Senator Baba Tela, Bauchi deputy governor, has tested positive to the dreaded Coronavirus disease . The media aide to the state governor, Mukhtar Gidado made the disclosure in a statement on Tuesday night.
Baba Tela is the Chairman, State Task Force on Disease Control that is battling Coronavirus and Lassa fever, in the state.
The statement reads: “His Excellency Sen. Baba Tela, Deputy Governor of Bauchi State who is also the Chairman State Task Force on COVID-19 was confirmed positive for Coronavirus”.
Gidado added that Tela was symptomatic of the disease having contracted the disease while carrying out his responsibility as chairman of the committee.
“Consequently, His Excellency Sen. Baba Tela has gone into self-isolation in Bauchi and health professionals are properly managing the situation.
“Also, samples of all his primary contacts have been taken by the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) for test and they are advised to remain in isolation pending the outcome of their results,” Gidado said.
According to the report of the NCDC, as at Tuesday night, Bauchi has recorded 241 cases so far with 221 of the patients been discharged while 8 persons have lost their lives, with 12 active cases.
Gidado expressed the concerns of the State Governor Bala Mohammed, for his deputy, saying he has called for prayers for the quick recovery of his deputy.
The press statement further explained that he contracted the virus in the course of discharging his duty as the State Chairman, Task Force Committee on COVID Response of Bauchi State. According to the statement, Baba Tela has since gone into Isolation and is being taken care of by professional medical personnel.
Anxiety has griped the Bauchi State as the Deputy Governor, Sen. Baba Tela tested positive for coronavirus disease.
The development was confirmed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Bauchi State governor, Muhktar Gidado, on Wednesday.
According to him, the result came back positive after a test carried out on him by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control when he exhibited symptom
According to the statement, the deputy governor, who double as the Chairman of the Bauchi State Task Force on COVID-19 and Lassa Fever, had since gone into self-isolation.
He said, “This is to inform the general public that His Excellency, Sen. Baba Tela, Deputy Governor of Bauchi State who is also the Chairman, State Task Force on COVID-19 was confirmed positive for coronavirus.
“He contracted the disease while discharging his onerous responsibility as Chairman of the Committee.
“Consequently, His Excellency, Baba Tela has gone into self-isolation in Bauchi and health professionals are properly managing his situation.”
The governor’s media aide said the samples of all his primary contacts have been taken by the NCDC for testing and are advised to remain in isolation pending the outcome of their results.
“The governor also calls on the citizens to adhere strictly to the protocols against the dreaded virus to curtail its spread in the state,” he said.
-Task govts on removal of racism in healthcare systems
The coalition of Nigerian healthcare professionals in diaspora, consisting the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA); the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America(NANNNA) and the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceuticals Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) have decried the recent gruesome murder of George Floyd, and have called for justice to done on perpetrators.
The practitioners have also drawn governments’ attention to the deep- seated racism and discrimination in the healthcare system, saying a reform of the system is imperative for the minority to have unfettered access to healthcare.
ANPA, NAPPSA, NANNNA logos
“We call on all relevant authorities at local, state and federal levels to act with dispatch and bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice”, they insisted.
In a press statement jointly signed by the presidents of the associations, Dr Charmaine Emelife, president, ANPA; Dr Emilia Iwu, president, NANNNA; and Dr Anthony Ikeme, president, NAPPSA, expressed their solidarity with other well-meaning citizens and organisations in denouncing violence against minorities in the form of structural racism.
They said: “Psychosocial stresses that promotes poor wellbeing and antisocial behaviours, especially among communities of colours, can be traced to persistent acts of structural oppression and dehumanization of the population. It is not surprising that chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and other preventable diseases are more prevalent in minority populations.
“These populations also lack access to adequate healthcare, due to structural barriers rooted in hundreds of years of systematic exclusion”, they stated.
The diaspora practitioners further submitted that it is not surprising in the recent COVID-19 pandemic, that the minority of colours, have disproportionately been affected in terms of death and disability. With the stay at home rule, minorities were also the most burdened.
They observed the impact of the discrimination in the healthcare system, saying it has exposed the fragmented healthcare structures and the lingering disparities based on race and socio-economic status. “This racism that has permeated the healthcare system needs urgent reform. We understand the deep hurt our brothers and sisters in the Africa-American community feel and condemn its perpetuation.
“There should be zero tolerance for racial discrimination, factional killing of minorities and should apply nonthreatening approach to policing”, the practitioners maintained.
They however sympathised with the bereaved families and friends of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all other numerous victims of police violence. “May their souls rest in peace .May our communities heal and find the courage to address systemic injustices and create a more equitable society for all Americans irrespective of race, creed, gender or orientation”, they prayed.
In an exclusive chat with Pharmanewsonline, the NAPPSA President why they had to team up with other practioners, saying “being mindful of the collective pain we all share following the viral video of the brutal murder of George Floyd and the gut-wrenching scenes that have played out in cities all over the country in the past one week, NAPPSA decided to join other healthcare professionals to make our voice count through the statement.
“To raise the tenor and reach of our voice, we partnered with our sister Nigerian Healthcare Professional organizations (ANPA and NANNNA) to make this happen”, Ikeme explained.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has just announced 241 new cases of COVID-19 and increase in deaths from 299 to 314.
With the 241 new cases, Nigeria now has a total 10,819 cases, 3,239 recoveries, and 314 deaths.
Making the disclosure via its Twitter handle, the NCDC said: “As at 11:45 pm 2nd June 2020, there are 10,819 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria”.
241 new cases of #COVID19 reported; It also splitted the 241 new cases into states of occurrence as follows:
Tambocor: A ❏ may be of value in serious symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias B ❏ is a beta-adrenoceptor blocker C ❏ is available only for parenteral administration D ❏ cannot be administered concurrently with antibacterial agents E ❏ is a proprietary preparation for amiodarone
As part of it’s effort to further curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, the Kano State Government has maintained Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays as lockdown days in the state.
The government said the decision was in compliance with the federal government’s easing of the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Governor of Kano State Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
It also released fresh protocols and guidelines on how access to markets and locations of economic activity to limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
The state Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, said in a statement that after due consultations, with key public health professionals and critical review of the situation in Kano, markets, places of worship and movement of persons are now allowed on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:00am to 6:00pm.
He said the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has therefore summoned an emergency meeting with market leaders on how to ensure strict observance of safety and prevention protocols in markets and business places.
The statement further emphasized that it is necessary for such places to ensure compliance with safety rules that include mandatory use of non-medical face masks; provision of hand washing facilities/sanitisers; and extensive temperature.
The commissioner pointed out that while these restrictions are now been lifted, interstate movements except for goods, agricultural produce and essential services is still in place.
He urged students to avail themselves the opportunity of radio and televised lessons being sponsored by the state government as schools will remain closed.
The commissioner further explained that Mr Ganduje attributed the success being recorded in terms of reduced number of infectious to measures being taken by the government and health authorities and more importantly to fervent prayers by the ulama and the people in the state. And calls for more of such prayers until the disease is completely wipe out.
Mr Garba also commends the people in the state for their patience and understanding in the face of the restriction order.
The president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Innocent Ujah has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow states to take full control of managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recall Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) and chairman of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19, said on Sunday that in the next phase of the lockdown beginning from Monday, states will take responsibility for managing COVID-19 in their areas.
Nigerian Medical Association logo
“I can assure you of one thing, the ownership of the next phase will be the responsibility of the states under national supervision and coordination because we have gone into community transmission. Where are the communities? The communities are in the states,” the SGF said.
Speaking on COVID-19 Watch, a programme on AIT, on Monday, the NMA president kicked against the decision, saying if governors are allowed to manage cases, many Nigerians would suffer for it.
He advised that the president should not devolve those powers to the state governments, saying apart from Lagos and maybe one or two other states, the commitment is, to say the least, very disappointing. “I can say that because I’m a clinician myself,” he said.
“I believe that the president should please not devolve those powers. This is an emergency. Coordination is very important and the coordination should be central, should be from a point, because once you do that, Nigerians will be finished. And we pray that he doesn’t do that.
He continued, “This is not a political issue; this is a health issue. It cuts across everybody. We know where the commitments are and we will need the president to please prevail on the governors. If we leave it to the governors, our people will suffer; they will die and it doesn’t really matter to many of them, ” he said.
Doctors from Italy have recently revealed that COVID-19 has been weakened and is no longer as potent as it was when the outbreak started.
The doctors in Italy said: “Patients are showing much smaller amounts of the viral load in their system, compared to samples taken during the peak of the crisis in March and April.”
They also added by saying the disease which has killed 370,000 worldwide – is much less lethal than it was and ‘no longer clinically exists’.
Several reports have also shown that Italy was once the Epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, but Covid-19 deaths have been falling in Italy for weeks.
Professor Alberto Zangrillo, head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan said: “Viruses may become weaker over time in a bid to survive if they kill or cripple all their human hosts but some virologists have now come out to cast doubt on the Italian doctors’ claims there is no evidence the virus is losing potency anywhere.” He added that in reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy.
