Frontpage News (3249)
People with mental health issues are chained, subjected to hardship and abuse by health workers in Nigerian hospitals and rehabilitation centres, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Monday. The international rights group called on the Federal Government to ban the chaining of psychiatric patients and ensure that those rescued had access to psychosocial support and social services.
HRW also asked the FG to urgently investigate chaining of people with mental issues in state-owned rehabilitation centres, psychiatric hospitals, and faith-based and traditional healing centres in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Sen. Oloriegbe calls for adequate funding of health sector to boost performance
Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, has called for adequate funding to improve health sector performance in the country. Oloriegbe made the call at the third Annual Legislative Summit on Health in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the summit is: “Efficiency in the health sector and the role of legislators”. The senator called for a sober reflection on the nation’s health sector performance.
60% of imported drugs to be manufactured locally – NAFDAC
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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said it would ensure that 60 per cent of the drugs being imported into the country were manufactured locally. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the agency, said this at a news conference, on Monday in Abuja.
She stressed the need for the agency to ensure the local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector thrived. She said a significant amount of substandard and falsified drugs were creeping into the country. “We want the local manufacturing sector to thrive; we want a situation whereby 60 per cent of the country’s products are manufactured locally,” Mrs Adeyeye said.
Pure Cocoa Powder Shows Evidence in Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention
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Going by the taste of pure cocoa powder, many fun seekers will dislike it, because of its bitter nature. However, recent studies have shown that pure cocoa powder is a power food item packed with antioxidants, phytochemicals, minerals and the building blocks of neurotransmitters with far-reaching implications for treating cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, cancer and other chronic degenerative diseases.
Theobromacacoa, the scientific name of the plant from which raw cocoa is made and the main ingredient in chocolate, literally means “food of the gods.” It is a famous plant with a lengthy and rich history; a symbol of love that cuts across cultures; and other “feel good” hormones.
New Provisions in Pharmacy Bill Will Strengthen PCN, Transform Pharmacy Practice
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The new pharmacy law will help in no small way to transform pharmacy practice in Nigeria, as it has comprehensively brought all participants and bodies involved in drug distribution under the regulatory ambit of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. N.A.E. Mohammed, registrar, PCN, has said. Speaking on the topic: “Pharmacy Practice Reformation in Nigeria:
The Significance of the New Pharmacy Law,” at the recent 36th Marquis Memorial Lecture, organised by Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and held at the Marquis Lecture Theatre, the PCN registrar stated that, with the new pharmacy law, everyone involved in pharmacy practice, including those in the open drug markets, will now be regulated by the PCN.
Consultant physician urges examination of child’s frequent bed-wetting
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Dr Stanley Ogbonna, a Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, has advised that children that frequently bedwet should be made to undergo medical examination for diabetes.
Ogbonna gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Umuahia on Thursday, saying that bed-wetting in children might be a sign of diabetes. He urged parents and other family members not to bully such a children but subject him to proper medical investigation.“Bed-wetting can occur in children normally. But why we are drawing attention is that type 1 diabetes occur commonly in children. “This may not show any sign or symptom apart from the fact that the child is bed-wetting.
Pneumonia: Nigeria has highest number of child deaths globally – UNICEF
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Nigeria has been listed as the leading country with the highest number of child death to pneumonia globally. According to statistics by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 19% of child deaths were due to pneumonia in 2018, and it was the biggest killer of children under-five in 2017 in Nigeria.
In a statement made available to the Daily Times, the acting UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Pernille Ironside, revealed that while most global child pneumonia deaths occurred among children under the age of two, and almost 153,000 within the first month of life, more children under the age of five died from the disease in 2018 than from any other.
The Management of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State has dismissed 10 of its staff for stealing and selling blood meant for patients. Dr Hassan Ikrama, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lafia. “Some of them were engaged in stealing of blood from the blood bank and selling the same to private hospitals and diverting money meant for the hospital. “Some are using hospital equipment to conduct private medical investigation, they charge patients and put the money in their pockets” he added.
He noted that all the dismissed staff were investigated and found culpable by a committee that looked into the matter. Ikrama said that when he was appointed as the CMD, he discovered many leakages in the finances of the facility which needed to be blocked.
An expert in diabetes care Dr Ejiofor Ugwu has asserted that about 30 to 50 per cent of diabetes patients in Nigeria with foot ulcers eventually get their feet amputated due to poor care. He made the assertion Wednesday during the opening ceremony of the 2019 world diabetes day celebration and national diabetes workshop organized by the Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN) with the theme ” Improving Diabetes Care in Nigeria” held at Peter Akinola foundation, Abeokuta, Ogun state.
20 “hidden” destinations of purported health spendings in 2020 proposed budget
About N5 billion will go to service major construction works in the nation’s health sector in the 2020 proposed budget, but development experts, working around accountability process in public budgeting, worry that this may come to waste because the projects they are nominated to develop are not captured in the vision of the Ministry of Health, the regulatory institution for health development in the country.
In the proposed budget, a minimum of 20 health-related projects got generous appropriation but only for construction purposes and without regard for how such health facilities will be subsequently manned, staffed and remunerated, since the Ministry of Health which has these responsibilities has been bypassed by this budgetary arrangement.
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The Nigerian government has launched a large-scale campaign to vaccinate children in 19 northern states. The campaign is part of the effort to boost the immunity of children against measles and meningitis in the country.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It remains a major cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced plans to test a mosquito sterilization technique aimed at containing the spread of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika.
The Sterile Insect Technique, a form of “birth control” for mosquitoes and other deadly insects, has been used to tackle invasive pests in the past. It was first developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and has been used successfully to target insects that attack crops and livestock, especially the Mediterranean fruit fly and the New World screwworm fly. It is now being used across the world to boost agriculture.
HealthPlus Pharmacy has bagged the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Presidential Award for practicing pharmacy in the most ethical manner, the first pharmacy in the industry to win this prestigious award. The award presented to the company took place during the closing banquet of the 92nd Annual National Conference of the PSN, tagged Crocodile City 2019, held in Kaduna on 8 November 2019.
The Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Environment, World Health Organisation, key private sector, and civil society organizations, are marking the 2019 National Antibiotics Awareness Week (NAAW).
The NAAW is an annual national campaign to increase awareness across all sectors on the global threat of antibiotic resistance and to promote best practice of antibiotics usage among the general public, health workers and policymakers. The week is marked to increase awareness and prevent further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Nigeria's commemoration is part of activities to observe the 2019 World Antibiotics Awareness Week.
