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Tag: World Health Organization

  • WHO regrets US withdrawal, seeks dialogue 

    WHO regrets US withdrawal, seeks dialogue 

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the United States to reconsider its withdrawal from the organization, highlighting the achievements of their collaboration and ongoing internal reforms implemented over the past seven years.

    It emphasised the importance of maintaining the partnership between the US and WHO, given its critical role in safeguarding the health and well-being of millions worldwide.

    WHO’s regrets followed the pronouncement of President Donald Trump in an Executive Order that a formal correspondence would be sent to the health body of the intention of the country to withdraw its membership.

    The text of Monday’s executive order cites the “organization’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises, its failure to adopt urgently needed reforms, and its inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states,” as reasons for the US withdrawal.

    Also criticized was the financial contributions expected from the U.S., claiming the WHO imposes “unfairly disproportionate payments” on the country compared to other member nations.  

    The order outlines plans to send a formal letter to the United Nations secretary-general notifying him of the U.S. intent to withdraw. 

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    If completed, the withdrawal would sever the U.S.’s financial support for the WHO, where it serves as the largest donor. 

    Additionally, U.S. federal staff would cease collaborating with the organization on global health initiatives.  

    However, responding on Tuesday, WHO expressed regrets over the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization, stating that issues of contention have witnessed reforms.

    It seems to explore dialogue for reconsideration for the sake of millions around the globe needing health-related intervention.

    The statement reads: “WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go.

    “The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board. 

    “For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats. 

    “Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. 

    “American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO.

    “With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues.

    “We hope the United States will reconsider, and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe”.

    The latest development was the second time in less than five years that he’s ordered the country to withdraw from the organization, despite it being a move many scientists fear could roll back decades of gains made in fighting infectious diseases like AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. 

    Experts also warn that the move could weaken the world’s defenses against dangerous new outbreaks capable of triggering pandemics. 

  • Female Genital Mutilation: This grave injustice, malevolent practice must stop!

    Joy was only 12 years old when she was subjected to the gruesome, inhumane, and excruciatingly painful torture of genital mutilation.

    Sadly, the idea of cutting a part of the female sexual organ in most parts of the country is one that is culturally celebrated and a mark of transition of the girl child into womanhood.

    With warm and flowing tears in her eyes, grim pain in her veins, screams and shouts of excruciating torture, Joy went through one of the most agonizing phase of her entire existence.

    Please stop!!! She cried as she begged the locals who were cutting her to have mercy. In all, four women held and pinned her down to the wooden bed as the chief “operator” continued in her “cutting” business.

    Whether Joy lives to tell the story is a discussion for another day. There are so many young girls like Joy who either have a pitiable story to tell or died during the process of the mutilation. However, the aftermath of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is by far devastating and reprehensible.

    Female genital mutilation is also known as female genital cutting or female circumcision. It not only destroy lives in the name of fulfilling an archaic cultural norm, but also causes more harm than good to the girl-child.

    According to a definition by the World Health Organization (WHO), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. This act is mostly carried out by traditional circumciser who often play central roles in the community such as attending child birth.

    Recent statistics from the WHO reveals that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the countries where the practice is concentrated.

    Also, there are an estimated 3 million girls at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation every year. The majority of girls are cut before they turn 15 years old.

    The report further shows that the procedures are mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and adolescence, and occasionally on adult women. More than 3 million girls are estimated to be at risk for FGM annually.

    More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated.

    The practice is most common in the western, eastern, and north-eastern regions of Africa, in some countries the Middle East and Asia, as well as among migrants from these areas. FGM is therefore a global concern.

    Nigeria, due to its large population, has the highest absolute number of female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide, accounting for about one-quarter of the estimated 115–130 million circumcised women in the world.

    Also, according to U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM), “In Nigeria, FGM has the highest prevalence in the south-south (77%) (among adult women), followed by the south east (68%) and south west (65%), but practiced on a smaller scale in the north, paradoxically tending to in a more extreme form.

