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Tag: World Health Organisation

  • Tobacco kills 7m people yearly…..WHO

    Tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than seven (7) million people yearly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated.

    WHO also declared that about 146,000 adults aged 30 years and above die every year from tobacco related diseases.

    The global health body made the disclosure on the occasion of the celebration of World No tobacco day. 31st May of every year has been declared as world No Tobacco Day to the dangers associated with using tobacco, and to press for policies to reduce tobacco use.

    This year’s theme: “Tobacco and heart disease,” focuses on tobacco use as a key risk factor for developing heart and related diseases, including stroke.

    In his message to mark the occasion, WHO Regional Director, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti called for increased efforts to further raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

    According to him, “the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 7 million people each year. Tobacco breaks hearts. Tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke contribute to about 12% of all heart disease deaths. There is no safe level for people, particularly children, women and workers, who have to be in the same room as smokers.

    “On the African Region, about 146 000 adults aged 30 years and above die every year from tobacco-related diseases. When tobacco users die prematurely in their productive years, families lose loved ones and income, and economic development is negatively affected.

    “Although concrete actions and measures exist to stem the tide of tobacco related diseases, more needs to be done to further raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use. Many people are unaware that tobacco is one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke.”

    Read Also: Tobacco: Groups hail Senate, Senator Tinubu

    He also called for “Policies that regulate tobacco, promote smoke-free environments and encourage people to quit smoking will contribute to improving the health and well-being of all people.

    This he noted requires strong leadership, political commitment and an informed civil society working together to press for heart-healthy policies and the right to health.”

    He therefore stated that “World No Tobacco Day is a chance for governments and the public to take firm action. Today, I call upon Member States to implement measures which we know will strengthen tobacco control as found in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

    “Effective measures to reduce tobacco demand which can be accomplished in a short time and at reasonable cost include increasing tobacco taxes and prices, which will save lives as well as generate money for governments. Other steps include creating completely smoke-free indoor workplaces and public places, instituting hard-hitting warnings and graphic pictures about the dangers of smoking on cigarette packaging, and banning tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship.”

    He also urged everybody to play a role in promoting healthy hearts by committing not to use tobacco, helping others to quit, and protecting all people, including family members, workers and children, from tobacco smoke.

    “Eliminating tobacco use will help to protect hearts from breaking. Let us choose health, not tobacco,” he said.

  • Tramadol, Codeine:  Reps propose N2m fine, two years jail-term for offenders

    An amendment bill that passed in the House of Representatives Tuesday has proposed a N2 million fine and a 2-year jail term for offenders of the ban on Tramadol and Codeine

    The bill which seeks to amend the Food, Drugs and Related Products (Registration, etc) Act Cap. F33 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to review the penalties and confer jurisdiction on High Court of the State to try offences under the Act, was sponsored by Hon. Betty Apiafi (PDP Rivers) and passed second reading Tuesday.

    The principal act regulates the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, sale or distribution of processed food, drug and related products and their registration.

    In the lead debate on the bill, Apiafi said: “In Nigeria, between January and December 2015, Ibe thousand and forty-four (1044) patients were admitted for treatment in the 11 treatment centers currently part of e Nigeria Epidemiological Network  of Drug Use ( NENDU)  reporting system.

    Read Also:Codeine ban: NDLEA arrests 17 suspects

    “28.3 percent of the patients had an opiate addiction and the opiates were mainly prescription Medicines: Tramadol (71 percent as 1st most frequently used substance and specified), Codeine (15.1 percent) and Pentazocine (9.9 percent), Heroine and Morphine represented only 3.3 percent of t opiates declared,” she said.

    She added that since 2015, Codeine has nearly overtaken Tramadol as the most abused opiate in Nigeria. “Thousands of young people in Nigeria are addicted to Codeine cough syrup- a medicine that has become a street drug. Three million bottles are drunk everyday in Nigeria’s North alone, according to a recent Nigerian government report.”

    She also noted that the World Health Organisation, WHO estimated in 2011, that 64 percent of antimalarial drugs in the country were found to be counterfeit.

    “it is assessed that counterfeit drugs provided approximately $75 billion  in revenue annually to illegal operators and have caused more than 150,000 deaths worldwide,” Apiafi said, adding that ” we legislators must also do our part in this war against commercialisation of illegal unregistered food and drugs.”

    Sections 6, 7, 9 and 13 of the Principal Act were amended in the new bill which the lawmaker said was birthed 25 years ago and had never seen any amendment or reform till date.

