The Oyo State Government has ordered the state Ministry of Health to begin emergency immunisationof children in the state after five persons were confirmed to have been killed by measles. A source, who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak on the matter, revealed that all the deaths were recorded in the Sabo area of Ibadan, where many citizens from the northern part of the state reside. Two weeks ago, the state government had announced that children would be immunised against measles between January 28 and February 1, 2016. But the latest directive signified the severity of the disease in the state and the determination of the government to quickly arrest it from spreading to other parts of the state.

The state Ministry of Health will begin vaccination against measles on January 19, 2016, instead of the earlier scheduled date of January 28, 2016. This is informed by the death of five people because of the disease. The state is committed to safeguarding the lives of the citizens, which informed the directive to begin the vaccination ahead of time,” the source said. The state Chief Health Educator, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olawoyin, had earlier said that the exercise would target children from nine months to 59 months and that thousands of children would be given the vaccine. She said, “In 2015, 761 blood samples from children were taken to the laboratory, as part of the state measles surveillance activity. We had 9.7 per cent of the number with negative result while 3.7 per cent tested positive for measles.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said on Thursday in Abeokuta that the Federal Government would build 10,000 functional primary healthcare centres across the country. Ehanire, who disclosed this during his familiarisation visit to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, said constructing more healthcare centres would reduce pressure on tertiary health institutions. He noted that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to tackling medical tourism.

According to him, the country loses an estimated one billion dollars annually as a result of Nigerians travelling abroad to get the desired medical services. The minister said as part of the government’s agenda, over 10,000 functional primary healthcare centres would be established in various parts of the country. This, according to him, would help to reduce the pressure on tertiary health institutions, which would be repositioned to address health challenges often treated in foreign countries.

The Lagos State House of Assembly has disclosed that plans are underway to initiate the Health Trust Fund Bill, which if passed into law, will assist in the funding of the state health sector. This disclosure was made on Tuesday by the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Hon. Segun Olulade, when he led other members of the committee on an inspection tour to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Olulade who was confronted with several complaints by some of the patients and their relatives, especially as it relates to medical fees, assured the people that his committee is already working on the Health Trust Fund Bill, which according to him may come to place before the end of the year.

The lawmaker explained that the bill if initiated, passed into law by the House and signed by the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, will allow well meaning individuals, philanthropists, corporate organisations and so on, to willingly donate money to the fund as it being done with the state Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). While responding to the issue of shortage of manpower/personnel, Olulade, who is representing Epe Constituency II, promised that the government will look into the issue, promising that more doctors and nurses will be employed across the state’s General Hospitals and Primary Health Centres, so as to reduce the number of patients that visit the LASUTH.

A 43-year-old self-acclaimed medical doctor, Adesina Opeyemi, has been arrested by the police in Lagos for impersonation. Opeyemi, who resides at 1, Alowolodu Street, Alapere-Ketu, was apprehended at Alakara area of the state. Following a petition received from the management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital LUTH, Idi Araba, about the activities of Opeyemi, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Alakara, Mr. Emmanuel Adebisi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, was mandated to investigate the case which led to the arrest of the suspect.

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, gave the assurance on Wednesday while addressing State House correspondents. "We are committed to signing the obituary of the Lassa fever this year", the minister said. He, however, noted that the country could win the battle against Lassa fever the same way it won against Ebola because the latter was a single importation to Nigeria, while the former was endemic in the country. "We cannot win the battle against Lassa fever the same way we won the one against Ebola. Ebola happened to be a single importation to Nigeria. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria. In 2012, we had upsurge in 26 states.

