Thursday 28 September 2017

FG Appoints New Acting DG for NAFDAC

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Federal Government on Thursday approved the appointment of Mr. Ademola Andrew Magbojuri as the new Acting Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Magbojuri takes over from Mrs. Yetunde Oni, who attained the retirement age of 60 last week. She served in acting capacity for 18 months following the sack of NAFDAC's substantive DG,  Dr. Paul Orhii.

Magbojuri, who is the most senior director in NAFDAC, until this appointment, was in charge of the agency’s Training and Research Institute in Kaduna.

The new DG has served as Director of Finance and Accounts before he was redeployed to the agency’s Planning, Research and Statistics unit.

Wednesday 27 September 2017

Obaseki Restates Commitment to PHC in Edo

…to waive call duty tax for UBTH doctors
Rebecca Ejifoma
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State (1st Right); Chief Medical Director, UBTH, Dr. Darlington Obaseki (2nd Right) flanked by other members of the newly inaugurated management team, with government officials during a courtesy visit to the Governor, at Government House in Benin City on Tuesday, September 26, 2017...
The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has restated his commitment to boosting primary healthcare delivery in the state, stressing that the government would deploy the bulk of its resources to address gaps in the system and allow for world-class partners to invest in improving secondary and tertiary healthcare services.

The governor said this during a courtesy visit by the new Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Dr. Darlington Obaseki, and the hospital’s newly inaugurated management team, to the Government House, Benin City, Edo State.

According to the Doctor, the visit was to show appreciation for the governor’s role in ensuring the smooth transition from the previous management of the hospital and initiating a hitherto non-existent cordial relation between the state government and the hospital, noting that incessant industrial actions plaguing the health sector are a result of inadequate welfare, he urged the state governor to look into the state’s insistence that doctors pay taxes from their core duty allowance.

However, Governor Obaseki said that the commitment to primary healthcare was due to its impact on the poor masses, as the Edo State needed a strong primary healthcare system to ensure that residents don’t develop health complications that would limit their chances of contributing to the development of the state.

He, also, said that the challenges in the health sector arose from false assumptions. “We need to revamp our health care system to be relevant and realistic. We need to treat health care as one, it doesn’t matter who owns what.”

Health Plus Launches Healthy Heart Check Service

Lauretta Omosoga

With efforts to lower the risk of developing heart disease, HealthPlus Pharmacy Ltd in partnership with RapidCheck Diagnostic and Wellness Ltd has launched the Healthy Heart Check Service yesterday September 26.

This launching is in line with World Heart Day observed on September 29. The Healthy Heart Check Service entails carrying out series of diagnostic tests that allows anyone to 'Know their Numbers' with regards to Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose, Cholesterol, measuring the LDL, HDL and Total triglycerides, the BMI and the Heart Age.

Supporting their effort is RapidCheck Wellness Diagnostics Ltd, who together with their International partner companies in USA and Taiwan, would be supplying the monitors to be used for the service. The plan is plan to expand the Healthy Heart Check Service to all 46 locations of HealthPlus branches over time as the ultimate aim is to make every Nigerian Healthy Heart Aware and to contribute our quota to making universal healthcare coverage available to all Nigerians.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) HealthPlus Pharmacy Ltd, Pharmacist (Mrs.) Bukky George, in her keynote address, said: "Heart disease is one of the greatest causes of premature death. In Nigeria, 436 males and 476 females out of every 100,000 die as a result of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. These deaths can be prevented.”

Tuesday 26 September 2017

UNICEF Canvasses Four Weeks Paid Paternity Leave

Rebecca Ejifoma

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday recommended six months paid maternity leave and four weeks paid paternity leave to ensure healthy development of young children in the country.

The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Fall, disclosed this at the National Early Childhood Development (ECD) conference held in Abuja with the theme, ‘Investing early in Nigerian children'.

Fall, however, recommended two years pre-primary education, adding that the policies would afford parents time and resources needed to support their young children’s healthy development. “Nigeria currently has three months paid maternity leave, only one year free pre-education and no paternity leave.”

Based on the 2016 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, the representative affirmed that the key indicators of child development remain low in ally.

He expressed that only about 40 per cent of children within the ages of 36 and 59 months were attending an organised early childhood education programme, while more than 31 per cent of children under the age of five are moderately and severely underweight.

