Health experts at a media training on Tuberculosis (TB) said that unexplained consistent weight loss in children could be as a result of TB.
According to them, other signs and symptoms suggestive of TB in children include failure to thrive or gain weight, persistent fever and cough of two weeks, and close contact with anyone with TB.
The training was organised by the Institute of Human Virology (IHVN) in collaboration with Breakthrough Action-Nigeria (BA-N).
Dr Babajide Kadiri, Lagos State Team Lead USAID IHVN TB LON 3 Project, spoke on the sidelines of the training.
According to him, children who are at risk of contacting TB include those living with adults with TB, those who are HIV positive and children who are malnourished.
On the challenges associated with control of childhood TB, he said: “ There is low childhood TB awareness among the general population.
“Also, poor health-seeking behavior, stigma and discrimination, limited media engagement in TB awareness creation, low index of suspicion for child TB by healthcare providers and low funding for childhood TB control.”
He proffered that regular sensitisation of the general population on TB in children and collaboration with the media would help in TB prevention, control and management.
Also speaking, Dr Joseph Edor, Senior Programme Officer II TB/RCCE USAID Breakthrough Action-Nigeria, said that tuberculosis was an airborne disease, more common in men than women in Nigeria.
He said that TB of the lungs ( Pulmonary TB), caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M tuberculosis), is the most common type.
Edor said that TB could occur anywhere in the body noting that four symptoms used to screen patients included cough ( of two weeks duration or more), fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss.
He said that an untreated case could infect an average of 10 to15 people in a year, noting that only 25 per cent of Nigerians had correct information about TB.
He said that the diagnosis for TB was mainly the sputum test for pulmonary TB, Chest X-ray and Stool test in children.
Edor said that TB treatment included oral medications for a minimum of six months.
However, he said drug resistant TB ((MDR TB) could occur when TB treatment was not well adhered to and could also occur when someone was infected directly by someone with (MDR TB). (NAN) www.nannews.ng
The Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Prof. Mohammed Sambo says effecient health insurance is key to driving health outcomes.
Sambo said this in Abuja at the Health Financing Policy Dialogue forum with the theme: “Accelerating the Implementation of NHIA Act to Improve Health Insurance Coverage in Nigeria”.
According to Sambo, said there is a strong link between health, productivity and socio-economic development.
He said that government has a critical role to play in accelerating NHIA implementation by providing adequate funding, and stressed the need to strengthen the governance structure and create an enabling environment for health insurance to thrive.
The NHIA boss said that health financing was incomplete without considering the level of socio-economic development of a country.
He said the country cannot finance health insurance without thinking about innovative ways outside the traditional ways.
“We owe it to ourselves and our fellow Nigerians to develop and maintain the health system that we desire both now and in the future.
“All stakeholders within and outside the health sector must work together to improve health insurance in the country,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria must develop relevant policies to ensure effective utilisation of available resources to ensure equitable access to basic healthcare services that leave no one behind.
Also, the Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation (BoF), Mr Ben Akabueze said efficient health insurance system remain a crucial mean of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country.
Akabueze said this while presenting a paper on “Exploring Innovative Health Financing Mechanisms for the Vulnerable Group Fund,” must include a system for the vulnerable population in the country.
He said there was need for innovative financing mechanisms, especially for those with limited or no means of paying premiums in the country.
According to him, we need reforms or changes in the application of conventional financing sources and introduce systems that help improve the use of the fund.
Akabueze said that financial constraint has remained a barrier to adequate provision for health insurance coverage in most developing countries including Nigeria.
He said that limited budgets from governments and donors have greatly impacted health funding, including the provision for insurance.
“In spite of continuous efforts to rationalise public expenditures, we must keep our eyes on value for money, if we don’t, we will lose public enthusiasm.
“There must be accountability and transparency in implementing health insurance,” he said.
Also, the General Manager, NHIA, Blessing Nienge said since the NHIA Act came into existence in May 2022, a lot of effort had gone into developing a sustainable framework for implementing a mandatory health insurance in Nigeria.
Nienge said this was necessary so that the country would ensure that no one was left behind.