Zangrillo stated that swabs taken from patients during the last 10 days have an ‘infinitesimal’ – extremely small – viral load, compared to ones carried out a month ago. The head of the infectious diseases clinic at the San Martino Hospital in Genoa, Italy also told reporters that the virus has been weakened.
Matteo Bassetti told the ANSA news agency: ‘The strength the virus had two months ago is not the same strength it has today. ‘It is clear that today the COVID-19 disease is different.’ In disputing the claims made by the Italian doctors, Dr Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, from the University of Wollongong in Australia, said that the idea the virus has disappeared ‘seems dubious’.
Dr Angela Rasmussen, based at Columbia University, tweeted: ‘There is no evidence that the virus is losing potency anywhere.’
She added less transmission means fewer hospitalisations and deaths – but warned: ‘That doesn’t mean less virulence.’
Dr Oscar MacLean, of the University of Glasgow, in a more detailed rebuttal of the claims made by Italian doctors said: ‘These claims are not supported by anything in the scientific literature, and also seem fairly implausible on genetic grounds.
“The vast majority of Coronavirus mutations are extremely rare, and so whilst some infections may be attenuated by certain mutations, they are highly unlikely to be common enough to alter the nature of the virus at a national or global level.
“As testing efforts are scaled up across the globe, asymptomatic and mild infections which previously would not have been detected, are now much more likely to be identified. It’s important not to confuse this with any weakening on the virus’s part.
“Making these claims on the basis of anecdotal observations from swab tests is dangerous. Whilst weakening of the virus through mutations is theoretically possible, it is not something we should expect, and any claims of this nature would need to be verified in a more systematic way.
“Without significantly stronger evidence, no one should unnecessarily downplay the danger this highly virulent virus poses, and risk the ongoing society-wide response.”
A report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has shown that 11 of the 20 local government areas that account for 60 per cent of COVID-19 cases are in Lagos State.
The report, which was obtained at the weekend, showed that Lagos Mainland council has the highest number of COVID-19 cases which is 1,274.
Next to Lagos Mainland are Abuja Municipal council with 536 cases, Mushin Local Government Area in Lagos with 458 cases, Eti-Osa Local Government Area in Lagos with 403 cases, and Tarauni in Kano State with 248 cases of COVID-19.
The report said 7,276 confirmed cases (74 per cent) have unknown sources of exposure, giving credence to heightened community transmission.
Pharmanewsonline reports that the report was shared before the confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the country shot up to 10,578 after the NCDC confirmed 307 new cases on Sunday night and 416 new cases on Monday night.
The male accounted for 67 per cent of the cases and female 33 per cent.
According to the NCDC, 3,122 patients have so far been discharged and 299 deaths recorded. As at Monday, June 1, only Cross River State had not recorded a confirmed COVID-19 case. The report put the Cases Fatality Rate (CFR) at three per cent.
The 20 councils and the number of cases are: Mainland (1,274), Abuja Municipal (536), Mushin (458), Eti-Osa (403), Tarauni (248), Katsina (242), Alimosho (239), Maiduguri (167), Kosofe (175), Dutse (170), Ikeja (168), Nassarawa (152), Oshodi/Isolo (132), Apapa (131), Amuwo Odofin (129), Oredo (126), Bauchi (114), Lagos Island (111), Surulere (110) and Ado Odo/Ota (107).
Speaking on Monday, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 control, Boss Mustapha said Nigeria is yet to reach the “peak” of infections.
Nigeria has recorded 416 new cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total infections to 10578.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in a tweet on Monday confirmed the new cases.
It stated thus: “Till date, 10578 cases have been confirmed, 3122 cases have been discharged and 299 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Of the 416 cases, the centre said 192 were recorded in Lagos, Edo (41), Rivers (33), Kaduna (30), Kwara (23), Nasarawa (18), Borno (17), FCT (14), Oyo (10), Katsina (7), Abia (5), Delta (5), Adamawa (4), Kano (4), Imo (3), Ondo (3), Benue(2), Bauchi(2), Ogun (2), Niger (1).
Which of the options below best completes the statment.
Good pharmacy practice (GPP) guidelines:
A ❏ have been established by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) B ❏ comply with ISO 9000 C ❏ consist of an audit process D ❏ relate to pharmaceutical marketing E ❏ entail field observation studies
Due to the current pandemic, COVID- 19, Information Communication Technology (ICT) experts from the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have called on African countries to invest more in digital infrastructures.
This was said at the virtual conference organised and hosted by UN ECA, themed: “How to unlock Africas Digital Potential amid COVID-19.
The experts at the conference said: “This crisis has heightened the need for African countries to increase their investments in ICT ainfrastructure, policies and solutions and to accelerate their efforts in tapping into the new possibilities unlocked by digitalization”.
Jean-Paul Adam, director of climate change, Natural Resource Management and Technology at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) told participants at a webinar that while COVID-19 has disrupted our normal way of doing things, it has also brought some opportunities.
He said that African countries should address all vulnerabilities that are hampering digital transformation such as the high cost of internet and issues related to inadequate bandwidth.
Hossam Elgamal the Chairman African ICT Alliance who also spoke at the webinar stressed the need to put policies that would govern digital transformation, and help ensure that the full potential of digital technologies is realized by governments, private sector and other stakeholders while mitigating the associated risks and addressing the challenges of data security.
Lacina Kone, CEO Smart Africa Alliance reminded the participants that Africa is being digitally transformed. Technologies like mobile-phone-enabled solutions are expanding access to financial services to many people who are now transacting money in digital form without the need of a bank account, he said. Kone also stressed how young people on the continent are now innovating and utilising technologies in ways that could have a positive impact on their lives.
In this regards, Chepkemoi Magdaine, a youngster from Kenya, founder of EldoHub, a tech innovation and entrepreneurship centre, confirmed that there are indeed many opportunities for the youth skilled in ICT. Majority of the participants however agreed that the unprecedented change brought about by digital technology offers significant opportunities for Africa as well as complex challenges that require new policy responses in many areas.
ECA, through rigorous analytical and policy research, has been scaling up assistance to member states in their efforts to adopt evidence-based ICT, science, technology and innovation policies to transform their economies.
The Federal Government has given directives on the reopening of religious places for four weeks, while restrictions of gatherings of more than 20 people outside workplace remains.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Chairman of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19,Boss Mustapha on Monday, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the relaxation of the ban for four weeks.
He said: “Cautious advance into the Second Phase of the national response to COVID-19; application of science and data to guide the targeting of areas of on-going high transmission of COVID-19 in the country.
“Mobilisation of all resources at State and Local Government levels to create public awareness on COVID 19 and improve compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions within communities; sustenance of key non-pharmaceutical interventions that would apply nationwide and include: ban of gatherings of more than 20 people outside of a workplace.
“Restricted opening of places of worship, (regular church & mosque services ONLY), to be based on State Govt protocols”, he stated.
Other directives issued on the relaxation of the lockdown includes: maintenance of nationwide curfew, which has been reviewed to 4am to 10pm.
He further hinted that interstate travel remains prohibited except for goods and essential travels, while offices are to maintain 2m physical distancing, with 75 per cent maximum capacity. Restaurants outside of hotels have been said to remain closed for eat-in, while they render only takeout services.
However,”bars, gyms, cinemas, nightclubs, parks, as well as schools are to remain closed until further evaluation”, he said.
Oyo State government has confirmed 10 new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases in the state to 292.
The Governor of Oyo State and the Chairman of the State COVID-19 Task Force announced this via his verified Twitter account on Monday.
Governor Seyi Makinde
Of the 10 positive cases, eight were from iSON Xperiences , a company in Ibadan South West Local Government Area and two cases were from Ibadan North Local Government Council Area.
Makinde tweeted, “The COVID-19 confirmation tests for 10 suspected cases came back positive.
Eight cases are from iSON Xperiences and the other two cases are from Ibadan North Local Government Area. So, the total number of confirmed cases in Oyo State is 292.
“Please, call the Emergency Operations Centre if you have any COVID-19 symptoms: cough, fever, tiredness, body ache, and shortness of breath.”
Among the many blessings of Nigeria is the youthfulness of her population. Nearly half, precisely forty-six percent of Nigerians fall below the age of 15 and a close appraisal of the data further revealed that Nigerian under-five children are no fewer than 31 million.
To put this in context, about one out of every two Nigerians is a child. That the future, bright or otherwise, of a nation with as much children as Nigeria depends on the nature and amount of investment devoted into the care and development of these children is therefore understandable.
These children must be properly nurtured and adequately supported to grow and develop to their maximum potentials, and only then can they translate to becoming productive adults and meaningful contributors to the economic growth, development, peace and prosperity of their families and the nation at large.
The Role of Nutrition
Adequate nutrition is one critical requirement not only for survival but also for the optimal growth and brain development of children. Children require adequate amounts of macronutrients – carbohydrates, protein and fats – as well as micronutrients which are vitamins and minerals.
