By Justina Auta

The Federal Ministry of Health has urged citizens to enable breastfeeding by supporting working parents with conducive workspaces to improve health of the baby and address malnutrition.

Ms Patricia Deworitshe, Director, Media and Public Relations in the ministry, made the call in a statement in Abuja ahead of the  World Breastfeeding Week (WBW).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every Aug. 1 to Aug.7 across the world.

The theme for WBW 2023, “Enable Breastfeeding, making a Difference for Working Parents”, focuses on creating more awareness on breastfeeding support in workspaces.

Deworitshe, in the statement, also emphasised the benefits of breastfeeding on infants, young children, mothers, families and the society at large.

According to her, conducive environment will ensure optimal breastfeeding and increase productivity in the workplaces.

She stated: “In Nigeria, only two per cent of infants under age 6 months were found to be exclusively breastfed, while only 42 per cent were put to breast within the first hour of birth.

“To achieve a higher impact on malnutrition reduction such as stunting, the coverage of nutrition sensitive and nutrition specific interventions among the targeted population should be 80 per cent and above.”

She noted that balancing the demands of careers, domestic chores and maintaining the household were challenges affecting effective breastfeeding among working mothers.

She identified myths, early return to work after childbirth and lack of a conducive breastfeeding environment, especially for working mothers, as hindrances to breastfeeding.

Deworitshe stated that aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes among others also hindered breastfeeding of infants in Nigeria.

She said: “The Ministry also wishes to emphasise that working places should be made conducive to encourage breastfeeding as this will enhance productivity for these mothers, while assuring their nurturing role.

“Breastmilk is very nutritious and builds the immunity of the baby. It also protects babies from common diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia.

“Much more, the bonding between mother and baby during breastfeeding improves emotional and social development of the child.

“The general public, is being reminded that breastmilk is the ideal food for infants, it is readily available, cheap, safe, clean and gives the first form of protection against many common childhood illnesses.”

The statement also emphasised the importance of breastfeeding within an hour of birth.

It stated that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond with the introduction of appropriate complementary food were very important. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Dianabasi Effiong/Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Abiodun Azi

The Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine,  University of Lagos (UNILAG), has called for joint collaboration in research and practice to reach the grassroots.

The clinical scientists made the call in Lagos on Tuesday during its 18th annual conference and gathering with the theme: “A Sick Eye in a Sick Body: Multidisciplinary Team as a Research Tool”.

The Guest Speaker, Prof. Adeola Onakoya, a  Professor of Ophthalmology and Head, Glaucoma Services, CMUL, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said that the conference was about the impact of collaboration.

She said that as clinicians, the members looked after the body, human beings.

“And what we’re trying to say is that no one can  work in isolation”.

According to her, there are  different specialties in medicine, hence the need to collaborate and work together to have an integrative system to  improve the health care system.

Speaking, Prof. Folasade Akinsola,  Dean, Faculty Of Clinical Science,  said that the guest speaker went through what one  could called anatomical foundations.

She talked about the importance of parts of the body, likening them to the field of clinical science and medicine in general.

“The  brain  is a very  important organ in the body.

“Once there  is  no brain, there is no person.

“The  eyes are the offshoots of the brain and vessels that are in the eyes are vessels which could also affect the vessels all over the body.

“If you have issues with the vessels in the eyes, then you have issues all over your entire body.”

She said that the issue was about jointly collaborating to reach the grassroots, noting that the government must also help the specialists .

Also, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, said that the public starts with the medical community, but  that they must also collaborate with the civil society organisations (CSOs) and NGOs.

Ogunsola said that the NGOs and civil societies were doing a better job of reaching and engaging the grassroots.

She said that  within the hospital setting and doctors, they  were  beginning to realise that they must do a lot more in working with communities.

“I am  aware that there has also been a lot of push to go into the communities,” she said. (NAN)www.nannews.ng

AGE/VIV

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Edited by Vivian Ihechu

Franca Ofili

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says no fewer than 91 million Africans are currently living with hepatitis, with around 125,000 hepatitis-related deaths occurring in Africa.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said this on Friday in her message to commemorate 2023 World Hepatitis Day with the theme, “One Life, One Liver”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Hepatitis Day is marked annually on July 28  as WHO’s global hepatitis strategy, endorsed by all WHO Member States, aimed at reducing new hepatitis  infections by 90 per cent and deaths by 65 per cent between 2016 and 2030.