    “Prevalence rates progressively decline in the young age groups and 37% of circumcised women do not want FGM to continue. 61% of women who do not want FGM said it was a bad harmful tradition and 22% said it was against religion. Other reasons cited were medical complications (22%), painful personal experience (10%), and the view that FGM is against the dignity of women (10%).”

    In Nigeria, FGM is being tackled by World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), African Union (AU), and many women organization, sensitizing and educating the general public at all levels about the danger and undesirability of FGM.

    However, there is little that can be done both at the individual, group or community level without the backing of an extant law condemning and prohibiting the practice of FGM. At the moment, there is no federal law prohibiting the practice of FGM in Nigeria, and this is the reason for the slow and somewhat retrogressive progress or otherwise in the prevalence of FGM.

    This is a clarion call to every well-meaning Nigerian – Man and woman, boy and girl, young and old, to say “NO” to FGM and protect the lives and future of the girl child in our dear country. Parents, say “NO” to Female Genital Mutilation.

  • Drowning: The Need for Nigeria to Look for a More Effective Way to Combat a Leading Killer

    April 2018 is a day that the Musa family will never forget, the mother of Abdulaziz, Halima Musa is still shocked as to how her eight-month-old baby would have managed to get drowned in a drum of water just few minutes after she left him to ease herself in the bathroom which is outside their room, even the operatives of the Edo state Command are still investigating how an eight-month-old baby boy would have drowned in the house.

    The incident which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at number 53, Obakhavbaye Street in Benin City, the Edo State capital still had neighbours puzzled as to how such incident could have occurred.
    Some months back, a famous Nigerian Celebrity lost his son to drowning, the son who was left unattended to fell into the swimming pool and before he was discovered, he was already dead.

    Also in April 2018, a final year computer science student of the Isfop-Benin University, Cotonou, Aliyu Abubakar was reported to have drowned in a beach in Cotonou just few weeks to his graduation while another report revealed a public administration student of the Federal Polytrechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa state identified as Adekunle drowned in a river close to the school when he went to fetch water due to lack of water in the campus.

    In August 2018, seven members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) drowned in a river southeast of Taraba State when they went on a swimming expedition in River Mayo-Selbe, a major tributary of the Benue River.

    In 2007, a famous Nigeria television survival show was suspended after a contestant drowned in preparation for the programme; Anthony Ogadje who was 25 and nine other contestants had gone to Shere Hills Lake in Nigeria’s hilly Plateau State to prepare for the show when he drowned in a river he was supposed to cross, all attempts to revive him by the attendant medical team and the life-guards, including his fellow contestants, failed.

    While in Niger state, thousands drown yearly from flood which occurs between April to October yearly; this and many more deaths result from drowning, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 372,000 people die yearly from drowning out of which over half of all the drowning deaths occur among young people under 25 years and have become one of the 10 leading causes of death for people under this age group.

    Drowning has been said to be the third leading cause of unintentional injury death and the drowning death rates in the African region is 20 times higher than those of other continents.

    WHO reports that 135,585 children under 15 years lose their lives each year globally from drowning and drowning has been rated the leading cause of death and disability adjusted years among children under 15.

    Drowning accounts for 75 per cent of deaths in flood disasters which is becoming more frequent especially in low and middle income countries where people live in flood prone areas and the ability to warn, evacuate or protect the communities from flood is weak.

    However, WHO has posited that drowning is preventable only if the government of all nations can develop a national water safety plan which would provide strategic direction and a framework to guide multisectoral efforts to prevent drowning.

    The Coordinator, Department of Management, Non Communicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention at the World Health Organization, Dr. David Meddings during the Merit Maker Field Trip which was part of the activities of the 13th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Thailand said that governments world over need to take a clue from the Thailand government in bringing down the high rate of drowning among its populace.

    He said that there are various strategies of preventing child drowning pointing out that one of the most effective strategies is installing barriers controlling access to water which include covering wells, using doorway barriers and play pens, fencing swimming pools and having a community based supervised day care centers for preschool children.

    For children older than four years and above, there is the need to teach them basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills which can go a long way to preventing drowning, “with these skills, the children and youths can survive for hours in water and this would go a long way in reducing drowning”, Meddings said.

    He further stated that effective policies and legislation are also important for drowning prevention pointing out that setting and enforcing safe boating, shipping ad ferrying regulations, building resilience to flooding and managing flood risks through better disaster preparedness planning and early warning systems can go a long way in preventing drowning.

    Meddings urged governments across the world to emulate the Thailand government’s strategy which had succeeded in reducing drowning incidents rate by 50 per cent through its national drowning prevention strategy called ‘Merit Maker’ which was taken from the implementation guide of preventing drowning by WHO which covers six measures and four strategies on drowning prevention for government to review and implement.

    Giving an explanation about the Merit Maker program, the Vice Governor of Surat Thani Province in Thailand, Mrs. Jamjit Poolsawadee said Thailand had a record 9,547 children dying from drowning in the last ten years adding that the high rate of death recorded by drowning led the government of Thailand to develop a the Merit Maker drowning prevention strategy program.

    She disclosed that the Merit Maker drowning prevention covers all ten elements that are important measures for preventing drowning which include policy, management, situation and date, risky water body management, child development center operations, knowledge dissemination, survival swimming training, CPR training, public communications and research/evaluation adding that children as little as three to four years are being tuaght basic drowning prevention skills.

    The Vice Governor also said with the introduction of the drowning prevention program, drowning incidents rate had decreased to more than 50 per cent as 708 incidents were recorded in 2017 as against the 957 deaths experienced yearly in the past.

    A recent survey carried out indicated that several children tend to drown because they lack the knowledge of water safety and correct rescue procedures which the Merit Maker program seek to address. Drowning prevention measures should cover risk factors related to both personal and environmental aspects as only one measure or action cannot properly deal with the problem.

    If Nigeria can take a cue from these program, it will go a long way in reducing tgebrate of drowning across the Nation.

    Dr. Olakunle Alonge, an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Health in John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is of the opinion that Nigeria will not pay serious focus on drowning when the Nation still deals with maternal mortality, communicable diseases, infant mortality and other deaths lamenting that there is no data regarding the rate of drowning in the country.

    “There are so many issues in Nigeria and drowning does not come on the top. Nigeria is still dealing with maternal mortality, communicable diseases, infant mortality and so on. There is a huge burden of drowning in Nigeria and I think the first step is to get data that speaks to the burden, to first characterize the size of the problem.

    “The next step is to discover what are the underlined factors for this burden before we begin to talk about solutions.”

    Alonge urged leaders in Nigeria to take examples from practices nations have implemented that have reduced the rate of drowning, “There are solutions that are already in play in some countries like Thailand and Bangadash but there is need to do a thorough job of understanding the probkem and risks of the burden that is associated with this factor. We run the risk of going for the wrong solutions to solve the problem if this understanding is not made.”

    Advancing some solutions, he said the less cost intensive solution to drowning in the country will be to set up daycare centers, initiate survival swimming for children six years and above and incorporating swimming into school curriculum.

    “Nigeria can take cue from nations where people are beginning to embed swimming within the school curriculum. It can be put in as physical education that is being done in Nigeria. There are so many schools doing physical education in Nigeria and I encourage the government to put in survival swimming, it will go a long way to reduce drowning casualties across the country. ”

    Currently, schools, especially public schools in the country have not incorporated swimming into its curriculum due to the absence of swimming pools, only few private schools have swimming pools which had made it possible for the students to learn how to swim but the ratio is to minute.

    A study of the Physical and Health Education (PHE) curriculum in Nigeria for primary schools shows various subjects like fundamental movements, basic movements, athletics, games and sports, health education, pathogens, diseases and prevention, drug eradication and responsible parenthood while in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) has sub-topics like basic human movement, sports and games, health education, moving our body parts, athletics and contact and non-contact games.

    Although there are subjects where swimming can easily be incorporated, it is still not being taught in public schools. The purpose of the swimming lesson is to equip the children with skills of surviving in water and teach the younger ones the dangers of water, either still or moving.

    “This story was made possible with support from the ICFJ-WHO Safety 2018 Reporting Fellowship Program and Bloomberg Philanthropies”

  • 7 Early Signs of Type 2 Diabetes And How To Deal With Them!

     

        www.effectivecare.com.ng/diab

    The information below was published by WHO a few months ago. I am sure it will be of help to you. So many death caused by Diabetes is due to ignorance or lack of knowledge on it. These spurred the need to highlight to you the following facts sourced from WHO (World Health Organization) documentation.

    There is an emerging epidemic of diabetes that can be traced back to rapid increases in overweight, obesity and physical inactivity.Total deaths from diabetes are projected to rise by more than 50% in the next 10 years. Most notably, they are projected to increase by over 80% in upper- middle income countries.

    www.effectivecare.com.ng/diab

    The early signs of diabetes are not always obvious. They may develop slowly over time, making them hard to identify. Many are asymptomatic. Because they can worsen over a period of years, type 2 diabetes may remain undiagnosed longer than other more obvious conditions.

    Here are 7 early signs to watch out for:

    1. Frequent Urination

    Also known as polyuria, frequent and/or excessive urination is a sign that your blood sugar is high enough to start to spill into the urine. Because your kidneys can’t keep up with the high glucose levels, they allow some of that sugar to go into your urine, where it draws additional water, making you have to urinate often.

    2. Extreme Thirst

    Extreme thirst is one of the first noticeable symptoms of diabetes for some. It’s tied to high blood sugar levels, which cause thirst, and is exacerbated by frequent urination. Often, drinking won’t satisfy the thirst.

    3. Increased Hunger

    Intense hunger, or polyphagia, is also an early warning sign of diabetes. Your body uses the sugar in your blood to feed your cells. When the cells can’t absorb the sugar (because of a lack of insulin), your body looks for more sources of fuel, causing persistent hunger.  www.effectivecare.com.ng/diab

    4. Nerve Pain or Numbness

    You might experience tingling or numbness in your hands, fingers, feet, and toes. This is a sign of diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. You are most likely to experience this after several years of living with diabetes.

    5. Slow Healing Wounds

    There are several reasons why a wound will heal more slowly if you have diabetes. Poor circulation, the effects of high blood sugar on blood vessels, and immunodeficiency are just a few. If you experience frequent infections or wounds that are slow to heal, it could be an early symptom.

    6. Blurred Vision

    Blurred vision occurs early in unmanaged diabetes. It can be a sign of high blood sugar levels, which cause fluid to shift into the lens of the eye. This usually resolves when blood sugar levels normalize. www.effectivecare.com.ng/diab

    7. Dark Skin Patches

    Dark discoloration in the folds of your skin is called acanthosis, nigricans and is another early warning sign of type 2 diabetes. They are most common in the armpits, neck, and groin regions,

    according to the Mayo Clinic.

    The Takeaway

    If you have any suspicion that you may be experiencing the early signs of type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor . As with most serious diseases, successful treatment and reduced risk of complications depend on swift diagnosis. Left untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to lifelong impairment or death.

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  • Budgeting for maternal and child health

    SIR: According to recent statistics released by the World Health Organization (WHO), more than half of the births in Nigeria are not attended to by skilled health personnel. Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births) and under-five mortality ratio (per 1000 live births) amounts to 814 and 104.3 respectively, which are far below global standards. Proportion of married or in-union women of reproductive age who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods amounts to a paltry 26.3% while female life expectancy at birth amounts to just 55.7 years.