Image displaying functions of milk in the body
A consistent insufficiency of these and other relevant nutrients poses a very great danger to a child’s nutritional status and overall health. It is therefore important to ensure a varied, balanced and adequate diet for our children. To this end, a combination of food groups, contributing different nutrients to the diet, should be imbibed in feeding the children to ensure dietary diversity. Food groups include cereals (or grains), fruits, vegetables, meats/fish, legumes and milk (or dairy).
The Goodness of Milk
In the spirit of World Milk Day, which is an international day established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, I would like to highlight the inherent nutritional values and benefits of milk and the need to consistently include it in the diet of children.
Milk is a nutrient dense food. Milk contains several nutrients and contributes significantly to the body’s nutritional needs for nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin B12, selenium and riboflavin in addition to being a good source of dietary energy, protein and fat. Not many foods singlehandedly contain as much nutrients as in milk. Children below five years need more foods that are nutrient-dense compared to adults, to meet their increasing nutrient requirements.
Furthermore, milk contains all essential amino acids and is thus a complete source of protein unlike plant-based foods which are limiting in some essential amino acids like lysine and methionine. Milk thus makes it possible to complement these foods to obtain more complete nourishment. Also, not only does milk contain numerous nutrients, the nutrients are also bioavailable, implying better absorption and metabolism by young children. Combinations of nutrients like calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus and potassium in milk also confers bone health and strong teeth on the children. These benefits of milk justifies it as an important part of a healthy diet.
World Milk Day Celebration image
The first source of nutrition received by a baby after birth is breast milk. Rich in all essential nutrients including immunological factors, it provides complete nutrition for children to achieve their highest potential in physical growth and brain development. Little wonder it’s a global public health recommendation that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life after which appropriate complementary feeding should be commenced while breastfeeding is continued up unto at least two years.
Afterwards, it’s important that milk forms a major part of a child’s diet till adolescence and beyond. Sadly, food consumption studies have shown little or no consumption of milk and milk products by pre-school aged children in some Nigerian populations. Rather, what is seen is a predominance of plant-based foods in their diet thereby creating a protein quality gap.
DHA the essential brain food
In addition to the aforementioned is the appropriateness of milk as a vehicle to add specific nutrients of importance through fortification. Fortified milk is well accepted as an intervention to deliver specific micronutrients with sustained compliance. In this process, essential nutrients which hitherto are not available or only in small quantities can then be added to meet their recommended daily allowance (RDA). These nutrients include but are not limited to Vitamins A and D, Zinc, Iron, Folic acid and Docosahexanoic acid (DHA).
DHA is an omega-3 fatty acids predominantly found in the membrane of the brain and retina of the eye. The immense contributions of the nutrient to vision acuity and cognitive development of children have been well established. It is the most abundant omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acid present in the brain and is found in oily fish such as salmons, sardines and tuna.
Several studies suggest that higher maternal fish intake during pregnancy and lactation is associated with higher language and social skills, higher IQ, and more positive behavior in their children. While it can be synthesized from alpha-linolenic acid, another plant- based omega-3 fatty acid, this process is quite limited and inefficient thus necessitating the need to consume it directly from food or supplements.
At this juncture, I will to say that Peak 456 Growing-up milk is specially formulated with DHA and other key nutrients to support brain development and physical growth in children aged 4-6 years.
June 1 will always come and go, but the essence of the declaration of the day as a World Milk Day is to draw our attention to the goodness of milk. Nutritionally-deprived children may not be able to make much contributions in a world where knowledge economy is the order of the day.
Milk offers a world of benefits to support their physical and cognitive development. Children, we believe, are precious gifts from God and optimal care for them could be the most thoughtful form of appreciation. Let’s help them grow strong and smart. Happy World Milk Day!
Written by Adesanjo O. Oyejide, child nutrition expert
The Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has directed a 14-day total lockdown of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, LGA, following the death of the controversial index case in the state.
Described as a complete lockdown, Bello said “there shall be no house to house movement within the local government area, and street movement is completely prohibited within the local government area for the period”.
In a press release, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, it was stated that “Governor Yahaya Bello in a state broadcast on Monday, 1st of June, 2020, has ordered 14 days ABSOLUTE Lockdown of Kabba-Bunu LGA of the state effective from 12 midnight June 2nd.
“Street movement is completely prohibited within the local government area for the period”.
Bello also noted that palliative should be distributed house to house within the local government area.
He has further directed that contact tracing should be carried out house to house to identify those who might have made contact with the alleged Kogi COVID-19 index persons; the Chief Imam of Kabba and his son within the local government area.
He urged the Kogi State incident management team to continue to thoroughly carry out the contact tracing, while enforcement of the lock down order shall be fully covered by the mainstream media.
To protect the state healthcare team, Governor Bello has also asked health workers who might have made contact with the alleged index case to proceed on self-isolation.
He has also directed all security agencies in the state to enforce total compliance with the lockdown order.
While all citizens and residents of the state should continue to adhere to the NCDC guideline as the state still remain COVID-19 free.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has just announced 307 new cases of COVID-19 and increase in deaths from 273 to 287.
With the 307 new cases, Nigeria now has a total 101,62 cases, 3,007 recoveries, and 287 deaths.
Making the disclosure via its Twitter handle, the NCDC said: “As at 11:30 pm 31st May 2020, there are 101,62 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria”.
307 new cases of #COVID19 reported; It also splitted the 307 new cases into states of occurrence as follows:
As Nigerians join the rest of the world to mark the 2020 World No Tobacco Day, usually commemorated on 31 May of every year, the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) and some Nigerian researchers have decried the prevalence of smoking among out of school adolescents, especially in the northern part of the country.
AHAPN National Chairman, Dr Kingsley Amibor, asserted that tobacco smokers (cigarettes, water pipes, cigars, heated tobacco products) may be more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, as the act of smoking involves contact of fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) with the lips, which increase the possibility of transmission of viruses from hand to mouth.
Dr Kingsley Chiedu Amibor, AHAPN national chairman
The researchers in a study published in the PanAfrican Medical Journal titled: “Prevalence and perception of cigarette smoking among out of school adolescents in Birnin Kebbi, North-western Nigeria”, associated cigarette smoking with different diseases and shortage of life span.
They found that young persons are being introduced to cigarette smoking at an earlier age and because of its addictive nature become hooked on it.
The World Health Organisation, WHO also affirmed this development, saying many young people are expose to tobacco smoking and this makes them vulnerable to infectious diseases, COVID-19 inclusive.
On the commemoration of 2020 World No Tobacco Day, the WHO, through its verified Twitter handle said: “Many young people are #TobaccoExposed & at risk of developing illnesses. This WNTD2020, we advocate for 100% smoke-free public places & banning all forms of tobacco advertising.
“Smoking makes you more vulnerable to getting a more severe case of #COVID19”, the agency submitted.
It further stated that: “This #WNTD2020, it’s time to get #TobaccoExposed for the industry’s manipulative ways to prey on health, even during a pandemic”.
Amibor, who spoke through a press statement sent by the association maintained that :”Smoking water pipes, also known as shisha or hookah often involves the sharing of mouthpieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in communal and social settings”.
Speaking on the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day, “Protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and Nicotine Use “, he said it serves as a global counter-marketing campaign with goals to unmask myths and expose manipulation tactics of the tobacco and nicotine industries, especially those that deceive the youth.
“Tobacco is a known risk factor for many respiratory infections and increases the severity of respiratory diseases. Cigarette smoking is the primary known cause of preventable death. In Nigeria, tobacco use accounts for an estimated 16,100 deaths every year with more than 3.5 million Nigerians (15 years and older) and more than 25,000 children (10-14 years) using tobacco daily.
“Half of all long-term smokers die prematurely; for every one person who dies because of tobacco use, another 20 suffer from at least one tobacco- attributable disease. There are around 1.1 billion smokers worldwide and about 80 per cent of these live in low and middle-income countries, where more than two-thirds of smoking-related deaths occur. (WHO, 2019)
“COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Smoking impairs lung function making it harder for the body to fight off coronaviruses and other diseases”, he stressed.
According to the scientists, variable rates of increasing smoking prevalence have been reported in Nigeria which was found to be dependent on the settings-either rural or urban.
They observed previous studies in the country have reported tobacco smoking prevalence of between 3.4 per cent and 17.1 per cent.
The study reads in part: “The prevalence among secondary school students is approximately 9 per cent with a mean lifetime smoking prevalence of 7.2 per cent to 42.9 per cent”
They however attributed the increasing rate of cigarette smoking to various apparently successful marketing strategies of tobacco companies and the poor awareness about the dangers associated with smoking.
The researchers found that on the average, cigarette smokers lose about 15 years of their life and an estimated 4 million cigarette smokers die worldwide annually.
Nigerians are reacting vehemently on Twitter this morning Sunday May 31, following the report released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Saturday.
The report shows that Nigeria recorded 553 new cases of the infection on Saturday. Lagos, the worst hit state by the coronavirus pandemic, in the country recorded 378 new cases, while FCT had 52, making the state the highest so far in a single day since the pandemic started in February this year.
