Report - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jun, Thu, 2025

Report women!FRLP fellow trains KASU students on Solutions Journalism

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By Aisha Gambo

A Report Women! Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP) Fellow, Aisha Gambo, on Thursday trained Mass Communication students at the Kaduna State University (KASU) on Solutions Journalism (SOJO).

The training is part of a leadership project conducted by Report Women!FRLP fellows, with support from the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ).

Gambo, who is also a Senior Correspondent with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stated that the training was aimed at equipping the students with practical knowledge and skills on SOJO.

” We are not just training these students, we will encourage them to start identifying responses in their communities and reporting them.

“There are lots of opportunities in the field of Journalism especially Solutions Journalism; we will be sharing these opportunities with them to make them more competent,” she said.

While speaking, Mr Nathaniel Bivan , a Solutions Journalist, who presented a slide on ‘Finding and Reporting Excellent Solution Stories”, said students of mass communications should start writing these stories while in school.

He explained that a good solutions story must contain the four pillars of SOJO: Response, evidence, insight and limitation, adding that the students should aim at writing stories that make impact.

Another speaker, Yahuza Bawage who started practising journalism at school, urged mass communications students to start writing early so as to build a portfolio that would attract opportunities for them when they leave school.

He urged the students to form a union for campus journalists which would serve as a platform for them as students-journalists, adding that it would help them secure opportunities for capacity building and career development.

Some of the students, who participated in the training commended the organiser, saying that the session was eye-opening.

Amina Abdulkadir said she was hearing solutions journalism for the first time, adding that the training had helped her understand the concept and how to properly write SOJO stories.

Another participant, Usman Hassan, who is also a 400-level student, said he would step down the training to his colleagues in the Department and was ready to start writing SOJO stories.(NAN) (wwwnannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

JEE report rates FCT high on immunisation coverage

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jun, Mon, 2025

Health

JEE report rates FCT high on immunisation coverage

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By Philip Yatai

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Joint External Evaluation (JEE) Report, an Assessment of Health Security Capacities at sub-national level has rated FCT high on immunisation coverage.

Ms Nsikak Inman, Senior Officer, International Health Regulation (IHR), revealed this at the Dissemination of the FCT JEE Report, in Abuja on Monday.

Presenting the report, Inman said that the FCT was rated high on vaccination coverage as part of a state-level programme, as well as vaccine access and delivery.

She added that FCT equally did well in the surveillance system and reporting network and protocol under surveillance and reporting.

She, however, added that the Administration needs to improve on use of electronic tools and surveillance data analysis.

Other areas of strength include case management capacity for health security related events and Emergency Operations Centres capacities, procedures and plans.

Inman also said that best practices observed during the assessment include multi-sectoral representation and participation, transparency, commitment and state ownership.

Others, she said, were available human resource strategy and annual human resource gap analysis.

She however identified some gaps that need to be addressed, particularly suboptimal collaboration across relevant sectors and secretariat departments and agencies.

“There are also inadequate policies, strategies, guidelines and plans to improve health security in FCT.

“Inadequate laboratory capacity should also be addressed while budget allocation for epidemic preparedness should include animal and environmental sectors,” she said.

She explained that the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in its capacity as the IHR National Focal Point, supported state governments in assessing and identifying gaps in the health security core capacities.

She added that working with the FCT Administration, the assessment was conducted from Feb. 19 to 21, 2024, using the adapted evaluation tool for the assessment of subnational level health security capacities.

She equally said that the benchmarks for strengthening subnational health security in Nigeria to validate the self-assessment.

Earlier, the Director-General, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said that dissemination of the report marks a new beginning in the renewed commitments to building a stronger, more resilient health security system for the FCT.

Represented by Dr Fatima Saleh, Director, Surveillance NCDC, said that the FCTA has shown ownership and leadership, vital for a collective health security.

“The JEE is a critical component of the IHR 2005 monitoring and evaluation framework, which provides clear evidence of the strength, the gaps in our public health preparedness and response capabilities.

“It is not an end in itself; but a tool for action, a mirror that reflects where we stand today and a map that guides us where we must go,” he said.

Responding, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, welcomed the reports and reiterated the FCTA’s commitment to do better.

Fasawe, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Baba-Gana Adam, noted that the indicators of the reports would help the FCTA to plan on how to improve on areas of weakness.

“So, we assure you that by our next report, you will see the action plan that will be done, and evidence provided to deliver and improve on our health security capabilities,” she said.

Also, the FCT Epidemiologist, Dr Lawal Ademola, emphasised that the FCT has the capacity to detect, respond, and prevent all public health concerns.

“The JEE is just a tool that is used globally to assess our strength so that we can see the gaps and work together to strengthen where those gaps are,” he said.

Speaking on the FCT performance on immunisation coverage, Dr Ruqayya Wamako, Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Healthcare Development Board, attributed the feats to the emphasis on disease prevention in the FCT,

Wamako said that the most diseases were vaccine preventable as the first level of defence, stressing that “when children are well immunised, they won’t have diseases that are vaccine preventable”. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Lydia Beshel
Feb, Tue, 2025

Foreign , Health

WHO says breast cancer cases projected to rise by 38% by 2050

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Cancer

By Cecilia Ologunagba

World Health Organisation (WHO) says in a new report that breast cancer cases are expected to increase by 38 per cent globally by 2050.

The findings from a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialised branch of WHO, also projected annual deaths from the disease to rise by 68 per cent.

It warned that if the current trend was not checked, the cases would continue to rise.

The findings were published in Nature Medicine on Monday.

They warn further that if current trends continued, the world will see 3.2 million new breast cancer cases and 1.1 million related deaths each year by mid-century.

“The burden will be disproportionately felt in low- and middle-income countries, where access to early detection, treatment and care remains limited,” the findings indicate.

“Every minute, four women are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide and one woman dies from the disease, and these statistics are worsening,” the report, quoted Dr. Joanne Kim, an IARC scientist and co-author of the report, as saying.

“Countries can mitigate or reverse these trends by adopting primary prevention policies, such as WHO’s recommended ‘best buys’ for non-communicable disease prevention, and by investing in early detection and treatment,” she added.

Kim noted that breast cancer remained the most common cancer among women worldwide and the second most common cancer overall.

In 2022 alone, an estimated 2.3 million new cases were diagnosed, with 670,000 deaths reported.

However, the report highlights significant disparities across regions.

The highest incidence rates were recorded in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Northern Europe, while the lowest rates were found in South-Central Asia and parts of Africa.

Meanwhile, the highest mortality rates were reported in Melanesia, Polynesia and Western Africa, where limited access to healthcare contributes to poorer outcomes.

The link between breast cancer survival and economic development is stark.

In high-income countries, 83 per cent of diagnosed women survive, whereas in low-income countries, more than half of women diagnosed with breast cancer die from it.

WHO launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative in 2021, aiming to reduce breast cancer mortality rates by 2.5 per cent per year, which can prevent 2.5 million deaths by 2040.

The initiative focuses on early detection, timely diagnosis and access to quality treatment.

Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of IARC’s Cancer Surveillance Branch, emphasised the need for high-quality cancer data to drive better policies in lower-income regions.

“Continued progress in early diagnosis and improved access to treatment are essential.

“These will help to address the global gap in breast cancer and ensure that the goal of reducing suffering and death from breast cancer is achieved by all countries worldwide,” she said.

The report underscores the importance of stronger health systems, increased funding for breast cancer screening and treatment and the adoption of cost-effective prevention policies.

With the projected rise in cases and deaths, the international community faces an urgent challenge.

This is the one that requires coordinated action to ensure millions of lives are not lost to a disease that is increasingly preventable and treatable.(NAN)
(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Study finds rising plastic particles in human brain, liver

Lydia Beshel
Feb, Tue, 2025

Health

Study finds rising plastic particles in human brain, liver

293 total views today

Plastic

Tiny plastic particles are accumulating in human tissues at increasingly higher levels, a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine showed.

The study, led by Matthew Campen of the University of New Mexico, shows that there are significantly higher levels of plastic nano and micro particles in the liver and brain.

The research was carried out from deceased people in 2024 compared to those studied in 2016.

According to the study released on Tuesday, the contamination is particularly high in the brain, with levels up to 30 times higher than in other organs such as the liver or kidneys,.

It said that while micro plastics have previously been detected in organs like the lungs, intestines and even the placenta, conventional microscopy typically only identifies particles larger than five micrometers.

The authors of the study said this excluded smaller nano particles that may be present.

Campen’s team employed advanced infrared and electron microscopy, which has allowed them to detect these smaller particles with greater accuracy.

The researchers analysed tissue samples from 24 deceased individuals in 2024 and compared them with 28 samples from 2016.

While the levels of plastic nano and micro particles in the kidneys remained largely unchanged, the liver and brain showed increase, particularly high levels in people with dementia.