    Clearly, Nigeria is very far from attaining goal three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which targets a reduction in maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 (per 100,000 live births) and a reduction in under-five mortality ratio to as low as 25 (per 1000 live births). While reforms within the health sector will go a long way to improve our odds, the need to ensure that our national budgets are in line with existing plans and policies cannot be overstated. The budget is the most potent tool through which good governance and improved maternal and child healthcare services can be bestowed on Nigerians, hence the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the annual budgets of the federal ministry of health translate into improved healthcare for Nigerian women and children.

    In the 2018 budget of the federal ministry of health, the appropriation of ¦ 20 million for “maternal, infant and young child feeding in Nigeria” is commendable. The appropriation of ¦ 10,113,187 for “national cervical cancer screening scale up project” is also commendable. While there is need to increase the amounts for these budget line items, it is recommended that the implementation of the above mentioned line items and the implementation of numerous other similar line items in the 2018 budget should be done judiciously.

    In the 2018 budget, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) made provisions for construction/renovation of primary healthcare centres nationwide. NPHCDA also made provisions for supply of drugs, medical outreach, operational vehicles, boreholes and public conveniences, etc. The total capital vote of NPHCDA in the 2018 budget amounts to ¦ 23.3 billion. Clearly, this is not an amount of money that should be lost to frivolities. Women and children are the most direct beneficiaries of budgetary appropriations for primary healthcare, hence mainstreaming value for money in the procurements of NPHCDA will translate to improved healthcare services for Nigerian women and children.

    Also, in the 2018 budget of the federal ministry of health, the appropriation of ¦ 70,000,000 for “training of nurses and midwives with specialized skills” by the Nursing and Midwifery Council is commendable. The appropriation of ¦ 37,000,000 by the Nursing and Midwifery Council for “procurement of personal protective equipment for handling of infectious diseases” is also commendable. Women and children will be the biggest beneficiaries of the appropriations of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, hence civil society organizations are encouraged to monitor the implementation of the over ¦ 284 million capital vote of the council. The total capital votes of the National Obstetric Fistula Centres in Abakaliki, Bauchi and Katsina amounts to ¦ 990,725,307, ¦ 337,620,364 and ¦ 282,380,385 respectively. Since Obstetric Fistula is a purely maternal health challenge, individuals and groups dedicated to the welfare of women are encouraged to monitor the disbursements of these huge sums of money.

    In order to improve the quality of Nigeria’s annual budget for maternal and child health in subsequent years, there is need to increase budgetary allocations to family planning in accordance with Nigeria’s commitments at the London Summit and National Family Planning Scale up Plan 2014. The annual allocation to nutrition should be increased in line with Nigeria’s National Food and Nutrition Policy. Construction and rehabilitation of primary healthcare centres by the federal government across the country should be accompanied by commitments from the state and local governments to fund the recurrent expenditures of these healthcare centres. The funding gap in immunization should be reduced while steps should be taken to enact the Nigerian Immunization Trust Fund Bill in order to ensure sustainable funding of immunization programmes. Full details of unclear and omnibus line items in the annual budget for maternal and child health should be made available to civil society organizations and independent monitors. Details of disbursements of donor and counterpart funds for maternal and child health should be made public.

     

     

    • Martins Eke,

    Centre for Social Justice, Abuja. 

     

     

  • World Hepatitis Day: Obaseki harps on early testing, grassroots sensitization

    The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, says early testing for Hepatitis and an aggressive and sustained grassroots sensitization on the danger of the disease would reduce the deaths from what experts describe as “one of the biggest global health threats of our time.”

    Obaseki gave the advice on the occasion of the commemoration of World Hepatitis Day, celebrated on July 28, each year.

    He assured that the Edo State’s decision to reconstruct and revamp health care centres across the state beginning with primary health care centres was informed by the need to extend modern health care services to all Edo people and residents.

    The governor urged Edo people and residents to prioritise their health, which he said, “is a major feature on the wellbeing index” and explained that regular health checks at the hospital would save millions of people the troubles and much of the burden of the disease as well as deaths.

    He lauded the effort of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its global partners in raising global awareness of the disease.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) said that “worldwide, 300 million people are living with viral hepatitis unaware. Without finding the undiagnosed and linking them to care, millions will continue to suffer, and lives will be lost.”

