The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC) in Gombe on Tuesday called on traditional medical practitioners to register with the Agency to avoid selling unsafe medicine to the public.

Mr Gonzuk Nyor, the State Coordinator of NAFDAC, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe.

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has warned that the promotion of Internet pharmacy will worsen the increasing indiscriminate access to medicines, drug abuse and misuse in the country.

National Chairman, ACPN, Mr. Samuel Adekola, told journalists that the association remains committed to the letter and spirit of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of its 38th Annual National Conference, which insisted on normalising the chaotic drug distribution channels through the following procedures and interventions by the strategic regulatory agencies involved in drugs distribution such as the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Worried by the growing incidence of drug abuse and misuse, pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) have called for the urgent empowerment of members to check the menace.

The pharmacists who made the call at the Third Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun- Afodu Annual Lecture in Pharmacy Trust Fund held by the Office of Advancement and the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG) include: Dean Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG, Prof. Glory Ajayi; President, PSN, Sam Ohuabunwa; and Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Fola Tayo. The pharmacists were joined by a consultant pediatrician and Provost, College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL), Prof. Foluso Ebun Afolabi Lesi, who was also the Keynote Address Speaker.

Scientists at Bristol University UK, have recently found a link between intake of paracetamol during pregnancy and potential adverse behavioural and cognitive outcomes during childhood.

Paracetamol is commonly used to relieve pain during pregnancy and is recommended as the treatment of choice by many medical experts. According to the lead author, Jean Golding, the findings reinforce the advice that women should be cautious when taking medication during pregnancy.

Five hundred women have benefited from a free-breast-cancer screening in Ilorin, in order to curb its prevalence. The Medical Director of Lifefount Hospital, Ilorin, Dr. Yemisi Adeyeye, told reporters that there was the need for women to be aware of the existence of the disease at its early stage. She said this is because women are usually the most affected victims and their early awareness of its existence in their breasts will lead to a cancer-free society.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day medical outreach was organized by the hospital in collaboration with the African Research Group for Oncology. Adeyeye advised women to always embark on self-breast examinations through frequent checks of their breasts for lumps and other strange features around their breasts.

The Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Travor, has said that his country was awaiting a formal license for the production of a drug that will prevent amputation of the limb of people suffering from diabetics.

Travor also said that the Cuban government has supplied equipment for early detection of diseases like cancer and other ailments in Nigeria, adding that Cuban specialists will arrive in the country this week to train Nigerians on the use of the equipment currently installed at Alimosho in Lagos State.

Despite all efforts by governments towards the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality, women and children die endlessly. This concern made the Federal Ministry of health engage other stakeholders to develop a strategic roadmap to be a springboard to accelerate the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality.

This roadmap aligns with existing policy document and the national strategy and is expected to guide the implementation of key priority steps at the states and the community levels.

Lagos State Coordinator, Young Pharmacists Group of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Funmbi Okoya, has said with cannabis use amongst students being as high as 21.2 percent in parts of the country, young Nigerians should be given the necessary information to avoid drug abuse.

Okoya said the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PFN) has played a vital role in the fight against drug abuse through various activities and initiatives. He stated that the most notable one has been the pharmacists’ partnership with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for the Youth Against Drug Abuse (YADA) project, a school-based program aimed at informing children on the dangers of drug abuse; and parents on the signs to look out for; as well as rendering help to those already on drugs.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, and Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Thursday decried the “rising and unprecedented” rates of maternal and infant mortality in the country, and declared that the trend was “simply unacceptable”.

The duo spoke at the opening ceremony of the 62nd National Council on Health (NCH), meeting in Asaba, Delta State. Ehanire, in his remarks, confirmed that in spite of the global decline in maternal mortality in the Millennium Development Goals era, the rates of maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria were high and at unprecedented rates.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Nigeria office and other partners have held a walk to enlighten Nigerians about Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and benefits of regular exercise to health.

Tagged ‘Abuja Walk the Talk’ with the theme: “The Health for All Challenge,” the walk was organized as part of activities leading to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) slated for 23 September in New York, United States of America.