She said that countries implementing mandatory health insurance were moving towards achieving UHC, adding that Nigeria must move quickly to close the gaps and improve health insurance in the country.
Earlier, Mrs Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, said that the country has made significant progress on its route to achieving health for all.
“The signing of the NHIA into law which ensured mandatory health insurance for all Nigerians was the right step to boost the journey,” she said.
Ihekweazu said that NHIA was established as part of the country’s efforts to achieve UHC and ensure that Nigerians have access to basic healthcare services, regardless of their income level.
She said this would protect them from the high cost of healthcare services.
Ihekweazu said the implementation of the scheme has been slow, with less than five per cent of the population covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme as of 2018.
She said this had left millions of Nigerians without access to quality and accessible healthcare.
Ihekweazu said the non-compulsory nature of the Act and poverty were cited as factors that contributed to the slow progress and challenges faced by the scheme.
“Weak governance structures, poor healthcare infrastructure and more made it difficult for the scheme to achieve its goals.
“To bridge these gaps in the scheme, the NHIA Act was passed into law, making health insurance mandatory for every Nigerian and legal resident.
“This is authorising NHIA to improve and leverage private sector participation in the provision of healthcare services,” she said.
According to Ihekweazu, the operationalisation of the NHIA is a critical step towards reducing catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure and achieving UHC in the country.
She said this was expected to improve access to quality healthcare services for all Nigerians, particularly vulnerable and marginalised populations in the country.
“Uptake of health insurance hinges on effective communications to relevant stakeholders, especially the public who need to understand the benefits of having health insurance and the need to enroll in the scheme,” she said.
NAN reports that the consultative forum brought together key stakeholders, including government at the national and sub-national level, healthcare providers, civil society organisations, private sector, development partners and the media.
The forum also discussed challenges and opportunities in implementing the NHIA Act and developing strategies to accelerate its implementation.
The policy dialogue provided a platform for stakeholders to share their experiences, insights, and perspectives on NHIA implementation in the country.
It also provided an opportunity to identify key challenges facing NHIA implementation and develop strategies to address them.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) is seeking partnership with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to foster health promotion and literacy among Nigerians.
The ministry’s Director, Health Promotion Division, Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi said this during an advocacy
visit to NAN in Abuja on Friday.
According to her, low health literacy is one of the factors responsible for the spread of diseases in the country.
She said that the nation was presently experiencing low health indices, a situation the government was
not happy about, adding that to reduce health issues, priority must be given to adequate and effective health
information promotion.
The director said “a lot of people do not know simple things that they need to do to stay healthy, or that
some simple habits and practices that they are doing are affecting them and others in the community in general.
“So, to ensure that people are appropriately informed on what to do, the Federal Government shifted its approach of getting health information to people from health education to health promotion as far
back as 2006.
Bako-Aiyegbusi said that the policy was inaugurated in 2006 and in 2017, it was evaluated to see how far it had
achieved its aim of informing Nigerians on the right things to do to maintain good health.
She added that in the process of revising the policy, it was realised that there were basic structures needed to
interface with to effectively improve health literacy.
“And to ensure that we are guided in what we do, the three tiers of government, stakeholders, civil society
organisations and implementing partners, including religious circles, communities, health providers and
beneficiaries came together to ensure structures that can support effective health literacy.
“We came up with a five-year National Strategic Plan for Health Promotion and while we were developing this
plan, we realised that the media is critical and that we cannot get the information on positive behavioural
change to the people without the media and that was how this strategy came about.’’
The plan, she said, is expected to foster collaboration between the ministry and the media to ensure that health information was given priority and reached the people in a timely and concise manner and
feedback received from the people.
The director also said that “though it is the first time of such partnership with the media, the ministry is looking forward to a robust synergy that will make the impact of the health interventions embarked upon by government to be felt’’.
Responding, the Editor-In-Chief of NAN, Mr Silas Nwoha commended the ministry for coming up with such an initiative to promote health literacy among the populace.
He said NAN is a strategic media agency that can give the ministry all the publicity it needs.
Nwoha added that the agency is ready to partner with any organisation that is prepared to leverage on its wide reach and coverage to showcase them to the world.
He said: “I pledge our total and massive support to make sure that we take you to the promised land, NAN never fails.
“Once we are given a task, we normally make sure we get to the end of it.’’ (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, says he is hopeful that President Muhammadu Buhari will assent to the Public Health Emergency Bill before the end of his administration.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) the bill, when approved, would revoke the 96-year-old Quarantine Act, and establish a framework for managing public health emergencies of national and international concern.
Oloriegbe, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during a roundtable with legislators, organised by the Nigeria Health Watch, in partnership with the Global Health Advocacy Incubator with theme: “Strengthening Health Security in Nigeria Through Public Health Legislation”.
Oloriegbe explained that the bill, which was passed by the Senate in January 2022, would be harmonised with the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill by the House of Representatives.
”We are at the stage of harmonisation now. I am chairing a Committee in the Senate and plan to call a joint meeting to consider and adopt a version that we will be jointly presented.
”We hope to present the report by next week and, hopefully, the President should sign it.
”If it is not assented to, we have to push on in the 10th Assembly and we must start early.”
He said as of the COVID-19 het Nigeria, it was the Quarantine Act that was in place.
”There was a debate that led to the repeal of the Quarantine Act, and the enactment of a new public health law.
”A version of that law was passed in the House and one was passed in the Senate.
”The 9th National Assembly has significantly achieved much in strengthening Nigeria’s health security.
“Through our work at the National Assembly, we have contributed to improving health security by increasing visibility and financing allocation for health security in Nigeria,” he said.
He said that strengthening the country’s health security would require commitment of the 36 States Governors and the FCT.
Oloriegbe urged the media to make use of their reportage to lobby the 10th National Assembly for a Chairman, Senate Committee on Health that is willing to continue where the 9th Assembly stopped.
Also speaking, the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Rep. Tanko Sununu said that the National Assembly played a critical role in combating infectious disease outbreaks in the country.
Sununu said that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that disease outbreaks can have devastating consequences for the entire country.
He said that COVID-19 has demonstrated what previous outbreaks and epidemics had already shown: National pandemic preparedness and response depend on strong local and national capacities.
He said that effective response is dependent on dynamic knowledge of what to respond to, where, at what scale, and with what tools, and it is predicated on long-term investments in prevention and preparedness.
He said that the 9th National Assembly has significantly achieved much in strengthening the country’s health security.
He urged the Media to collaborate with the health committees at the National Assembly to foster ways to enhance the implementation of the new public health bills in the country.
Earlier, Dr Emmanuel Alhassan, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, said that the 9th assembly has engaged very actively with various stakeholders to improve the policy and legislative landscape in the country.
He said that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of robust and sustained funding for public health emergencies.
He added that the pandemic has also emphasised the need for strong and effective public health legislation that can support such funding.
Alhassan said that through advocacy efforts, the country has achieved notable successes in securing increased funding for Epidemics Preparedness and Response, as well as improvements in the country’s epidemic preparedness and response capabilities.
Mrs Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, said that the roundtable provided a unique opportunity for experts to share their views on these bills.
Ihekweazu said that to address this pressing need, Nigerian legislative leaders have collaborated with relevant stakeholders and partners to propose a series of new public health bills aimed at enhancing the country’s response to public health emergencies.
“These bills include the Public Health Emergency Bill, which seeks to provide a comprehensive legal framework for managing public health emergencies.
“The Amendment of the National Health Act, which seeks to address gaps in the existing legislation that hinder effective response to public health emergencies.
“In addition, the Port Health Authority Bill is aimed at establishing and strengthening the Port Health Authority, responsible for health security at the country’s borders,” she explained.
She said that these bills have significant implications for public health in the country, and as such, it is critical that they are thoroughly examined and discussed by key stakeholders in the health sector.
NAN reports that the bill also seeks the development of a comprehensive plan to provide for a co-ordinated and appropriate response in the event of public health emergency.
It will also enhance the early detection of a health emergency and allow the immediate investigation of such emergency by gaining access to individual’s health information under specified circumstances.
The act also seeks to grant federal and state officials the authority to use an appropriate property as necessary for the case, treatment, vaccination and housing of patients and to destroy contaminated facilities or materials. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
A Professor of Clinical Microbiology, Oyinlola Oduyebo, has appealed to medical practitioners to conduct laboratory investigations before prescribing antibiotics to patients to reduce Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) incidence.
Oduyebo of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of
Medicine, Idi-Araba, Lagos, said this during a virtual Antimicrobial Stewardship media roundtable organised by Pfizer on Tuesday.
AMR happens when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), inappropriate use of antibiotics is a key driver of AMR, and this misuse or overuse of drugs remains a global public health threat.
WHO said AMR was a threat especially in middle-low-income countries like Nigeria where medicines are accessible without prescriptions and laboratory based diagnosis was not routine.
The United Nations estimates that by 2050, about 10 million deaths could be caused by superbugs and associated forms of antimicrobial resistance, matching the annual global death toll of cancer.
Oduyebo noted that proper management of antibiotic use requires an evidence-based approach, prescriptively applied in a health care setting to an individual patient’s situation.
She said that research has shown that targeted therapy (therapy based on laboratory results) was less than five per cent in some hospitals in the country.
“Which means that for every 100 antibiotics prescribed by medical doctors, laboratory tests were done on only five of them.
“We need to encourage our doctors to carry out appropriate investigations so that we could aim our antibiotics at the microbe causing the infection we want to treat,” she said.
To prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance in humans, Oduyebo said that concerted efforts in antimicrobial stewardship
would be required from healthcare workers, policy makers and individuals.
Antimicrobial stewardship is a coordinated programme that promotes the appropriate use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics), improves patient outcomes, reduces microbial resistance, and decreases the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms.
On individual’s role in promoting antimicrobial stewardship, Oduyebo advised that only antibiotics prescribed by a certified health professional should be used by patients.
She also advised them to always follow doctor’s prescription, and never share or use leftover antibiotics.
Oduyebo appealed to policy makers to pursue a robust national action plan to tackle antibiotic resistance and improve surveillance of antibiotic-resistant infections.
She urged them to strengthen policies, programmes, and implementation of infection prevention and control measures, and make information on the impact of antibiotic resistance available to the public.
She advised that every hospital must have an antimicrobial stewardship programme that ensures that antibiotics policies or guidelines are judiciously followed.
“Not all hospitals have antibiotics guidelines. Antibiotics stewardship is topical now and relatively new in Nigeria.
“Although some hospitals have come on board, some are yet to start their programme.
“The Federal Government through the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control is encouraging all hospitals to develop their antibiotics programmes and practice antibiotics stewardship,” she said.
She appealed to pharmaceutical industry to invest in research and development of new antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostics and other tools.
Prof. Kennedy Wariso
Similarly, Prof. Kennedy Wariso, Medical Microbiologist, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, said that AMR was a threat to global public health as it increases morbidity and mortality, and associated with high economic costs due to its health care burden.
Wariso said that the Nigeria National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance, showed that misuse of antibiotics was common with 42 per cent of adults.
He added that 46.7 per cent to 71.1 per cent of children within five years were given antibiotics without prescription.
Woriso advised the public to stop self prescription, antibiotics misuse and abuse, to reduce the country’s AMR burden.
Also, Dr Kodjo Soroh, Medical Director, sub-Saharan Africa, Pfizer, said the meeting was to create awareness about antimicrobial stewardship and ensure ongoing patient safety in order to maintain the future effectiveness of antibiotics.
Soroh said AMR was one of the biggest threats to global health as it could affect anyone, of any age, in any country.
“If it continues to rise unchecked, minor infections could become life- threatening, serious infections could become impossible to treat, and many routine medical procedures could become too risky to perform.
“More and more common diseases, including respiratory tract infections, sexually transmitted infections and urinary tract infections are untreatable; lifesaving medical procedures are becoming much riskier, and our food systems are increasingly precarious.
“Pfizer’s position is that governments and the public health community must
work together with industry to take further action and support measures that will enable continued innovation in the development of new antibiotics and vaccines to help curb the spread of AMR,” Soroh said. (NAN) (nannews.ng)
Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Rt Hon. Helen Clark have called on political leaders to commit to reforms in six essential areas in order to transform the international system for pandemic preparedness and response.
They made the call in a statement on end of COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sirleaf is a former President of Liberia, and Clark, a former Prime Minister of New Zealand.
They were Co-Chairs of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response which reported to the World Health Assembly in May 2021 on lessons learnt from the international response to COVID-19.
Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, and Rt Hon. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand
In the statement, they said that the COVID-19 global emergency though declared over, and had been a global catastrophe.
According to them, the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic demands that global leaders commit to transformative reforms to protect the world from pandemic threats especially as the current system for pandemic preparedness and response remain fatally broken.
“ COVID-19 has led to the deaths of some twenty million people, causing long-lasting physical and mental health impacts.
“It also battered health workers and systems, slowed and reversed the gains made on the Sustainable Development Goals, has led to multiple trillions in economic losses, and weakened social cohesion in many countries.
“Recovery will take years, especially for lower-income countries, alongside now having permanent costs associated with managing a now endemic disease.
They said that their role as Co-Chairs of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, necessitated their evidence-based recommendations for transformative change.
“We continue to advocate for them because we believe the current rates and ambition of reform will not prevent another pandemic catastrophe.
“Leaders must seize the opportunity at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response on Sept. 20, 2023.
“The six areas requiring UNGA commitment are: Political leadership from Presidents and Prime Ministers, International rules for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response as well as Independent monitoring.
“ An equitable, operational ecosystem for pandemic countermeasures, Sufficient financing for preparedness and for crisis response; and an independent, authoritative WHO’’
Explaining further, “Pandemic threats are complex global crises with impacts extending well beyond the health sector.
“They are economic, social, and security matters.
“The gap in high-level coordinated leadership was one of the major failures that led to the catastrophic multi sectoral impacts of COVID-19.
“Therefore, former Independent Panel members and many others continue to call for an independent high-level global health threats council, comprised of Heads of States and Government, to ensure sustained multi-sectoral focus on pandemic preparedness and response.
“The cycle of panic and neglect must be broken for good.’’
According to them, the World Health Assembly processes toward negotiation of a pandemic accord and amended International Health Regulations should be fully supported.
This is to reach successful conclusion, with rules that serve to detect, report, investigate, and stop pandemic threats wherever they occur.
On independent monitoring, to promote accountability, a fully independent, multi-sectoral expert monitoring board should be established that would collect and analyse information from multiple sources, and regularly publish public reports.
On equitable, operational ecosystem for pandemic countermeasures, they suggested that it should be based on a global commons model, regional resilience, openness, and technology sharing.
“It must begin with regional research and development of diagnostics, vaccines, and therapies that can stop outbreaks when and where they occur’’.
They said that sufficient and additional financing for preparedness and for crisis response was required in comparison to the trillions in losses caused by COVID-19.
“For preparedness, US$10.5 billion is required annually for low- and middle-income countries.
“ So far only around 10% of that has been committed to The Pandemic Fund.
“For emergencies, US$50-$100 billion must be made available immediately when a threat emerges to protect low- and middle-income countries from catastrophic economic and fiscal crises, and ensure purchase of pandemic supplies.
“A mechanism to identify and trigger those funds must be urgently agreed.’’
The duo recommended an independent, authoritative WHO to tackle the next health threat with pandemic potential and Member States must support WHO to have the authority, independence, and funding required to play its essential role.
“To support countries to minimise the risks of health emergencies, and to minimise their consequences.’’
NAN also reports that the former Co-Chairs led The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response together with 11 distinguished panelists.
In May 2021 the Co-Chairs submitted their evidence-based landmark report entitled COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic to the World Health Assembly.
They made recommendations which, taken as a package, could transform the international system in a way that could make it the last pandemic of such devastation.
The Independent Panel was established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General in response to the World Health Assembly resolution 73.1 issued in May 2020.
The recommendations of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response have helped to lay the groundwork for ongoing reforms to the international system.
Former Independent Panel Co-Chairs and members continue to advocate for implementation of the full package of recommendations due to concerns about the failure to implement recommendations of past high-level reviews of major outbreaks.
Their interest is to see a fit-for-purpose, transformed, and effective international system for pandemic preparedness and response.
The former Co-Chairs and members continue to do this work in their own time because of the serious implications of lack of transformative change being made. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said it was transiting the country from acute emergency response to managing COVID-19 as part of integrated healthcare delivery for all infectious diseases.
This is followed by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration that COVID-19 is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The NCDC via its official website on Monday, said Nigeria had already de-escalated its COVID-19 response since 2022 in response to local epidemiology, and focused on encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and recommended discretionary use of face masks and other public health safety measures according to personal risk assessments.
The Nigeria Public Health Institute said that the move was complemented by efforts to leverage the pandemic response (lessons, resources, partnerships, etc) to improve national health security.
It said the improvement would be through health system strengthening, improving public health emergency management training, and laboratory and infrastructure aa upgrades.
It added that it would make strategic focus on improving emergency preparedness and planning at state and local government levels.
“As part of its integrated disease surveillance strategy, the NCDC continues to encourage routine COVID-19 testing along with other infectious diseases as may be indicated in healthcare settings.
This is part of clinical care for pandemic flu preparedness, as part of bi-directional testing during investigations for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria, and in high-risk populations.
“Working with partners, the NCDC is also piloting pan-respiratory virus surveillance which is aligned with WHO’s recently declared preparedness and resilience for emerging threats (PRET) initiative,” it said.
The NCDC said that as part of the genomic surveillance, the centre would introduce wastewater/environmental surveillance to track not just SARS-CoV-2 but antimicrobial resistance, Mpox and typhoid (salmonella).
“Finally, we continue to work on consolidating COVID-19 pandemic laboratory investments into a cohesive tiered national network of public health laboratories as prescribed in the NCDC Act (2018).
“With the continued emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases, our frequent and often concurrent disease outbreaks and public health investments made during the pandemic to ensure health security in the country will need to be sustained,” it explained.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Friday, the Director General of WHO, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, declared that COVID-19 was no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concerns (PHEIC).
The declaration was made after a careful review of current evidence that shows there is high population-level immunity from the SARS-CoV-2 infection, improved knowledge of the virus and management of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
There is also a decline in the global burden of the virus, and also a steady increase in vaccine uptake across countries.
“The declaration that COVID-19 is no longer PHEIC is to enable countries’ transition from acute emergency response to managing COVID-19 as part of integrated healthcare delivery for all infectious diseases.”
The health organisation said the threat of the virus remained within countries and globally and particularly for high-risk groups,” Ghebreyesus said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
No fewer than 1,685 school children in some communities in Ikorodu, Lagos State, have benefited from a “Free Eye Check, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eye Glasses Outreach’’ by the RESTORE Foundation For Child Sight, an NGO.
The Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr Halima Alimi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that the aim of the outreach was to prevent eye problems in children.
This, according to her, is because poor vision impairs learning ability, and may ultimately cause blindness.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Restore Foundation undertakes action and advocacy for improving eye health in children.
Alimi said: “Our mission is to bring about maximum academic attainment for children through optimising their vision, because with good vision, children can excel academically.
“Unfortunately, many children don’t perform well academically, just because they are hampered by poor vision.
“Hence, this programme is to test their eyes to know their condition and to detect any developing problem for quick treatment.
“Those who need eye drops or glasses or surgery are provided with medications by the foundation, absolutely free, because we know they can’t afford the cost.
“ This is our own way of helping underprivileged children break out of the cycle of poverty,’’ she said.
Alimi also said that the roughly two- year-old foundation holds a quarterly outreach.
She said that the first was held in Ebute-Metta East and West communities, including Makoko.
She emphasised that the riverine areas were the main target of the project because the population are underprivileged.
The eye specialist said: “My team, which comprises of general ophthalmologists, pediatric ophthalmologists and others, have so far tested about 1,685 children.
“We have given out over 466 bottles of eye drops, detected 97 children who need glasses, and eight others who need sight-restoring cataract surgery in within the three days of the planned four-day outreach.’’
She added that out of the target 45 schools with an estimated 2,500 pupils, 307schools, including Jojegs School, Salem Brainy School, Carter Bridge School and others benefitted from the outreach.
Alimi explained that the foundation solely depended on donations from friends and members of the public for financial support and sponsorship.
She added that asides the Human Rights Agenda (HURIA), an NGO, which financed cataract surgeries for four pupils who were diagnosed, neither government nor corporate bodies had contributed any support to the fin any form.
She said other partners only provided technical support.
She appealed for more financial support to enable the foundation make more impact.
“We reach out to the general public, to people who are willing to donate to a good cause. So we have been dependent on a few donations we have received.
“Like I said, we are a young foundation, and we have been functioning for about two years now; so, we’re hoping to gain some attention.
“We can partner with both national and international brands.
“Organisations which are interested in the underprivileged communities are already blazing a trail.
“We are the only ones doing it as far as I know. So, of course the more support we get, the more impact we can make.
“We hold our outreach programmes every quarter, but if we had enough funds, we can have about six to eight times in a year,’’ she said.
Alimi said that apart from community outreaches, the foundation also organises programmes in orphanages , whereby they visit orphanage homes and administer eye care and treatment to the children there.
She added that last year, the foundation had an outreach for albinos, who, due to their condition, are most vulnerable to eye problems.
“Last year we had an outreach for Albinos because, again we understand that that’s a disadvantaged group of people born with eye problems.
“However, we have been able to change that narrative by testing about 130 of them, treating and providing them with glasses and they are all doing much better in schools,’’ she said.
According to the eye care specialist, the foundation will extend its outreach programmes to the hearing impaired and mentally challenged schools and other underprivileged communities for children there to benefit from the outreach.
Alimi said that the commonest eye challenges detected included refractive error, which is responsible for long or short sightedness, allergies, then cataract and glaucoma.
She noted that every eye problem found in adults could be found in children, however, unlike adults, children were most vulnerable because their brain is still undergoing development.
“In any community, especially in the developing world, you would find a lot of allergies suffered by a lot of children.
“We are in the rainy season when allergies are very common. So, children with allergies are reacting to dust, particles, sand etc.
“About 95 per cent of the eye drops we have given out are mostly for allergies.
“We have managed to help and educate them on how to manage the allergies,’’ Alimi said.
She advised school teachers to inculcate eye health education in the children and prevent them from playing with sharp pointed objects such as pencils or sticks in order to prevent eye problems. (NAN) www.nannnews.ng
Health experts in cancer care say there is need to upscale the number of mental health staff and support groups for cancer patients in order to improve treatment outcomes.
The experts said this during a Cancer Summit organised by a coalition of NGOs operating under the auspices of the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), on Sunday in Lagos.
They also teamed with the Nigerian Medical Association Cancer Committee to expand knowledge and bridge gaps in cancer care and management.
The theme of the summit was: “Building Strategic Frameworks For
Strengthening Cancer Patient Support Groups’ and ‘Breaking the Bad News in the African Region”.
Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, Professor of Radiology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, , said that an integrated synergy between cancer patients and their caregivers would strengthen health outcomes.
She noted that support groups would strengthen cancer patients’ coping strategies, reduce feelings of isolation, noting that the coalition was working on expanding the number of cancer support groups in Nigeria and Africa.
Okoye, who is also the Founder, Breast Without Spot (BWS), an NGO, said that the Ministry of Health in 2021 created the Nigerian cancer health fund(CHF) to assist indigent patients access treatment for cancer disease.
She noted that lots of people were unaware of the funds which were there to assist them get treatment for breast, cervical and prostate cancer.
Okoye said that research had shown that the three cancers – breast, cervical and prostate cancer- were the most common cancers in the country, noting that there are over 200 cancer diseases.
She called for increased engagement between the Federal Government, private sector and NGOs in cancer care to expand the Nigerian cancer health fund(CHF)
Similarly, Dr Denise Ejoh, Chief Executive Officer, Cormode Cancer Foundation, advised cancer patients to be resilient and always seek medical advice along their journey.
Ejoh, a cancer survivor, said every single cancer patient needs a cancer support group, stressing that the group was critical in assisting them after a medical diagnosis, understanding and bracing up for the journey.
She said that structured group interventions for cancer patients would improve psychological wellbeing, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve quality of life, coping and mental adjustment.
Also, Dr Elizabeth Akin-Odanye, President, Psycho-Oncology Society of Nigeria, said that patients should not equate a cancer diagnosis to a death sentence.
Akin-Odanye said that life was a continuum, advising them to follow treatment and seek psychosocial support.
She appealed to healthcare workers to infuse hope, assuage concerns, be empathetic while treating cancer patients and give appropriate referral to mental health experts when necessary.
Dr Saleh Yuguda, Secretary-General, Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), said a multidisciplinary approach was needed to manage a cancer patient appropriately.
Yuguda said that multidisciplinary approach was a global best practice in cancer care management, noting that countries that adopted it had higher survival rates.
Dr Samuel Otene, Chairman, Cancer Committee, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), said that the group would continue to partner organisations in expanding knowledge to bridge gaps toward equitable delivery of cancer care in the country. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Former Chief of Army Staff, Brig.-Gen. (rtd) Tukur Burutai, has expressed concern over the high rate of cervical cancer in Nigeria.
Buratai raised the concern at the Public Presentation and Launch of a book titled: ‘NADAMA’, authored by Mrs Fatima Usara, held in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Usara is the Head of Public Affairs, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)
The former army chief quoted Prof. Oliver Ezechi, the Director of Research at NIMR, as saying that an estimated 36 million Nigerian women aged 15 and above, are at risk of acquiring cervical cancer.
Burutai said that every day, 33 new cervical cancer cases and 22 deaths were recorded in Nigeria due to the disease, making it the second most common cancer amongst women in Nigeria.
According to him, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent malignancy in women globally.
He also stated that cervical cancer was one of the major causes of cancer mortality among women in 36 countries, including Nigeria.
Burutai, who emphasised the importance of preventative measures, commended the author of ‘NADAMA’ for her efforts in sensitising people on cervical cancer and other health issues.
He urged Nigerians, especially parents, women and youths, to read the book, which was written in a dramatic and intriguing style that kept the reader in suspense.
He noted that the right to health indicators focused on five crucial areas, including sexual and reproductive health, child mortality and healthcare.
” Others are the natural and work environment, preventing, treating and controlling diseases, as well as access to health facilities and necessary medicines.”
Buratai, who is Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, praised ‘NADAMA’ for addressing all these areas in a unique and innovative way.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director, Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, noted that the cost of managing cancer was very expensive, adding that prevention is the best approach.
He praised the book for providing education and enlightenment, hoping that it will help reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer in northern Nigeria.
Ahidjo recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari recently inaugurated a modern cancer centre in Maiduguri to serve the most vulnerable and hard to reach communities in the North East region.
He noted that before the centre was constructed, there was no radiotherapy facility for the treatment of cancer in the region, which has a population of over 30 million people.
He expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the investment, and hoped that it would solve the healthcare problems in the region.
Ahidjo, who advised that the book should be read carefully as an educational material, suggested that it should be kept in schools, universities, libraries and hospitals across the country.
According to him, healthcare providers have much to benefit from it.
On his part, the former Chairman of NAHCON, Malam Abdullahi Mukhtar, also lauded the commitment of the author in contributing to finding solution to one of the medical challenges of women inspite of her official and domestic schedules.
Mukhtar urged the guests, NGOs and and philanthropists to support and encourage writer to enable her provide more services to the society.
Malam Muhammad Tola, the representative of Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a civil society organisation promoting quality Hajj and Umrah services, canvassed for the translation of ‘NADAMA’ into other languages to facilitate understanding of the message.
Tola, therefore, challenged the author, Kaduna State University and willing sponsors to help translate and act the book into English, Igbo and Yoruba languages for global acceptability.
In his remark, the Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, praised the book, saying it captures how cervical cancer can be eliminated as a public health problem.
Hassan, who described ‘NADAMA’ as a drama that educates and informs, commended the author for her initiative in writing such a book.
On her part, the author (Usara) expressed optimism that the book would help protect women from the painful death of cervical cancer and encouraged other women to join her in the fight against cervical cancer.
She expressed gratitude to those who attended the event and acknowledged the late Dr Mardiya Zayyan for encouraging her to write the book and attributed it to her as a charity for imparting knowledge on her. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chidinma Agu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola
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