    Read Also: Obaseki inaugurates 12-man prerogative of mercy council

    The United Nations body called on people from across the world to take action and raise awareness “of the group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment as Hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic disease and killing close to 1.4 million people every year.

    The global body explained that “following the adoption of a resolution during the 63rd World Health Assembly in May 2010, World Hepatitis Day was given global endorsement as the primary focus for national and international awareness-raising efforts, to provide an opportunity for education and greater understanding of viral hepatitis as a global public health problem, and to stimulate the strengthening of preventive and control measures of this disease in Member States.”

    World Hepatitis Day is now recognized in over 100 countries each year through events such as free screenings, poster campaigns, demonstrations, concerts, talk shows, flash mobs and vaccination drives, amongst many others, the organization said.

  • WHO General Assembly opens with call for urgent actions

    The 71st General Assembly of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) was declared opened in Geneva, Switzerland with the Director-General of the organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Gbebreyesus calling for a shared sense of purpose in tackling the world’s health challenges.

    In his keynote address, Gbereyesus said there is no commodity in the world more precious than health and as such, an organization charged with defending the health of 7 billion people bears great responsibility and must be held to high standards.

    Citing the camp for internally displaced persons in Nigeria and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo; the DG called for a sense of urgency in tackling world health problems since every moment lost is a matter of life and death.

    Praising the commitment of WHO staff and health workers who risk their lives to serve others, Dr Gbereyesus pointed at the establishment of a High-Level Commission on Non-communicable Diseases as part of the means to stop the premature and preventable deaths of millions of people. Other initiatives established in the last one year under Gbereyesus, who made history as the first African to head the organization, include an initiative on climate change in small island developing states, the Global Fund and civil society initiative to treat all 4 million people globally who are infected with tuberculosis and an aggressive new initiative to jump-start progress against malaria.

    Describing malaria as an entirely treatable disease which kills half a million people every year, he listed other objectives geared towards promoting health and keeping the world safe to include the drive for the elimination of cervical cancer and a new initiative to eliminate trans-fats from the global food supply by 2023.

    Read Also: WHO raises Ebola risk to ‘very high’

    While disclosing that the WHO had in the past one year responded to 50 emergencies in 47 countries, including Nigeria, he announced the establishment of the Global Preparedness Monitoring (GPW) Board, an independent initiative convened by WHO and the World Bank to monitor system-wide preparedness for emergencies.

    “Too much is at stake for us to be modest. we will not settle for a world in which there is a 33-year difference in life expectancy between some countries.

    “We will not settle for a world in which people get sick because the air they breathe is not fit for human consumption. We will not settle for a world in which people have to choose between sickness and poverty because of the costs of paying for care out of their own pockets. That is what our new GPW is all about,” he submitted.

    He hinted on the transformation plans to make WHO more efficient by streamlining practices that lead to wastage as well as ensuring gender balance and greater geographical diversity throughout WHO.

    President Paul Kagame, Chairperson of the African Union and President of Rwanda, was the guest speaker at the assembly which boasts of about 4000 delegates from WHO’s 194 Member States and partner organizations. The Assembly is WHO’s highest decision-making body, setting out the Organization’s policy and approving its budget

  • WMD 2018: CAMA, Access Bank proposes investment to eliminate malaria

    Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa, CAMA in partnership with Access Bank Plc and other Corporate Society Organisations (CSOs) will on Thursday April 26th, hold a Malaria Forum in Lagos tagged; “Accelerating Investment to Bring Malaria to Zero”.

    The forum which seeks to bring together group of business executives, corporate health managers, technical experts, government officials, program implementers and global health community to discuss strategies to accelerate investment to bring malaria to Zero in Nigeria and Africa will take place at Access Bank Office in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The gathering is aimed at showcasing the impact of malaria investment by the private sector on key indicators such as key achievements and innovations. The challenges and opportunities facing malaria elimination in the country. Exchange knowledge on best practices for workplace malaria programs. Feature partnership opportunities for malaria elimination in Nigeria.