Reacting to the uproar on Twitter, NCDC posted a picture saying: “Be patient or be a patient”
The protesters expressed shock at the increasing number of cases of the viral disease in Lagos, which has remained the epicentre of the pandemic in Nigeria.
Report released by the World Health Organisation,WHO, Regional Office for Africa as at 30 May shows that Nigeria has third highest number of deaths in the region, with Algeria having the highest fatalities followed by South Africa.
The data revealed that Algeria has recorded 638 deaths since the outbreak of the infection in the region, followed by South Africa with 611 fatalities and Nigeria with 261 deaths.
WHO Regional Office COVID-19 record
WHO Regional office said there are over 133,000 confirmed cases of ÇOVID-19 since the pandemic began in the region, with South Africa leading with 29,240; Nigeria with 9312 cases and Algeria’s cases at 9134, among others.
It tweeted through it verified Twitter handle thus: “Over 133,000 confirmed of #COVID19 cases on the African continent – with more than 54,800 recoveries & 3,800 deaths”.
Meanwhile, Egypt is worst hit at the Eastern Mediterranean Region with 20,793 cases and 845 fatalities, next to it is Morocco with 7697 cases and 202 deaths, then Sudan with 4521 cases and 233.
Professor Innocent Ujah, a former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has been elected as the new president of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).
He emerged president after the virtual election conducted on Saturday, which saw him polled a total of 347 votes against his opponents: Oguzie Jerry polled 19 votes, Ibekwe Titus, six votes and Katibi Ibrahim who polled only five votes.
Professor Innocent Ujah
Pharmanewsonline reports that the election was held during the annual delegate conference of the association, conducted virtually.
Expressing his acceptance of the position and readiness to work, Ujah pledged his devotion and dedication to the association.
He said: “Today, history is made in the annals of the NMA that despite the challenges occasioned by the novel virus ravaging the nations, the NMA is also able to collectively evolve a novel approach in using technology to conduct its meetings and further conducting elections using electronic means into the national offices,” he said.
“I am excited, humble and grateful to God Almighty and you all for electing me as the President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). Thank you for this great honor and privilege, whose import is deeply ingrained in my conscience.
“You have spoken with your votes and expressed with clarity your trust in me and my leadership ability by this broad-based national and inter-generational support across the country.
With this trust comes a great responsibility to lead our great and vibrant Association with confident strides towards the path of glory and positive impact.
I am pleased to say that I have humbly accepted to serve as your President from 2020 to 2022. I promise to devote every effort to lead our Association to greatness.
“Our administration will take the issue of the welfare of our members as a top priority. We will lobby and advocate for improved renumeration, realistic hazard allowance, Universal applicability and many others.”
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has just announced 553 new cases of COVID-19 and increase in deaths from 261 to 273.
With the 553 new cases, Nigeria now has a total of 9,855 cases, 2,856 recoveries, and 273 deaths.
Making the disclosure via its Twitter handle, the NCDC said: “As at 11:50 pm 30th May 2020, there are 9,855 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria”.
553 new cases of #COVID19 reported; It also splitted the 553 new cases into states of occurrence as follows:
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Saturday said its members would proceed on total and indefinite strike if the Federal Government failed to address their demands within 14 days.
The Association stated this in a communique issued at the end of its virtual 40th Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) and Scientific Conference.
The communique signed by NARD National President, Dr Sokomba Aliyu and Publicity Secretary, Dr Egbogu Stanley was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna. The NARD 40th OGM was held under the theme: ‘Health inequalities and social determinants of Health in Nigeria.’
NAN reports that the virtual OGM, attended by 74 Chapters of the association from across the country, deliberated on issues affecting the nation’s health care system and welfare of its members.
“NARD calls on the Federal and State governments to provide adequate personnel protective equipment such as N95 respirators, gloves etc. to all health workers.
“NARD also demands immediate recall of the sacked resident doctors at Jos University Teaching Hospital and payments of their salaries.”
According to the association, 26 resident doctors at the Jos University Teaching Hospital were illegally disengaged without recourse to the law governing Residency training.
“The association also demands for universal implementation of the Residency Training Act in both Federal and State Teavching hospitals.
OGM resolves that urgent steps be taken to ensure that the fate of our members at the State Tertiary Health Institutions be improved through engagement with the various state governments and relevant stakeholders.
The association enjoined the Federal Government through the National Assembly to ensure full capture of the residency training funding in the 2021 Appropriation Act.
It also demanded for payment of arrears of the consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage to it’s members at both Federal and state tertiary health institutions.
The Ondo State government says it has confirmed another coronavirus infection, bringing the total number of active cases in the state to four.
Commissioner for health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro while confirming the latest case to Radio Nigeria in Akure, the Ondo state capital said the patient, a male, was now at the Infectious disease Hospital Akure for treatment.
Dr Adegbenro explained that the patient was picked from the federal medical center Owo after presenting with COVID-19 related symptoms and later tested positive to the disease.
Dr Adegbenro noted that contact tracing of the patient had begun to prevent community transmission, especially in Owo.
The latest infection now brings to twenty-five the total number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Ondo state since February, nineteen have been discharged, four active cases and two death.
The Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Ejibunu, who was said to be Kogi State’s first Coronavirus patient is dead.
According to his immediate family, it was confirmed that Sheikh Ahmad died as a result of the pandemic disease which is currently being disputed by the Yahaya Bello led state government.
Chief Tai Ejibunu, Obatebise of Oweland, in a statement by the family, said the Chief Imam exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 because he eventually tested positive after referral from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja.
In the statement titled ” The COVID-19 Case Infection: Matters Arising, the family said: “Our attention has been drawn to the series of discussions going on concerning Covid-19 index case in Kabba and the identity of the index case.
“I wish to affirm, on behalf of Ejibunu family, that the Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Ejibunu, was down with flu some few days back and he had to be hospitalised at the Specialist Hospital in Kabba.
“Further medical attention was sought at the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja, as the flu did not abate after some days.
“At the FMC, he was referred to the National Hospital in Abuja and the test conducted on him by the NCDC showed that he was Covid-19 positive.
“The test conducted on one of his sons who had been with him since came out negative.”
It added: “The family would have come out to speak on the matter but we were not comfortable with the ding dong game going on between the NCDC and the Kogi State government.
“The family is concerned about the wellbeing of others and we wish to confirm that Covid-19 has found its way sadly into our community and the state.
“Therefore, no need for Kogi State government to deny the obvious.
“We would like to stress that the Chief Imam, of recent, had never ventured outside Kogi State by way of travelling outside the state. So, the ‘virus’ could have been contacted within.
“We wish to advise our people to please abide by the protocols emplaced by the NCDC and play safe.
“The family is cooperating with the Kogi State government and the NCDC to stem the spread.
“This evening, contact tracing and testing of family members of the Chief Imam had begun.
“What we need from our people is empathy and no need for the acrimonious exchange of views and counter views.
“May God save Oweland and her people in particular and the state in general.”
The State Government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have been at loggerheads over COVID-19 cases in Kogi.
While NCDC insisted two cases were confirmed, the Government insisted the state is coronavirus-free.
But the family of Ejibunu told Kogi Government “to stop denying the obvious.
(Excerpts from “MY LIFE AND PHARMANEWS” by Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi)
It was Victor Hugo, the iconic French writer, who once said, “All the armies of the world cannot resist an idea whose time has come.” One immediately gets a good understanding and appreciation of Hugo’s message here as one considers the chain of events leading to the birth of a child that has completed its period of gestation in the womb.
From what I have read, two schools of thought exist among medical scientists and researchers as to who, between the mother and the child, triggers the onset of labour. There are those who believe that it is the mother’s body that signals to the baby that its “residency” period is over, while others believe it is the baby that actually tells the mother that it is mature enough to face the outside world.
Cover page of the maiden edition of Pharmanews
Regardless of anyone’s position on the matter, however, one of two questions must arise: What makes the same body of the mother that had patiently harboured and cared for a baby throughout the gestation period to suddenly decide that it no longer wants to continue housing it?
Or, on the other hand, we may ask, what makes a baby that has comfortably stayed in the womb for nine months to suddenly decide that it desperately wants to be out of it? The answer we will get to both questions is the same. The appointed time has come – and nothing on earth can stop it. And so it was with Pharmanews. The sequence of events that led to its birth was so sudden and so extraordinary that, till today, there are still questions surrounding it that even I cannot answer. The only conclusion I can satisfy myself with is that God must have purposed that it was time for it and, thus, everything else must begin to work towards its actualisation without delay.
The “labour contractions” for the birth of Pharmanews, as I termed it in the previous chapter, actually began in 1978, when I decided to resign as the editor-in-chief of the PSN journal. Well, as much as one may be astonished by this decision of mine – considering how passionate I had been for the publication – I believe that this astonishment will be sufficiently tempered by the preamble I already provided at the beginning of this chapter, as to the wonders preceding the birth of an idea or of a child.
