It was an exciting and amazing moment for Dr John Nwaiwu, chairman/chief executive officer of JB Pharmaceuticals Ltd, as the management of Pharmanews Limited organised a surprised 70th birthday for him on Wednesday, at the Pharmanews corporate head office, in Mende, Maryland, Lagos.
Nwaiwu, who is the chairman of Pharmacy Tower Committee, was on a courtesy visit to Pharmanews with his team, to seek media support towards the fund-raising for the capital intensive project.
Dr John Nwaiwu, managing director, JB Pharmaceuticals, cutting his 70th birthday cake (3rd from right) while Pharm. Gbenga Falabi; Pharm. Kennedy Izunwa; Lady Joan Atueyi; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited; and Pharm. Ade Popoola, managing director, Reals Pharmaceuticals cheered him up during the celebration.
Congratulating him on his attainment of 70 years of age, the Managing Director, Pharmanews Limited, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi acknowledged the fast movement of the JB boss, but charged him to move faster, because he himself will clock 80 years in three months’ time, by 1 October 2019.
In his response, Nwaiwu, expressed his profound gratitude to the Pharmanews boss for the impromptu birthday celebration, saying he was happy to join the league of septuagenarians, like Atueyi, and other senior citizens in Pharmacy.
Dr Nwaiwu, a native of Umuoti Inyishi Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo state, is a renowned pharmacist, and Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN), Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (FNAPharm) and a member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
Following his immense contribution to the pharmaceutical profession, he has won to his credit, different national and international awards and membership of many national and international professional societies.
Nwaiwu had a meritorious career at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), where he retired as Deputy Comptroller General. During his time at the NCS, he was a member of the Nigerian delegate to Washington DC on Nigeria-USA agreement on Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA); Member, Nigerian delegate to Algeria on Nigeria-Algeria Bi-lateral agreement, among others.
In attendance at the surprise birthday celebration were: Pharm. Ade Popoola, managing director, Reals Pharmaceuticals; Pharm. Gbenga Falabi; Pharm. Kennedy Izunwa; and Lady Joan Atueyi.
In fulfilment of his pledge to the members, the leadership of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), under the national chairman, Pharm. Samuel Adekola, at the ongoing 38th Annual National Scientific Conference of the association, has begun the much anticipated Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) programme, aimed at keeping pharmacists abreast of current trends in Pharmacy practice.
In his speech at the programme, which was the maiden edition, the ACPN national leader disclosed that his administration has secured the best deal for members nationwide, through the registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Pharm. NAE Mohammed, who has magnanimously approved a full module of MCPD during the conference, thereby making Kano conference, an historical one.
According to him, the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) is designed to update the knowledge of pharmacists, and enable them keep abreast of advancements in pharmaceutical development and modern trends in Pharmacy, saying it would boost their capacity in the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients.
A cross section of community pharmacists at the MCPD programme.
He said the commencement of the programme, is the fulfilment of his dream to deliver a national conference that would be at par with conferences of international standard, through the organisation of a stress-free registration; highly conducive exhibition stands; highly innovative and educative programmes; awards, leisure and side attractions; hospitality and fun at its peak, as well as befitting accommodation. Also, the maiden edition of the ACPN Faculty running Continuing MCPD, will afford every participant a minimum of 10 points unit.
Also speaking at the programme, the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. NAE Mohammed, who was represented by Pharm. (Mrs) Emily Olalere, director, Pharmacy Practice, PCN, said the leadership of ACPN approached the registrar with their proposal and he gladly approved, noting that it was imperative because MCPD was designed to update the knowledge of pharmacists, and enable them keep abreast of advancements in pharmaceutical development and modern trends in Pharmacy practice.
Speaking further, the registrar said the introduction of the MCPD will satisfy the desire of community pharmacists in continuing education courses, which have direct bearing on their day-to-day practice.
Pharm. Lere Baale, lecturing at the MCPD programme.
“The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria is a public corporation created by the Federal government in 1992, with the sole authority for registering, monitoring, regulating and controlling all aspects of Pharmacy practice in Nigeria, including the education and training of pharmacists and pharmacy-related personnel”, Mohammed said.
While lecturing at the programme, Pharm. Lere Baale, one of the Faculty Lecturers, noted that the MCPD was meant to transform pharmacists in Nigeria from mere career professionals into intellectual practitioners with strong critical thinking skills, adding that learning is continuous and never end.
According to Baale, the programme was designed to update the knowledge of pharmacists by equipping them to keep abreast of development in pharmaceutical service delivery and current international trends and practice in Pharmacy, adding that all registered pharmacists in Nigeria must undergo all aspects of the programme, as a requirement by the PCN.
Raw and fresh fruits and vegetables, sprouted grains, nuts and seeds are described as living foods because they have all the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phyto- nutrients. Cooking, canning and processing destroy or change or denature them and are described as dead foods. At 116 to 120 degree F most enzymes, and other nutrients are destroyed.
Do you know what happens when you heat your food? The enzymes are lost, proteins denatured, oils and fats convert to trans fatty-acids which are carcinogenic, sugars are caramelised, vitamins and minerals are depleted, water is reduced and fibre is refined which makes it less beneficial to the body.
Cooking our foods can cause a loss of up to 97 percent of some water soluble vitamins like vitamin C and up to 40 percent of the fat soluble vitamins.
Consuming cooked or dead foods makes digestion more difficult and hence may result in constipation. Years of consuming dead foods makes the body prone to diseases, low vitality, loss of spiritual and mental clarity, and early death.
Please, note that consuming cooked foods is like filling the petrol tank of your car with contaminated or low grade fuel, this can cause your engine to knock.
People suffering from various ailments have recovered with change of diet to living foods. But should we wait till the body starts to malfunction before taking raw foods? God has designed the body to function on living foods. The human body is designed to be nourished with living foods and not dead or cooked foods.
In the Garden of Eden, God intended that all animals including humans should eat raw foods from plants. The life force from plants is transferred directly to the human body that consumes the plants.
Genesis chapter 1:29 says “ and God said, behold I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of the tree yielding seed to you it shall be for food. Whole, sun ripe, raw, organic foods, are the keys to great health and vitality. They are the givers of life energy and healers of diseases. They are essential to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health and vitality. They are proving to be the healthiest diet because we receive maximum nutrition when we eat our foods in their natural state.
If you eat living food, it will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also. Life comes from life, and fromdeath always comes death. Everything which kills your foods, kills your bodies also. Your bodies become what your foods are.
Benefits of eating living foods include:
1. Healing of many chronic diseases – diabetes, migraines, asthma, joint pain, fibromyalgia, allergies, colitis, depression, anxiety, cancer etc. 2. Losing weight the natural way. 3. Your skin glows, eyes brighter, and hair shiny. 4. Ageing process slows down, wrinkles disappear, blemishes vanish. 5. Your strength and energy increase.
Advantages of living foods include:
1. They are full of enzymes, minerals and other phyto-nutrients. 2. They have the best balance of water, nutrients, and fiber to meet your body’s requirements. 3. Have more flavour than cooked foods. So there is no need to add salt, sugar and spices. 4. Living foods require very little time to prepare. 5. They have more life force and more healing properties.
Therefore, eat fruits, nuts, vegetables, which are whole, fresh, and alive and packed with life. You can notice remarkable difference in your health when you start to make your diet fifty percent of raw foods.
Prof. Charles Esimone, vice – chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka has declared that the legacy left by the late Chike Okoli (through his foundation) has metamorphosed from sorrow into something beautiful.
Speaking with Pharmanews at the 13th Annual Heart & Soul Gala held at Lagos City Hall, Lagos Island on 27 June 2019, Esimone said the Foundation revolves around the death of a young man whose memorial has been impacting people’s lives across the country.
“I believe in his cause. It is quite innovative and worth celebrating. In fact, it is an institution that has transformed from pain into gain. People are being enlightened and educated on the danger of cardiovascular disease just as thousands of young entrepreneurs are being empowered every year through Chike Okoli Foundation,” he stressed.
L-R: Mrs Uzoma Ezeoke, executive director, Emzor Pharmaceuticals; Emeka Okoli, chairman, Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries; Dr Stella Okoli, chairman, board of directors, Chike Okoli Foundation; Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos; Chief (Mrs) Taiwo Taiwo, chairman, Aart of Life Foundation and Dr (Mrs) Onikepo Akande, former minister of Industry at the event.
Inferring from the Biblical anecdote of Jabez, the vice-chancellor further alluded that Okoli’s death has brought some sort of benefits to many.
“It has moved the families, relatives, friends and former associates from the point of pain (or sorrow) to gain just as it was written in the Bible,” he emphasised.
The event which attracted a huge turnout of pharmacists, technocrats, political bigwigs, socialites and professionals from all walks of life also had Dr Stella Okoli, chairman, board of directors, Chike Okoli Foundation; Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos; Dr (Mrs) Onikepo Akande, former minister of Industry; Pharm. Nnamdi Okafor, managing director, May & Baker Nigeria Plc; Pharm. Ebenezer Adeleke, Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Mrs Uzoma Ezeoke, executive director, Emzor Pharmaceuticals and Chief (Mrs) Taiwo Taiwo, chairman, Aart of Life Foundation.
Established in furtherance of the ideals of Chike Edward Okoli who died five days to his 25th birthday from undetected coronary artery disease, the Foundation has risen beyond the grief of his untimely death. A Chike Okoli Foundation was set up by his family to promote the passion of his life – entrepreneurship – and to combat cardiovascular diseases which had led to his untimely demise.
L-R: Pharm. Ebenezer Adeleke, Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and Prof. Charles Esimone, vice-chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU).
In her presentation, Dr Stella Okoli, chairman, board of directors, Chike Okoli Foundation explained that when the Foundation was established 13 years ago, its activities had impacted close to 10 million youths, while 5,000 diligent youths are trained every year in entrepreneurship at the Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies (COCES), located at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka.
She further declared that, since inception in 2006, the establishment, in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, had sustained a regular grassroots cardiovascular health programme which had so far reached out to thousands of young people with valuable information on lifestyle habits.
In fulfilment of his pledge to the members, the leadership of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), under the national chairman, Pharm. Samuel Adekola, at the ongoing 38th Annual National Scientific Conference of the association, has begun the much anticipated Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) programme, aimed at keeping pharmacists abreast of current trends in Pharmacy practice.
