The Nation Newspaper

Tag: World Health Organisation

  • Lassa fever kills NYSC member in Cross River

    Lassa fever kills NYSC member in Cross River

    Mr Onwuegbuzie Stanley-Samuel, an NYSC member deployed to Cross River, has died of Lassa fever disease at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).

    The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, who disclosed this to journalists on Friday in Calabar, said that the deceased hailed from Delta and was serving in Obubra before he died.

    Abisong said that the deceased was first admitted at the General Hospital, Obubra, where he was treated for cerebral malaria for one week.

    She said that his condition got worse and he was referred to the UCTH for further treatment while his blood sample was taken to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo for diagnosis.

    “The incident started about two weeks ago in Obubra and we all know that the incubation period of Lassa fever is 3-21 days.

    “The deceased is an indigene of Delta State. The last time he travelled to his home in Lagos State was during the Christmas period in December 2016 and came back to Cross River in January 2017.

    “The deceased was living in the corps members’ lodge in Obubra and since he came back in January, he has not left that community

    “Unfortunately, we finally lost him yesterday. Sadly, the corps member contracted the disease in Cross River,” she said.

    Meanwhile, Dr Thompson Igbu, Coordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO), Cross River has assured the residents that the organisation had been working hard to prevent further spread of the disease.

    Igbu said that the organisation was working closely with the state Ministry of Health to curb further spread of the disease in the state.

    According to him, over 15 persons, including the deceased colleagues living in the NYSC lodge in Obubra, had been line-listed.

    “We have line-listed over 15 persons in Obubra who are `primary contact’ and the hospital where the deceased was first admitted has also been line-listed.

    “We are supporting the state with essential drugs and we are making sure that necessary steps are taken to curb further spread of the disease’’, he said.

    Dr Ngim Ogbu, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, UCTH, said that the the corps member`s  death was the second recorded case of death resulting from Lassa fever in the hospital.

    Ogbu said that the infection control unit of the hospital was on top of the case from the beginning by limiting the number of contacts.

    “The body of the deceased has not been sent to the mortuary, this is because we are taking measures to curb further spread of the disease’’, he said.

     

  • ‘Prevalence of malaria higher in children during rainy season’

    Prof. Catherine Falade, a Malariologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), says the prevalence of malaria is higher in under-five children during rainy season as a result of climate change.

    Falade, who is also a consultant Pharmacologist, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    She has urged parents to take necessary measures in tackling malaria during the rainy season.

    According to her, children under 5 and 10 years should wear warm clothes to school and mothers should always endeavour to make their children sleep under mosquito treated nets.

    The expert explained that it is during rainy season that morbidity and mortality are on the increase as a result of malaria.

    She said managing malaria poses challenges in Nigeria year in year out, especially with the coming of the rainy season.

    “The World Health Organisation directed malaria intervention on the under-fives whose immunities are lower; this burden has now shifted to the under 10, who were hitherto neglected.

    “During rainy season, planters and farmers are sick, tourism suffers.

    “The multinational companies are also losing money due to absenteeism resulting from malaria attack.

    “The poor masses are also affected due to ineffective and costly way of treatment, which cannot be afforded by the parents.

    “Children also miss school. Absenteeism leads to lower Intelligent Quotient in a child, and loss or reduction in productivity of workers,” she said.

    The researcher further said that malaria has no particular symptom, adding that the only way to diagnose malaria is by microscopic system.

    “We have not mastered malaria microscopy in Nigeria. The National Malaria Treatment Policy in Nigeria does not allow malaria to be treated without first being diagnose through the microscope.

    “Treatment of malaria without microscopy is tantamount to incompetence and UCH research microscopists are hundred per cent efficient.

    “Health care givers should respect Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) results and use Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) which is the recommended WHO drugs for malaria.

    “ACTs are now being used by a higher number of people. It’s very efficacious, well tolerated and must be followed with a heavy meal,” she said.