Cover page of May edition of Pharmanews
Sincerely, I cannot pinpoint any cogent reason for taking the decision to resign as the editor-in-chief of the Nigerian Pharmacy Journal. To start with, there was no limit to my tenure, unlike the positions of the President and National Secretary that spanned three years. Therefore, after having served under Pharm. Chris Efobi, as president, from 1974 to 1977, I continued under Chief Ayo Fasanmi.
Secondly, and more importantly, this was an engagement that had given me joy and satisfaction since I took it up. In fact, as I have said earlier, it had become such a pivotal part of me that I took the journal practically everywhere. But then, out of the blues, I took the decision to quit – much to the consternation of the entire PSN leadership. No one thought I could do without editing the journal, since I appeared to be addicted to it.
Chief Fasanmi was, expectedly, the most rattled by my unexpected decision. Indeed, so flabbergasted was he that he initially took it as a practical joke or more precisely a whimsical urge that would soon fade away as mysteriously as it had come. When he saw that I was serious, however, he tried to persuade me to reconsider the decision but I couldn’t be persuaded. The Deputy President, Lawrence Anyafulu, also pleaded with me, but I remained unmoved – something quite unusual of me.
Stronger Contractions Shortly after, in my place of work, a greater storm began to gather. I already mentioned that it was Pharm. Ralph Mbagwu (RM), the manager of the pharmaceutical department of R.T. Briscoe Pharmaceuticals, who had specifically invited me to join the company because he believed in my ability to stabilise the department which had been experiencing a high turnover of pharmacists.
And as I mentioned in the previous chapter, under him, I was able to attend various programmes of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) on sales, marketing, accounting and general management.
As time went on, however, I observed that he refused to give me the opportunity of visiting our overseas principals in Denmark, Sweden, France, Italy and USA. Interestingly, on a number of occasions, he mentioned that I might visit Norwich Pharmaceuticals Inc. in New York. In fact, Pharm. Bade Adeniji, the national sales manager, used to joke with me on RM’s promise of going to Norwich. Occasionally, RM would say, “Ifeanyi, if it becomes necessary, you just hop into the plane and go to New York.”
Before now, I hadn’t paid much attention to these shenanigans of my boss, but in this year, 1978, which had already begun to prove to be a momentous year in my life, things took a totally different turn. A friend and colleague of mine, Douglas Egbuonu, who was the marketing manager of Pfizer Products Ltd, introduced to me a six-week training programme on marketing management of the International Marketing Institute (IMI) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Douglas spoke highly of the potential benefits of this programme and I soon developed a great deal of interest in it.
Two other considerations fired up my interest in this programme. One was that I considered it a good opportunity for me to visit the US for the first time, having always known it as “God’s own country”. The other was that I saw it as a good opportunity to visit Norwich in New York, which RM had often promised me.
So, without hesitation, I went ahead to apply for the course, which was to hold between June and July, and I received a reply that I had been accepted. What was left for me, therefore, was to meet the huge financial obligations, which comprised tuition and boarding expenses, as well as my flight ticket.
The question that should naturally spring up in anyone’s mind is, why did I apply for a programme that was going to cost so much without having any means of financing it? (Such overseas courses were usually sponsored by the employer).
All I can say in hindsight is that I was merely being propelled – and the very next step I took clearly confirms this. In a rather strange move, I wrote back to the organisers of the programme that I had no money to pay the tuition and needed their support. I wrote several letters, until I received a positive response that the institute had waived the tuition for me, which greatly gladdened me.
Then I did something unusual. I wrote again to the institute to appreciate the grant for my tuition and also asked that my boarding expenses be granted also. After several desperate reminders, this request was also granted. I wrote so many letters that when I eventually met Ms Carole Samworth, the registrar, personally, she confessed to me that nobody had bombarded her with so many letters as I did.
It was at this point that I presented my plan to my boss, making sure to emphasise that all expenses had been taken care of, except for my ticket and that it was an opportunity to visit Norwich in New York. What I needed from the company was the air ticket and time. However, for reasons which I could not understand, my boss wasn’t willing to let me go for the course. He told me the company didn’t have the money for my fare.
Failed Pacifiers I eventually purchased the KLM ticket for Lagos-Amsterdam-Boston-Amsterdam–Lagos, which cost me N560.00 at that time. The same ticket costs about N700, 000.00 today. Thereafter, I went back to my boss to inform him that I had procured my ticket and I only needed time off. His response again was in the negative. He told me that the time that I proposed to be away would be unfavourable for the company due to pressure of work.
Failed Pacifiers Since it wasn’t natural for me to have a confrontation with my superior, I decided to take some congenial steps to make my boss grant me permission to attend the programme. The first step was to appeal to him to convert the period I would be absent to my annual leave, which was four weeks, and the remaining two weeks deducted from my leave for 1979. My boss again rejected my plea, saying that I wasn’t entitled to go on leave until October.
The next step I took was to reach out to a relative of my boss who was in another department of our company. I explained my predicament to him and requested him to persuade my boss to grant me permission to attend the programme. After some days, I received a letter from the company, saying my request had been granted and that I was free to attend the programme without bothering about the additional two weeks.
With heartfelt gratitude for this breakthrough, I was soon on my way to the venue of the marketing training.
The Final Straw My trip to the United States turned out to be a worthwhile experience in every way. Not only did the training prove to be thoroughly enlightening and empowering, I also had a great time visiting relations and friends. The period gave me the opportunity to travel with Christopher Erinne (a much younger brother of the late Daniel Erinne) for the wedding of his elder brother, Edwin, in Mississippi. When it was time for me to return to Nigeria, I was filled with a deep feeling of renewal and rejuvenation, as well as a heightened understanding of the dynamics of effective and strategic marketing.
When I eventually presented myself at R.T. Briscoe, I was greeted with palpable excitement by virtually all the staff, but not so with my boss. It then became obvious to me that our relationship was no longer cordial.
Indeed, to describe my experience following my return from the overseas training as an anti-climax would be an understatement. As I mentioned above, with the comprehensive exposure I had received from the training, I had felt a reawakening within me in all areas of marketing – and I had been so eager to begin to implement the ideas that I had acquired to advance my performance. But the environment was no longer conducive. And so, instead of bustling about, executing ideas and strategies, I found myself in one of the darkest moments of my life. Thus, what should have become a period of accomplishments for me became a period of confusion and depression. (Continues next edition)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has just announced 387 new cases of COVID-19 and increase in deaths to 261.
While the total number of cases stood at 9302 with 2697 recoveries and 261 fàtalities.
The agency tweeted thus; ” As at 11:50pm, there were 387 new cases, 9302 total cases, 2697 discharged, and 261 deaths of #COVID19Nigeria have occurred in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory”.
The 387 new cases of #COVID19 were reported from 14 states of: Lagos(254), FCT(29), Jigawa(24), Edo(22), Oyo(15), Rivers(14),Kaduna(11), Borno(6), Kano(3), Plateau(2), Yobe(2), Gombe(2), Bauchi(2), Ondo(1)
However, from the data released, no new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.
The Federal Ministry of Health has revealed some components of the Madagascan herbal formulation, COVID-Organics, saying it contains two varieties of prevention and treatment for the infection.
The federal institution stated that samples of the drug have been sent to three agencies of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC); National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), and Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) for thorough evaluation.
Dr Osagie Ehanire
The FMoH disclosed through series of tweets on Twitter thus:”We have received Madagascar herbs and have found it to consist of 2 varieties; one labelled for prevention and the other for treatment. Samples have been sent to 3 of our agencies & @FmstNg for scientific evaluation.
“These are normal processes for new preparations to be approved for use in Nigeria, including clinical trials, toxicological & efficacy tests.
“Nigeria government will investigate all genuine efforts to find home grown solutions to the pandemic”, it stressed.
It said the herbal solution will be thoroughly x-rayed and analysed by the agencies to determine the constituents, toxicological, and efficacy.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, during the Presidential Task Force briefing on Thursday, said: “Global efforts to find a cure for COVID-19, in which Nigeria is participating in the WHO solidarity trial, will be reviewed by our panel of experts, as WHO suspended the trial, due to alarm raised by a medical journal, on the safety of some drugs being tried, like hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine and their combinations”.
Director General of the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), Prof. Stanley Okoli, also added that it will support traditional practitioners with claims of either an outright cure for COVID-19 or its treatment, with clinical trials.
Due to the current pandemic in the country, China has evacuated 325 of her citizens from Nigeria through an Air Peace flight that was scheduled to depart at 10:05 pm on Thursday. Nigerian government has also evacuated some Nigerians from other countries back home.
France, the UK, and the US are among the countries that have also evacuated their nationals from Nigeria since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Lebanese living in Nigeria, Samir El-Khodari, has also revealed that 25 out of the recently evacuated Lebanese nationals from Kano State have tested positive for COVID -19.
According to him, of the 125 Lebanese transported to Beirut from Kano, 25 tested positive for COVID-19.
The number represents one-fifth of those evacuated from the northwest state by the Lebanese government.
As of Thursday evening, Nigeria had reported 8,915 cases of the novel Coronavirus with 259 deaths.
