as early detection and prevention especially among children and youths, are also strategies to keep depression at bay.

    “Individuals, families, caregivers and communities can take steps to help prevent depression by avoiding stressful situations, alcohol abuse and drug use.

    “Maintaining a proper diet and physical activity can improve wellbeing and can prevent depression. Depression is preventable and treatable if diagnosed early. Let’s talk about it,” Moeti urged.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation.

    This year, the theme is “Depression, let’s talk” to draw attention to the global burden of this common mental disorder.

     

  • Meningitis kills one, infects four others in Jigawa

    The Jigawa Government says meningitis has killed one person and infected four others in four local government areas of the state.

    Dr Muhammad Kainuwa, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, confirmed this to newsmen in Dutse on Thursday. Kainuwa said that five suspected cases of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) were reported to the ministry.

    He explained that two of the cases were recorded in Gwaram Local Government Area, while one each was reported from Kirikasamma, Kiyawa and Maigatari Local Government Areas.

    The permanent secretary added that a 13-year-old boy lost his life to the disease in one of the cases recorded in Gwaram.

    According to him, the four infected persons had already been treated.

    “As of today, five suspected cases were reported in Kiyawa, Kirikasamma, Gwaram and Maigatari local government areas.

    “In Gwaram, there were two cases where a 13-year-old boy lost his life.

    “And all cases reported were investigated using standard operation procedures and specimens were taken also where one was found to be positive,” he said.

    Kainuwa also said that the ministry had contacted the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) for vaccines.

    “The major challenge is the non-availability of the vaccines.

    “But as soon as the Federal Government made available the vaccines, we will immunise the affected communities,” said Kainuwa.

    He added that the ministry had mobilised its Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in all the local government areas in order to combat the menace.

    Besides, the permanent secretary said that as part of measures to prevent further spread of CSM, the ministry is also collaborating with the World Health Organisation (WHO) for proper documentation of the disease.

    “We have also increased our surveillance in collaboration with WHO particularly in Maigatari which is along the Nigeria/Niger border.

    “The WHO is also providing more investigative kits, the state government has also reactivated the Port Health facility in Maigatari.

    “Also, we’ve already commenced creating awareness across the state so that people will able to prevent themselves from getting infected and also quickly bring to hospital anyone that has the symptoms.

    “We also use jingles in radio stations in the state so as to reach to the populace,” the permanent secretary said.

    Kainuwa, therefore, advised residents to take precautions against the disease and make sure that they do not sleep in unventilated and crowded rooms.

  • WHO targets 115m children for polio immunisation in Nigeria

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is targeting no fewer than 115 million children for polio immunisation in Nigeria and across Africa from Monday, in its continuing bid to wipe out the crippling disease from the continent.

    WHO, in a statement on Thursday, said all children under five are being targeted by more than 190,000 vaccinators in 13 Central and West African countries, including Nigeria, Congo and the Central African Republic.

    “Eradicating polio requires reaching more than 90 per cent of vulnerable children and rigorous surveillance, tasks that have proven nearly impossible in war-torn areas.

    “Last year, WHO identified several polio cases in northern Nigeria despite previously declaring the country ‘polio-free’.

    “Nigeria is thought to be the only country in Africa where polio is spreading.

    “Elsewhere, polio continues to sicken children in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” the UN health agency said.

    According to WHO, polio cases have decreased by over 99 per cent since 1988.

    In 2016, WHO identified polio cases in northeastern Nigeria in spite of previously declaring the country “polio-free”.

    “Today, only three countries – Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan – remain polio-endemic, down from more than 125 in 1988.

    “Failure to implement strategic approaches, however, leads to ongoing transmission of the virus.

    “Endemic transmission is continuing in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

    “Failure to stop polio in these last remaining areas could result in as many as 200 000 new cases every year, within 10 years, all over the world.”

     

  • Rise of superbug tuberculosis hampers global control efforts – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday warned that rising rates of superbug Tuberculosis (TB) are threatening to derail decades of progress against the contagious disease.

    The WHO also warned that new drugs powerful enough to treat the TB were few.

    The organisation said TB kills more people each year than any other infectious disease, including HIV and AIDS.

    It added that in 2015 alone, TB killed 1.8 million people.

    The WHO said that while some new antibiotics with the potential to treat some drug-resistant strains are becoming available for the first time, experts who conducted a global study said that without accurate diagnostics, better case tracking and clear treatment guidelines, their effectiveness could rapidly be lost.

    “Resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs is a global problem that threatens to derail efforts to eradicate the disease,” said Keertan Dheda, a University of Cape Town professor who co-led research published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.

    “Cure rates for drug resistant TB are poor and people can remain infectious.”

    TB is a bacterial infection normally treated with a combination of antibiotics. But extensive overuse of antibiotics worldwide has led to a rise in drug-resistant “superbug” strains.

    Bacteria can acquire many drug resistance traits over time, making several types of antibiotics ineffective.