“Yet research in the Lancet series 2016 shows that early childhood education programme is a foundation for health, productivity, learning and social cohesion.”
Fall said that the conference was aimed at creating awareness on the meaning and importance of the early years of a child from conception to five years in early childhood nutrition, education and development.

Organisations Partner to Give Indigent Nigerian Children Free Healthcare

Rebecca Ejifoma

In furtherance of its charity activities with Topgoodness School, Otodo-Gbame, Linking Hands Foundation (LHF) has partnered Ask the Paediatricians Foundation (ATP) to provide medical outreach to indigent Nigerian children "Otodo-Gbame Children’s Medical Outreach” on Saturday 30th September this year at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Resurrection Parish Grounds, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos at 8am.

The foundations are acting on their shared vision that all Nigerian children must be healthy and alive, and must achieve their full potential.

ATP has held medical outreaches for 1,000 children in Makoko and over 500 children in Ijegun, which LHF supported actively. “Together, we look forward to meeting the health needs of the expected 1,000 Otodo-Gbame (and Jakande) children at this medical outreach,” Founder, Linking Hands Foundation – LHF, Efe Farinre.

She expressed that the children would be provided free vital and nutritional status checks, paediatric consultation, dental care, deworming, testing and treatment of malaria, medication, health talks, balanced diet meal, brand new & old clothes, shoes, books & toys, toiletries and other give-aways.

Merck Foundation brings African and Asian Countries together to Build Healthcare Capacity in the Continent

Rebecca Ejifoma

Merck Foundation – a non-profit company and a subsidiary of Merck KGaA Germany – is set to conduct the Fourth edition of their annual ‘Merck Africa Asia Luminary’ on 24th and 25th of October next year in partnership with Egypt’s Ministry of High Education and Scientific Research, Africa Fertility Society and the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS).

This annual luminary is coming after the success of Merck Africa Luminary in Germany, Kenya and cote D’Ivoire, as disclosed in a press release issued today.

According to the Chairman of the Executive Board and Family Board of E-Merck KG, Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Merck is a value driven company and that is one of the reasons Merck - through its foundation - is committed to support the social and economic development of Africa, Asia and developing countries by building healthcare capacity and improving access to innovative and equitable healthcare in the continent.

CEO of Merck Foundation, Dr. Rasha Kelej, expressed that Merck Foundation would bring more than 450 healthcare providers, policy makers, academia and researchers from Africa, Asia and CIS countries to  benefit from the valuable educational and social development sessions by top international experts in Diabetes, Fertility, Oncology, Cardiology, Women Health and Research. This is to improve disease management, early detection and prevention, build healthcare and research capacity and improve access to innovative and equitable healthcare solutions in developing countries.

He added: “We are very proud to have very influential women leader to inaugurate the Luminary such as: Vice President of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Samia Hassan Suluhu, First Lady Republic of Guinea, H.E. Conde Djénè Kaba, First Lady of Gambia, H.E. Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, First Lady of Niger, H.E. Aissata Issoufou Mahamadou, First Lady of Chad, H.E. Hinda Deby Itno and First Lady of Central African Republic, H.E. Brigitte Touadera."

Kelej further disclosed that they would announce the start of Merck more than a Mother” to empower infertile women through access to information, health and change of mind-set in their respective countries and the rest of Africa.

Saturday 23 September 2017

WHO: Edo Tops Nigeria’s Routine Immunisation Coverage Chart – WHO

Lauretta Omosoga
The Governor of Edo State, Obaseki, vaccinating a child during the flag-iff of routine immunisation

Edo has been adjudged as the best-performing state in routine immunisation coverage in Nigeria with no variation between its administrative data and the outcome of the National Immunisation Coverage Survey conducted in 2016.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) Coordinator in Edo State, Mrs. Faith Ireye, disclosed this during the flag-off of routine immunisation intensification project by the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki at Egor Local Government Area of the state.

The National Immunisation Coverage Survey is a joint review by WHO and UNICEF to find out variations between empirical data and the immunisation performance system or where data might be misleading.

The administrative coverage data is reported by national authorities and based on aggregated administrative reports from health service providers on the number of vaccinations administered during a given period and reported target population data. This was compared with data based on estimated coverage from household surveys among children from ages 12 to 23 months or 24 to 35 months.


According to Ireye, there has been a huge reduction in vaccine-preventable disease rate in the state. “Edo has been able to achieve the measles elimination target of less than one measles case per 1,000,000 population.”