The virus was first reported in China in December 2019 and the country has reported at least 82,000 cases with more than 4,000 deaths
Drugfield Pharmaceutical Limited, a foremost pharmaceutical company, has entered into a mutually-beneficial partnership with Tiptop Nigeria Limited, a new management consulting firm, to distribute one of their products, Reptogel Mosquito and Insect Repellant Gel in the country.
Speaking at the official signing of the partnership, held recently at Drugfield Pharmaceutical head office, Ota, Ogun State, Pharm. Olakunle Ekundayo, group managing director (GMD), Drugfield, expressed confidence that the partnership would be fruitful, saying the reason for the partnership boils down to the issue of confidence and trust, coupled with the experience in sales and marketing that Tiptop would bring to the table. The Drugfield boss further explained that the signing of the MOU represented a symbiotic and mutual relationship aimed at putting the patient first, adding that through the new partnership, more people in the country would easily get access to Reptogel Mosquito and Insect Repellant Gel, anywhere in the country.
L-R, Pharm. Olakunle Ekundayo, GMD, Drugfield Pharmaceutical Limited, and Pharm. Gbenga Falabi, CEO, Tiptop Nigeria Limited, at the signing ceremony.
He added: “Drugfield is a wholly Nigerian company and same goes for Tiptop, so if we team up and make a success, then it’s better for us, rather than looking for an outsider when we have our own around us.
“We also know that Tiptop is a reliable company because its chief executive director, Pharm. Gbenga Falabi, is a seasoned marketer and he has been successful with so many products in the past, so we are hopeful that this won’t be an exception’, he said.
In his address, Falabi, revealed that his relationship with Drugfield had been on for years, adding that the birth of Tiptop’s about two years ago was a milestone as it happened shortly after he left Greenlife Pharmaceuticals Limited in 2018.
According to Falabi, a former general manager of Greenlife Pharmaceuticals and past national chairman, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP), Drugfield is a reputable pharmaceutical company with a vision to eradicate diseases in the country and beyond through provision of top quality, affordable and available pharmaceuticals.
He said Tiptop, being a company whose objective is to help keep companies alive and well, was optimistic that the partnership aside being profitable would help save more lives from being destroyed by malaria.
According to the former NAIP boss, the burden of malaria in the country in spite of the progress made so far in combating the disease is quite alarming, noting that Nigeria still rank among countries with highest deaths as about 480, 000 deaths occur yearly in Africa alone, with Nigeria taking over 60 percent of it.
He added that Drugfield has taken a step in the right direction with the production of Reptogel Mosquito and Insect Repellant Gel, saying malaria is endemic in the country as it poses major challenge to the country and as well impedes human and infrastructural development.
Speaking on the product, Falabi, said Reptogel Mosquito and Insect Repellant Gel, is ready to protect Nigerians from mosquitoes by creating a ‘No Mosquito Zone’ for its users, adding that with each application, a consumer could enjoy up to 8 hours protection which he said was not possible with other mosquito gels that have flooded the market.
“The message is that when people are going for vigil, they should use Reptogel, children in hostels, those in schools or anybody that stay late in the evening when mosquitoes are active needs the product, he said.
Speaking about its affordability, he said it is very cheap as a piece of it costs around three hundred naira or thereabout in shops, adding that the company, Drugfield is planning to come up with 85gramms pack which is designed for the family and it will soon be unveiled in the course of the year.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has appointed Dr (Mrs) Ukamaka Okafor, as an Associate Editor, of the FIP Pharmacy Education Journal.
While communicating the appointment to Okafor, which is first of its kind for a Nigerian pharmacist, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, Professor Ian Bates, stated that: “We received a high number of applications from colleagues across a range of domains and global regions, and each was considered carefully”.
Dr (Mrs) Ukamaka Okafor
It would be recalled that Okafor was the editor-in-chief of the African Pharmacist, a Newsletter of the African Pharmaceutical Forum, of the FIP from 2008 to 2012 and has consistently presented papers at the FIP congresses since 2005.
She won the second prize in the prestigious award of excellence in a research competition organised by the FIP Community Pharmacy Section in 2005.
Okafor is a regulatory and public health pharmacist, with over thirty years post qualification experience in public and private health sectors.
She has worked in various capacities at the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, as an expert in initiating, developing, coordinating and leading projects and quality assurance systems in addition to building and sustaining strong corporate relationships that have expanded and strengthened the activities and regulatory functions of the Council.
Prior to her recent appointment as the Director for the Lagos Zonal Office, she was the Director Education and Training of the Council for the past five years and also coordinates the Supply Chain and Logistics Project Management Unit of the Council.
A 1988 graduate of Pharmacy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ukamaka holds a PhD in Public Health from Texila American University, MSc in Public Health (University of Lagos), MSc in Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Sciences(Purdue University), Postgraduate Diploma in Industrial Pharmacy Advanced Training (Howard University) and Postgraduate Diploma in Health System Management(Galilee College).
She has received trainings in Supply Chain Management (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, African Resource Centre for Supply Chain Excellence, International Supply Chain Education Alliance, HELP Logistics/Kuehne Foundation, Commonwealth Pharmacists Association and United Nations Development Programme).
She is a certified researcher with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative and African Malaria Network and a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists. Apart from her peer-reviewed publications, she has authored a book titled “Giving – A pathway to fulfilment”.
She is an awardee and grantee of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Medical Practice Consortium/Independent Medical Education and GSK International, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Conference in Improved Use of Medicines, (ICIUM) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently debunked claims saying COVID- 19 could be transmitted through breast milk, even when a nursing mother has contracted the virus.
In a statement by WHO on its website, the apex health body said nursing mothers are urged to continue breastfeeding their babies in spite of the pandemic.
It further said that while researchers are testing breast milk from mothers with confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, it is safer to breastfeed than to give infants formula milk.
Image of beautiful African breastfeeding their Children
“UNICEF and WHO encourage women to continue to breastfeed during the COVID-19 pandemic, even if they have confirmed or suspected COVID-19,” the statement said. WHO says there is no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted via breastfeeding.
“While researchers continue to test breast milk from mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, current evidence indicates that it is unlikely that COVID-19 would be transmitted through breastfeeding or by giving breast milk that has been expressed by a mother who is confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.”
“Active COVID-19 virus has not, to date, been detected in the breastmilk of any mother with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. It appears unlikely, therefore, that COVID-19 would be transmitted through breastfeeding or by giving breastmilk that has been expressed by a mother who is confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.
“Women with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 can therefore breastfeed if they wish to do so.
“The numerous benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks of illness associated with the virus, the body noted.
The federal government has said schools and hotels may be used as isolation centres, in the event of overflow of COVID-19 patients.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, stated this during the Presidential Task Force media briefing on COVID-19 on Thursday.
As of Thursday evening, Nigeria has a total of 8,733 confirmed coronavirus cases, with the number increasing by hundreds every day.
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire
Lagos State for instance, has the highest number in the country, with 4,012 patients.
Ehanire expressed optimism that the situation in Nigeria would not “experience horrific scenes of bed space shortages seen in some European hospitals.”
According to him, there are over 112 treatment and isolation centres in 35 states and Abuja. However, not all states have up to at least 300 beds prescribed for isolation and treatment.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has just announced 182 new cases of COVID-19 and increase in deaths from 254 to 259 deaths.
With the 182 new cases, Nigeria now has a total of 8,915 cases, 2,592 recoveries, and 259 deaths.
Making the disclosure via its Twitter handle, the NCDC said: “As at 11:30pm 28th May 2020, there are 8,915 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria”.
182 new cases of #COVID19 reported; It also splitted the 182 new cases into states of occurrence as follows:
Although it is difficult to predict when the pandemic will end in Nigeria because this depends on a lot of factors, but in the next four to six months, we will see sharp decline in number of cases, Prof. Akin Abayomi, Lagos State commissioner for health has said.
Abayomi made this submission during the ministerial press briefing to commemorate Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s one year in office.
He said this sharp signal will be a signal that we are coming towards defeating the outbreak.
Abayomi said: “We are watching what is happening across the world and using the pattern of the outbreak in different environments to try and reach some kind of modeling pattern.
Professor Akin Abayomi
This will tell us when it will peak, and then when it will finally end.”
He added that by the end of July, Lagos was likely to reach between 90, 000 to 120, 000 cases of COVID-19, noting that these figures do not signify a peak period for the state.
“Because of this projection, we are ramping up our testing capacity. We are currently doing 2000 testing every day, and this represents the highest in the country.
“Of the 90, 000 projected cases, don’t forget about 95 per cent of the persons will be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Only five per cent will require serious or intensive attention.
“It is this small percentage we are worried about, and it is the ones we will like to manage in our isolation centres because we hope to give them close medical monitoring.”
He said for those who are asymptomatic or with mild to moderate symptoms, the state will confine them in their homes, adding that, “We will use the Primary Health Care (PHC) platform to deliver COVID-19 response to this category of cases.
“We have been revitalising our primary healthcare structure, and we are in the process of cascading management of the disease at primary healthcare levels. We are going to do that through our 57 flagship facilities,” he added.