    Some one in five cases of TB are now resistant to at least one major anti-TB drug, the researchers found.

    Around one in 20 are classed as multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB), meaning they are resistant to two essential first-line TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin, or extensively drug-resistant, meaning they are also resistant to fluoroquinolones and second-line injectable drugs.

    The organisation said approximately half of global cases of MDR-TB are in India, China, and Russia, but migration and international travel have allowed these highly drug-resistant strains to emerge in almost every part of the world.

    In a commentary on TB in the same journal, David W Dowdy, a specialist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the United States, warned that over the next decade, “it is quite possible that we will see a drug-resistant tuberculosis epidemic of unprecedented global scale”.

    He added, however, that it might also be possible for the global health community to bring about “an unprecedented reversal” of the drug-resistant TB problem.

    “The difference between these two outcomes lies less with the pathogen and more with…whether we have the political will to prioritise.

    “Drug-resistant TB is not standing still; neither can we,” he said.

     

  • World Water Day: Experts advocate regular water intake

    World Water Day: Experts advocate regular water intake

    Two medical experts, a general physician and a dietician, on Wednesday advised people to take water regularly to reduce pain in the  joints by keeping the cartilage soft and hydrated.

    They are Dr Tosin Olowojebutu, a general physician and Medical Director, Liberty-Life Hospital, Ogudu, Lagos and Dr Ayodeji Abdulrasheed, a Dietician with the StaMed Nutritional and Health Services in Alimosho, Lagos.

    The experts gave the advice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, on the 2017 World Water Day.

    According to the World Health organisation (WHO), World Water Day is held annually on March 22.

    “It is a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

    “Freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).

    “The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating March 22, 1993 as the first World Water Day,” WHO said in its online publication.

    NAN reports that the theme for 2017 is entitled: “Water and Wastewater”.

    Olowojebutu said that the aim of the day was to create awareness and emphasise the importance of water to the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

    He said that water composes 75 per cent of human muscle tissue, while staying hydrated could serve as an “appetite suppressant”.

    The general physician said that nearly all the body systems could not function well without proper water intake, urging people to prioritise consumption of water far more than before.

    “Water helps to regulate the body temperature, lubricate, cushion joints and rid the body of wastes by facilitating urination, sweat and bowel movements.

    “Regular intake of water at any time of day can control or suppress cravings for unhealthy foods and high calorie foods intake to the body system.

    “Research has shown that staying hydrated can reduce risk of colon cancer, bladder cancer by 50 per cent and also possibly reduce breast cancer risk as well.

    “Dehydration can affect people’s mood and lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness and electrolyte imbalance in the body system.

    “Water is one of the best ways to cleanse the body; body attracts various toxins from the environment, food and other elements,’’ he said.

    According to him, drinking a glass of water before bed time will give your body the proper nutrients and consuming six to eight glasses of water a day is good for the body.

    Also, Abdulrasheed said that the amount of water consumed everyday plays important role in maintaining a healthy body.

    Abdulrasheed said, “Water also improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, which prevents constipation and helps in digestion.

    “Inadequate water in the body results to constipation, as the colon draws water from the stools to maintain hydration, which makes it harder and difficult to pass stool.

    “Drinking sufficient water will boost your metabolism and helps the body to break down food properly.

    “It promotes regular bowel movement and helps the digestive system to work well.”

    Abdulrasheed said that adequate intake of water helps to flush out toxins from the body and gets rid of waste through sweat and urine.

    He said that it was important to take other fluids and foods with high water content in the daily diet.

     

  • Council registers 19,062 pharmacists

    The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Thursday, said it registered 19,062 pharmacists from inception of the council in 2004 till 2014.

    The PCN Registrar, Mr. Elijah Mohammed, disclosed this in Abuja when members of the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) paid him an advocacy visit.

    The PACFaH team was led by Mr. Remi Adeseun, the Director of Programmes and Strategy, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN-PACFaH).

    Mohammed said 11,337 out of the number were licenced and practising members, describing the number as grossly inadequate to meet the health needs of the populace.

    The registrar said Nigeria needed an additional 56,005 pharmacists to meet World Health Organisation (WHO) requirement.

    The PCN boss also identified the lack of access to quality and affordable medicines as one of the challenges facing healthcare development in the country.

    Mohammed noted that the situation was predominant in the rural part of the country.

    He stressed the need to have registered pharmaceutical premises in rural areas, saying only 190 local government areas have at least one registered pharmacy in the country.

    He explained that the Patent Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) that were supposed to serve the underserved areas have limited scope of drugs in their medicine list, attributing this to their level of education and knowledge.

    He itemised steps to improve such services as replacement of obsolete laws and regulatory barriers to improve convenience in accessing healthcare and improved
    infrastructures in rural areas.

    “Actionable steps to improve quality and affordable medicines are access to finance, development of human resource to meet areas of need.

    “Other steps are establishment of satellite pharmacies in rural areas with affiliates to registered pharmacies in urban areas.”