    The new bill stipulates penalties for individuals up to the tune of N500, 000 or a prison term of 2 years or both; and in the case of a corporate body, all the directors, managers. Partners, trustees etc would be guilty of an offence and would be punished as it they had committed the offence themselves.

    The bill was referred to the House committee on Healthcare Services after it was passed by majority of members in the floor.

  • WHO raises Ebola risk to ‘very high’

    The Ebola outbreak in Congo poses a greater danger to the Central African country and the region than previously assumed, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    The recent confirmation of a case in Mbandaka, a large city that straddles national and international transport routes, had increased the risk of the virus spreading further, the UN health agency said on Friday in Geneva.

    “WHO has, therefore, revised the assessment of public health risk to very high at the national level and high at the regional level,’’ it said in a statement.

    The global significance of this outbreak that has killed 14 people, so far is being discussed at a WHO emergency meeting and will be announced later on Friday.

    Read Also: Ebola outbreak spreads to DR Congo city

    The WHO has previously said that the chance of a global outbreak is low.

    In Congo, the Health Ministry announced that the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country has risen from three to 14.

    “In total since the start of the epidemic, there have been 45 cases of haemorrhagic fever, including 10 suspected cases, 21 probable cases and 14 confirmed cases,’’ the ministry said late Thursday.

    While one person was confirmed dead from the virus, 25 people are suspected to have died from it, the ministry said.

    One of the most contagious viral diseases known, Ebola’s symptoms are extraordinarily painful and include severe vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, impaired kidney and liver function as well as internal and external bleeding.

    The UN and aid organisations are racing to prevent the recurrence of an outbreak like in 2014, when 11,000 people died in the West African epidemic that was centred in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

    The executive of the EU on Friday announced the release of 1.6 million euros (1.9 million dollars) to help tackle the outbreak, with most of the money going to the WHO to provide logistics support.

  • Manufacturers canvass protection for products

    Despite the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) trade liberalisation policy and other conventions to ensure free trade in the sub-region, there is a need for Nigeria to protect products.

    Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) President Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs canvassed this position at the unveiling of Oxytocin injection manufactured by an indigenous pharmaceutical firm, Juhel Nigeria Limited, which he described as the first of its kind in Africa.

    He said the country owed it to itself to protect exclusive industries producing products that have intrinsic quality, irrespective of ECOWAS conventions, such as the Common External Tariff (CET) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. He said this was necessary to protect jobs and grow the economy.

    Noting the high rate of maternal mortality in the country, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) said was the fourth-highest globally, Jacobs said the drug Oxytocin and magnesium sulphate were to deal with it. He called on policymakers, regulatory bodies and financial institutions to support the company to preserve lives.

    Juhel Nigeria Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye regretted that Nigeria has assumed the unenviable position of fourth highest maternal death rate in the world, accounting for 19 per cent of 830 global maternal deaths daily.

    He said Oxytocin was a safe and potent drug to treat Post-Partum Hemorrhage (PPH). He regretted that despite the availability of imported varieties, the rate and frequency of PPH and, consequently,  maternal deaths were still very high.

    Okoye said a study by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), and National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), carried out in 2016, indicated that 74.2 per cent of Oxytocin in circulation failed quality laboratory evaluation.

    Of every four imported brands, Okoye said three were fake. He said the high rate of sub-standardisation was as a result of the imported brands not having the right or stated amount of Active Pharmaceutical ingredient (API) or transported and distributed under unfavorable conditions.

    He said: “Some of the imported brands, overtime, cannot have their quality sustained because Oxytocin injection, which must be stored between two and eight degrees Celsius, may be exposed to negative conditions at the point of entry.

    “Furthermore, lack of manpower by exporting companies to monitor post sales activities can only ensue gradual loss of potency and degradation.”

    He pledged his company’s preparedness to check the cloning of its products. Also, the company, he said, has in place criteria for supplying to teaching hospitals and distributors. One of the criteria is that there must be storage facility and chillers that meet international standards. He said the company has the capacity to produce for the sub-region.

    NAtional Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director-General Prof Moji Christiana Adeyeye said the agency had carried out market surveys to ensure that there was no fake Oxytocin in the market. He noted that whenever there was infringement, NAFDAC would evacuate and destroy such to protect the lives.

    MAN Pharmaceutical Group Chairman, Dr. Okechukwu Akpa, called for medicine security, warning on the dangers of unbridled importation especially of pharmaceutical products into the country.

    He said that a lot of challenges are encountered in product handling and storage and called on the government to come out with a protectionist policy and financing for indigenous manufacturing.

