The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to approve free medical treatments for them who are 70 years and above across the country. National President of the union, Dr Abel Afolayan made the appeal on Wednesday in his address in Ado-Ekiti to commemorate this year’s Pensioner’s Day.

Speaking through the NUP chairman in the state, Mr Ayo Kumapayi, he explained that offering free medical treatment to retirees would enhance their standard of living. He regretted that many pensioners have lost their lives as a result of the inability to access adequate health care.

The National President, Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria (APN), Dr Taiwo Sheikh, has said that the lack of a national prevention strategies by the government has led to the increase in suicide rate in Nigeria.

Speaking at the Health Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HEWAN) annual Symposium in Lagos, with the theme ‘Rising Incidents of Suicide, the Way Out’, Dr Sheik noted that since 2000, the establishment of a national prevention strategies in 28 countries of the world has led to a decline in suicide rate in those countries.

Mrs Abieyuwa Abel, a Social Anthropologist, has called on the Federal Government to use the National Health Act (NHA), 2014, to fast track Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria. Abel made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Abuja.

She was speaking ahead of the commemoration of International Day of UHC, slated for Dec. 12. NAN reports that on Dec. 12, 2012, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously endorsed a resolution urging countries to accelerate progress toward UHC.

No fewer than 16,992 children below the age of five were treated of malaria under the EU/UNICEF Maternal, New-born and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) project in Adamawa. The Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer of Fufore Local Government Area, Sa’id Umar, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Fufore town.

Mr Umar said the children located in hard to reach remote villages were attended to by Community Oriented Resource Persons (CORPs) between 2018 and November 2019. Mr Umar said Fufore has 240 CORPs provided with the necessary training by the Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Agency for testing and managing mild malaria cases.

A Consultant Pathologist at the Isolo General Hospital, Lagos, Dr. Mustapha Adenuga, said on Thursday that early health screening and routine check-up would reduce adult mortality. Adenuga made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

He defined screening as an examination or testing of individuals or a group to separate those well from those with diseases or defects. According to him, the goal of health screenings and check-ups is the early detection of diseases in order to treat them most effectively.

About 40,000 unidentified HIV infected persons have been discovered across the 13 local government areas and 18 development areas of Nasarawa State. 

An implementing partner, Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative, revealed this in Lafia at the end of a five-day workshop to develop 2020 annual operational plan on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the Akwanga Local Government Area of the state. The Institutional Capacity Strengthening Advisor of AHNi, in charge of North-Central, Dr Terfa Kene, said the group was working to identity the 40,000 HIV infected persons who had refused to present themselves for testing.

As part of the effort towards delivering quality healthcare service to the people of Lagos State and environs, the board and management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), has signed a Private Public Partnership (PPP) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lordus Medical and Surgical Supply Company to ensure uninterrupted gas supply is readily available in the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, expressed optimism on the positive results expected from the gas production project,

Many young Nigerians have been hospitalised or died due to Colon Cancer. Why is this so? Nobody likes to talk about bowel movements or cancer and nobody wants to get a colonoscopy. Still, according to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.

That makes it a subject worth discussing. Although some people find it embarrassing, it is essential to become knowledgeable about colon cancer and to test for the disease.

The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Monday, commissioned its N127million newly renovated and equipped intensive care unit and promised Nigerians near-zero death cases in critically ill patients that access treatment at the hospital. UCH’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Abiodun Otegbayo, said these will prevent cases of needless deaths from lack of basic equipment at the hospital’s intensive care unit.

He said the renovated right wing of the hospital’s ICU was last functional about 36 months but currently has seven ventilators, six multi-channel invasive monitors, infusions pumps, six electric beds and other appliances to make it function at the world-class level.

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) says its sensitisation on essential family practices in Imo communities is to improve the health of children and reduce infant morbidity rate.

Mrs Margaret Ayoka, the Director Primary Healthcare in Imo State Ministry of Health, said this at a sensitisation meeting of UNICEF and women of Amator Amuzu, Aboh Mbaise, held at the UNICEF Experimental School, Central School (1) in Aboh Mbaise Local Government area. The programme was held in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Owerri. Ayoka spoke extensively on the five essential family practices which are exclusive breastfeeding, immunisation, proper disposal of faeces, hand washing and anti-natal care for pregnant women.