In his speech at the programme, which was the maiden edition, the ACPN national leader disclosed that his administration has secured the best deal for members nationwide, through the registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Pharm. NAE Mohammed, who has magnanimously approved a full module of MCPD during the conference, thereby making Kano conference, an historical one.
According to him, the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) is designed to update the knowledge of pharmacists, and enable them keep abreast of advancements in pharmaceutical development and modern trends in Pharmacy, saying it would boost their capacity in the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients.
He said the commencement of the programme, is the fulfilment of his dream to deliver a national conference that would be at par with conferences of international standard, through the organisation of a stress-free registration; highly conducive exhibition stands; highly innovative and educative programmes; awards, leisure and side attractions; hospitality and fun at its peak, as well as befitting accommodation. Also, the maiden edition of the ACPN Faculty running Continuing MCPD, will afford every participant a minimum of 10 points unit.
Also speaking at the programme, the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. NAE Mohammed, who was represented by Pharm. (Mrs) Emily Olalere, director, Pharmacy Practice, PCN, said the leadership of ACPN approached the registrar with their proposal and he gladly approved, noting that it was imperative because MCPD was designed to update the knowledge of pharmacists, and enable them keep abreast of advancements in pharmaceutical development and modern trends in Pharmacy practice.
Speaking further, the registrar said the introduction of the MCPD will satisfy the desire of community pharmacists in continuing education courses, which have direct bearing on their day-to-day practice.
“The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria is a public corporation created by the Federal government in 1992, with the sole authority for registering, monitoring, regulating and controlling all aspects of Pharmacy practice in Nigeria, including the education and training of pharmacists and pharmacy-related personnel”, Mohammed said.
While speaking at the programme, Pharm. Lere Baale, one of the Faculty Lecturers, noted that the MCPD was meant to transform pharmacists in Nigeria from mere career professionals into intellectual practitioners with strong critical thinking skills, adding that learning is continuous and never end.
According to Baale, the programme was designed to update the knowledge of pharmacists by equipping them to keep abreast of development in pharmaceutical service delivery and current international trends and practice in Pharmacy, adding that all registered pharmacists in Nigeria must undergo all aspects of the programme, as a requirement by the PCN.
The fact that secondhand smoking is dangerous to health is widespread, but not everyone is aware of the effects of secondhand drinking. However, a new research published in the journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs has recently shown that humans experience harm due to the drinking habit of someone else.
The authors of the study explained that similar to how decision makers have addressed the effects of secondhand smoke over the last two decades, society needs to combat the secondhand effects of drinking, calling alcohol’s harm to others “a significant public health issue.”
According to the research, an analysis of U.S. national survey data showed that some 21 percent of women and 23 percent of men, with an estimated 53 million adults, experienced harm because of someone else’s drinking in the last 12 months.
These harms could be threats or harassment, ruined property or vandalism, physical aggression, harms related to driving, financial or family problems. The most common harm was threats or harassment, reported by 16 percent of survey respondents.
Scientists Caution against Effects of Secondhand Drinking
The specific types of harm experienced differed by gender. Women were more likely to report financial and family problems, whereas ruined property, vandalism, and physical aggression were more likely to be reported by men.
There is “considerable risk for women from heavy male drinkers in the household and, for men, from drinkers outside their family”, the authors wrote.
Additional factors, including age and the person’s own drinking, were also important. People younger than age 25 had a higher risk of experiencing harm from someone else’s drinking. Further, almost half of men and women who themselves were heavy drinkers said they had been harmed by someone else’s drinking.
Even people who drank but not heavily were at two to three times the risk of harassment, threats, and driving-related harm compared with abstainers.
According to experts, heavy drinking was defined as drinking five bottles or more drinks at a time for men or four or more bottles for women at least monthly.
To conduct the study, researchers led by Madhabika B. Nayak, Ph.D., of the Alcohol Research Group, a programme of the Public Health Institute in Oakland, Calif., analyzed data from two telephone surveys conducted in 2015—the National Alcohol’s Harm to Others Survey and the National Alcohol Survey.
The current research, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, looked at data from 8,750 respondents age 18 and older and provided support for alcohol control policies, such as taxation and pricing to reduce alcohol’s harm to persons other than the drinker.
Timothy Naimi, M.D., M.P.H., of the Boston Medical centre in an accompanying commentary explained that “the freedom to drink alcohol must be counter-balanced by the freedom from being afflicted by others’ drinking in ways manifested by homicide, alcohol-related sexual assault, car crashes, domestic abuse, lost household wages, and child neglect”.
Naimi advocated for increased taxes on alcoholic beverages, noting that there is strong evidence that increased alcohol taxes would decrease excessive drinking and reduce the harms to people other than the drinker.
In a second commentary, Sven Andréasson, M.D., of the Karolinska Institutet of Stockholm, Sweden, wrote, in a similar vein, that setting minimum prices for alcohol is important for reducing the harms caused by drinking.
“There is now a growing literature on the effects of national alcohol policies to reduce not only consumption but also some of the secondhand harms from alcohol, notably the effects of price policies on all forms of violence—assaults, sexual violence, partner violence, and violence toward children,” Andréasson writes. “Recent research on the effects of minimum pricing is particularly relevant in this context, where studies in Canada find reductions in violence after the introduction of minimum pricing”.
Nayak agrees that “Control policies, such as alcohol pricing, taxation, reduced availability, and restricting advertising, may be the most effective ways to reduce not only alcohol consumption but also alcohol’s harm to persons other than the drinker,” she said.
Scores of academic professors, pharmacists and pharmacy students from all arms of the profession recently turned up for the official launch of “Principles of pharmacy practice in Nigeria.”
Authored by Pharm. Steve Okoronkwo, managing director, Al-Tinez, Centaur and Xcel Pharmaceuticals Limited, the book is a 190-page academic literature on contemporary pharmacy practice, jurisprudence, ethics, pharmacy management and administration as well as pharmaceutical marketing.
In the words of Dr Ibrahim Oreagba, book reviewer, the author has gone further to explain the reasoning or logic behind the various pharmacy principles and regulations in the 11-chapter book.
L-R: Sir Ike Onyechi, managing director, Alpha Pharmacy; Pharm. Steve Okoronkwo, author; his wife, Vivian; Dr Ibrahim Oreagba, book reviewer and Pharm. N.A.E Mohammed, registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) displaying the book shortly after its unveiling.
“It is reader-friendly for both pharmacy practitioners and budding pharmacy students, who wish to have an in-depth understanding of the principles guiding the practice.
“Practitioners will find it valuable in dealing with the ethical dilemma they encounter in their daily practice. This book will be a good resource for pharmacy interns preparing for pre-registration examination and would also be good for those undergoing primary level fellowship programme,” he noted.
The “Principles of pharmacy practice in Nigeria” is divided into 11 chapters.
Chapter One – The regulatory and professional bodies of pharmacy in Nigeria; Chapter Two – Pharmacy education and training in Nigeria: Transition from B.Pharm Degree to PharmD Degree; Chapter Three – Career opportunities in Pharmacy; Chapter Four – The seven-star pharmacist concept; Chapter Five – Code of ethics for pharmacists in Nigeria; Chapter Six – Professional discipline; Chapter Seven – The structure of pharmaceutical premises; Chapter Eight – Inspection & registration of pharmaceutical premises (Part II of the Poison & Pharmacy Act 1990); Chapter Nine – The practice of Pharmacy profession in Nigeria; Chapter 10 – Strategies in pharmaceutical marketing and promotion and Chapter 11 – National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG).
The unveiling ceremony of the book took place at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on 27 June, 2019.
L-R: Pharm. Steve Okoronkwo, author; Dr Stella Okoli, chairman of the occasion; Sir Ike Onyechi, managing director, Alpha Pharmacy; his wife, Bridget and Pharm. Martins Igbonacho, chairman, Al-Tinez Pharmaceuticals.j
In attendance were Dr Stella Okoli, chairman of the occasion; Pharm. N.A.E Mohammed, registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); Pharm. Olu Akintayo, former president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Dr Monica Eimunjeze, director (R & R), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Prof. Aina Bolajoko, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Tony Ezenna Jnr, representing chairman of Orange Drugs and Sir Ike Onyechi, managing director, Alpha Pharmacy.
Others included Prof. Charles Esimone, vice chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU); Pharm. Ade Popoola, Reals Pharmaceuticals; Pharm. Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, managing director, New Heights Pharmaceuticals; Emma Umenwa, Geneith Pharmaceuticals; Prof. Noel Wannang, secretary general, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP); Dr Arinola Joda, senior lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Tony Onwumere, managing director, Lifeback Pharmacy; Pharm. Valentine Okelu, May & Baker Nigeria Plc and Dr. (Mrs) Ukamaka Okafor, director, education and training, PCN.
Executives of one of the global pharmaceutical equipment manufacturing companies, Telstar Life Science Equipment recently paid a courtesy visit to the corporate head office of Pharmanews Limited, Mende, Maryland.
The Telstar manager – Stephane Allard, accompanied by Mr Jaume Almirall, of the Chamber of Commerce, Barcelona, came all the way from Spain for a fact-finding mission about the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry, told the Managing Director, Pharmanews Limited, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, that they were in the country for the first time to gather information about the nation’s pharmaceutical business, which will enhance the establishment of their Nigerian office soonest.
L-R: Mr Stephane Allard, business manager, Telstar Life Sciences Equipment; Mr Jaume Almirall, International Department, Chamber of Commerce, Barcelona; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited; and Mr Moses Dike, business development manager, Pharmanews.
With Telstar’s presence in over 13 countries across the globe and distribution of their products and services to more than 100 countries, the company has being in the business of churning out qualitative pharma equipment for over 30 decades.
According to Mr Allard, Telstar has three main divisions, which are Pharma Industry, Research & Medical and Vacuum. The Pharma Industry division, is further sub-divided into Life Science Equipment, which deals with the production of equipment like: Barrier Systems; Freeze Drying; Sterilization; and Process & Water; while the other division focuses on Engineering; Construction; IT Solutions; and EPC management.
Receiving the Telstar team, Sir Atueyi appreciated them for their interest in the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry, assuring them of business opportunities in Nigeria, as local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in the country, will be willing to leverage Telstar’s quality equipment for better production of drugs and other products.
L-R: Mrs Temitope Obayendo, online editor, Pharmanews; Mr Stephane Allard, business manager, Telstar Life Sciences Equipment; Mr Jaume Almirall, International Department, Chamber of Commerce, Barcelona; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited; Mr Moses Dike, business development manager, Pharmanews; and Mrs Deola Oladeji, personal assistant to Mr Stephane Allard.
Also present at the meeting were, the Mr Moses Dike, business development manager, Pharmanews; Mrs Temitope Obayendo, online editor, Pharmanews; and Mrs Deola Oladeji, personal assistant to Mr Stephane Allard.
Sequel to the recent election conducted by the Lagos Chapter of Christian Pharmacists Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN), nine new executive members were sworn-in on Wednesday, 26 June 2019.
The ceremony which took place at the Fellowship’s 10th Annual Business Outreach held at Sheraton Hotel & Tower, witnessed a massive turnout of pharmacists from all arms of the profession.
In attendance were Pharm. Ike Onyechi, immediate past national president, CPFN; Pharm. Okey Akpa, guest speaker; Pharm. Chris Ojeabulu, founder/CEO, OakFaith Pharmaceuticals Limited; Pharm Uche Uwana, managing director, Sylken Pharmaceuticals; Pharm. Cornelius Umanze, vice president, CPFN among others.
L-R (Sitting): Pharm. Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, ex-officio, CPFN; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited; Pharm. Ike Onyechi, immediate past national president, CPFN; Pharm. Paul Enebeli, chairman, New Heights Pharmaceutical Limited and Pharm. Nike Adenuga, prayer secretary. L-R (Standing): Pharmacists Peter Onimisi, public relations officer, CPFN; Stanley Kumolu-Johnson, member; Jude Chinemelu, vice president; Jude Elue, president and Adeshina Opanubi, secretary.
Congratulating the new executives, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited and one of the three guest speakers at the outreach enjoined them to take their new commitment as if their lives depend on it.
Citing his call to duty as editor-in-chief of The Nigerian Pharmacy Journal as example, the pharmacist disclosed that his passion in making the publication into a revenue generating medium and an overnight success was the breeding ground for the eventual success of Pharmanews today.
“I encourage you to see your new calling as a call to serve God and humanity. See it as if you are doing God’s work and He will reward you,” he charged them. The new executive members are Jude Elue, president; Jude Chinemelu, vice president; Adeshina Opanubi, secretary; Ifeanyi Okechukwu, financial secretary; Nike Adenuga, prayer secretary; Peter Onimisi, public relations officer; Tosin Adeyemi, treasurer; Funto Olude, member; Stanley Kumolu-Johnson, member and Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, ex-officio.
Managing temperature-sensitive biologics in Northern Nigeria is a high-stakes challenge. The region’s searing heat, unreliable electricity, and unpredictable transport networks create conditions that threaten the stability of vaccines, insulin, and other biologics at every step. Yet, despite these persistent obstacles, cold chain failures can be significantly reduced through preparedness, smart packaging, real-time monitoring, and coordinated teamwork. This was the central message shared by Pharmacist Faith Okonkwo, whose frontline experience offers practical solutions for one of public health’s toughest environments.
In an interview blending technical insight with lived field realities, Pharm. Okonkwo, a licensed pharmacist with more than seven years of experience in community pharmacy, pharmaceutical sales, and healthcare operations, illustrated what it truly takes to protect temperature-sensitive biologics in Northern Nigeria. Her expertise is grounded not only in academic training but in the day-to-day challenges she has encountered across diverse health settings, making her an increasingly vocal advocate for strengthening Nigeria’s cold chain systems.
According to her, the backbone of effective cold chain management is not merely equipment or digital tools, but human capacity, teams who understand the stakes, make rapid decisions, map vulnerabilities, and activate contingency plans without hesitation. Her experiences show that with the right approach, maintaining the required 2–8°C storage conditions is possible even in low-resource contexts.
Pharm. Okonkwo described the sharp rise in biologic use across Nigeria over the past decade, accompanied by mounting challenges in maintaining their stability. Northern Nigeria, she explained, presents some of the most hostile conditions: extreme temperatures that can overwhelm insulated containers, long travel distances, rugged road networks, and electricity that can disappear without warning. These are not theoretical concerns; they are daily realities that shape how biologics must be transported and stored.
Transport disruptions, she noted, often occur with no advance notice. Flights are abruptly grounded, trucks break down far from support services, and routes that seemed viable the previous week suddenly become impassable. “Cold chain failures don’t always happen because someone made a mistake,” she said. “Many times, the environment just shifts beneath your feet.” Because biologics cannot wait for perfect conditions, she emphasised the importance of having multiple backup plans ready before any shipment begins.
One striking example involved a consignment expected to arrive by air. A last-minute flight suspension threatened the entire shipment. With no time to deliberate, the team activated an alternative road-transport plan using validated cold boxes reinforced with phase-change materials. The swift switch preserved the products and underscored the need to treat contingency routes as essential—not optional.
Electricity constraints formed another major theme in her narrative. Northern Nigeria’s inconsistent power supply forces warehouses and health facilities to depend heavily on generators, which themselves can fail. Sometimes, she noted, even the briefest interruption can allow temperatures to drift into dangerous territory. Backup power must therefore be paired with vigilant temperature monitoring and clear protocols for responding to excursions.
Pharm. Okonkwo also highlighted the human factors that undermine cold chain reliability. She has encountered handlers who were insufficiently trained to recognise temperature deviations or understand the sensitivity of biologics. Some relied on manual temperature logs prone to human error. She stressed that continuous training, not a one-time orientation, is the only way to reduce preventable mistakes.
During one field project, she and her team mapped the entire cold chain—from warehouse to vehicle to community pharmacy, and uncovered unexpected vulnerabilities. The greatest temperature risks often occurred not during long-distance travel but at small, everyday touchpoints: a refrigerator placed near a doorway, a cold box left momentarily in direct sunlight, or a routine hand-over conducted outdoors. These insights revealed that exposure hotspots frequently exist where no one initially thinks to look.
She also emphasised the limitations of manual monitoring. Without real-time digital tools, early signs of temperature drift often go unnoticed until damage has already occurred. Automated alerts, route profiling, and continuous tracking enable teams to intervene before products are compromised. In her view, digital monitoring is no longer a luxury; it is an essential safeguard.
Despite the importance of technology, she maintains that the most decisive factor remains human coordination. Many successful interventions, she recalled, were made possible by well-trained teams who communicated quickly and executed predefined contingency plans without hesitation. “Well-drilled staff often make the difference between saving and losing a shipment,” she said.
Reflecting on broader lessons, Pharm. Okonkwo emphasised that strengthening cold chain systems does not always require expensive solutions. Simple improvements, validated packaging, enforced standard operating procedures, reliable backup power, and ongoing staff training can create a substantial impact. Nigeria’s cold chain challenges, she believes, are surmountable through practical, context-specific strategies rather than reliance on high-cost technologies alone.
For her, cold chain work is deeply personal. Each biologic that spoils represents a missed opportunity to safeguard someone’s health. Every compromised vial is a patient who could have been helped. Her commitment to public health education, medication safety, and patient-centred pharmaceutical practice shapes how she approaches cold chain logistics, not merely as a technical system but as a moral responsibility.
“Cold chain is about people,” she said firmly. “It’s about making sure the product that reaches the patient is the same product that left the manufacturer. Everything we do in between determines whether that promise is kept.”
Pharm. Okonkwo’s experience from Northern Nigeria demonstrates that even in harsh, resource-limited environments, reliability is achievable. With preparedness, teamwork, improved packaging, digital monitoring, and continuous training, cold chain systems can successfully deliver temperature-sensitive biologics, ensuring that lifesaving therapies reach the patients who depend on them.
In what many have described as an award well deserved, Alpha Pharmacy, one of the most efficient retail outfits in the country, has been awarded the Most Improved Pharmaceutical Outlet of the Year.
The award is one of the categories in the recently concluded 2019 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA) ceremony, held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on 21 June 2019.
In attendance were several doctors, hospital administrators, pharmacists, owners of health management organsations (HMOs), captains of industry and stakeholders in the health sector.
Speaking with Pharmanews, an elated Pharm. Ike Onyechi, managing director, Alpha Pharmacy remarked that it felt good to know that people recognize their contributions to patient-oriented care.
“It feels good. We felt honoured and appreciated. However it calls for more energy and work,” he said.
Interestingly, Alpha Pharmacy was also nominated in another category – Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of The Year category but lost out to HealthPlus Pharmacy who won it for a record fifth time.
L-R: Pharm Ifeanyi Ogbolu, senior pharmacist, Alpha Retail; Pharm Chimezie Obiwulu, team lead, Alpha Specialties and Pharm Ignatius Anukwu, chairman, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) and chief operating officer, Alpha Pharmacy, receiving the NHEA Award plaque.
According to Dr Anthony Omololu, member, advisory board, NHEA, the 2019 awards received over 6,000 nominations and more than 100,000 votes.
“We have also widen the scope of the NHEA Awards by adding five new categories – three to pharmaceuticals and two to special categories. This is why NHEA remains the biggest and best healthcare award ceremony in Africa.
“Worthy of mention is the personality of Emeritus Professor Oladapo Akinkugbe, one of our recipients in the Lifetime Achievement Award category. He was the first dignitary to arrive at this event by 5.00pm and has shown that he is still a disciplined professor even in his old age,” he declared.
In attendance were Dr Stella Okoli, recipient of NHEA Lifetime Achievement Award; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited; Dr Anthony Omololu, member, advisory board, NHEA; Pharm. Bisi Bright, CEO, Livewell Initiative; Pharm Bukky George, managing director, HealthPlus Pharmacy; Valentine Okelu, executive director, May & Baker Plc; Pharm Ifeanyi Ogbolu, pharmacist, Alpha Pharmacy; Pharm. Chimezie Obiwulu, team lead, Alpha Specialties and Pharm Ignatius Anukwu, chairman, Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) and chief operating officer, Alpha Pharmacy.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of the most common genetic disorders worldwide and it is highly prevalent in the Middle East, Mediterranean regions, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited form of anaemia. It is a condition in which there is not enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout the body.
Nigeria has the highest burden of SCD in the world and is also the top sickle cell endemic country in Africa. About 40 million Nigerians are healthy carriers of the sickle cell gene, while about 150,000 children are born with sickle cell disease yearly according to the World Health Organisation. Moreover, it has been estimated that SCD is responsible for an annual infant death of over 100,000 in Nigeria, representing more than 8 per cent of infant mortality in the country.
Prof Olu Akinyanju
Accordingly, as the world marks the World Sickle Cell Disease day on 19 June, it is fitting to recognise the efforts of medical professionals who have dedicated their lives and career in pursuit of better ways to manage SCD and improve the quality of life of people who suffer from it. One of such individuals is the world renowned haematologist and clinical geneticist, Professor Olu Akinyanju.
Indeed, it will be impossible for anyone to talk about management of sickle cell disease in Nigeria and indeed Africa without mentioning Professor Akinyanju. He is the founder and current chairman of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria and it was his pioneering efforts that led to the establishment of the National Sickle Cell Centre in Lagos. He has made numerous publications and presentations on sickle cell and he is also a member of World Health Organisation (WHO)’s expert committee on hereditary disease. He is currently advising the WHO on the introduction of sickle cell programming in developing countries.
Road to Impact
Although the Nigerian Society for Haematology and Blood Transfusion had formed the Sickle Cell Club of Nigeria (SCCN) in 1972, SCD was not regarded as an issue of public health concern in Nigeria for a long time. In fact, the club – which was a non-governmental, non-profit making Patient & Parent Support and Advocacy organisation, with branches in university centres such as Benin, Ibadan, Lagos and Kaduna – was hampered by the lack of funding and government support. Notwithstanding, the branch in Kaduna remained active due to the passion and drive of its leader, Professor Alan Fleming.
Professor Akinyanju’s passion and drive to help those with SCD led him, in 1985, to revamp the moribund sickle cell club in Lagos. He also organised an international symposium on sickle cell disorders, followed by annual training courses on genetic counselling from 1986. Before then, there had been no awareness programmes, screening centres/clinics and adequately trained healthcare personnel for the management of SCD in the country.
It must be noted however that Akinyanju’s passion for sickle cell patients had considerably been stirred by the relentless efforts of Mary Jo Agba, a sickle cell patient, whom he had met in 1984 at the sickle cell clinic in LUTH. Jo Agba had just returned from the USA and was working for the Nigeria Television Authority. She had asked Akinyanju to join her in setting up an association but Akinyanju introduced her to the already existing Sickle Cell Club and persuaded her to help revive it. Thus, both of them, together with Chief Opral Benson, resuscitated the sickle cell club and made it is today.
In 1991, Akinyanju founded the Federation of Sickle Cell Clubs of Nigeria (FESCCON) for mutual support and harmonisation. It was also for the same reasons that he co-founded, in 1996, the Federation des Association contre la lutte de la depranocytose en Afrique (FALDA) which links the non-governmental sickle cell organisations in 13 West African countries.
The need to develop a national sickle cell centre in Nigeria to address important issues, such as capacity building, research, policy development, policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation necessary for the sustained management and control of sickle cell disorder (SCD) in Nigeria soon became necessary and Akinyanju founded the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria in 1994 for this purpose.
Education and career
Professor Akinyanju had his secondary education at Government College, Ughelli, where he graduated in 1949. The school, which was founded in 1945, was sited initially at Warri and was known as Warri Middle School, before it was later moved to Ughelli. As a growing child, Akinyanju wanted to become a doctor, who would conquer cardiac disease. This fascination for cardiology was developed by his regular perusal of his father’s copies of the Reader’s Digest. The health pages were full of the ravages of heart attacks.
Adeyanju’s career journey to haematology was shaped by Providence. He found himself at the right place at the right time. He had received his medical training at the University of London’s St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, now the Imperial College School of Science, Technology and Medicine. After medical school, he had gone on to specialise in internal medicine in the UK before returning to Nigeria to take up a joint appointment in the departments of medicine and pathology. This exposed him to many patients with sickle cell disorder and he proceeded to separate them from the general haematology clinic into a new dedicated sickle cell clinic.
This encounter with sickle cell patients had spurred him to travel to Toronto, Canada, for a formal training in haematology. On his return, he tackled the total absence of programmes for people with sickle cell disorder in the community and in 1985 resuscitated the Sickle Cell Club in Lagos, where he was elected president with Chief Opral Benson as vice-president and Mary Jo Agba as the publicity secretary.
Professor Akinyanju’s relentless efforts to alleviate the burden of sickle cell disorder and to ensure that all affected persons can have a normal pain-free lives is indeed truly heroic and worthy of recognition.
Foremost indigenous pharmaceutical giant, May & Baker Nigeria Plc has been awarded the best Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company of the Year.
The glitzy ceremony organised by the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on 21 June 2019, had several doctors, hospital administrators, pharmacists, owners of health management organsations (HMOs), captains of industry and stakeholders in the health sector in attendance.
L-R: Mr Eugene Olewuenyi, communications consultant; Mrs Gladys Umoh, head, Human Capital Development and Valentine Okelu, executive director Corporate Planning & Strategy, all of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, displaying the award plaque at the event.
In attendance were Dr Stella Okoli, recipient of the NHEA Lifetime Achievement Award; Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited; Dr Anthony Omololu, member, advisory board, NHEA; Pharm. Bisi Bright, CEO, Livewell Initiative; Pharm. Bukky George, managing director, HealthPlus Pharmacy; Valentine Okelu, executive director, May & Baker Plc; Mrs Gladys Umoh, head, Human Capital Development and Eugene Olewuenyi, communication consultant of the company.
Described as Oscar of health sector, the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) is jointly supported by Global Health Project & Resources (GHPR) in collaboration with Anadach Group in the United States.
HealthPlus Pharmacy, the fastest growing pharmacy chain in West Africa, has once again clinched the 2019 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards (NHEA) for the Best Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of The Year category.
With the recent recognition, HealthPlus Pharmacy has now amassed five NHEA awards in same category in the last six years. A feat yet to be matched by any other recipient in the health industry.
Pharm. Bukky George, managing director, HealthPlus Pharmacy,(4th from right) in a group photograph with her staff members, shortly after receiving the award plaque at the event.
The award ceremony organised under the aegis of Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on 21 June 2019 saw the Nigeria’s first integrative pharmacy pipped Alpha Pharmacy, and others in the category.
NHEA is an annual event designed to celebrate distinguished personalities and organisations, who have contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian health sector.
HealthPlus has distinguished itself since inception in 1999 as a pharmacy of choice through the provision of high quality healthcare products such as medicines, nutritional supplements, natural and homeopathic remedies, home medical equipment, mobility aids and value adding pharmaceutical services rendered by its certified and well informed healthcare professionals in a friendly and hygienic environment.
Described as Oscar of health sector, the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) is jointly supported by Global Health Project & Resources (GHPR) in collaboration with Anadach Group in the United States.
Sequel to the introduction of the new registration fees for medicines and other products by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), which has hitherto generated serious concerns among stakeholders, the NAFDAC Governing Council has put on hold the implementation of the new tariffs which came into effect on 1 June 2019.
The Chairman, NAFDAC Governing Council, Hon. Inuwa Abdul-Kadir who made the disclosure in Lagos on Thursday, at an emergency stakeholder’s forum and meeting of the Governing Council, said the status quo remains while NAFDAC will continue to dialogue with all the concerned stakeholders on the tariff review and other regulatory issues.
Abdul-Kadir, who appealed to all concerned about the new registration tarrifs to remain calm, stated that the Council is much more concern about the inputs of stakeholders in the new tarrifs regime, thus there will be a review of the new tarrifs before the agency releases it.
Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye and Chairman of NAFDAC Governing Council, Hon. Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, at the meeting.
According to a press statement signed by the NAFDAC Director of Public Affairs, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, the Council Chairman explained reasons for the suspension of the new tariffs, noting that it was borne out of NAFDAC’s avowed commitment to the promotion of the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
His words: “The need to carry along our stakeholders in decision making is in line with global best practices. NAFDAC will continue to promote the manufacture, exportation and importation of good quality products. We need to promote local manufacturing of regulated products as part of Federal Government’s concerted efforts to create jobs and increase Foreign Exchange earnings by our dear nation. Nigeria has potential of producing pharmaceutical products for the domestic consumption and export to West African Countries”
The Chairman, who was a former Minister of Youths stressed the need for NAFDAC to procure new Laboratory equipment, operational vehicles and other facilities to enable it render quality and efficient regulatory services, monitor and carry out enforcement activities towards safeguarding the health of the nation.
Abdul-Kadir said the agency will ultimately evolve separate tariffs for the over 35 million MSME operators dealing on NAFDAC regulated products while also ensuring that they adhere strictly to extant regulations without compromise.
Prior to the suspension of the new registration fees, pharmacists and other stakeholders had taken to the pages of national dailies to condemn the action, stating the consequences of such action to include 100 per cent increase in prices of drugs, increase in number of fake drugs in circulation, and other disruptions to the local manufacturers and importers of pharmaceutical products in the country.
They are urged the agency to simply the bureaucratic delays associated with registration of drugs and related products, which has been taking over two years to accomplish registration status in some bizarre cases.
As the world marked the 2019 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), has called for a holistic approach to tackling the menace of drug use in the country, adding that drug abuse is a major health problem globally, and it is no longer a secret that many Nigerian youths, especially those in secondary schools experiment with drugs.
The association made the call on Wednesday, 26 June 2019, during the National Art Competition for Secondary Schools, organised by the Drug Information Centre (DIC) of the ACPN, to commemorate this year International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, at Presken Hotel, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.
The community pharmacists adopted the United Nations theme for the Day: “Health for Justice. Justice for Health”, with the discussion titled “A Drug Abuse Free Generation: Let’s Start”.
L-R: Dr Tosin Adeyemi, keynote speaker; Dr Lolu Ojo, chairman, NAPharm Drug and Substance Abuse Committee; Pharm. (Mrs) Folashade Lawal, immediate past chairperson, ACPN, DIC, and Pharm. Abosede Idowu, national secretary, ACPN, at the programme.
