By Justina Auta

The Federal Government and USAID on Tuesday, sensitised various communities in Kuje Area Council, FCT, to end the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and seek male support towards achieving it.
The sensitisation exercise was organised by the Federal Ministries of Health and Women Affairs and the Momentum Safe Surgery in Family Planning and Obstetrics (MSSFPO) Project, funded by the USAID and implemented by Engender Health
Mrs Judith Ononose, Director, Gender, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, said the sensitisation campaign was to educate the people on the severe consequences of FGM and to advocate partnership towards ending it.
Ononose, explained that the ministry has been working with women and girls on ending FGM, hence the need to include men to eradicate it in totality in other to meet the 2030 global target.

“FGM is more prevalent in rural area, although there are people who still practice in the urban.
“We chose Kuje to come and sensitise them and let them know that FGM has no health benefits.
“It is traditional , embedded in culture. We are trying to educate people that there is no health benefits, rather consequence as a lot of women suffer from mutilation especially in child bearing.
“We want to let our men know that even though they are not the ones affected immediately, but they will help fight the menace, as men as the custodian of culture.
“So, if we are able to win them and educate them that there is no health benefits, and stop mutilating girls and women,” she said.
Mr Olumide Adefioye, Social and Behavior Change Specialist, Engender Health, an NGO decried the prevalence of FGM practice, despite advocacy and awareness creation.

Adefioye said the 2023 theme,” Partnership with men and boys to transform social and gender Norms to end FGM, was apt, calling for the collaboration of all to eradicate the practice.
” We are here today to listen to what you as paramount leader of this town will have to say because despite efforts been put in place, the practice of cutting women and girls still continue.
“So, what can we do as men, elders of the land to put an end to the practice so that we will not be here next year with the same issue.
” We want to get from you and the elders, what we should do to end FGM in our town and Nigeria, which will enable our women and girls live a healthy and productive life,” he said.
The Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Tanko-Jibrin, assured the government and other stakeholders of traditional leaders support towards ending FGM practice.

” I support the programme because most of these things are practiced in most communities, who see it as tradition and a right to do that.
” We are getting awareness and shall continue to put our eye on communities who are practicing this things.
” We have a way to make law to stop it.
I have a chain of authority through the traditional leaders when we meet I will still remind them that government is out to eradicate FGM, so if you are in practice in your community stop it so that we can progress,” he said.
Mrs Janet Samuel, a woman leader in the community decried the physical, mental, emotional and social effects of FGM practice on the survivors.
She lauded government and other stakeholders’ efforts in creating more awareness and existing laws to curb the practice.

” Within my community, I met some women that have been mutilated and we are all bitter about it.
“This awareness is very good and will teach women that FGM is not good for the women and children,” she said.
Speaking on behalf of the men and boys, Malam Yusuf Haruna, who is also the Barde of Kuje, reiterated the commitment of all the males in eliminating FGM practice.
“The thing has implications and the step the federal government has taken is a good move.
” Been a youths leader in this community, we will go round the household and tell those that have not been doing it or have intention of doing it to please stop it because it has implications.
” By taking these steps, it will reduce and stop the practice of FGM,” he said.
NAN reports that the organisers also sensitised religious leaders, markets, on the effects of FGM practice. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Folasade Akpan

Dr Badejo Olawale, Director of Clinical Services, National Hospital Abuja, says the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for the  management of cancer patients will harmonise cancer treatment.
Olawale said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a day conference on the “Uptake of the NCCN Harmonised Guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa”.
The conference was organised by the hospital in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and American Cancer Society, the summit focused on Breast Cancer as the pilot.
According to Olawale, with the uptake of the guideline, a lot of confusion and disharmony in the treatment of cancer will be dispelled.
“What we have is a situation where people do things from their own perspective and at the end of the day, there’s lots of confusion.
“The guideline helps you irrespective of the amount of resources you have to practice within a set goal such that if all you have in your centre are surgeons and no radiologist, your surgical practice will fall in line.
“Even if the patient has reasons to go to a place where there are facilities, you would not have done harm to that patient, they will just take it off from there.
“So, it’s beneficial to the practitioner in terms of guides, beneficial to the patient in terms of safety and getting the best possible care in the care spectrum across the different disease types,” the director of clinical services said.
Olawale also said that the guideline which was available for all the cancers also help patients seeking information to take instructions and know what questions to ask in the course of the management of that disease.
He also said that it helps families to be able to prepare for the next best thing in the management of the disease and at the end of it all brings out the best outcome irrespective of the level of resources available in that region.
Dr Uchechukwu Shagaya, Head, Radiotherapy and Oncology Department, said that the summit was organised to commemorate the World Cancer Day which is marked on Feb. 4 every year.
“The theme is Closing the Care Gap” . However, over the years most people do awareness and we the oncologists, surgeons and doctors who manage them should do the preaching of the care gap within the caregivers.
“So, we decided to launch an uptake on the harmonised guideline, we want to ensure that the management of cancer is harmonised and we are using standardised guidelines.
“The guideline talks about prevention of cancer all the way to palliation. It talks about the work up, the tests that should be done, how it should be diagnosed, and how it should be treated.
“What to expect on the side effects of the treatment and then the outcome of the treatment as well as the follow up of the treatment,” Shagaya said.
On his part, Prof. King-David Yawe, Convener, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Multi-Disciplinary Tumor Board, said that with the training, care givers have been empowered with knowledge to know where help can be obtained.
“That help is in various ways, help from the point of view of diagnosis, from the point of view of treatment and the various modalities of treatment.
“What we are aiming at in this programme is to equip all of us who are managing breasts and other cancers in one way or the other to be able to know where we can drum up support anytime we need.
“So you will find that you don’t have to keep a patient waiting in your place for a long time.
You can very quickly transfer that patient or refer that patient to where that service is immediately available.
“That way you will be able to treat the patients on time and therefore be able to prolong their lives,” Yawe said.
Speaking about the brachytherapy machines for the treatment of cancer inaugurated by the Federal Government in five tertiary hospitals across the country, he said that it was an excellent development.
According to him, the facility will draw in a large proportion of patients who did not have it available at all.
“I think it is a very innovative and futuristic idea by the Federal Government. It’s not yet enough because we want to see that patient do not have to travel long distances to have this facility administered.
“However, I think it’s a step in the right direction. I can tell you, when I became a surgeon, there was only one centre in this country offering any form of radiotherapy but 39 years down the line I see as a lot of innovations.
“The private sector is also involved in making available radiotherapy facility,” he said.
Yawe, however, urged the Federal Government to sustain the tempo and provide more of such facilities around the country to indeed close the gap.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that brachytherapy machines were inaugurated on Monday to aid the treatment of cancer through radiotherapy. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Isaac Aregbesola

By Angela Atabo

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said that Nigeria’s participation in the Pandemic Treaty would strengthen her healthcare system as well as build resistance against pandemics .

Ehanire made this known at a High-Level Meeting on Nigeria’s Engagement on the Pandemic Treaty and IHR Amendment on Tuesday in Abuja.

The minister said  the rapid spread of COVID-19 had shown that global health threats cannot be contained by one country alone and that international cooperation was essential to prevent and respond to pandemics.

Ehanire said: “The pandemic treaty is an ongoing effort to improve preparedness and response to future pandemics by promoting international cooperation and coordination .

“This treaty also aims to ensure that all countries are better equipped to deal with the next pandemic reducing the impact on health systems economies and societies .

“As a country with a large population and a vital role in West Africa, Nigeria must play a significant role in the pandemic treaty process .

“Nigerian government must engage in these negotiations to ensure that citizens are adequately protected from future pandemics and that the country can contribute to global health security. ”

Ehanire said that Nigeria’s pandemic treaty participation had many benefits, adding that the country can adapt the treaty’s provision to suit her needs as well as protect the citizens against pandemics .

He added that Nigeria could ensure  access to vaccinations and medicines by engaging in treaty discussions. .

“Nigeria can improve global health by negotiating the pact; the deal should strengthen the global health system and pandemic response,”he added.

According to Ehanire, the country has not yet been able to advance a robust contribution to the development of the draft document.

The minister added: “We also as well understand the implications to the sectors of the country, particularly the health security, national security and economy.”

Ehanire said that the objective of the high-level meeting was to articulate and develop a position in collaboration with all the relevant sectors that will be represented at the future INB meetings.

Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), who spoke on the International Health Regulations (IHR ) (2005) Amendment: Overview said that ,Nigeria’s role in the pandemic treaty negotiations would strengthen international relationships.

Adetifa said that by working together on global health issues, countries would build trust and cooperation, which would have positive effects on other areas of international relations.

He said that Nigeria was working out modal to have a comprehensive document so as to enhance disease control in the nation.

Dr Emmanuel Agogo, Country Director, Resolve to Save Lives, said the  meeting was to discuss about  global governance infrastructure for health security after the COVID-19 .

Agogo said that globally, there were systems in place like the IHR 2005 ,helping countries prepare ,detect and respond to pandemic outbreaks.

He said that the WHO and global actors decided that they would strengthen the IHR and develop a global treaty to address pandemics

Agogo said’: “So, what this meeting is to get Nigeria to think about these two documents, the global governance infrastructure.

“We will also have a clear direction based on the experience of COVID-19 on how the country should engage with this global architecture.

“So, what the NCDC highlighted here are some of the changes that are being proposed, so the country still needs to look at these proposed changes .

“The question is that, does the country agree with these ?And if it doesn’t, how do you intend to change it?

“The bottom line is that these documents are zero drafts which all other countries are expected to sit down and look at and see how to negotiate to benefit their people,”(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani