Frontpage News (3254)
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has restated the State government’s commitment to support the “Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH)”
As a show of solidarity, medical doctors in South West have threatened to go on strike within two weeks, if the Osun State government fails to address the plight of their colleagues. 
Research by scientists in Brazil have indicated that a mosquito more common than the one primarily known to transmit Zikainfections may possibly be able to carry the virus.
According to the research, this is a development that can further complicate efforts to limit its spread. The scientists in Brazil had announced on Wednesday that they were able to infect another mosquito species, Culex quinquefasciatus, with the Zika virus in a laboratory.
The research was conducted by scientists at the government-funded Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in the northeastern city of Recife as part of an on-going trial. The trial involved researchers injecting 200 of the Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes with rabbit blood infected by Zika.
Scientists believe they have discovered a way to “steer” the immune system to kill cancers. They have developed a method, reported in Science journal, for finding unique markings within a tumour – its “Achilles heel” – that the immune system can target.
But the approach would be expensive, need designing for each individual and has not yet been tried in patients. Experts said the idea made sense but could be more complicated in reality.
However, the researchers believe their discovery could form the backbone of new treatments and hope to test it in patients within two years. People have tried to steer the immune system to kill tumours before, but cancer vaccines have largely flopped.
The leadership crisis rocking the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Imo State, has been resolved –giving way to the resumption of clinical services in the facility generally believed to be one of the best medical centres in the country.
The resumption of work in the hospital followed the federal government’s directive to the embattled Chief Medical Director (CMD), of the centre, Dr. Mrs. Angela Uwakwem, to proceed on compulsory leave, and the appointment of Prof. Ndubuisi Ekeh, as the acting CMD of the Centre.
Indeed, the leadership crisis was put to rest following series of deliberations between federal government officials and stakeholders in the health sector, as well the intervention of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Services, chaired by Deacon Chike Okafor.
Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday advocated for an end to medical tourism in the country, arguing that there are state-of-the-art medical facilities in the country which the people must patronize. 
The concept of healthcare has taken on new dimensions due to its increasing role and influence in ensuring optimal health outcomes on one hand, and its new status as a viable sub-sector of a nation's economy. Driving this increasing role is the private health sector, who provide over 50% of health services in sub-Saharan Africa and drives over 95% of total health expenditure in Nigeria through out-of-pocket payments.
I felt nice seating in the Nelson Mandela Hall of the African Union Headquarters on Thursday 25th February 2016 when the African Ministers of Health were reviewing, negotiating and finalizing the ministerial declaration on immunization. 
When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Nigeria polio-free, it was celebrated after fighting the battle since 1976. This battle also forced the federal government to set up the National Programme on Immunization (NPI) in the same year. Though the effort failed woefully but in 1979 it was reactivated, leading to the emergence of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).
The same can be done to other Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD), ODIRI UCHENUNU writes. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which affects mostly children. It is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.
Initial symptoms, which usually appear 10 to 12 days after infection, include high fever, runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth. Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards.
The Nigerian Medical Association in Ekiti, has criticised the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, over the sack of some doctors in the state civil service.
The NMA urged its members in Osun to discontinue any negotiation plans with the governor until the action, it described as ‘draconian and obnoxious’ , is reversed.
The association also called on Governor Ayodele Fayose to implement the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Scale to all doctors across board as being enjoyed in Ondo, Gombe and Ogun States.
More...
A meeting of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN) is slated for Abuja from March 14 to 18 to deliberate on universal health coverage and public health issues affecting Nigerians.
Ogun State chapter of National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners onMonday commenced a one-week warning strike over its requests from the state government.
The association disclosed in a communique issued at the end of the emergency general meeting of the association and signed by its chairman and secretary, Dr. Oladunni Adetola and Dr. Adetonwa Festus respectively.
The communique read,"After series of letters to the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, both official and personal,as well as sensitization of all other stakeholders, the government has not seen any reason to attend to any of the aforementioned issues ravaging the health sectors.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the first tests of Zika vaccines on humans are expected to start only at the end of the year.
The health agency noted that it would therefore not be able to help fight the current outbreak in Brazil.
WHO’s Chief Innovation Officer, Marie-Paule Kieny, said the agency convened international experts in Geneva to discuss strategies to develop the right vaccine and diagnostic tools, as well as methods to fight mosquitoes.
Bauchi—No fewer than three persons have died from a fresh outbreak of Lassa Fever, while 10 members of a family are currently infected with the virus in Bauchi State.
The Executive Chairman Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ibrahim Gamawa, who said this yesterday in Bauchi, added that the 10 new cases were recorded in a single family at Jaye village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.
He said the outbreak started after a 78-year-old man died of the disease without seeking professional medical treatment.