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is an effort of the United Nations aimed at strengthening action and spreading awareness about drug abuse and illegal drug trade in the world.
Speaking at the programme, the National Chairman, ACPN, Pharm. Samuel Adekola said “the drug abuse campaign was aimed at imprinting the concept of drug-free society into the minds of the students, who are unarguably the future of this country, adding that the art competition was conceived to draw the attention of the students to drug abuse, its effects on society, and the thought of eradicating it from our society”.
Pharm. (Mrs) Abosede Idowu, the national secretary, who represented the chairman, stated that the objective of the competition was to help the students succeed by staying focused and achieving their goals as sojourners on the journey of life. “We hope through this competition, you would be able to resolve in your mind and agree with us as your senior brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles that drugs are not for you”, she urged.
A cross section of students at the drug abuse awareness programme.
According to her, hard drugs cause a number of vices, including armed robbery, kidnapping, raping, prostitution, and even health challenges, adding that drug use will mess them up and pull them down. “If you want to live long, it will cut your life short, so, if you want to become great in life, it requires sanity and soundness of mind, and traits which are not compatible with hard drugs,” she advised.
Also speaking at the event, the duo of the ACPN, DIC Chairperson, Pharm. (Mrs) Bukola Folorunsho, and the immediate past DIC Chairperson, Pharm. (Mrs) Folashade Lawal, disclosed that drug abuse is one of the greatest challenges the country is facing presently, stating that there is no better time than now to start sensitising the younger ones about the dangers inherent in it, as it has become a big menace to the society.
According to them, drug abuse has become a matter of urgent global public concern, especially among the young people. “This is the best time to get your attention because you are the ‘tomorrow of this country’, and we have realized that habits taken up at youthful age can make or mar a man. A drug abuse-free generation is what we desire and want and it is good to start it with you so that we join hands to have a drug abuse-free world that we desire.
Pharm. Bukola Folorunsho, noted that the observance of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is very significant because there are varied socio-economic and cultural issues related to illegal drugs and drug trafficking, adding that drug abuse results in perhaps the worst kind of health problems and has become a major crime almost everywhere in the world.
In his goodwill message at the programme, Dr Lolu Ojo, chairman, NAPharm Drug and Substance Abuse Committee, disclosed that listening to children and youth is the first step to help them grow healthy and safe, stating that the rate of drug abuse among youths and children requires the attention of parents for proper parenting. “Nigeria is full of opportunities, so we shouldn’t allow drug to destroy it for our young ones”, he advised
The high point of the event was the presentation of cash prizes to the winners. At the end of the keen contest, which involved Art Painting, Drawing, Sculpture and presentations, about ten students from different schools, were given consolation prizes and they included, Ifeoluwa Momoh, Ifako International School; Michael Akinsola, Baptist Boys High School; Destiny Okechukwu, Oxford International School; Abisayo Akinronbi and Toyosi Omolade, Vivian Fowler Memorial Secondary School; Princess Okonkwo, Maryland Comprehensive High School; Goodnews Shoko, Igbobi College; Divine Ojope Ogenevovwere, Queens College; Stephen Onyawanne, Igbobi College, and Edwin Ekpe Olishe, of Airforce Secondary School, Lagos.
Meanwhile, the first prize of Hundred Thousand Naira, was presented to Abdulahi Opeyemi Agbalaya, Unity Senior High School, Lagos, while Semenitari Nkemakonam of Maryland Comprehensive High School, Ikeja, Lagos; and Adeolu Shittu Oluwatobi, Igbobi College, Igbobi, Lagos, were presented with prizes of Seventy Thousand Naira, and Fifty Thousand Naira, for coming second and third respectively.
Other dignitaries at the event included, Dr Tosin Adeyemi, who was the keynote speaker; Pharm. Solomon Shiihii, PCN; Mr Seye Awe, a psychologist from the Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos; Pharm. Funmbi Okoya, who represented the Lagos PSN Chairman,Pharm. Bolanle Adeniran; Pharm. Charles Oluwaseyi, and many others.
The colourful occasion which was hosted at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on 21 June 2019, had several doctors, hospital administrators, pharmacists, owners of health management organsations (HMOs), captains of industry and stakeholders in the health sector in attendance.
In this video clip, the Emzor boss urged health professionals to uphold the integrity of the industry and avoid encouraging brain drain in the country. She also used the opportunity to announce the company’s new factory at Sagamu.
As community pharmacists nationwide prepare ahead of their forthcoming 38th Annual National Conference tagged ‘Tunmbin Giwa 2019’, scheduled to hold in the ancient city of Kano, Kano State, from Sunday, 30 June to Saturday, 6 July 2019, at the Afficent Event Centre, Nassarawa, GRA, Kano City, the National Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Pharm. Samuel Oluwaoromipin Adekola, has assured members of unprecedented improvements at the conference.
Pharm. Adekola, made this known at a press briefing in preparation for the conference, held at the ACPN Secretariat in Opebi, Lagos recently.
Themed: “Tackling the Menace of Drug Abuse in Nigeria: An Innovative Approach”, the ACPN helmsman assured that he would ensure that this conference remains memorable in the minds of the community pharmacists across the country, saying no other conference before it would be able to match its success. Adekola added that the conference has a number of interesting theme and sub-themes which would be handled by notable Pharmacy professionals, erudite speakers and seasoned teachers, who have distinguished themselves in their chosen professions.
L-R: Pharm. Abosede Idowu, national secretary, ACPN, Pharm. Samuel Adekola, national chairman, and Pharm. Eze Ambrose, national treasurer, at the press briefing.
According to him, the keynote speech will be delivered by Pharm. (Alh) Ahmed Yakasai, the immediate past president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), adding that the conference will also have in attendance eminent personalities and various stakeholders from all walks of life; including Rtd Gen. Buba Marwa, former governor of Lagos State, and chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse (PACEDA), who will chair the opening ceremony; Governor of Kano State, Mallam Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, will declare the conference open; Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, president, PSN; Pharm. NAE Mohammed, registrar, PCN; Prof Moji Adeyeye, director general, NAFDAC; Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, former minister of health, amongst a host of others.
The chairman reiterated that adequate security will be provided within and around the venue of the conference, just as he promised that the event will be a rewarding experience for all participants. He noted that the conference would be a rewarding experience for corporate participants and exhibitors who will avail themselves of the unique opportunity to showcase and expose their products and services to the teeming audience expected at the conference.
He further revealed that the conference will feature innovative and memorable events, including a one-day PCN accredited pre-conference workshop; clinical master classes; business strategy master-class; night of fun and relaxation. “We have also secured the best deal for our members through the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, Pharm. NAE Mohammed, who has approved a full module of MCPD during this conference, and we are going to have the maiden edition of the ACPN Faculty running Continuing Education Programme, which will afford every participant a minimum of 10 points unit. So Kano is set to make history”.
When asked the reason for the choice of Kano for the conference, the ACPN boss said Kano State was chosen because the state was qualified to host the conference just like every other states in the country, adding that he had been assured by the host that the state was ready, stressing that he had also personally ascertained their readiness personally.
Speaking further, the number one community pharmacist in the country said the theme was carefully chosen because of its importance to national development, stating that community pharmacists have always been at the receiving end whenever issues that relate to drug abuse is mentioned.
“As I have always said, the panacea for drug abuse is community pharmacy. If all drugs in the community are left in the hands of the community pharmacists, we won’t have any issue with drug abuse
“We are looking at the innovative approach to bring an end to this menace and that is why we have decided to give the job to a capable hand, in person of Alh. Ahmed Yakassai, the immediate past president, PSN, and founder, Safe Medicine Foundation, who is going to deliver the keynote address during the opening ceremony.
“We are also going to celebrate some notable Nigerians who have distinguished themselves through their services to this country and notable among them includes, Late Pa Adekunle Ajasin, the first executive governor of Ondo State, whom we are going to give a post humour award; Alh Aminu Dantata, of Dantata Groups of Companies; Chief Samuel Adedoyin, of Doyin Groups, amongst many others as an appreciation to what they have done for the country. So it’s going to be a round peg in a round hole,” Adekola said.
Other executive members at the press briefing were Pharm. Abosede Idowu, national secretary, ACPN, and Pharm. Eze Ambrose, national treasurer.
Experts from the various fields of life sciences have highlighted the importance of leveraging Bioinformatics in reducing the disease burdens in the country, through the development of qualitative medicines and vaccines, in combating the diseases.
The scientists who converged at the Conference Hall of the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) on Tuesday, 25 June 2019 to deliberate on innovative ways of introducing Bioinformatics into the various segments of the healthcare industry, noted that Africa, particularly Nigeria, cannot be left out in the technological revolution that is ongoing around the world.
Addressing participants at the first Nigerian Bioinformatics Conference, the Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Prof. Babatunde Salako, said the conference was apt in bringing international researchers together for the purpose of exploring the potentials of Bioinformatics & Genomics technologies through research collaboration and scientific innovations in Africa.
A group photograph of participants at the conference.
Prof. Salako, who was the host for the 2-day international conference, explained further that Bioinformatics represents a new era of applied science in which multiple disciplines such as biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science come together to enable organisation, storage, retrieval and analyses of biological data to obtain actionable information for health policy and development of diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
The NIMR DG, represented by Dr Oliver Ezechi, principal investigator, NIMR, submitted that it is very important for Nigerians to embrace strong Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) with Bioinformatics as a core component, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, as well as overcoming the prevailing disease burdens in the country.
He however listed some factors which could hinder the implementation of Bioinformatics in the Nigeria, such as: “Lack of dedicated Bioinformatics laboratories; low quality computer system; poor internet connectivity in many tertiary institutions in Nigeria; erratic power supply, and limited number of trained Bioinformatics/computational biologists”.
The Convener of the conference and President, Nigerian Bioinformatics &Genomics Network (NBGN), Dr Segun Fatumo, disclosed the motive behind the conference, noting that they want the close the existing gap in the delivery of healthcare in Nigeria.
Dr Fatumo, who is also a scientist, at the School of Technical Medicine, University of London, UK, admitted the knowledge of Bioinformatics is Nigeria presently is very low, because people have little awareness of what is going on, they are not well grounded on this area. “This explains reasons for the conference, which will expose them to happenings in other places and how they will be able to apply that method to their own area research”.