    Speakers at the event will include the Honorable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Commissioner for Health Lagos State, Dr. Olajide Idris and GBCHealth President, Nancy Wildfier-Field with a video message from Christoph Benn, Head of External Relations for the Global Fund and a host of private sector leaders; as well as representatives from ExxonMobil, Chevron, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, Access Bank, Private Sector Health Alliance, Nigerian Breweries and Dangote Foundation.

    According to the Director of the Global Malaria Programme at the World Health Organization, WHO, Dr Pedro Alonso, “If we are to get the global malaria response back on track, supporting the most heavily affected countries in the African Region must be the primary focus.”

    “The 2017 World Malaria Report has also disclosed that progress made in global malaria control is stalling, and risks going backwards without urgent action. Meeting global malaria targets and the aspirations of Nigeria’s national malaria strategic plan will only be possible through greater investment and expanded coverage of core tools to prevent, diagnose and treat malaria.

    Head, Sustainability Access Bank PLC, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan said that Investment on Malaria will yield huge returns through increased economic productivity , number of hours in school and lives saved.

    “It makes business sense to mobilise resources and competence to end malaria in Africa.”

    “World Malaria Day, held annually on April 25th, is an opportunity to highlight advances in malaria prevention and control and to commit to continued action to accelerate progress against this deadly disease.

    “This year’s theme –Ready to Beat Malaria– marks the importance of collective responsibility and commitment of the global malaria community in bringing together people on working towards a world free of malaria. The theme also puts the exemplary progress achieved in tackling malaria under the spotlight. It also puts focus on disturbing trends captured in World Malaria Report in 2017.

    During the meeting, CAMA an alliance of global companies from a variety of sectors who are committed to the global malaria fight will launch a case study report on best in class malaria programs.

    The report includes the first-ever mapping of private sector malaria investments in Nigeria and offers suggestions for creating additional impact as the country moves toward malaria elimination amongst others.

    The Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa (CAMA) is a GBCHealth-led initiative to drive partnerships for malaria control and elimination.

    GBCHealth in the same vein serves as a hub for business engagement on the world’s most pressing global health issues. Since 2001 GBCHealth have helped hundreds of companies develop and implement their own global health programs, brokered countless global and local public-private partnerships and effectively driven business advocacy nationally and globally in service of public health.

  • Celebrating the World Health Day

    The World Heath Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on the 7th of April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization ( WHO ).

    It is a known and popular saying that health is wealth; regardless of the amount of cash you have stashed in your account, a deficient health is tantamount to poverty.

    The theme of this year’s celebration of global health is “Good Health Adds Life To Years”.

    WHO as an international body is saddled with the responsibility to help people around the world attain the highest possible standard of health.

    It also collaborates with governments, organisations and communities to provide access to responsive health care, and give recommendations to policy wonks that can help deliver better and more effective health care system.

    The annual event to corroborate the world health day is aimed at encouraging people to pay close attention to their health habits and activities. This it does by educating people and raising their consciousness about specific health issues they might have overlooked.

    WHO is doing its best to reduce the cost of medical treatment so that the common man on the street can afford quality health care.

    It is also a strong supporter of the Yoga. Yoga is a form of physical and natural source of healing people, especially when they cannot afford expensive medical treatment, as well as people who think “alternative”.

    Statements like – therapy is the answer to medical issues, is credited to the World Health Organisation, which is dedicated to extensive studies and research across the globe to foster knowledge and encourage preventive techniques from health problem.

    In conclusion, regardless of your position in the social, political or economic stratosphere, it is important that you pay premium attention to your health. In the end, what is the use of working tirelessly to earn currencies, only to spend it all on sickness and diseases – those we could have prevented in the first place.