Abayomi further explained that the state’s primary healthcare system has carried out comprehensive assessment of no fewer than 329 PHCs, adding that this was focused on the level of functionality and geographical positioning system of the PHCs to identify gaps for service improvement efforts.
A ❏ is available as oral tablets B ❏ is a vaccination for tetanus C ❏ should be administered preferably within 72 h of a sensitising episode D ❏ is intended to protect the mother from haemolytic disease E ❏ cannot be used for prophylaxis
The Kogi State Government has rejected the new data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Centre NCDC that shows that two confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the state.
The NCDC in its data released for Wednesday, May 27, said two cases of Coronavirus have been recorded in the state that was initially free of the disease.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Saka Haruna Audu, Kogi State health commissioner, said the government has developed “full testing capacity” and “conducted hundreds of tests” which have come back negative.
The government says they would not be party to any ”fictitious COVID-19 claims”
“Kogi State till this very moment is Covid-19 free. We have developed full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have come back negative.
We have also continued to insist that we will not be a party to any fictitious COVID-19 claims, which is why we do not recognise any COVID-19 test conducted by any Kogite outside the boundaries of the state except those initiated by us.
Any attempt to force us to announce a case of COVID-19 will be vehemently rejected.” he said. “We are more than prepared to secure the lives of our people and have no interest in playing politics with their health concerns,” he said.
There was a controversy after the first visit of NCDC officials to the state. Yahaya Bello, the governor, had ordered the officials to leave the state or be quarantined for 14 days.
The centre said Kogi governor had only conducted one test, but the state claimed it had done so many tests that turned out negative.
The commissioner asked residents of the state to continue to take all necessary precautions to prevent a spread of the disease.
To end the spread of the virus and to aid patients’ quick recovery, medical experts with the World Health Organisation, WHO, have advised on steps to follow if you test positive to the infection.
Below are the experts tips to follow if you test positive:
Take medicines as prescribed by your doctor, to treat symptoms such as fever, cough and congestion.
Drink plenty of fluids
Get plenty of rest
Until you recover, remember to stay in Isolation and keep away from people.
If you experience difficulty in breathing, contact your caregiver.
Aside difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, pressure, loss of speech or movement as main indicators of the virus, British health officials have recently added loss of taste and smell to their Coronavirus symptoms list.
This follows warnings from experts, who claimed COVID- 19 cases were being missed. “From today, all individuals should self-isolate if they develop a new continuous cough, fever or anosmia.
Jonathan Van Tam, Britain’s medical officer said in a statement “Anosmia is the loss or a change in your normal sense of smell. It can also affect your sense of taste as the two are closely linked.”
Van-Tam also advised anyone who notices a distinct change in their sense of taste or smell, to self-isolate for seven days.
The symptoms will now join fever, dry cough, tiredness, aches and pains, sore throat diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes , with Van-Tam saying it would mean a 2 per cent rise in picking up cases.
As part of efforts to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world, the state government of Osun has rolled out safety protocols to be followed during burial rites by relatives of the deceased. This was disclosed in a pess release signed by Prince Wole Oyebamiji secretary to the State Government of Osun.
According to the release, “For any burial in the state of Osun, henceforth, there must not be more than 20 people, who must put on nose masks at the burial site. The relatives of the deceased must provide sanitizer at the venue and ensure observance of social distancing”.
Families of the deceased are also expected to inform the nearest Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Date and Venue of the burial. The Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer ( DSNO) from the Local Government must supervise the burial.
Furthermore, the family of the deceased must write an application letter which must be accompanied by a death certificate issued by a government hospital or a letter from the ministry of health, signed by the special adviser to the governor on public health, State of Osun.
The letter must state the following; the deceased’s last address, cause of death, and a pledge by the family to abide by and follow the standard regulations set to guide against COVID-19 pandemic.
Any family that fails to abide by these safety protocols during the burial of their loved ones would be appropriately sanctioned.
Ondo State government has lifted the ban on religious gatherings in the state amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
Governor Akeredolu gave the order on Wednesday in Akure, Ondo State, during the weekly media briefing on COVID-19 in the state.
Disclosing that the state has recorded its second COVID-19 related death, Akeredolu stated that churches will only operate on Sundays while Mosques will be allowed to operate on Fridays.
According to the governor, he said that religious worship appears to be the last hope of both the high and low in the society hence his resolve to lift the ban on religious activities so that everyone will continue to seek the face of God over the ravaging disease.
Recall that on 23 March 2020, a ban was placed on religious activities in the state as part of measures for combating the deadly virus.
Akeredolu stated that the decision to lift the ban was reached after consultation with religious leaders in the state following the agreement that the necessary measures of preventing COVID-19 will be adhered to during meetings.
“I hereby direct the resumption of guided and syndicated religious activities throughout the state. The implementation of this resumption of activities will be gradual and systematic.
“As agreed with religious leaders, in specific terms, worship centers are to commence their main activities with effect from this Friday.
However, such approvals are not blanket and without restrictions, rather they are to be guided by the following which is derived from the general response protocols on COVID-19 nationally:
“Only weekly Friday Jumat services and Sunday Church services will commence in the first instance. Other daily programmes within the week are not yet approved for take-off.
“Religious leaders and administrators must ensure strict compliance with the social and physical distancing in places of worship. In the case of churches, not more than three people are expected to sit on a pew while the equivalent applies to the sitting positions in the mosques and other worship centres as well.
“Water and soap must be provided at all entries into the centres or halls of worship. All worshipers must be made to wash their hands in the standard pattern approved and practised since the beginning of the pandemic.
“Hand sanitizers must be provided and used by each worshipper at every entry point to the centres and at other convenient points within the premises”.
The governor, however, threatened to shut down any worship centre that fails to adhere to the laid down rules.
As at 2020, Nigeria’s population is estimated to be over 200 millon with over 40 million below 6 years of age according to Worldometer. That the trajectory of a nation is dependent on the quality of its human capital is not debatable. That the decisions taken by caregivers is in the best interest of children is non-negotiable.
That Children are the leaders of tomorrow is also not in doubt , but how prepared are they for the future?. Genetics and heritability can only partially explain variation in intelligence among children.
The genetic make-up of children dictates their phenotype yet epigenetics plays a role in the maximization of their genetic potentials. Nutrition is one of the most important epigenetic factors that can significantly affect brain development and behaviour.
Brain development is a protracted process that begins about 2 weeks after conception when the first cell differentiates and continues into young adulthood. Early childhood is an important time for synaptic development.
Different brain areas develop at different stages, and each area corresponds to cognitive functions such as language, reading, and memory. The parts of the brain responsible for simpler functions develop first.
Later, regions such as the frontal lobes, which control higher functions such as planning, sequencing, and self-regulation, develop. The basal ganglia, amygdala, and hippocampus, which are responsible for functions such as memory, emotion, and executive functions, develop into adolescence.
A preponderance of research on cognitive development in the past decade indicates the interest of all stakeholders in the maximization of the potentials of children in terms of enhanced cognition, mental acuity, and emotional well-being. The brain plays a key function in cognitive performance, and what we eat matters when it comes to brain development and cognition.
Brain development timelines According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the early years of a child’s life plays an important role in his future health and development. One of the main reasons is the speed of brain development during this crucial period- which begins before birth and continues into early childhood.
The development of the brain extends into adulthood, but the first few years build a foundation for learning, health and life success. 90% of brain growth and crucial aspects of its development occurs in the first 5 years of life.
This is a critical window of opportunity to maximize a child’s learning potential through nutrition. Nutritional inadequacies during this critical period of brain growth, often lead to irreversible cognitive deficits culminating in impaired work productivity in adulthood.
DHA, The essential brain food Several nutrients in the diet are known to affect cognition and influence learning. However, DHA in particular is recognized as essential for normal brain function. The role of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in children’s neurodevelopment has been an innovative and exciting area of research over the past 25 years.
DHA is a major building block of the brain. It is the most abundant omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acid present in the brain and is found in oily fish such as salmons, sardines and tuna. Several studies suggest that higher maternal fish intake during pregnancy and lactation is associated with higher language and social skills, higher IQ, and more positive behavior in their children.
According to Bryan J. et al 2004 and Kuratko et al 2013, improving DHA status contributes to brain development by supporting these parameters: visual recognition, positive effects on motor skill development in early childhood, problem solving ability, improvement in short-term memory, reasoning and cognitive speediness.
Most scientists agree that DHA plays an important role in brain development in a review of some 50 studies by McCann JC and Ames BN. This review concluded that higher DHA in children’s diets translates into better brain function, especially for cognitive and visual function which in turn translates into better school performance of children. Intervention trials done by MCNamara 2006 revealed that the amount of DHA is closely tied to intelligence and cognitive performance in infancy and childhood.
This has led to health authorities recommending a minimum intake of DHA from the diet. Therefore, efforts to increase the intake of DHA in children should be supported. While it can be synthesized from alpha-linolenic acid, another plant- based omega-3 fatty acid, this process is quiet limited and inefficient thus necessitating the need to consume it directly from food or supplements.