So, it is there, but I can assure you that with what we put in place this year, we will sign it off", he said. The minister also stated that the current outbreak of Lassa fever was not resurgence as it had been endemic in the country over the years. "And as I said in numerous occasions, we have these outbreaks. In 2012, we had the highest. We had 1, 700 cases and that declined. Last year, we had 441 cases. And what has happened is that for the first time in the history of the country,

Lagos State government yesterday said it has recorded fresh case of death from the highly dreaded Lassa fever ravaging the country. The state’s commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclosed this at a press conference explained that the state has recorded 20 suspected cases of Lassa fever as at January 26, 2016, since the outbreak of the disease in the country in November, 2015. Idris flanked by the state’s commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr.Steve Ayorinde said 14 suspected cases tested negative, while four suspected cases were confirmed positive of Lasssa fever. He added that the ministry has line-listed 537 contacts of the confirmed cases and 534 which represents 99 per cent of the contacts are currently being monitored.

The commissioner said, “The last confirmed case was a 27 year old lady, who travelled to Edo State on December 24, 2015 and returned to Lagos on January 2, 2016. She became ill on January 14, 2016 and received care in one private hospital and three churches before she was referred on January 23, 2016 to Ijede General Hospital with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and body weakness. The patient died within a few hours of admission. The case was confirmed as Lassa fever on January 26, 2016. “The remains of the patient has been kept in the morgue in leak proof body bag. She is to be buried after due consultation with her family. “Ninety (90) persons have been line-listed as contacts of the last confirmed case as at January 26, 2016 and contact tracing is on-going.”

UNICEF has on Tuesday in New York appealed for 2.8 billion dollars in aid to assist 43 million children living in humanitarian crises worldwide. Afshan Khan, UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes, said that a large portion of the appeal would go toward funding education. He said one-fourth of the appeal would be used to educate children in emergencies and to get 5 million Syrian children living in and outside the country into schools.

Khan said the number of children living in humanitarian crises with access to schools from 4.9 million at the beginning of last year to 8.2 million this year. “Education is a life-saving measure for children, providing them with the opportunity to learn and play, amidst the carnage of gunfire and grenades. UNICEF noted that its current appeal had doubled what it was just three years ago.

The Federal Government says it has concluded plans to unveil the National Health Agenda and commission the National Health Gazette to boost the healthcare needs of Nigerians. Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Minister of Health, disclosed this while fielding questions from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja. Adewole also reiterated government commitment on the implementation of the National Health Act. The minister said these instruments had outlined and fashioned the new focus in the ministry and government resolve to stop medical tourism.

He said the ministry would now focus on maximising optimal use of available resources, the provision of specialised care for our people and changing the direction and destination of medical tourism. “I believe by the end of our first year, we should be able to reduce medical tourism such that in five years’ time, less than 20 per cent of Nigerians will go abroad for treatment. “We will make our teaching hospitals work and do Public Private Partnerships (PPP). “The PPP will focus on derivable benefits of promoting inter and intra professional harmony. “We (FG) will give Primary Health Care preference as a strategic platform for achieving Universal Health Coverage,’’ he said.

Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State says the Kidney Care Centre (KCC) in Ondo town has performed 2,571 sessions of dialysis since March 2014. Mimiko said this on Wednesday in Akure while declaring open a two-day meeting of the State Council on Health, with the theme “Post MDGs: Sustaining Health Gains”. He said that the centre charges N15,000 per dialysis session which, according to him, is not only the cheapest in Nigeria but half what is charged elsewhere across the country. The governor said that KCC had established outreach centres in parts of the state to enlighten people on how to prevent kidney diseases. “Apart from the curative aspect, the centre also engages in preventive healthcare services by way of screening of patient’s health, education and community outreach.

“This is in line with our electoral promises to provide exceptional qualitative healthcare for the good people of Ondo state. “We have embarked on massive and unprecedented healthcare revolutions which have earned us both national and international accolades. “It has become a recurrent decimal that how are we going to sustain all these? I know it is part of what we will unravel at this council,” Mimiko said. Dr Dayo Adeyanju, the state Commissioner for Health, said that the Mother and Child Hospital in Ondo had also registered and treated 45,021 patients, including 17,913 pregnant women and 25,600 children as at December 2015.