     

  • 800,000 IDPs benefit from UNDP cash transfer

    About 800,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East have benefited from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) cash transfer, Mr Joerg Kuehnel, the Regional Coordinator has said.

    Kuehnel told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Monday in Maiduguri that the beneficiaries were carefully selected for the programme.

    “We have done direct cash transfer as part of our life saving programme.

    “About 800,000 persons benefited, they were carefully selected, it is not an easy thing selecting people from wide range of areas affected,” he said.

    He said that the UNDP had also distributed food, fertiliser and equipment to 30,000 farmers in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

    “We have distributed food, fertiliser and equipment to 30,000 farmers in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

    “Although it is not directly lifesaving, it can hopefully help the farmers bounce back.”

    He said that the UNDP had also established basic services in communities ravaged by the insurgency.

    “Where ever we work with communities like in Ngom and Kimba, we helped to establish basic services.

    “In Ngom for instance, three boreholes were sunk, connecting them with solar system for effectiveness.

    “We are also working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on primary health care unit as well as a referral system in the area.”

    The regional coordinator said that UNDP planned to enlighten the people on how to identity planted mines and Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) in the area.

    “We are not a humanitarian agency, so there is a limit to what we do, what we are trying to do is to link people in need to other organisations for immediate help.

    ‘’This is with longer term community recovery in mind.

    “Our mission is to stabilise communities not only to help in food supply.”

    He said that the UNDP conducted its operations in three stages.

    “There are three stages to stabilisation; the immediate stabilisation where you provide immediate needs of the people, providing some income and then providing permanent means of livelihood.

    “Our ambition is to work in 10 communities in every local government area to help establish a network in the communities.”

  • Ghana, Kenya, Malawi to pilot world’s first malaria vaccine in 2018 – WHO

    Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will pilot the world’s first malaria vaccine from 2018, offering it for babies and children in high-risk areas as part of real-life trials.

    The World Health Organisation said in a staatement on Monday that the injectable vaccine is called “Mosquirix”.

    The WHO said the vaccines was developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to protect children from the most deadly form of malaria in Africa.

    In clinical trials it proved only partially effective, and it needs to be given in a four-dose schedule, but is the first regulator-approved vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease.

    The WHO, which is in the process of assessing whether to add the shot to core package of WHO-recommended measures for malaria prevention, has said it first wants to see the results of on-the-ground testing in a pilot programme.

    “Information gathered in the pilot will help us make decisions on the wider use of this vaccine,” Matshidiso Moeti, WHO African regional director, said in a statement as the three pilot countries were announced.

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

    Malaria kills around 430,000 people a year, the vast majority of them babies and young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Global efforts in the last 15 years cut the malaria death toll by 62 per cent between 2000 and 2015.

    The WHO pilot programme will assess whether the Mosquirix’s protective effect in children aged five to 17 months can be replicated in real-life.

    It will also assess the feasibility of delivering the four doses needed, and explore the vaccine’s potential role in reducing the number of children killed by the disease.

    The WHO said Malawi, Kenya and Ghana were chosen for the pilot due to several factors, including having high rates of malaria as well as good malaria programmes, wide use of bed-nets, and well-functioning immunisation programmes.

    The UN organisation said each of the three countries will decide on the districts and regions to be included in the pilots.

    It also said high malaria areas will get priority since these are where experts expect to see most benefit from the use of the vaccine.

    “Mosquirix” was developed by GSK in partnership with the non-profit PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and part-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

    The WHO said in November it had secured full funding for the first phase of the drugs pilots.

    The organisation said the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis would provide 15 million dollars and up to 27.5 million dollars and 9.6 million dollars respectively from the Global Vaccine Alliance and UN global health initiative for the first four years of the programme.

  • Kaduna to begin polio immunisation – SPHCDA

    Kaduna to begin polio immunisation – SPHCDA

    The Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Dr Hadiza Balarabe, has implored parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated.