For Professor Adenike Oshofisan, University of Ibadan, one of the keynote speakers, the need to develop the Agricultural system for effective production of healthy food items through the use of sequencing and genomics, is paramount.
She explained that sequencing is about technology, which is useful in controlling flood, pests, inadequate water, and other natural hazards in agriculture. “In enhancing agricultural produce, we use sequencing and genomics to develop them, and it has been discovered that genetically modified products are usually pest resistance, even if when we have the issue of pest, we are not going to lose all our crops. So we need to do a lot of research in this area, to create crops that will not need too much water, so that if there is water scarcity, those crops will still grow”.
Other keynote speakers at the international conference are: Prof. Nicki Tiffin, University of Cape Town; Prof. Ezekiel F. Adebiyi, projects principal investigator and head, Covenant University Bioinformatics Research Group; Prof. Christian Happi, Redeemer’s University; Prof. Oyekanmi Nash, director, Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics Department at the Nationall Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA); Prof. Mayowa Owolabi, dean, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Ibadan, and pioneer director, Centre for Genomics and Precision Medicine, University of Ibadan; and Raphael D Isokpehi, Bethune-Cookman University, Florida, USA.
The President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, on Monday, 24 June 2019, inaugurated five Ad hoc committees of the Society, towards the selection of pharmacists, who have performed excellently in their various areas of specialties.
The committees include: Pfizer Excellence Award Committee; World Pharmacists Day Committee; Biogenerics Integrity Award Committee; BASF West Africa: The Young Female Pharmacist of the Year Award; and May & Baker Professional Excellence Award in Pharmacy Committee.
Members of the Pfizer Excellence Award Committee with the PSN president, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa.
The Pfizer Excellence Award Committee is chaired by Nihimetu Momodu, with members including: Prof. Joshua Ikoni Ogaji – (Plateau); G. A. N Osuji – (Lagos); Dr Emmanuel Olurunsola – (Lagos); Basil Anweh Ter – (Benue); Dr Mahmuud Abdullaah – (Kaduna); and Ngozi Okoronkwo – secretary (Rivers).
Members of the World Pharmacists Day Committee.
For the World Pharmacists Day Committee, it has its Chairman as Dan Egwu- (Lagos), with members as Gbenga Olubowale -(Lagos); Chie Chinwe Nwerri – (Lagos); Kingsley Ekwunife- (Lagos); Ifraim Kifasi- (Taraba) Ijeoma Ewurum – national publicity secretary and Dr Tosin Adeyemi – editor-in-chief.
Members of the Biogenerics Integrity Award Committee, with the PSN president, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa.
The Biogenerics Integrity Award Committee has its Chairman as Anthony Oyawole -(Lagos); Chioma Okonkwo – (Ebonyi); Freeborn Okpengwa – (Delta); Dr Ifeanyi Nzekwe- (Anambra); Dr Oyemitan Idris (Osun); Mahmuud Abdullaah -(Kaduna); Dr Malachy Onwumah – secretary -(Imo); and Gift Odu- (Edo).
The fourth committee inaugurated was the BASF West Africa: The Young Female Pharmacist of the Year Award, with chairperson as Prof. (Mrs) Chinedu Babalola – (Oyo) and members including Mrs Vicky Ukwu- (Rivers); Josephine N. Egboh-(Benue); Jide Ladeinde- (Ogun); Mrs Ngozi Onyeagolu (Anambra); Aminu Wambai – (Jigawa); Ethel Agrboko – (Edo); and Ikenna Mbata – secretary (Imo).
Members of the BASF West Africa: The Young Female Pharmacist of the Year Award, with the PSN president, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa.
The last but not the least committee established was the May & Baker Professional Excellence Award in Pharmacy Committee, chaired by Pharm. (Dcn) Robert A. Tade, with members including Zel Igweze; Prof. Bolujoko Aina; Maria Opara; Innocent Audu; Max Obeka and Emeka Duru (national secretary) – secretary
All these drug groups useful in angina both decrease myocardial oxygen requirement (by decreasing the determinations of oxygen demand) and increase myocardial oxygen delivery (by reversing coronary arterial spasm), EXCEPT:
a) Nitrates and nitrite drugs (Nitroglycerin, Isosorbide dinitrate)
b) Calcium channel blockers (Nifedipine, Nimodipine)
c) Beta-adrenoceptor-blocking drugs (Atenolol, Metoprolol)
The statement may not be far from the truth that people spend less time in the kitchen now than before, as experts have found that women spend nearly 2 hours a day in the kitchen decades ago, but now they spend a little less than an hour preparing meals. Although, it was observed that men are cooking more than they used to, but still only cook 20 minutes a day.
In a 2014 TED Talk, which had more than 8 million views, British chef and food celebrity Jamie Oliver paced the stage, lecturing the audience about the amount of processed foods people consume. His message: “People need to start passing on cooking skills again”.
Oliver and other food reformers believe that the time is there to cook, if only people would get their priorities straight. Families could be more efficient by cooking in batches at the weekend or investing in time-saving gadgets like the Instant Pot.
In other to prove their point, the scientists who studied food, family and health embarked on a five-year study to find out what it takes to put a meal on the table. They interviewed a diverse group of 150 mothers of young children and spent over 250 hours observing families as they shopped for groceries, cooked meals and ate them.
Experts urge Families to Create Time for Cooking
The results revealed that the mothers in the study cared deeply about food and their children’s health, and they spent a good deal of time cooking. But even so, most felt they were coming up short of time, as they narrated their experiences why insisting that parents “make time to cook” while they are to overlook unpredictable work schedules, time conflicts and the expense of time-saving options matter.
Another study conducted in 2015 found that 17 percent of people have jobs with irregular schedules, a disproportionate number of them are low-income workers. It also explained how having little control over time makes it difficult for families to plan their meals in advance or even to know who will be there for dinner.
The study further disclosed how nonstandard work schedules are also associated with an increased risk of health problems. When food experts or celebrity chefs talked about making time for dinner, they rarely consider households whose daily rhythm is largely out of their control.
“This was the case for Ashley and Marquan Taylor (all names are pseudonyms), a working-class family in our study. The couple worked for the same fast food chain, but at different branches, 45 minutes apart. They picked up as many shifts as they could with the hopes of repairing their car and catching up on the bills.
“Ashley did her best to put meals on the table. She kept a meticulous binder of coupons to save the family money at the grocery store. However her unpredictable work schedule made it difficult to find time to cook. “I told the manager to put me on a schedule,” Ashley explained, sounding exasperated. “They ask me every day if I can stay late.” Much of Ashley’s day is governed by the decisions other people make”, the findings noted.
The idea of slowing down and making time for food sounds ideal. But in reality, today’s families have a lot on their metaphorical plate.
Surveys have shown over time how working parents report feeling rushed. Mothers, in particular, feel overwhelmed. Women still do the majority of cooking and housework, even though 76 percent of mothers with children between the ages of 6 and 17 work outside the home.
Women also experience cultural pressure to be highly involved in their children’s lives. Greely Janson, a middle-class mother in the study, felt this pressure acutely. “When I have the time, I enjoy cooking. But when it’s so compressed after a stressful day, cooking is horrible,” she said. Greely felt torn at the end of the day. She wanted to cook and help her daughter finish her Valentine’s Day cards for school.
Greely tried cooking in batches on the weekend to save time during the week. It worked for a little while. But then life got even more hectic. As she and her husband’s work hours increased, and they continued shuttling their daughter to after-school activities, Greely’s time-saving system broke down.
Despite her best efforts, Greely couldn’t manage competing demands like cooking healthy meals and doing school projects with her daughter as well as she wanted. And she is not alone. Although parents today spend more quality time with their kids than parents in 1965, many still feel like it’s not enough time.
Expensive shortcuts
The market has solutions for families looking to cook from scratch more efficiently. Meal delivery kits take the work out of planning a meal. And supermarkets will deliver groceries to your doorstep, for a price. Some food advocates argue that kitchen technologies make cooking from scratch easier than ever.
Time to stop blaming parents
Society cannot keep asking parents and especially mothers to do more with the little time they have. Families, like the ones in our study, are already prioritizing food and their children’s health. But many simply don’t have as much time, or control over their time, as food reformers imagine.
Demanding workplaces and the cultural expectation to parent intensively place a huge time burden on today’s parents. Investing in families and their health requires taking the time to support them.
For the third consecutive time, Pharmanews has been named as the Best Healthcare Media (Print) of the Year by the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA).
The 40-year-old healthcare publication shrugged off the challenge from the likes of Punch, PharmaTimes and BusinessDay to win the laurel.
L-R: Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, chief medical director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) presenting the 2019 NHEA award for Best Healthcare Media (Print) of the Year to the trio of Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited; Dozie Atueyi, director of the company and Moses Dike, business development manager.
The colourful occasion which was hosted at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on 21 June 2019, had several doctors, hospital administrators, pharmacists, owners of health management organisations (HMOs), captains of industry and stakeholders in the health sector in attendance.
While congratulating Pharmanews, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, chief medical director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) said that a publication that has spanned 40 years cannot be grudged for picking up such awards multiple times.
Reacting to the victory, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews said he was delighted with the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards which, apparently, has carved out a niche for itself in the healthcare sector and the performance has continued to improve every year.
L-R: Dr Stella Okoli, chairman, Emzor Group; Dr Wale Alabi, project director, NHEA Awards and Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited.
“In 2015, this organisation selected me as the first pharmacist in the country to receive the most prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Although I have received more than 50 other awards, this particular one gave me the greatest joy because it embraces the entire healthcare sector.
“We are happy that in 2017 and 2018, Pharmanews won in the category of the Nigerian Healthcare Media Excellence Award – Print. This year, 2019, we have won it again. Indeed, this is a manifestion of God’s grace. The world has recognised our unique contribution in the healthcare space,” he enthused.
THE WINNERS: Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited; Pharm Bukky George, managing director, HealthPlus Pharmacy and Dr Stella Okoli, chairman, Emzor Group shortly after picking up awards in their respective categories.
