Frontpage News (3259)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised that the world should prepare for the next pandemic together and now. The advice is part of the WHO’s three messages to an unprecedented virtual session of the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA75), which opened on Tuesday, September 15, in New York, United States.
The global health body said: “COVID-19 has shown us that the world was woefully unprepared – despite the many warning signs and warnings.
NIGERIANS have expressed fears following confirmation by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID19 on Tuesday that some incoming air travellers presented fake COVID- 19 test certificates and that about 40 per cent of arriving passengers tested positive for the virus.
Some experts are afraid the situation may become like the yellow fever card scam that went on for years. They said the situation could get worse unless the PTF and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control ( NCDC) increase the test sites to include public laboratories for passengers travelling outside the country.
The National Industrial Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to immediately end their industrial action which started on September 7 2020.
Justice Galadima issued the order in a ruling on an ex parte application filed by two civil society groups, the Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights, and Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture. Joined as respondents in the suit marked, NICN/ABJ/124/2020, are NARD, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, and the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige.
The President, Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas, Dr Anthony Ikeme, has called on the Federal Government to develop and execute a blueprint for the economic development of the pharmaceutical industry in the country.
Ikeme said this on Wednesday in Kano while delivering his keynote address on ‘Advancing Industrial Pharmacy Sector in a Volatile Economy,’ at the 23rd Annual National Conference of the Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria. He said a long overdue blueprint has become more pressing following the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, which had further exposed the inherent weaknesses in the nation’s health care system.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 111 new cases of COVID-19 in the country. NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Wednesday. According to the agency, with the new infections, the total number of confirmed cases in the country is now 57, 724.
It disclosed that 149 persons were discharged after being successfully treated and had recovered from the coronavirus. The public health agency said two deaths were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours from the deadly virus.
Lagos State Ministry of Health Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods has been shut down 21 pharmacies, patent medicine stores for offences bordering on illegal operations and operating beyond scope of practice.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed on Wednesday while reviewing the report of the enforcement exercise carried out by the Task Force. He stated that the sealing of the affected pharmacies and patent medicine stores was in accordance with the provisions of Section C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Miscellaneous Provision Act of 1999.
The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two counterfeit animal drug factories in Bichi Local Government Area of Kano State. Shaba Muhammad, the state Coordinator of the agency, said this during a raid conducted by the operatives of the agency on Wednesday in Bichi.
Muhammad said that the raid was sequel to the discovery of a large quantity of the counterfeit animal drugs in circulation at Sabon Gari and other major markets in Kano metropolis.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Zamfara Command, has impounded a truck conveying 1,503.044kilogrammes of illicit drugs. The State Commander, Gabriel Adamu, stated this at a press conference in Tsafe town on Wednesday.
Adamu said that officers of the command in Tsafe, acting on intelligence reports, intercepted a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number Anambra XY 200 FGG, along Gusau-Zaria expressway. He said the illicit drugs contained in the truck include Cannabis sativa 185kgs, Hypnox 11.5kgs, Diazepam 14kgs, Valinex-5 22.7kgs, Exol-5 310kgs and Codeine syrup 59.844kgs among others.
WHO: Tobacco Responsible For 20% Of Deaths From Coronary Heart Disease
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Every year, 1.9 million people die from tobacco-induced heart disease, according to a new brief released today by the World Health Organization, World Heart Federation and the University of Newcastle Australia ahead of World Heart Day, marked on 29 September.
This equates to one in five of all deaths from heart disease, warn the report’s authors, who urge all tobacco users to quit and avoid a heart attack, stressing that smokers are more likely to experience an acute cardiovascular event at a younger age than non-smokers. Just a few cigarettes a day, occasional smoking, or exposure to second-hand smoke increase the risk of heart disease.
Nigerian doctors are among the least paid worldwide. Doctors in 45 other African countries are better paid than their Nigerian counterparts.
The Guardian investigation revealed that, of all 55 African countries, Nigerian doctors (lowest salary of 320) are better paid than their counterparts only in Sudan (66), Cameroon (300), Egypt (157), Guinea Conakry (102), Zimbabwe (83), Uganda (300), Algeria (265), Burundi (100), Ethiopia (300).
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COVID-19 Pandemic: Countries Urged To Take Stronger Action To Stop Spread Of Harmful Information
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The World Health Organization (WHO) together with the UN, specialised agencies and partners today called on countries to develop and implement action plans to promote the timely dissemination of science-based information and prevent the spread of false information while respecting freedom of expression.
WHO, the UN, UNICEF, UNAIDS, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Global Pulse initiative and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), together with the governments of Indonesia, Thailand and Uruguay held a webinar on the margins of the 75th UN General Assembly to draw attention to the harm being done by the spread of misinformation and disinformation, the latter being deliberate misinformation to advance an agenda.
An effective COVID-19 vaccine could help us emerge from isolation and end the social distancing required during this pandemic; but it will only work if people are willing to be vaccinated.
We conducted a survey in June 2020 that addressed whether people’s willingness to use a COVID-19 vaccine and adopt other preventive healthcare measures was associated with trust. The survey was conducted in nine countries: China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A thousand individuals were surveyed in each country, and the responses were weighted to the most recent census data.
Genotype Testing Helps Avoid Genetic Diseases In Children, Says Expert
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The Medical Representative and Director, Bentoluene International Health Concept, Ogunleye Toluwalope, has called on singles to always check their genotype before getting into any marriage relationship to avoid the challenge of sickle cell disorder in their children.
He told newsmen, as the world celebrates Sickle Cell Awareness Month, that Nigeria has the highest population of people living with sickle cell disease, SCD, in the world and “over the years we have spoken to young ones that there is nothing like ‘love at first sight’.
Commonwealth Doctors Seek More Investment In Health Workers’ Care, Safety
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As the world marks the 2020 World Patient Safety Day (WPSD), with the theme: “Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety.” the Commonwealth Medical Association, CMA, has called on governments and other stakeholders to make greater investments and sustained commitments to the working conditions, occupational health and safety of healthcare workers.
In a message to mark the day in Nigeria, the President of CMA, who was former President of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele maintained that health worker safety was essential