Worldwide, dairy plays an important role in nutrient security. However in some parts of Nigeria, children have little or no milk in their daily diet. A well-balanced growing-up milk can serve as a valuable addition to the daily menu and thus as a safety net, by providing a substantial part of daily-required (essential) nutrients including DHA. Peak 456 Growing-up milk is specially formulated with DHA and other key nutrients to support brain development in children aged 4-6 years.
Children’s Day is celebrated on 27th May in Nigeria. It was established as a holiday in 1964. Now this is very instructive , as it means that children who celebrated the first holiday in 1964 are all over 57 years today, forming a significant number of the population today all things being equal. In essence what they are today, what they have done to contribute productively to the nation is dependent on many factors both genetic and epigenetic.
In the next 20 years the children between 4 to 6 years would be among the vibrant workforce of the nation making informed decisions that will set the pace for the next century. As this quote aptly captures, on this day marked to celebrate our children let us remember,
“The children are tomorrow’s citizens, consumers, workers, thinkers, innovators and their abilities will drive tomorrow’s businesses. Their productivity will fuel tomorrow’s economies and their capacity will shape tomorrow’s society” -Anthony Lake, sixth Executive Director, UNICEF.
Immediately we place brain development and cognitive development of children at the fore, we would in one stride meet UNs SDG of Zero hunger, good health and Well-being and Quality Education with sufficient preparation for goals 8 and 9 which are Decent Work and Economic growth and Industry, Innovation and INFRASTRUCTURE respectively.
Until we mark the next Children’s day celebrations, let us make the brain development of our youngest generation a priority.
Written by Peter Okonkwo, a child nutrition expert.
The World Health Organisation, WHO, has just established the WHO-Foundation, to expand its financial base, as it faces more financial demands in the ongoing global fight against COVID-19.
Speaking at the launching of the WHO-Foundation Wednesday, held in Geneva and broadcast live on Facebook, the WHO Director General, Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus Tedros, said it has become imperative for the agency to broaden its contribution base, as funds generated through the Solidarity Response for COVID-19, was not enough to cope with the financial burden of the agency.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
It will be recalled that President Donald Trump, of the United States had halted US funding for WHO, alleging that the agency mismanaged the COVID-19 outbreak, as his administration conducted a review of the agency’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. He also criticised the organisation’s relationship with China.
Tedros explained the amount collected so far through the Solidarity Response with the support of the United Nations to include $ 214 million and $55 million, used in the purchase of laboratory diagnostics, and other personal protective equipment, PPEs.
Tedros further disclosed how the agency partnered an animation organisation in the production of video animations use in advocacy on social media to contain the spread of the virus.
Addressing the conference, Founder of the WHO-Foundation, Prof. Thomas Zeltner, noted the mission of the Foundation is to raise funds for the agency through non-traditional funding. “The mission of the Foundation is to address most pressing funding for WHO from non-traditional sources”.
Zeltner further noted that the Foundation represents true innovative approach to broaden WHO funding for COVID-19 and other public health issues.”WHO deserves a strong independeny external advocate, and this foundation will do that”.
Signing a Momeradum-of-Understanding with Dr Tedros, the WHO-Foundation founder remarked that the Foundation is an independent entity, licensed with terms of agreement with WHO.
The WHO DG, however stated that the agency will maintain close links with the Foundation, and report to member states on funds received.
Following the lockdown order, necessitated by the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nepal, a total number of 875 people have recently committed suicide.
According to Xinheua report on Tuesday, the country has been under lockdown, against Coronavirus disease, since 24 March.
Image of people in Nepal
Data compiled by the Nepal Police shows that suicide cases across the country increased by 16 per cent in the first month of the lockdown.
A total of 482 suicide cases were filed during mid-March to mid-April in police stations across the country against 414 cases for the period between mid-February and mid-March.
The data suggests that the number during the lockdown is considerably high as 38 people committed suicide in the Kathmandu valley alone.
The highest number, 742, died by hanging themselves followed by 114 people who committed suicide by consuming poison.
The deceased had used burning, stabbing, drowning, jumping from heights as major ways of attempting suicides during the review period.
According to reports, many psychiatrists have linked the deaths with mental health of the people, who have been forced to stay indoor during lockdown.
As the local and global search for the treatment and cure of the novel Coronavirus continues, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NIPRD, said it has developed a local drug, NIPRIMUNE, an immunomodulatory phytomedicine, for the management of COVID-19 patients in Nigeria.
Revealing the innovative discovery to pharmanewsonline in an exclusive interview, NIPRD Director General, Dr Obi Peter Adigwe, said the formulation is currently undergoing various relevant processes, that would enable it be considered as adjunct therapy in managing COVID-19.
Dr Obi Peter Adigwe
As an immunomodulatory herbal formulation, Adigwe said the drug will be of immense assistance to people who have underlying illnesses, or whose immune systems are compromised, that are most vulnerable to COVID-19.
According to him; “So far, a significant amount of studies have been undertaken on this product and efforts are currently being made to secure the funding required to complete the necessary clinical studies in humans”.
Acknowledging that about 70 per cent of all medicines used in Nigeria are imported into the country, which negates the concept of medicines’ security, which argues that unless a people exert sufficient control over how their medicines and healthcare commodities are produced, sustainable access to relevant, affordable, high quality products cannot be guaranteed in that setting; Adigwe, expressed disappointment in Nigeria’s market share of the continental market.
Currently, Africa and indeed most of the developing world is faced with challenges associated with a lack of medicines’ security. About 70% of all medicines used in Nigeria are imported into the country, and this goes against the concept of medicines’ security that argues that unless a people exert sufficient control over how their medicines and healthcare commodities are produced, sustainable access to relevant, affordable, high quality products cannot be guaranteed in that setting.
He however expressed optimism in the post COVID-19 era in the country, saying, with proper policies, relevant prioritisation, and collaborative engagement, Nigeria can emerge Africa’s manufacturing hub, post COVID-19.
Pharmanewsoline reports that the agency had recently revealed its intention to partner various institutions at national and international levels to arrive at innovative solutions to the infection and other diseases.
Adigwe, had told Pharmanewsonline that :“With NIPRD being one of a kind in the region and also statutorily charged with the responsibility for research and development of drugs, vaccines, phytomedicines and commodities, our strategic plan is to use carefully nurtured partnerships with institutions, Nigerian and foreign universities and funding agencies to stimulate local production of excipients, pharma inputs, quality medicines and other innovative interventions for the sector”.
The NIPRD boss made the remarks during the agency’s partnership with Bloom Public Health to boost its capacity in research and development, towards arriving at quality pharmaceuticals for the use of the citizens.
He described the agreement as an African-led initiative to reshape the development of local preparations for use in the Nigerian healthcare delivery system.
According to the information made available by the World Health Organization, WHO, the death toll due to the novel Coronavirus complications in Africa has exceeded 3,400.
According to the latest number released by the WHO, regional office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, there are 3,453 deaths recorded in the continent.
Team of medical practitioners on the front line in China.
The continent has also recorded 115,237 Coronavirus cases and 46,000 recoveries in 54 countries.
As of Tuesday morning, Egypt has 735 reported deaths, the highest on the continent, followed by Algeria with 609 fatalities and South Africa with 481 deaths.
Other countries are Nigeria (233 deaths), Morocco (198 deaths), Cameroon (165 deaths), Sudan (146 deaths), Mali (67 deaths), DR Congo (66 deaths), Niger (62 deaths), Chad (61 deaths), and Somalia (61 deaths).
Management of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Teaching Hospital(LAUTECH), Osogbo, Osun State has threatened that corpses neglected by their relatives risk being cleared in a mass burial that will be organised soonest. The hospital equally issued a two-week removal ultimatum of corpses to families and relatives from their morgue.
According to an announcement aired on radio stations in Osun State on Tuesday, LAUTECH Management warned that corpses which are not claimed by relatives within two weeks maybe package for mass burial.
The hospital management also called on the members of the public, especially those who have corpses in the mortuary unit of the hospital to come and remove them within the next two weeks.
“We appeal to relatives who have corpses in the mortuary unit of our hospital to come and remove them. Please it should be noted that decongestion of the morgue is a routine exercise has nothing to do with the current pandemic COVID -19 infection.
“All Bodies not collected within the two weeks of this announcement may be packaged for mass burial.” LAUTECH management announced.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), has said the African continent has so far been spared the worst impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic, as it expressed fears that the continent could face a silent epidemic if its leaders do not prioritise testing of the infection.
Professor Samba Sow, director general of the Centre for Vaccine Development, Ministry of Health said, My first point for Africa, my first concern, is that a lack of testing is leading to a silent epidemic in Africa. So we must continue to push leaders to prioritise testing.”
Africa was the region with the fewest diagnosed Coronavirus cases, accounting for less than 1.5 per cent of the global total and just 0.1 per cent of deaths, Adhanom Ghebreyesushe Tedros, the WHOs director general, said.
The WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said some countries had taken measures to curb the disease at a high economic cost. Those measures meant the pandemic was having a milder impact so far than some models had predicted, Moeti said.
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire
Professor Akin Abayomi