Moeti said the theme sought  to emphasise the link between viral hepatitis infection and liver inflammation that is, liver injury and damage and the broader issues of liver health and primary health care.

According to her, 1.2 million new hepatitis infections were detected in 2019 alone and that the majority of the population’s young and active members die from the disease.

She said that hepatitis was a viral infection that primarily affects the liver, causing inflammation and potentially leading to more severe conditions such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Moeti said that most common types in Africa included hepatitis B and C, which could be transmitted through contaminated blood, unprotected sexual activity, or from mother to child during childbirth.

According to her, infection with the hepatitis B virus is preventable by vaccination, while doctors can now successfully treat hepatitis C, caused by the hepatitis C virus, with antiviral drugs.

She said that hepatitis causes the breakdown of the liver’s normal structure, which prevents the liver from working correctly.

“Hepatitis B is commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery.

“Hepatitis B is also spread through contact with blood or other body fluids during sex with an infected partner, unsafe injections, or exposures to sharp instruments.

“Hepatitis C is spread through contact with the blood of an infected person by unscreened blood transfusions, sharing needles, and unsafe sexual practices that lead to direct exposure to blood,” she said.

According to her, WHO supports regional and national efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030 by providing clear guidance for decentralised and simplified person-centred prevention, testing and treatment of viral hepatitis.

She said the support also included eliminating hepatitis B through birth dose vaccination (the day of birth or the day after).

Moeti said that a lot still needed to be done to reduce hepatitis-related deaths and infections.

“Despite the availability of diagnostic tools and effective treatment, more than 90 per cent of people living with hepatitis in Africa do not receive the care they needed.

“And less than 10 per cent of the population has access to testing and treatment,” she said.

According to her, this leads to progressive advanced liver disease, devastating financial burden, emotional distress and stigma.

“Testing and treatment, as a public health approach, remains the most neglected aspect of the response.

“The highest burden of hepatitis B infection in children below 5 years of age is seen in countries without hepatitis B vaccination at birth. Immunisation, thus, is an important component in the fight against hepatitis,” she said.

Moeti said that all must make services available through strong primary health care services increasingly funded through domestic resources.

“Testing and treatment interventions must be part of the essential package of health services delivered through integrated primary health care that addresses the needs of individuals of all ages.

“We must scale up Hepatitis B immunisation coverage to reach the globally agreed target of 90 per cent. Therefore, I urge all countries to work to introduce the hepatitis birth dose.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

By Abiodun Azi

A Professor of Colorectal Surgery, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, Dion Morton, says 25,000 surgeons across the world are working together to improve care for patients worldwide.

Morton stated this on the sidelines of his lecture at the 18^th Annual Scientific Conference and Gathering of the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine,  University of Lagos (UNILAG).

It had the  theme: “Impact of Collaborative Research: The Reach, The Research and the Riches,” in Lagos on Friday.

He said that the event was centered on collaboration and that he was proud to be part of a huge collaboration of surgeons across the world.

“It is the biggest research collaboration in the world today. It comprises perhaps 25,000 surgeons and they are working together to improve care for their patients.

“Their work is important and pertinent because it represents patients in South America, Central America, Africa and India.

“And because we can demonstrate the benefits and improvements in care across the world, they are relevant to all patients,” he said.

Morton, who was the guest speaker at the occasion, said there was a huge need for growing surgery, adding “to grow surgery across the world and to provide care for patients, we need to provide research and evidence to support it.”

According to him, in sub-Saharan Africa at the moment, there are not enough surgeons, thus preventing many patients from accessing safe surgery.

Speaking at the occasion, Prof. Adesoji Ademuyiwa, of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said that clinical scientists could transform from research to practice.

Ademuyiwa said that the theme for the conference was: “The Impacts of Collaboration on Clinical Research: Local Experiences in Genomics Research.”

He said that there were lots of information and evidence available to clinical scientist to work on, stressing that many lecturers from his university’s Faculty of Clinical Sciences were involved in research.

“When the results of the research are out, they have to be translated into practice, while government is expected to fashion them into a policy” he said.

Ademuyiwa, who was also a Director, National Institute of Health Research Funded-Center on Global Surgery, said that clinical scientists were discussing on how to collaborate to generate high quality evidence which would eventually be put into practice.

Also, the Deputy Provost, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof Osaretin Ebuehi, stressed the need for clinicians and the business scientists to collaborate in the area of research.

Ebuehi said that this had become necessary in order to do high-impact research that would contribute to national development and have global recognition. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq