By Folasade Akpan

Nigerian Society of Physiotherapists (NSP) has advised Nigerians to engage in daily exercises, essential in preventing and treating Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Dr Nnamdi Eze, the Chairman, FCT Chapter of the society, gave the advice on Saturday during a medical outreach at Model Primary Health Centre, Naharat in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.

According to him, health benefits to be derived from physical activities include prevention and management of NCDs such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancers.

” We are here to advise the people on why they should always be physically active, regularly move around and to enlighten them about why exercises are  important, though a lot of people take it for granted.

“We are also here to create awareness about NTDs like diabetes, high blood pressure, risk of cancer, heart disease, and even musculoskeletal pain and issues that easily lead to disability.

“Within the mix here, we have a lot of people who have some form of disability or the other and it gives us a lot of joy that we are meeting the people that need our help at the point of their needs, which is in their community.”

Eze also said that achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has become  important “and Federal Government has made it a priority to have every Nigerian covered in the healthcare scheme.

” This has made rehabilitation also take the centre stage as it used to be only prevention and treatment that were within the primary healthcare setting.

“Now we have rehabilitation, which means people in communities can have direct access to professionals, and as members of NSP, we will start by creating that initial impact.

“Our aim is to continue to create awareness about what we do, and to be able to reach out to communities and to people who have physical disability, and see what we can do as physiotherapists to help.”

Eze also said that the outreach would be carried out in other area councils of the FCT.

The Vice Chairman of the society, Dr Abioye Ayodele, said there is minimum requirement of exercise for optimum performance for people who are physically fit.

He explained that “there is exercise prescription which is the minimum exercise that helps someone to optimise fitness.”

Referring to World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation, he said a normal adult should have a minimum of one hour exercise every week.

“So, we encourage that as normal adults, whether sick or not, you have a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise every day within the week and that will give you the recommended one hour of exercise needed to optimise fitness.

“Exercise is prescribed based on the threshold of patients.

” There are some patients who cannot even do one minute exercise, so it is prescribed based on  requirements or the type of sickness that a person is suffering from.

“For those suffering from osteoarthritis, it is difficult for them to carry out these exercises for themselves, and in that case, they will require the services of  physiotherapists.”

He added that for those experiencing  pains and could still exercise, they could do something not too strenuous and would not need to use the gym.

Ayodele said that even for those who are wheelchair-bound, unconscious, conscious or obese, they all have specific exercises.

Some of the beneficiaries of the outreach said it was a good gesture on the part of the society, as it would help members of the community access healthcare free of charge.

Mrs Aishatu Usman, a resident, said she developed waist pain after she was involved in a motorcycle accident some months ago.

According to her, meeting the physiotherapists will help her get the right treatment she needs to take care of the pain.

She commended the society for reaching out to the community, adding that many do not bother to seek medical help if they are not financially capable.

Miss Precious Awolowo, another resident who suffers from chest pain due to hard labour, said the outreach was an added advantage to her.

According to her, this is because she will be meeting with professionals whom she may have to travel to hospitals in the city and wait in long queues before seeing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that items distributed to some patients include crutches, walking aids, wheelchairs and topical analgesics. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu
 
 

By Justina Auta

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), an NGO, on Thursday, trained women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in the FCT on prevention of transmission of the virus to infants.

The orgnisation’s Country Director, Dr Echey Ijezie, said during a one-day workshop for participants across the six area councils of the FCT, that the initiative is under the Mentor Mother programme to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmissions (PMTCT) of HIV.

He said the training was to train mentor mothers and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) in prevention of HIV to infants.

He added that “we want to generate a good network of mentor mothers who benefitted from the prevention, treatment and care services given to HIV positive pregnant women.

“We are doing this across states of the federation by identifying mentor mothers to work in communities. And as they work in communities, they encourage other mothers to access free treatment.

“Free treatment is given to all women living with the virus to protect their unborn children. The essence is to have a generation of children that are HIV-free.”

Ijezie explained that the organisation also trained some mentor mothers in Anambra, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Cross River and the FCT to support and counsel HIV positive women in overcoming stigmatisation and to access healthcare.

He said “if people share their experiences and are willing to talk about their status openly, it serves as an encouragement to other members of the community, that there is nothing
to be afraid of and living positively is not a death sentence.

“We want our babies to be born HIV negative. So, we’re training women and empowering them to ensure they work in communities where they live.”

Mr Steve Aborisade, the Advocacy and Marketing Manager of AHF Nigeria, who noted the gaps in the HIV delivery system, stressed the need for treatment to prevent having children with HIV in the country.

He said “it is important that we bring women from the community where they live themselves to speak to other women and get them to come for antenatal care.

“Once a woman attends an antenatal clinic, it is compulsory for her to be tested for HIV and if found positive, she gets on to the treatment programme immediately, and that guarantees that the child will be born HIV-free.”

Mrs Christy Awunor, the AHF states Nursing Coordinator, emphasised the role of mentor mothers to include support during antenatal care, HIV testing, care and treatment services for newly diagnosed HIV positive pregnant women.

He explained that “mentor mothers are HIV positive mothers who were once pregnant and have HIV-free babies.

“They encourage other positive pregnant women in communities to ensure reduction or total elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV.”

On her part, Mrs Grace Ungbian, one of the newly inaugurated mentor mothers, revealed that she adhered to the medical directives and treatment,
which prevented her from transmitting the virus to her children.

She said “my last child is about 17 years old now but because I passed through PMTCT, she is negative.

“When I see pregnant women, I try to get close to them, so that they can go to the clinic to know their status,” she said.

Awunor also encouraged HIV positive persons to overcome stigmatisation and ensure they access healthcare to improve their chances of survival and prevention of transmission.

It will be recalled that the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) during the 2023 World AIDS Day celebration revealed that Nigeria currently has 1.8 million persons living with HIV, out of which, 1.63 million on Antiretroviral Therapy. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

By Muhammad Nur Tijani

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has urged the Kano, Jigawa and Katsina State Governments to take steps towards strengthening primary healthcare system in their domains.

The Officer In Charge, UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Micheal Banda, made the call at a media dialogue and polio campaign organised by UNICEF and the Kano State Primary Healthcare Development Agency on Friday in Kano.

Banda urged the state governments to implement the Nigeria Primary Health Care Under One Roof Policy to ensure one-stop functional primary healthcare centre in every ward.

He stressed the need for the governments of the three states to make integrated primary healthcare package accessible to families in every functional health facility.

”UNICEF will continue to support the growth of primary healthcare system in these states.

”We want to ensure that at least one primary healthcare facility is functional in each local government area,” he said.

The UNICEF official said that boosting routine immunisation would eradicate polio and childhood killer diseases in the country.

He said that strengthening the system and making routine polio immunisation a top priority, was critical to the survival of the child.

”It has become important for stakeholders to collaborate and ensure that children below five years receive all vaccines.

”Immunisation is the single, most cost-effective, and high-impact intervention which protects children against vaccine-preventable illness and death,” he said.

Banda described the media as partners in progress with critical role to play in managing the misinformation about the use of vaccines.

”I urge the media to create the demand for immunisation and to raise awareness about the importance of immunisation by providing accurate information to caregivers, families, and communities,” he said.

Earlier, the Director General, Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Agency, Dr Nasir Mahmoud, said that polio immunisation campaign would hold between April 20 and  23.

He said the exercise was targeted at children between ages 0 and 59 months in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States.

The D-G stated that the Kano State government had put modalities in place to make the campaign a huge success.

Mahmoud who emphasised the need for public education and enlightenment on polio, attributed the low immunisation coverage in the last few years to non-functional primary healthcare centers.

Also speaking, Dr Shehu Abdullahi, said that polio virus could invade the nervous system and cause total paralysis within a few hours.

”It can be transmitted from one person to another. Polio is a highly infectious disease.

“The virus is spread mainly through the faecal-oral route. Less frequently, it is spread through contaminated water or food and multiplies in the intestine.

”The initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs,” he explained.

Some of the participants who spoke to NAN thanked the agency for organising the media briefing and polio campaign.

They promised to put the knowledge gained in the exercise to use in the interest of their well-being.(NAN)www.nannews.ng

Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa and Azubuike Okeh

By Mark Longyen

Dr. Mary Boyd, Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC), has expressed optimism that Nigeria would end HIV as a public health threat by 2030.

Boyd made said this at the end of the 4th biannual stakeholder engagement meeting of the U.S. CDC in Abuja with the theme: “Improving Public Health Programs Through Science.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day meeting is part of the U.S. CDC’s commitment to regularly review and adapt programming to meet the needs of the HIV response in Nigeria.

According to Boyd, the scientific work being done in Nigeria through various implementing partners would reach “zero-dose children, and strengthen Nigeria’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to disease threats.”

She said the discussions, which focused on improving health outcomes and achieving HIV epidemic control at the sub-national level resulted in the enthusiasm about Nigeria’s efforts towards achieving success in disease control.

The U.S CDC Director also thanked participants and stakeholders for their willingness to “ask question and follow the science.”

 The event also featured the honouring of select presenters and projects for their scientific contributions, which was carried out by Dr. Salma Anas, the Special Adviser to Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Health.

The meeting also provided state-HIV programmes and partners a platform to share their scientific work, where speakers highlighted the vital role which state ministries of health play in achieving sustainable outbreak responses, immunization systems, and HIV programs.

The presentations and panels focused on strengthening collaborations for effective public health programmes, with a total of 35 posters and 9 oral abstracts presented, highlighting the importance of evidence-based program design and implementation.

The next stakeholder engagement meeting of the U.S. CDC will hold later in October.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Aderogba George

Cynthia Okeke Charity Foundation, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), on Tuesday, provided free medical services to the residents of Apo Dutse Community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Its Founder, Mrs Ebelechukwu-Cynthia Okeke, said that the foundation took its free quarterly medical outreach to the community in Abuja because it discovered that the residents had no access to medical services.

The medical outreach, with the theme  “Bring Me Hope Medical Outreach”, was organised by the foundation in collaboration with the Fight against Malaria Foundation, an NGO and the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA).

Okeke said the purpose of the programme was to create a world where individuals could have access to free medical services.

“This outreach is to give back to the community. When we did our research, we found out that a lot of people do not have access to medical services in this community; we have come to carry out this free medical test.

“We are partnering with the Fight Against Malaria Foundation, also an NGO; and NACA; to provide free malaria tests; HIV tests; blood pressure; blood sugar and others.

“We will be giving the people free health talk, free consultation; free medication and refer those who have complicated cases to the hospital. We will also give out free mosquito nets to families.

“We are going to give out pads, pant liners to teenage girls, we are going to give gifts to adults and children,’’ Okeke said.

In his remarks, Alhaji Ishaku Sagbeda, the District Head of Apo Dutse, thanked the foundation for bringing the medical outreach to his community.

Sagbeda, whose domain comprises of Lokogoma, Damangada and Durumi 3, said many organisations had come to run tests for the residents of the community, but they had not received quality drugs.

He commended the foundation for making the drugs available to the people, expressing community’s willing to work with the foundation.

Mr Jide Adekunle, a beneficiary, said the foundation’s free medical services really helped him in addressing malaria he had been battling for the past two weeks.

Adekunle added that he needed medication on malaria, but he could not afford to buy the drugs due to the economic situation of the country.

Mrs Grace Enyi, another beneficiary, also thanked the NGO for providing her medical treatment, saying she lacked the money to treat herself. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Florence Onuegbu/ Deji Abdulwahab

By Ngozi Njoku

A leading Afro-focused multinational company, Shalina Healthcare, has reiterated its commitment to delivery of quality healthcare in Nigeria and other African countries.

The Chief Commercial Officer, West Africa of the company, Arun Raj, declared this in Lagos on Monday, at the closing of its 2023/24 financial year and celebrate its 40 years of its existence.

“The company is determined to continually fulfill its corporate mission of making quality products available to every African at affordable prices.

“It has been 40 years of trust in Africa and these 40 years, the people of the continent have also reciprocated the trust in our quality products and healthcare delivery,” he said.

In his corporate presentation and new financial year projection, the Head, Corporate Marketing of the Company, Folorunso Alaran, said ”it is building on the trust Africans have in its products and services over the year and is committed to healthy Africa.

“It has been 40 years of available, affordable and quality products for Africans.”

Mr Nirmal Jain, CEO Shalina consumer Global, said, “we believe that every African must have access to good products.

“And, for the last 40 years, we have been trusted for our quality products and more so, through our many initiatives and healthcare interventions, Shalina has continually raised the bar in healthcare delivery.”

Speaking further, Mr Debajeet Mukherjee, CEO Shalina Pharma Global, posited that; ” in spite of the prevailing economic challenges, we do not waver in delivering our corporate purposes of available, affordable and quality health products.

“It is our belief that economic challenges should not hinder people’s access to quality healthcare. Either the economy is good or bad, it shouldn’t affect the lives of the people in an adverse way.

“In spite of the fact that some companies are leaving Nigeria, we are expanding our team in the country. This is because we have trust and believe in Nigeria.”

In her own presentation,  the Company’s Managing Director, Nigeria, Opeyemi Akinyele, said ”the company is focused to become number one brand in Nigeria and continually promote the best of healthcare delivery in the country.

“Through our products, activities and interventions, we have been doing greatly to ensure that quality healthcare is available and affordable for every citizen. And this is a promise that will remain unbroken,” she said.

She appreciated members of staff of the company for their commitment and supporting roles in the company, saying that, “without you, your roles and efforts, we won’t be here and the successes recorded in the out gone year won’t be possible.

“We also rely on your continuous support and commitment in the new year.”

The high point of the company’s end of year activities, include honouring some members of staff members with awards of excellence in different categories for 2023/24 financial year.

Amongst them are Lasisi Abiodun, Best Pharma Delegate, Lawal Abubakar,  Best Medical Delegate, Ruth Adewoye,  Best Regional Manager Pharma, Ganiyu Lateef, Best CVD Delegate, Mercy Omoji, Best Regional Manager and Consumer,

Others are Uzuma Pascal, Best Zonal Manager, (Global) and Juliet Edward,  Best Consumer Delegate Global, while winners in other categories included Sandeep Sahu, Folorunso Alaran, Emeka Adimoha, Chiuba Nwaosu, among others.

Shalina Healthcare which began its business in Africa in DR Congo in 1984 made entry to Nigeria 25years ago and currently has about 2500 staffs globally out of whom 2000 are in Africa. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)