She added that the state’s performance could be attributed to Obaseki’s championing of an incentive-based system to accelerate results in healthcare delivery, with the yearly cash award to the best performing LGAs in routine immunisation.

She, however  commended the governor for the initiative, stressing that it would spur local councils and health workers to be at their best as they carry out routine immunisation programme in the state.

Thursday 21 September 2017

WHO: The World is Running out of Antibiotics

A report – Antibacterial agents in clinical development – an analysis of the antibacterial clinical development pipeline, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis – launched today by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows a serious lack of new antibiotics under development to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Most of the drugs currently in the clinical pipeline are modifications of existing classes of antibiotics and are only short-term solutions. The report found very few potential treatment options for those antibiotic-resistant infections identified by WHO as posing the greatest threat to health, including drug-resistant tuberculosis which kills around 250 000 people each year.

“Antimicrobial resistance is a global health emergency that will seriously jeopardise progress in modern medicine,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “There is an urgent need for more investment in research and development for antibiotic-resistant infections including TB, otherwise we will be forced back to a time when people feared common infections and risked their lives from minor surgery.”

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Dangote: Pray that Oil Prices Remain Low

Aliko Dangote
Rebecca Ejifoma
Nigerian business leader, Aliko Dangote assured investors that Africa would become the food basket of the world, and that five of the 12 million jobs needed in Africa soon must be created in Nigeria, as he urged everyone to pray that oil prices remain low”

According to Dangote at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, "Agriculture, agriculture, agriculture. Africa will become the food basket of the world."

In a packed room at the headquarters of global law firm Shearman and Sterling LLC  high level business leaders and international diplomats invited by the Corporate Council for Africa to hear Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, and Rwandan president, Paul Kagame openly converse on Africa's opportunities and challenges.

Both leaders underscored the ongoing movement to diversify African economies. In the case of  Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, Dangote added: "We should pray that oil prices remain low. This helps wean us off the dependency on revenues from petroleum. We must take oil to be the icing on the cake. We already have the cake.”

Besides agriculture, Dangote cited Nigeria's vast mineral resources and gas as well and the need to manufacture more goods locally for domestic consumption. Both he and Kagame called on continued need for heavy investments in education and connected the need for young people to be well trained for the jobs of tomorrow.

Dangote predicted that "Five of the 12 million jobs needed in Africa soon must be created in Nigeria”.

Accordingly, Dangote's fortune – which stems from cement, sugar, and other household commodities – has expanded into fertiliser and other processed high-value goods. "Technology of course helps us a lot and our factories are state of the art with the use of robotics but we shouldn't be overly tech oriented to create wealth," he told investors.

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Dangote Foundation, GBCHealth Join Forces to Build Coalition on Health

Rebecca Ejifoma
Dangote Foundation and GBCHealth have joined forces to forge a new model of partnership, African Business Coalition on Health (GBCHealth) in Africa.

Chairman of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, shared plans to build an African Business Coalition on Health (ABCHealth), during the Bloomberg Global Business Forum he was co-hosting, which held alongside the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York.

According to him, the African-led coalition of companies and philanthropists will seek to improve the health and wellbeing of Africans, both within the workplace and within the broader communities. He stated that the partnership would develop and deploy impactful health programmes across Africa, deepening knowledge, building evidence for future investment and strengthening coordination among African philanthropists, business leaders, companies and local business networks.

The Coalition is building on the leadership, reputation and convening power of the Aliko Dangote Foundation and the experience, reputation and global reach of GBCHealth. Critical issues that will be the focus of the partnership ranges from nutrition to malaria, with priorities identified and agreed by local leadership.

Through his Foundation, Dangote disclosed that his foundation has made an unprecedented grant and seed contribution to GBCHealth of US$ 1.5 million over three years as a call to action and a signal to the African business community of the importance of working together and investing in health.

He added: “The time is ripe for the private sector to proactively demonstrate its value in partnering to lead a new era in development. The coalition can provide much needed guidance to ensure activities and investments are driving results in areas where the private sector can have real impact, focusing on holistic and integrated solutions that cross borders. We look forward to working with other business leaders as partners in development to drive this impact.”

Monday 18 September 2017

WHO Launches New NCDs Progress Monitor

Lauretta Omosoga
Governments must step up efforts to control non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to meet globally agreed targets, including preventing the premature deaths of millions of people from these conditions, according to a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report released today.