    This appeal was contained in a press statement jointly signed by the Deputy Director, Hamza Ikara and Coordinator, Lawal Dogara on Wednesday and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

    The statement said in order to make Kaduna State polio free, parents must give all the needed support to ensure that their kids are vaccinated.

    It said that immunisation for children of 0-5 years would begin in the state between April 22 and April 25.

    The statement reminded parents that polio vaccination in the state was still compulsory, adding that they must comply with the government order.

    The statement called on traditional rulers and religious leaders to ensure that parents, most especially in the rural areas, allow their children to be immunised.

    “The traditional rulers and religious leaders should educate their subjects and adherents respectively on the importance of allowing their kids to be vaccinated against polio and other children killer diseases,” it said.

    It said that the SPHCDA had concluded all adequate arrangements with a view to ensuring a successful conduct of the exercise in the state.

    The statement lauded the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the State Government and stakeholders for their efforts towards the eradication of polio.

  • Meningitis: UNICEF donates drugs to Abuja

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has donated 1,000 doses of drugs to FCT Primary Health Care Development Board for the treatment of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in Abuja.

    The Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
    He explained that the drugs had been distributed to all General Hospitals and Teaching Hospital in the territory.
    According to him, World Health Organisation (WHO) also donated three stereotyping machines to carry out tests of CSM in FCT.
    He told NAN that those machines were distributed to Maitama General Hospital, Jabi Medical Centre and University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.
    The secretary urged people living in Abuja to desist from self medication and report when they notice any sign of meningitis to the nearest hospitals.
    Mohammed said that so far six persons had died out of 10 suspected cases recorded in Abuja Municipal, Bwari and Kuje Area Councils.
    He said that he had exhausted the vaccines given to FCT but awaiting additional stocks from National Primary Health Care Development Agency for the continuation of Immunisation against meningitis.
    He said that his board had carried out immunisation in all the 22 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Abuja because of their vulnerability to the disease.
    The secretary enjoined residents of FCT not to panic, saying that the government was committed to tackling the spread of CSM in Abuja.

  • Meningitis: NCDC confirms 282 deaths in five states

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed the outbreak of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in five states with 282 deaths.

    Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Chief Executive Officer of the centre, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

    Ihekweazu said that 1,966 suspected cases have been recorded while 109 have been confirmed since the outbreak of the disease in February in the country.

    He said that the centre had deployed a response team to the affected states to vaccinate the residents and control further spread of CSM.

    According to him, Zamfara has the highest number of confirmed cases of 44, followed by Katsina with 32, Sokoto 19, Kebbi 10 and Niger 4 confirmed cases.

    He also said that there is an inter-agency response supporting the states to contain the outbreak through the primary mode of vaccination.

    However, Ihekweazu explained that a new strand of meningitis called “stereotype C” has emerged in place of the previous known type “stereotype A”, which has disappeared.

    He regretted that there was not yet commercially available vaccine for this new stereotype “C” meningitis.

    “There is a vaccine available but it is not commercially available for the stereotype involved in this specific outbreak and we have to make application to the World Health Organisation for the vaccines.

    “Thankfully the vaccines have arrived and we have started vaccination campaign in Zamfara. We are in the process of starting in Sokoto and Kebbi states.

    “We continue to advocate for scientists and for the global community to really try and push to develop a vaccine for meningitis ‘C’, on the other hand all we can do is prevention,” he said.

    Ihekweazu said that prevention and early detection was key to combating the disease, if detected early, it could be treated with antibiotics.

    He said that the centre was working with the states by supporting and ensuring they have the supplies to combat the disease.

    “Meningitis is a tough disease especially during this period and it is associated with over-crowding, understanding the living conditions in the country, people must keep their building ventilated,” he said.

    He urged Nigerians to avoid sleeping in overcrowded condition and if a lot of people must sleep together in the same room, the windows and doors must be open to allow enough ventilation.

    The chief executive officer assured that the centre would work with state governments in the North West and North Central, where most cases were recorded, to ensure better preparation and avert similar outbreak next year.

     

  • Female genital mutilation a leading cause of infertility

    Dr Okechukwu Ossai, Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health in Enugu, on Tuesday said female genital mutilation can endanger productive health and fertility; he advises parents to desist from the practice.

    “Female genital mutilation is the removal of genital tissue which involves removing necessary glands leading the vaginal environment to become unfavourable to sperm.

    “It also involves the partial or total removal of the clitoris and possibly the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris, removal of the labia minor and the labia major, among others.

    “Parents need to be warned because female children who undergo such practice are at risk of infertility.”

    According to him, female genital mutilation is a violent practice that deprives the female child of her right and the chance to reach her full potential biologically and psychosocially.

    The director said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had recognised female genital mutilation as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

    According to him, 193 nations unanimously agreed to a new global target to eliminate female genital mutilation by 2030.

    He said that the global target was important, but not enough, and urged the global community to protect the wellbeing and dignity of every girl child.

    “Recognition of this harmful practice, though important, is not enough; as a global community, we need to take responsibility for ending this harmful practice” he said.

    He also added that appropriate institutional frameworks for advocacy and plans against the practice should be established in rural areas where the practice was mostly prevalent.

     

  • Jos communities reject polio vaccine, want food instead

    Jos communities reject polio vaccine, want food instead

    Some communities in Jos North Local Government of Plateau state, have refused to participate in the on-going immunisation exercise against polio, citing hunger as their reason.

    “The communities have shunned entreaties by the immunisation officers; they say the vaccine should be replaced with food,” Mrs Hannatu Davat, the Local Immunisation Officer, told newsmen in Jos on Monday.

    The immunisation exercise, which began on Jan. 28, is co-sponsored by the local government in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the Nigerian Rotary Club.

    The four-day exercise, targeted at children below five years, vaccinates the group against polio and other killer diseases including hepatitis, measles, yellow fever and tetanus.

    Davat explained that the parents, who rejected the vaccine, asked the government to rather work toward slashing the prices of food items.

    She said that other residents, who refused to participate, claimed that they had collected too many rounds of the vaccination, while others described the vaccines as “’western medicine”.

    The officer further said that even doctors rejected the vaccines on the grounds that government was paying too much attention to polio while neglecting other serious diseases.

    “The local government has reported the development to the Plateau chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), who have promised to ensure that no doctor rejects any polio vaccines meant for children.

    “One of the doctors mentioned Mumps as one of the diseases being neglected, and described it as a serious disease which government hardly worry about.”

    Davat said that the local government had set up a social mobilisation team that was moving through affected communities to sensitise them on the importance of taking the vaccines.

    “Based on such efforts, some of the communities have changed their initial stance and are ready to bring their children, but others have remained adamant,” she said.

    The officer, who refused to name the specific communities, however, revealed that three wards were involved.

    “We have seven rounds of immunisation this year and this is just the first round; if we are not able to resolve the lingering issues, we shall forward them to the state office for further action,” Davat said.

  • Doctor warns against female genital mutilation

    Doctor warns against female genital mutilation

    A former Director of Public Health, Enugu Ministry of Health, Dr Uche Ene, has urged parents to desist from female genital mutilation as it could lead to infertility.

    Ene in Enugu on Thursday that “female genital mutilation is the removal of genital tissue which involves removing necessary glands leading the vaginal environment to become unfavourable to sperm.”

    He said that female children who undergo such practice were at risk of infertility.

    According to him, genital mutilation often results to painful intercourse, inability to have intercourse, infections and frigidity.

    The doctor who said that the lips that surround the vagina could be narrowed, added that the narrowing of the vagina often makes it difficult for the penis to penetrate into it for the release of sperm for conception.

    He further explained that female genital mutilation also included the partial or total removal of the clitoris and possibly the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris, removal of the labia minor and the labia major, among others.

    Ene said that appropriate institutional frameworks for advocacy and plans against the practice should be established in rural areas where this practice was most prevalent.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised female genital mutilation as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.