The trio of Dr Stella Okoli, chairman, Emzor Group; Emeritus Prof. Oladapo Akinkugbe, University of Ibadan (UI) and Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, former minister of health were respectively decorated with Lifetime Achievement Awards, while Special Recognition Awards were conferred on Dr Muhammad Ali Pate, minister of state for health and Dr Aranmolate Ayobami, managing director of Grandville Medical.
List of winners according to their categories include: Pathcare Laboratories/Synlab, cleared the Private Laboratory Service Provider Award; Nigerian Health Watch (Healthcare Media Excellence Award – Online); Nurses on Air (Healthcare Media Excellence Award – Broadcast); HealthPlus Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of the Year); Lily Hospital (Private Healthcare Provider of the year); Total Health Trust (HMO of the year); Clinix Healthcare (Radiology Service Provider of the Year); Alpha Pharmacy (Most Improved Pharmaceutical Outlet of the Year) and Eye Foundation Hospital (Eye Care Service Provider of the Year); May & Baker Nigeria Plc (Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company of the Year); GroFin Nigeria(Outstanding Healthcare Project-Friendly Financial Institution of the Year); Access Bank Plc (Outstanding Healthcare SME-Friendly Financial Institution of the Year).
Other winners are : Nasarawa State (Outstanding State Government Healthcare Programme of the Year);CarePay Nigeria Limited (Innovative Heathcare Service Provider of the Year); Solid Rock Hospital (Pharmaccess Safecare Outstanding Facility of the Year); Smile360 Dental Specialists (Dental Service Provider of the Year); Tolu Adeleke-Air (Tolu the midwife), Nursing & Midwifery Excellence Service Award of the Year; Renal Dialysis Centre (Dialysis Service Provider of the Year); Wellpath Physiotherapy, (Physiotherapy Service Provider of the Year); JNC International (Biomedical Engineering Service Companyof the Year); Drugstock E-hub (Technology-Driven Distributor Company of the Year); DCL Laboratory Products (Laboratory Equipment Marketing Company of the Year); University College Hospital (UCH), (Tertiary Healthcare Provider of the Year); The Bridge Clinic (IVF Service Provider of the Year); and GE Healthcare, (Hospital Equipment Marketing Company of the Year).
Access to safe drinking water is considered one of the essential things needed for human survival in any clime, but it is heart-shattering to know that 1 in 3 persons around the globe is denied this crucial item, which ought to be provided for by the government of every nation for its citizens.
The new report of the Joint Monitoring Programme of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2000-2017, was an eye-opener to the fact that more than a quarter of the world’s population still lacks safe drinking water.
While the report noted that some countries saw improvements in accessing water during the period under review, but it sharply cautioned that it is not yet uhuru, as mere access is not enough.
The struggle for water in some part of North-Central Nigeria.
Again, a national survey conducted by the Nigeria’s Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF recently indicated that millions of households in Nigeria do not have access to clean water sources. While the supply of clean water in Nigeria has improved recently, about 60 million of the population, which amounted to 3 in 10 Nigerians still lack access.
“If the water isn’t clean, isn’t safe to drink or is far away, and if toilet access is unsafe or limited, then we’re not delivering for the world’s children,” said Kelly Ann Naylor, associate director of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, UNICEF.
It further revealed the type of water accessible to certain number of people, while it called the governments of nations to rise to this unsavoury scenarios, else, the attainment of universal access by 2030 may be jeopardised.
The water situation in northern Nigeria
“It is estimated that 1 in 10 people (785 million) still lack basic services, including the 144 million who drink untreated surface water. The data shows that 8 in 10 people living in rural areas lacked access to these services and in one in four countries with estimates for different wealth groups, coverage of basic services among the richest was at least twice as high as among the poorest”, the report reads.
Going forward from here, the WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, Dr Maria Neira, stressed the need for countries to double their efforts on sanitation and provision of safe water for their citizens.
“If countries fail to step up efforts on sanitation, safe water and hygiene, we will continue to live with diseases that should have been long ago consigned to the history books: diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and neglected tropical diseases including trachoma, intestinal worms and schistosomiasis. Investing in water, sanitation and hygiene is cost-effective and good for society in so many ways. It is an essential foundation for good health”, she stated.
Coming home to Nigeria, the story is same, and perhaps worsen, as the provision of portable water for the citizens has long been relinquished by the government to its citizens, as it appears to be a tall order, but the same government keep inflating tax rates for its helpless citizens.
Although there were arguments from some quarters that the 60 million figure was underestimated, owing to the fact that more of Nigerian population live in the rural areas, as postulated by the World Bank’s statistics which states that about 51 percent of Nigerian population reside in the rural areas and it is common knowledge that the rural population don’t have access to clean water.
However, access to water in Nigeria differs from one region to the other, because while some parts of the West and East have access to water for domestic use, though not safe water for drinking, the northerners can hardly boost of access to any water, as they have to trek miles before getting water for daily use.
The story of Ruth Samuel and her four children, who reside in an uphill settlement on the outskirts of Abuja, lend credence to the difficulties in getting water in the northern part of the country.
She explained that on a daily basis, they spend time scooping water from a ground spring. “Like in the dry season, we wake up by 2, 3 a.m., and before you get there, you will not see water, you’ll have to wait”.
In order to get out of this horrible scenarios, where these Nigerians found themselves, experts have charged the Nigerian government to resume its constitutional obligation of providing for the welfare of its citizens.
According to the Head, Nigeria’s Integrated Water Resources Management Commission, Reuben Habu, accessing water is a critical problem in Nigeria, but the major challenge is funding. He assured that if government can allocate more funds for the provision of water, definitely there will be improved infrastructural development, which will guarantee adequate provision of water for the population.
Following the recent report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the dangers of consuming processed meat and little fish, there is need to identify what constitute red and processed meat, who should not eat it and how much of it is harmful.
A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that the amount of processed meat consumed by Americans has remained unchanged in the past 18 years, nor has their intake of fish/shellfish increased.
According to the report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of WHO, evaluated the carcinogenicity of consuming red and processed meat sometime ago, and it found that one quarter of Nigerian adults are still eating more unprocessed red meat than the recommended level, and less than 15 percent meet the guidelines for fish/shellfish consumption.
Experts Caution against Heavy Consumption of Processed Meat
On a positive note, Nigerians are eating less beef and more chicken than they did 18 years ago, and in fact, for the first time, consumption of poultry exceeds that of unprocessed red meat.
Fang Fang Zhang, MD, Ph.D., Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA, submitted that “Despite strong evidence linking processed meat with cancer risk, consumption of processed meat among adults didn’t change, while factors other than health (e.g., social, cultural, and economic) can influence food choices, the lack of widespread awareness of health risks associated with processed meat may have contributed to the lack of consumption change in the past 18 years.
The study used a nationally representative sample comprised of dietary data from nearly 44,000 US adults (ages 20 and older) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), through 2016. The investigators assessed trends in consumption of processed meat, unprocessed red meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish over the past 18 years and their purchase locations.
In addition to the overall trends noted above using full NHANES data, the research team also compared NHANES data from 1999-2000 to 2015-2018. Key findings include:
Processed meats:Consumption remained unchanged—182 grams/week compared with 187 grams/week.
Top five consumed (percentage among total, 2015-2016): Luncheon meat (39 percent), Sausage (24 percent), Hot dog (9 percent), Ham (9 percent), and Bacon (5 percent).
Primary purchase locations: Stores and fast-food restaurants
Unprocessed red meat: Decreasing trend—340 grams/week compared with 284 grams/week, primarily due to decreased consumption of beef (down by 78 grams/week).
Poultry: Increasing trend—256 grams/week compared with 303 grams/week, primarily due to increased consumption of chicken (up by 34 grams/week)
Fish/seafood: Consumption remained unchanged—115 grams/week compared with 116 grams/week
There is accumulating evidence linking excessive consumption of processed meat to increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers.
Processed meat has been classified as “carcinogenic to humans” (Group 1) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The American Cancer Society (ACS), the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) issued recommendations limiting processed meat consumption for cancer prevention.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the low consumption of fish/shellfish among adults could be due to its high retail price, lack of awareness of its health benefits, and concerns about mercury contamination in certain fish, although the scientific evidence suggests that the benefits of fish intake exceed the potential risks for most individuals.
Given that fish consumption (2015-2016) was only half of the recommended level in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, efforts are needed to promote the consumption and variety of seafood, especially those varieties high in omega-3 fatty acids.
“Findings of this study can inform public health policy priorities for improving diet and reducing chronic disease burden in the US. Because stores and fast-food restaurants are main purchase locations for processed meat, future policies may prioritize these as primary sites of intervention for reducing processed meat consumption among US adults,” noted Dr. Zhang.
Prior to this time, studies have established a link between unhealthy high-calorie diets, sedentary lifestyle and obesity, but a new study has found that sleeping with a television or light on in the room may be a risk factor for gaining weight or developing obesity in women.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers from National Institutes of Health, with findings reported on Sciencedaily and published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, was the first to find an association between any exposure to artificial light at night while sleeping and weight gain in women. The results suggested that cutting off lights at bedtime could reduce women’s chances of becoming obese.
Another research published in the journal Pubmed, revealed that Nigeria has a prevalence rate of overweight individuals ranged from 20.3 percent – 35.1 percent, while the prevalence of obesity ranged from 8.1 percent –22.2 percent from 2016 to 2018.
The researchers employed the use of questionnaire data from 43,722 women in the sister study, a cohort study that examined risk factors for breast cancer and other diseases. The participants, aged 35-74 years, had no history of cancer or cardiovascular disease and were not shift workers, daytime sleepers, or pregnant when the study began.
The study questionnaire asked whether the women slept with no light, a small nightlight, light outside of the room, or a light or television on in the room.
The scientists used weight, height, waist and hip circumference, and body mass index measurements taken at baseline, as well as self-reported information on weight at baseline and follow-up five years later. Using this information, the scientists were able to study obesity and weight gain in women exposed to artificial light at night with women who reported sleeping in dark rooms.
Artificial Light at Night Associated with Weight Gain in Women
The results varied with the level of artificial light at night exposure. For example, using a small nightlight was not associated with weight gain, whereas women who slept with a light or television on were 17 percent more likely to have gained 5 kilograms, approximately 11 pounds, or more over the follow-up period. The association with having light coming from outside the room was more modest.