Limited national progress has been made in the fight against NCDs – primarily cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, cancers and diabetes – which are the world’s biggest killers, and claim the lives of 15 million people aged 30 to 70 years annually.

But the WHO Noncommunicable disease Progress Monitor 2017, which charts actions by countries to set targets, implement policies to address four main shared and modifiable NCD risk factors (tobacco, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol) and build capacities to reduce and treat NCDs, shows that progress around the world has been uneven and insufficient.

In his foreword to the Monitor, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, highlighted advances in responding to NCDs but urged further action, "Bolder political action is needed to address constraints in controlling NCDs, including the mobilisation of domestic and external resources and safeguarding communities from interference by powerful economic operators."

The Progress Monitor provides data on 19 indicators in all of WHO’s 194 Member States. The indicators include setting time-bound targets to reduce NCD deaths; developing all-of-government policies to address NCDs; implementing key tobacco demand reduction measures, measures to reduce harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets and promote physical activity; and strengthening health systems through primary health care and universal health coverage.

Friday 8 September 2017

Growing Concern for Nearly 1.4 million IDP Living in Cholera ‘hotspots’ as Outbreak Spreads in Northeast Nigeria


There is growing concern for the health and wellbeing of 1.4 million displaced people, including 350,000 children under the age of five, living in cholera ‘hotspots’ in northeast Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned.

The outbreak occurs as ongoing violence and military efforts against insurgents in the region have displaced more than 1.7 million people and left over 3.6 million without adequate access to basic water services.

An estimated 28 people have died from cholera, while 837 are suspected to have been infected with the disease, including at least 145 children under the age of five. The outbreak was first identified in the Muna Garage camp for the displaced in Maiduguri, the state capital of northeast Nigeria’s Borno state. The outbreak spread quickly to as many as six other locations across the state. UNICEF and partners have rapidly scaled up their response to the cholera outbreak, as heavy rains multiply the risk of disease and malnutrition for conflict affected children.

“Cholera is difficult for young children to withstand at any time, but becomes a crisis for survival when their resilience is already weakened by malnutrition, malaria and other waterborne diseases,” says UNICEF Deputy Representative in Nigeria, Pernille Ironside. “Cholera is one more threat amongst many that children in northeast Nigeria are battling today in order to survive.”

A cholera preparedness plan has been in place since before the rains began. Religious leaders, community heads and local volunteers have been mobilised to encourage good hygiene practices and help refer suspected cases to health facilities. Water is chlorinated at access points in the camps and across host communities in an effort to curb the spread of disease as the rainy season continues.

Wednesday 6 September 2017

45 Years Old Arrested for Raping 12 Years Old

Rebecca Ejifoma

45 years old Mr. Samuel Ukpa has been arrested by the Alade Division, Shomolu Station for allegedly raping a 12 years old girl (name withheld) at 39 Oluwadare street Fola Agoro Shomolu, Lagos.

On 24th August this year, Ukpa, also known as Baba Emma, was said to have lured the victim into the loo while she was washing corn bag for her mother, who sells boiled corn.

According to witnesses and neighbours, while Anuoluwapo went into the compound, Ukpa took him into the loo unknowing a neighbour was in the other bathroom having a shower.

A witness said: “I was surprised to see Anuoluwapo being defiled in the loo in groin voice. And when I got to know Ukpa asked her to pass through the drain channel of the toilet to link her to the other toilet, I raised an alarm. That was how other  residents were alerted of this mischief.”

Implications of Assisted Reproductive Technology

By Dr. Agbo (Volunteers for DHI)

“To be or Not to be, that is the question”

On Saturday 5 August this year, a gathering of distinguished experts under the umbrella of Association of Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH) discussed the Ethics of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in Nigeria.

Advances in reproductive science and medicine have raised troubling questions over the past 40 years—what is the meaning and definition of parenthood? What is the significance of biological connection between a child and the parents? What is the definition of infertility, and to whom may it apply? And how far may we go to secure “children of our own”?

Couples declared to be infertile now have a range of reproductive options. Techniques such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and artificial insemination may be combined with the use of donor gametes and/or gestational surrogates in a variety of ways. Infertility websites advertise many methods by which couples can have children; one fertility clinic claims over 18 different options that couples can consider.

Countless legal and cultural issues have arisen with these technological and scientific advances, but as the technology progresses, the legal world is only beginning to address practices that will have significant consequences for generations. And above all, what are the ethical implications of these new advances?

These and more issues were discussed in the forum. In Nigeria, the reality is that the combination of the lack of law in this area and the desire of the ART industry to obtain ovarian eggs leads to the exploitation of women and many other unethical practises.

Should egg donors be paid?  If it is a donation, why do they have to be paid? The truth is that payment given for selling eggs unfairly motivates the poor and the desperate to give up their gametes.  Additionally, both the ART industry and researchers in the area of cloning have strong interests in obtaining eggs from willing women. Egg donation is a multi-million dollars business. Egg donors are disproportionately young women given extraordinary amounts of monetary compensation for a “donation.” Sometimes, they are not even paid the compensation that motivated them to donate, if insufficient numbers of eggs were harvested.

Saturday 2 September 2017

New Vision and Strengthened Partnership for WHO, China

Rebecca Ejifoma
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has concluded a three-day official visit to the People’s Republic of China paving the way for stronger and more strategic WHO-China collaborations.

Outcomes of Tedros’ meetings with high-level leadership in the Government of China included a new financial contribution to WHO from China and strengthened commitments to improve the health of billions of people represented in the 60 countries engaged in the Belt and Road Initiative.

“China’s health reforms show it's possible to implement far-reaching, quality transformations in a short time. Its success in providing 95% of its population with access to health insurance is a model for other countries in how to make our world fairer, healthier and safer. We can all learn something from China,” Tedros said.

While in Beijing, the DG met privately with Premier Li Keqiang for a high-level discussion on a more strategic partnership between WHO and China, as well as how China can expand its international health security cooperation in Belt and Road countries. He, also, met with Vice Premier Liu Yandong, Vice Chairman Han Qide of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and National Health and Family Planning Commission Minister Li Bin.

Friday 1 September 2017

NAWOJ, CPN, FIDA Partner against Child Violence

Rebecca Ejifoma

Determined to end violence of all kinds and degree against children, the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Rivers State, Child Protection Network (CPN) alongside 19 Non-Governmental Organisations have partnered to call for the re-arrest of Ifeanyi Maxwell Dike for murder.

Tagged, “Violence against Children Must Stop, Re-Arrest Ifeanyi Dike”, these NGOs and other relevant bodies gathered on  August 31 to speak against the incessant, unconscionable and undeserved violence against children with particular reference to the gruesome violence, assault and murder of eight years old Chikamso Victory Ernest Mezuwuba by a relative, Ifeanyi (her father’s brother) for rituals.

The story so far has it that the victim was molested, drugged, raped, mutilated and her remains was disposed of by 23 years old Ifeanyi, an undergraduate from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In a media release the NGOs issued, the suspect was said to have been apprehended by the vigilante group at 1: 20am or thereabouts and handed over to the Okporo Police Division and later transferred to the State C.I.D, Port Harcourt on August 19.

UNICEF, Marriott Intern’l to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of Road to Awareness for Underprivileged Children

Rebecca Ejifoma


Chief Operating Officer Middle East for Marriott International and founder of Road to Awareness, Guido De Wilde and the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) is set for this year's 10th anniversary with Annual Road to Awareness Campaign to raise $500,000 for underprivileged children with a three day 600km cycle challenge across Jordan from October 12th to 14th this year.

Launched in 2008, the Road to Awareness campaign has raised close to USD seven million with the goal of making a positive difference to underprivileged children living in the communities that the group’s hotels operate in. The three-day bike ride continues to be a major highlight of the programme.

It all began 10 years ago when a handful of senior associates at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, decided to take on a three-day cycling challenge in the French Alps in aid of UNICEF: “We wanted to give back to the community – it’s part of our nature as hoteliers, being the kind of people who like to look after and support others. The generosity, spirit, and commitment demonstrated by our associates across the region who take part each year always inspires me and makes me so proud,” Guido said.

This year, the campaign – which is now under the Marriott International umbrella – will be celebrating its 10th anniversary with a 600km cycle challenge through Jordan. The COO added that the team would ride across the country, that has yet been undiscovered in the world of cycling, hoping to not only showcase the power of the sport but also provide team members with a stunning backdrop for their efforts.

The ride on day 1 will begin from the Dead Sea, which, at 383 metres below sea level is the lowest point on Earth, and head in a fairly straight line to the beautiful seaside town of Aqaba. Day two will see the group ride from Aqaba to the legendary historical city of Petra while day three will lead them back down to the Dead Sea.