    A renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician, Professor Osato F. Giwa-Osagie, commended the company for the feat in reducing maternal mortality through their novel product.

    He urged NAFDAC and other relevant government agencies, including pharmacists, to protect indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers from merchants of fake and adulterated pharmaceuticals.

    Giwa-Osagie said: NAFDAC and pharmacists should go round and pick the fake alternatives from chemists by evaluation and supervision including on the spot check of  the products.”

  • Nigeria records lowest number of Lassa fever

    Nigeria has recorded the lowest case of Lassa fever ever, as the week ended. According to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) outbreak control efforts have been intensified, and only five new confirmed cases of Lassa fever were reported in the week that ended on the 15th of April.

    NCDC described it as the the lowest number of cases reported in a single week since January this year, adding that this also marks the eighth week of continuous decline in new confirmed cases showing that the efforts to control the outbreak are bearing fruit.

    The Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole said he is happy, “with the reduction in the number of cases, thanks to the efforts that we have all devoted to this. However, now is not a time to rest on our oars. We will continue to intensify efforts to prevent, detect and respond to Lassa fever and ensure that Nigeria plays a leading role in the global efforts to tackle this disease”.

    Since the onset of this year’s outbreak, the Ministry of Health through the NCDC, State Governments and partners led by the World Health Organisation (WHO) have coordinated response activities. This includes the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to the affected States, deployment of supplies to treatment centres, training of hospital staff on how to prevent the transmission of the virus in hospital settings, community education and other activities.  Federal and State Governments have also improved the facilities to manage cases across the country especially at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo, Federal Medical Centre Owo, Ondo and the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi.

    Despite the reduction in cases, the period of highest risk of Lassa fever has not passed. Therefore, NCDC, States and partners continue to strengthen surveillance activities across the country. This has led to the detection of new sporadic cases in some States, as seen recently in Abia and Adamawa States and a re-enforcement of control measures in those States.

    In addition to these, critical meetings are being held with stakeholders to review and harmonise national protocols for Lassa fever diagnosis and treatment. A nationwide training by NCDC in collaboration with Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital on the management of patients with Lassa fever is scheduled to begin in May this year. This aims at improving the skills and competence of a critical mass of health workers in managing cases of Lassa fever in Nigeria.

    NCDC reiterated that prevention of Lassa fever is everyone’s responsibility, “Prevention relies primarily on promoting good community hygiene to discourage rodents from entering homes. Other effective measures include storing grains and other foodstuff in rodent-proof containers, proper disposal of garbage far from the home, and maintaining clean households. All foods must be cooked thoroughly, and family members should always be careful to avoid contact with blood and body fluids while caring for sick persons. When symptoms similar to Malaria are noticed, visit the nearest health facility and insist on a rapid diagnostic test from the healthcare workers.”

    Healthcare workers are urged to continue maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever when handling patients, irrespective of their health status. Lassa fever should be considered in patients with fever, headache and malaise, in whom malaria has been ruled out with a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), especially when patients are not getting better. Health workers should adhere to standard precautions including wearing protective apparels when handling suspected Lassa fever patients.

     

  • NMA raises alarm over low ratio of doctors to patients

    The Nigeria Medical Association NMA, has an alarm over the low ratio of medical doctors to patients in the country.

    Prof Mike Ogirima, the President of the association, expressed the concern in an interview with our reporters on Thursday in Abuja.

    Ogirima said that at the moment Nigeria had a ratio of one medical doctor to 6000 people in a given community.

    He added that this was grossly inadequate especially going by the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended a ratio of one doctor to 600 people in a community.

    The president of the association said that currently there were about 45,000 medical doctors in the country with an estimated population of 170 million.

    He said it was, therefore, ironical that Nigeria, with such a poor ratio, could not afford to absorb products from her medical schools.

    He argued that many medical doctors had been left without jobs while many others had gone to seek succour in other countries.

    “We have almost 3000 medical doctors being produced annually by medical schools. But we do not have the facility to absorb all of them.

    “If we don’t have the facilities then government needs to get the facilities in place to absorb the number of the medical doctors we produce,’’ Ogirima said.

    According to him, the house officers (those rounding off their training in medical schools) lack places to do their one-year compulsory training in the country.

    “Some of them have to wait for two years or three before they can get a placement.

    “After their youth service, they often have nowhere to be engaged and this is not to say that we do not need them.

    “There is no fund to employ them even in private hospitals.

    “This was not happening in the past and, therefore, government needs to do something to redress the situation.’’

    The NMA president said these were some of the reasons why many members of the association had been seeking for greener pasture outside the country.