    Earlier, Adeseun said the visit was to request for the council’s approval and to nominate staff that would undergo refresher capacity building on family planning and other primary healthcare services.

    The visit, he added, was to seek the council’s approval for the trained staff to conduct step-down capacity building on family planning and other primary healthcare services on selected community pharmacists and PPMVs.

     

  • BoI will finance only NAFDAC certified products

    BoI will finance only NAFDAC certified products

    The Bank of Industry (BoI) on Friday said that it would not finance products not certified by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    The Acting Managing-Director of the bank, Mr Waheed Olagunju, made this known in Lagos during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the bank and NAFDAC.

    “It is only certified products that can be sold in the market profitably. It is important for BoI customers to be accredited.

    “Their accreditation by NAFDAC shows that they conform to best manufacturing practices.

    “BoI is supporting many local pharmaceutical companies under Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to export their products because they meet NAFDAC and World Health Organisation (WHO) standards,” Olagunju said.

    He said that the synergy would give BoI access to NAFDAC’s database to ascertain certified products before financing them.

    According to Olagunju, the synergy will facilitate economic growth by ensuring that Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) conform to best production standards.

    Olagunju said that both organisations would leverage on their local and international development partners for the success of the partnership.

    Mrs Yetunde Oni, Acting Director-General, NAFDAC, said that the collaboration would entrench Federal Government’s agenda on promoting non-oil sector of the economy.

    She said that the partnership would boost productivity of SMEs by ensuring granting of marketing authorisation to products that would adopt good manufacturing practice.

    Oni said that partnership with BoI would enable NAFDAC to reach the grassroots, support more entrepreneurs, especially SMEs, toward aiding business growth.

    “The collaboration is a win-win for both parties. While BoI provides machinery and technical support, NAFDAC will furnish BoI with information vital for decision-making toward economic development,” she said.

  • Ebola vaccine trial highly effective – WHO

    Ebola vaccine trial highly effective – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) said an experimental Ebola vaccine has been found to be highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea.

    “The vaccine is the first to prevent infection from one of the most lethal known pathogens, and the findings add weight to early trial results published last year,” WHO said in a press release.

    The UN health agency noted the results of the latest trial published on Friday in the medical journal “The Lancet’’.

    According to WHO, the vaccine, ‘rVSV-ZEBOV’, was studied in a trial involving 11,841 people in Guinea during 2015.

    It said among the 5,837 people who received the vaccine, no Ebola cases were recorded 10 days or more after vaccination.

    In comparison, there were 23 cases in 10 days or more after vaccination among those who did not receive the vaccine, the global health organisation said.

    The report quoted Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, and the study’s lead author, as saying the result was “defensive” against future Ebola outbreaks.

    “While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenceless,” Kieny said.

    The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 and caused sporadic outbreaks in Africa.

    However, the 2013-2016 outbreaks in West Africa, that killed more than 11,300 people, underlined the urgent need for a vaccine.

    Guinea, along with Liberia and Sierra Leone, was one of the worst affected countries.

    Dr KeÏta Sakoba, the Coordinator of the Ebola Response and Director of Guinea’s National Agency for Health Security, noted the significance of the latest results.

    “Ebola left a devastating legacy in our country.

    “We are proud that we have been able to contribute to developing a vaccine that will prevent other nations from enduring what we endured,” Sakoba said.

    The reports said the trial took place in the coastal region of Basse-Guinée, the area of Guinea still experiencing new Ebola cases when the trial started in 2015.

    “It employed an innovative design, a so-called `ring vaccination’ approach – the same method used to eradicate small pox.

    “This involved tracing all people who may have been in contact with a new Ebola case within the previous three weeks as well as certain “contacts of contacts.

    “These `rings’ were randomised to receive the vaccine either immediately or after a three-week delay.”

    In addition to showing high efficacy among those vaccinated, it said the trial also shows that unvaccinated people in the rings were indirectly protected from Ebola virus through the ring vaccination approach.

    However, the authors noted that the trial was not designed to measure this effect, so more research will be needed.

    Dr John-Arne Ruttingen, specialist director at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and the chairman of the study steering group, said the trial was historical and innovative.

    “This both historical and innovative trial was made possible thanks to exemplary international collaboration and coordination, the contribution of many experts worldwide, and strong local involvement,” Ruttingen said.

    Also, WHO said that an international vaccine-focussed organisation, GAVI, provided five million U.S. dollars to Merck, one of the vaccine’s manufacturers, towards its future procurement once the vaccine is approved, prequalified and recommended by WHO.

    The reports said as part of this agreement, Merck committed to ensuring that 300,000 doses of the vaccine are available for emergency use in the interim, and to submit the vaccine for licensure by the end of 2017.

    Merck has also submitted the vaccine to WHO’s Emergency Use and Assessment Listing procedure, a mechanism through which experimental vaccines, medicines and diagnostics can be made available for use prior to formal licensure.