The study also identified alarming levels of micro plastics in the brains of people diagnosed with dementia.

Twelve (12) brain samples were collected between 2019 and 2024, contained between 12,000 and 48,000 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue.

However, the researchers said that these findings are associative and do not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

The team also analysed the types of plastic found, with polyethylene, the plastic commonly used in bottles and packaging found to be the most prevalent.

It accounted for 40 to 65per cent of the plastic detected in the liver and kidneys, and up to 75 per cent in the brain.

The researchers cautioned that some of the differences observed in brain tissue could be attributed to geographic factors, as the samples were collected from New Mexico and the U.S. East Coast.

They stressed the need for larger-scale; longer-term studies to further explore the effects of micro and nano plastic accumulation, particularly on neurological health.
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Halima Sheji

Bobrisky served term in correctional centre- Report

Tosin Kolade
Oct, Mon, 2024

Defence/Security

Bobrisky served term in correctional centre- Report

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By Kelechi Ogunleye

A report by Federal Government’s Independent Investigative Panel has revealed that there is no evidence indicating that Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) lived outside the Correctional Service facility during his six-month imprisonment.

The panel, established by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, was tasked with investigating allegations of gross violations of standard operating procedures within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The report was submitted on Monday in Abuja.

Presenting the report to the Minister, Mrs Magdalene Ajani, President of the panel and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, noted that this was the first phase of the investigation.

Ajani stated that the report included findings on Bobrisky and also addressed allegations made by Abdulrasheed Maina against personnel at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

The investigation revealed that Bobrisky received several special privileges while in custody at both the Medium-security and Maximum-security custodial centers in Kirikiri, Lagos.

“He had furnished single cells, humidifier, rugged floor and lots of visits by his family members and friends as he desired. Visits were also held inside the office of the officer in-charge of the custodial center.

“He also enjoyed the privileges of self- feeding, designated inmate to run errands for him, access to fridge and television, and possibly access to his phone,’’ she said.

She, however, underscored the need to further investigate, if the privileges were financially induced and based on corrupt practices by correctional officers.

Ajani noted that the peculiarities and physical appearances of the responder probably led to the special treatments he received by the correctional officers.

According to her, findings revealed that, the decision to transfer Bobrisky from Ikoyi custodial centre, to the Medium maximum centre was made by Ben Freeman, the then, State Controller, NCos Lagos Command.

“The state controller however, has the power by law to transfer inmates within the same state.

“Proper documentation was, however, not made prior to his transfers but the documents were later provided and backdated.

“This is in violation to Section 168 and 169 of the NCoS service standing order, and the transfer of Bobrisky being a first offender violates section 16 (4a) (b) of the Ncos Act, 2019,” she added.

The president of the panel said that the committee proposed that in future, provisions should be made available for peculiarities such as Bobrisky’s case.

According to her, steps should be taken to avoid the obvious discriminatory practices in relation to the socio-economic levels and other status of inmates.

In the same vein, the panel reports indicated that, it was true that a senior officer collected funds from Maina’s son.

According to her, the panel, upon interrogation of the officer, discovered that money was paid into his personal account.

“The officer claimed that the money paid into his personal account was for the purpose of catering for Maina’s welfare and health.

“He acted unethically and brought himself and the service to great disrepute by requesting and receiving money from Maina’s son.

“The panel is of the view that, even if the transfers were made with Maina’s approval, it is still a violation, as the officer’s conduct was not consistent with institutional regulations,” she said.

The panel therefore recommended that all correctional service personnel should “be re-trained and be persons of integrity and character’’.

The panel also recommended that personnel without previous direct heading of a custodial center should not be deployed to head big and sensitive custodial centers.

“The gross under-funding of the Nigerian correctional service, poor welfare package and working conditions of correctional officers are factors that encourage corruption and commercialisation of provision of welfare and other services to inmates,” Ajani said.

Responding, the minister said that any officer found culpable based on the report would face disciplinary actions.

“We have nothing to hide and it is about reform and making sure we build strong institutions that will outlive every one of us, and the correctional service is a key institution in the security architecture.

“We will follow this up with action and make sure we build a service that will not be condemnatory to inmates.

“We want to reform the service in a way that it will be the bridge between the weak and the strongest,” he said.

The minister assured that it would no longer be business as usual, adding, “the renewed hope starts with us in this ministry”. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Deborah Coker/ Rotimi Ijikanmi