     

  • World Water Day: Lagos Water Corporation carries out free water tests

    The Lagos Water Corporation on Tuesday said the Corporation would carry out three-Day water tests in its eight operational regions in Lagos State, to mark the 2018 World Water Day.

    Mrs Monsurat Banire, the Lagos Water Corporation’s Head of Quality Assurance, said this in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Rasaq Anifowoshe, in Lagos.

    The theme for the 2018 World Water Day is entitled: ‘Nature for Water’.

    The theme explores how we can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century.

    According to Banire, its team from the Quality Assurance and Sales & Commercial Departments will take samples of water used in the locations covered, whether from LWC or boreholes, among others.

    “The essence is to show the general public the quality of water the corporation is serving them.

    “The corporation’s water is clean, safe and good for human consumption.

    “Borehole water could be contaminated.

    “After the exercise, we expect those using boreholes to migrate and connect to the corporation’s water supply once water pipes pass through their locations.

    “The LWC water conforms to the World Health Organisation’s standard,” she said.

    Banire said that as worthy ambassadors of the corporation, the staff were expected to be polite in answering questions and friendly to all consumers.

    She said that the exercise would cover the corporation’s eight operational zones, which have been mapped into four areas for easy accessibility.

    Among the four areas are: Lagos Island, Surulere and Ikeja.

    NAN

  • Lack of funds hinders govt’s policy on SCD

    Lack of funds hinders govt’s policy on SCD

    Lack of funds has stalled the Federal Government’s policy of testing every newborn against sickle cell, it was learnt.

    This is as 150,000 newborns in Nigeria are diagnosed of sickle cell, with 50 per cent of them dying before they are five.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) also said sickle cell disease is one of the main causes of premature death among children under five in Nigeria and in some African countries.

    The estimated cost of care is more than US$ 1000 per patient yearly.

    Available record shows that sickle cell disease (SCD) affects nearly 100 million people and is responsible for over 50 per cent of deaths in those with the most severe form of the disease.

    Speaking at the presentation of Hemo TypeSc, a care test for the detection of SCD, Dr. Alayo Sopekan, National Desk Officer on Sickle cell, Ministry of Health, said: “Nigeria has the highest burden of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in the world ahead of Democratic Republic of Congo and India.”

    ‘’The 1990 national NCDs survey reports he also noted showed that 24  per cent of its adults  are healthy carriers of a defective S-gene.”

    “The country ranks first as the sickle cell endemic country in Africa with a yearly infant death of about 150,000 representing more than eight per cent of infant mortality in the country.

    “The WHO 2015 report estimated that two per cent of new-borns in Nigeria are affected by sickle cell anaemia, giving a total of about 150,000 affected children born every year in Nigeria alone.”

    Noting that the country has put in place a policy to address the disease, such as testing for newborn, Sopekan, however, said the lack of fund has not allowed for the implementation.

    Currently, he said the government was working on revitalising the six centres, which cut across the six get-political zones.

    He called for early diagnosis and treatment in the management of the disease.

    The National Desk officersaid the government would look into the test kits presented.

    Also, Prof. Obiagele Nnodu, director, Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training, University of Abuja noted said there are 39 sickle cell centres in the country.

    She also spoke on the random tests carried out using the rapid testing kits,  describing it as very accurate and efficient.

    Nnodu noted that 1100 people were tested in two separate study.

  • Obiano to expectant mothers: prioritise hygiene, vaccination

    Expectant mothers in Anambra State have been told to prioritise regular vaccination and personal hygiene, saying they are important for the health of their babies.

    The state governor Willie Obiano gave the advice during the flag-off of December 2017 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week.

    The event was held at the Nigerian Red Cross premises at Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area.

    Obiano, who was represented by his wife, Ebelechukwu, said nursing and expectant mothers should maintain balanced diet and avoid practices capable of retarding the growth and proper development of newborns.

    The governor added that free immunisation saves babies from contracting communicable diseases, stressing that the state would ensure that it remained polio-free.

    He said, “The primary responsibility of any government is the security and safety of the people and attending to the health needs of ndi Anambra is a very important aspect of safety”

    “We will continue to improve and sustain the enviable status of our health institutions and ensure that pregnant women; mothers and new born are not neglected”

    “That is why this awareness is critical and must be sustained at all levels of our health system especially the primary healthcare system”

    The governor observed that the success achieved in the state’s health sector was as a result of the commitment and collaboration of various partners in the healthcare delivery system.