     

  • Female artists unmasked in Lagos

    This year’s edition titled “Unmasked”, an exhibition featuring female artists organized in commemoration of International Women’s Day is a departure from women’s issues such as gender based violence, economic equality, among others, to focus on women’s mental health, which clearly impact their ability to fight for recognition, Omolara Akintoye reports

    Statistics from World Health Organization (WHO) states that over seven million Nigerians suffer from depression and 4.8 million Nigerians (2.7 per cent of the population) suffer from anxiety disorders.

    Worldwide just 3 per cent of total government spending is for mental health. These artists through different mediums would create awareness on the different inner challenges of women with the hope of stripping the layers to express themselves more, especially in a male dominated society.

    Based on the WHO statistics, the third edition of Standing Out, a yearly exhibition featuring female artists highlights themes and issues pertinent to womanhood globally, began this month and would run through May 4 at in Lagos in honour of International Women’s Day celebration.

    The exhibition titled ‘Unmasked,’ which is organised by SMO Contemporary, is with the support of Wheatbaker Lagos and Louis Guntru. It is showcasing the works of seven female artists, with strong links to Lagos, but from different parts of Nigeria, Cameroon, The Gambia, India, and the U.S.

    This year’s edition is a departure from the usual women’s issues such as lack of access to education, gender based violence, and the need for economic equality, to focus on women’s mental health, which clearly impact their ability to fight for recognition and equality.

    At the preview of the exhibition, Founder and Artistic Director at SMO, Sandra Mbanefo Obiago stated that depression and other forms of mental illness could be easily spotted in Lagos, for example. “The expectations placed on women are even more enormous. Not surprising that we wear a mask to hide, deflect, cover, subterfuge and protect our inner worlds. Yet despite these immense pressures, Nigerians have been declared the world’s happiest people. Are we also the happiest women of the world?”

    “We believe that art is an important tool for advocacy and change in society,” the curators explained during the press preview. “We choose artists who have a strong message and presence, and could help to publicize the need for society to focus on the mental well being of women.”

    The ‘Unmasked’ exhibition is the brainchild of two emerging curators, Nneoma Ilogu and Moni Oloke, who are both health professionals and have been focusing on art through their work at SMO.

    Five of the artists were at the preview to shed more light on some of the works. In what may seem first of its kind, the exhibition features one spoken words artist, Koromone Koroye, who treated newsmen to one of her performances titled ‘When the spirit moves’. The poem challenges the stereotype that woman cannot write about anything or express themselves freely.

    Shishodia whose works are mostly acrylic on canvas said she draws inspiration from life around her. Shishodia depicts the spirit of woman through her series of “Tryst of Inertia”. The undeterred spirit of a woman is the core of her inner beauty. She remains unperturbed by her circumstances and the inertia caused by the mundane things of life increases her resilience.

    Nengi Omuku’s works, oil on canvas, show colour anthropomorphic forms, which stand in contrast to the scapes they inhabit. Metaphorically, she points out alluring differences between both sexes, questioning the encounter, ‘how do we react when we meet one another?

    Gambian-Nigerian filmmaker and photographer, NwaNri’s works posed a question, ‘what should I wear today? Referring to what one wears to present herself daily to the world. “As women, we bear the burden of high expectations from society. We smile even when we are hurt, we laugh even when we are dying, and we keep our head up even when we are sinking,” she said.

    Nwandu presents digital print on canvas. Her background in fashion is evidently seen in her works of beauty and true identity. As she puts it: “My works show my facial features interwoven with patterns that reflect my powerful heritage and African culture.”

    Nathalie’s work is fired and glazed clay, in which she advocates women solidarity, pointing out that education was the root of all women challenges. For her, women are more impacted by the happenings of society and culture. “I address these issues, in the shapes and faces featured in my work, by reminding us that when we take our last breath, we end up as dust. My art reminds us that we are responsible for what goes on around us, and at large in the world,” she said.

    Nwaneri-Olatunde also known as QueenTochukwu, displays acrylic on canvass ‘The Outsider series, depicting emotion and thoughts that revolves around a woman. In different expressions, in colours, strokes and contours, she compels the subject to be comfortable in whatever form.