    He praised the development partners especially the World Health Organisation (WHO) for assisting his administration in achieving its goals and target in the health sector.

    Also, he extended same to Nigerian Red Cross Anambra state for making effective use of the resources available for providing support to those in need in times of emergency.

    The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike, explained that the Maternal and Child health Week was a very important programme carried out twice a year as part of the maternal and child health survival strategies which helped in improving immunisation level in Anambra State.

    Akabuike expressed delight that Obiano’s positive disposition to health issues had helped in maintaining a polio free state, among other diseases.

  • WHO: how to reduce substandard products in developing countries

    WHO: how to reduce substandard products in developing countries

    ONE in every 10 medical products circulating in the low and middle income countries has been estimated to be either substandard or fake, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said in its latest two reports.

    The implication is that people are taking medicines that either fail to treat or prevent disease. Not only is this a waste of money for individuals and health systems that purchase these products, substandard or falsified (fake) medical products can cause serious illness or death.

    According to WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “substandard and falsified medicines particularly affect the most vulnerable communities. Imagine a mother, who gives up food or other basic needs to pay for her child’s treatment, unaware that the medicines are substandard or falsified, and then that treatment causes her child to die. This is unacceptable. Countries have agreed on measures at the global level – it is time to translate them into tangible action.”

    Since 2013, WHO has received 1500 reports of cases of substandard or falsified products.  Of these, anti-malarials and antibiotics are the most commonly reported. Most of the reports (42per cent) come from the WHO African Region, 21 per cent from the WHO Region of the Americas, and 21per cent from the WHO European Region.

    This is in tandem with Nigerian Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)’s report- In July of 2013, it seized 150,000 doses of a falsified emergency contraceptive.

    This is likely just a small fraction of the total problem and many cases may be going unreported. For example, only eight per cent of reports of substandard or falsified products to WHO came from the WHO Western Pacific Region, six per cent from the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, and just two per cent from the WHO South-East Asia Region.

    “Many of these products, like antibiotics, are vital for people’s survival and wellbeing,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines, Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals at WHO, “Substandard or falsified medicines not only have a tragic impact on individual patients and their families, but also are a threat to antimicrobial resistance, adding to the worrying trend of medicines losing their power to treat.”

    Prior to 2013, there was no global reporting of this information. Since WHO established the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System for substandard and falsified products, many countries are now active in reporting suspicious medicines, vaccines and medical devices. WHO has trained 550 regulators from 141 countries to detect and respond to this issue.  As more people are trained, more cases are reported to WHO.

    WHO has received reports of substandard or falsified medical products ranging from cancer treatment to contraception. They are not confined to high-value medicines or well-known brand names and are split almost evenly between generic and patented products.

    In conjunction with the first report from the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System published today, WHO is publishing research that estimates a 10.5 percent failure rate in all medical products used in low- and middle-income countries.

    This study was based on more than 100 published research papers on medicine quality surveys done in 88 low- and middle-income countries involving 48 000 samples of medicines. Lack of accurate data means that these estimates are just an indication of the scale of the problem. More research is needed to more accurately estimate the threat posed by substandard and falsified medical products.

    Based on 10 per cent estimates of substandard and falsified medicines, a modeling exercise developed by the University of Edinburgh estimates that 72 000 to 169 000 children may be dying each year from pneumonia due to substandard and falsified antibiotics. A second model done by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimates that 116 000 (64 000 – 158 000) additional deaths from malaria could be caused every year by substandard and falsified antimalarials in sub-Saharan Africa, with a cost of US$ 38.5 million (21.4 million – 52.4 million) to patients and health providers for further care due to failure of treatment.

    Substandard medical products reach patients when the tools and technical capacity to enforce quality standards in manufacturing, supply and distribution are limited. Falsified products, on the other hand, tend to circulate where inadequate regulation and governance are compounded by unethical practice by wholesalers, distributors, retailers and health care workers. A high proportion of cases reported to WHO occur in countries with constrained access to medical products.

    Modern purchasing models such as online pharmacies can easily circumvent regulatory oversight. These are especially popular in high-income countries, but more research is needed to determine the proportion and impact of sales of substandard or falsified medical products.

    Globalisation is making it harder to regulate medical products. Many falsifiers manufacture and print packaging in different countries, shipping components to a final destination where they are assembled and distributed. Sometimes, offshore companies and bank accounts have been used to facilitate the sale of falsified medicines.

    “The bottom line is that this is a global problem,” said Dr Simão. As, “Countries need to assess the extent of the problem at home and cooperate regionally and globally to prevent the traffic of these products and improve detection and response.”