Also, the scientists wondered if not getting enough rest factored into the findings.
According to Dale Sandler, Ph.D., chief of the Epidemiology Branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of NIH, and corresponding author, although poor sleep by itself was associated with obesity and weight gain, it did not explain the associations between exposure to artificial light while sleeping and weight.
Co-author Chandra Jackson, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Equity Group, was more interested in racial disparities in sleep health. She noted that for many who live in urban environments, light at night is more common and should be considered. Streetlights, store front neon signs, and other light sources can suppress the sleep hormone melatonin and the natural 24-hour light-dark cycle of circadian rhythms.
“Humans are genetically adapted to a natural environment consisting of sunlight during the day and darkness at night,” Jackson said. “Exposure to artificial light at night may alter hormones and other biological processes in ways that raise the risk of health conditions like obesity.”
The authors acknowledged that other confounding factors could explain the associations between artificial light at night and weight gain. However, their findings did not change when analyses controlled for characteristics that may be associated with exposure to light at night.
These factors included age, having an older spouse or children in the home, race, socioeconomic status, calories consumed, and physical activity. Also, the study did not include men.
Lead author Yong-Moon (Mark) Park, M.D., Ph.D., is a postdoctoral Fellow in Sandler’s group. He said the research suggested a viable public health strategy to reduce obesity incidence in women.
“Unhealthy high-calorie diet and sedentary behaviors have been the most commonly cited factors to explain the continuing rise in obesity,” Park said. “This study highlights the importance of artificial light at night and gives women who sleep with lights or the television on a way to improve their health.”.
Festus Adio Ogunbona, a retired professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, who served the institution meritoriously at different capacities for good twenty-six years, has been appointed Emeritus Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, OAU, Ile-Ife.
Ogunbona, who made the disclosure of his new appointment to Pharmanewsonline, expressed his profound gratitude to the university authority, for the recognition of his long years of dedication and hard work to the institution.
Born on 30 October 1944, in Ibogun Odejimi, Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, he bagged his B.Pharm from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, Nigeria, 1969. He also attended Chelsea College, University of London for his Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from 1970 to 1973.
Festus Adio Ogunbona, Emeritus Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, OAU.
His professional experience spanned across various positions in the education sector. He rose through the ranks from the position of a Vice-Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy (1979-81), to Acting Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (1982-84 and 1986-88); then Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy (1992-94), thereafter, he became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), O.A.U., Ile-Ife (1994-98).
The newly appointed Emeritus Professor, whose assignments were not restricted to that of the OAU alone, also enjoyed other federal government appointments, which include: Chairman, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), 2003-2007; Chairman, Standing Committee on Private Universities (SCOPU); Member, NAFDAC Governing Council; Chairman, Technical & Assets Committee, NAFDAC; Member, Presidential Committee on the Pharmaceutical Sector 2004, among others.
One of his major achievements as the PCN chairman was his advocacy tours of the entire country, meeting with the executive governors, commissioners of health of all the states in the federation. He also had interactive sessions with other stakeholders in the healthcare delivery system, with the singular objective of ensuring that Nigerians can easily access safe, effective and quality drugs from registered premises in the country.
Ogunbona was also privileged to serve as a Visiting Professor, National Universities Commission, Abuja; Chairman, Team on General Administration (Council & Senate) of the Special Presidential Visitation Panel to the University of Abuja, July-September, 2012; and Honorary Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
His membership of professional associations include: Fellow, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN); Fellow, West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists; and Member, Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN). He has supervised a total of three Ph.D.s Theses, and Fifteen (15) M.Sc./M.Phil Theses.
Although there appears to be dearth of data of pharmacists who have attained this height in the past, but we are sure of Ajibola A.Olaniyi, the first Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in Nigeria, who was appointed Emeritus Professor, University of Ibadan in 2011. There is also Emeritus Professor Paul Iwe Akubue, a former Vice-Chancellor of Madonna University, Nigeria. He was conferred with the honour by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Mental confusion and hallucinations, peripheral atropine-like toxicity (e.g. Cycloplegia, tachycardia, urinary retention, and constipation) are possible adverse effects of:
Danish scientists have discovered that good heart and lung (cardio respiratory) fitness in middle age is associated with a lower long term risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The scientists concluded that physical activity that boosts fitness should be encouraged “to delay development, progression and death from COPD.
COPD, acronym for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is an umbrella term for respiratory conditions that narrow the airways, such as bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking is the main risk factor for COPD, which the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks as the fourth most frequent cause of death worldwide.
Studies have suggested that a high level of physical activity and/or leisure time exercise is associated with a reduced risk of COPD, and that physical inactivity may speed up its progression.
Physical Fitness in Adults Could Lower Chronic Disease Threat- Scientists
To explore this further, the study published in the journal Thorax, and reported on Science Daily, tracked the respiratory health of 4,730 healthy middle-aged men from the Copenhagen Male Study, who were recruited from 14 large workplaces in Copenhagen between 1970 and 1971. Their average age was 49.
Those with a previous diagnosis of COPD, Asthma, or with symptoms of chronic bronchitis were excluded. Participants were monitored for up to 46 years to January 2016.
All participants provided information on smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity levels, educational attainment, occupation, and medical history.
Height, weight, and resting blood pressure were measured, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was calculated as low, normal, or high, using a VO2 max test—a measure of the body’s ability to use oxygen during exercise. National registers were used to identify cases of COPD and death from COPD.
Compared with low CRF, the estimated risk of COPD diagnosis was 21 percent lower in men with normal CRF and 31 percent lower in men with high CRF.
Similarly, compared with low CRF, the estimated risk of death from COPD was 35 percent lower in men with normal CRF and 62 percent lower in men with high CRF.
High CRF in middle age was also associated with a delay to both diagnosis of, and death from, COPD by 1.5 to 2 years.
The results were largely unchanged after excluding those who were diagnosed with COPD or who died during the first 10 years of monitoring, suggesting that the findings withstand scrutiny, said the researchers.
This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause. And it’s possible that participants with high levels of CRF were more resilient to underlying COPD, delaying time to diagnosis, the researchers stated.
But their results were in line with those of previous studies and provided further insights into the association between cardio respiratory fitness and the long-term risk of COPD over an exceptionally long monitoring period.
And while the processes that linked CRF with the development and progression of COPD aren’t clear, the researchers nevertheless speculated that inflammation, linked to physical inactivity, may have a key role.
Poised to reduce the alarming rates of mortality and morbidity in people living with Sickle Cell Disorder (SCD) in the country, with Nigeria having the highest burden in the world, Bond Chemicals Nigeria Limited, has stated its commitment to research and development in the manufacturing of new, innovative and high-quality pharmaceuticals in addressing the condition.
Disclosing this in a press release issued to Pharmanewsonline.com in commemorating the 2019 World Sickle Cell Day, a day celebrated on every 19 June to improve public awareness about the genetic disorder, the Managing Director, Bond Chemicals Nigeria Limited, Pharm. Aderemi Omotosho has said that aside increasing life expectancy, their product, Oxyurea also reduces the risk of anaemia and blood transfusion, in patients.
Sickle Cell awareness banner.
Pharm. Omotosho, who was represented by Mr Andrew Aina Oladipo, acting national marketing manager, revealed that the only cure for SCD is bone marrow transplant, which is only possible for a limited number of affected individuals who have suitable donors. He added that the other alternative is to resort to using available brands of hydroxyurea, to lessen the frequency of painful crises.
Omotosho asserted that comprehensive and holistic management from birth will go a long way in cutting down on SCD crisis, saying the implication of this is that a mother must know a child’s genotype from birth, in order for proper care to takeoff from birth.
“In 2018, the Coalition of Sickle Cell Non-governmental Organisations in Nigeria which comprises 13 NGOs including Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, Genotype Foundation, Noah’s Ark Foundation, Tony May Foundation, among others, declared that at least 150,000 children are born with sickle cell disease in Nigeria every year, while about 40 million Nigerians are healthy carriers of the sickle cell gene. What this means is that the high number of carriers of the gene in Nigeria (about 40 million) could amount to five African countries. So it is something we sincerely think we must give our utmost attention to,” he said.
While calling for increased advocacy on its prevention, treatment and management, Omotosho said concerted efforts must be made towards reducing the SCD prevalence, adding that government must, as a matter of urgency, place SCD in its priority list and that people must be informed on how to avoid giving birth to sickle cell children.
The Bond Chemicals boss, however, noted that having sickle cell disorder is not the end of the world, adding that SCD is not a death sentence if the condition is adequately managed.
However, experts have advised people living with Sickle Cell Disorder to always ensure that they have high fluid intake; Healthy diet; Folic Acid supplementation; Pain medication; Vaccination and antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of infections; and a number of other therapeutic measures.
A recent study by researchers from Hunter College in New York has found that humans and other primates who burn 50 percent fewer calories each day than other mammals have longer lives because of their curiously slow metabolisms.
The scientists, who embarked on the study to establish the effect that burning fewer calories may have also explained why primates grow up so slowly; published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Experts define metabolism as the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.
Though our pet dogs, cats or hamsters progress to adulthood much faster than we do, reproduce at a faster rate and sadly, die long before we will, humans and other primates – such as apes, monkeys and lemurs – have relatively long childhoods, do not reproduce as frequently and live longer lives.
The researchers noted that the slow pace of the primate life has baffled biologists, as the underlying reasons for it were unclear.
Study Links Humans’ Slow Metabolisms to Longer Life Span
According to Herman Pontzer, lead author of the study and anthropologist: “Humans, chimpanzees, baboons, and other primates expend only half the calories we’d expect for a mammal. To put that in perspective, a human – even someone with a very physically active lifestyle – would need to run a marathon each day just to approach the average daily energy expenditure of a mammal their size.”
In order to better understand, the researchers examined 17 different primate species in zoos and sanctuaries, as well as in the wild, to assess their daily energy expenditure and determine whether their slow pace of life could be attributed to a slow metabolism.
They employed a technique called “doubly labeled water,” which is non-invasive and tracks the body’s production of carbon dioxide. Using this technique, they were able to measure the calories that the primates burned for duration of 10 days.
After establishing daily expenditure rates in primates, the team compared them with the rates of other mammals.
The analysis revealed that this reduction in primates’ metabolic rate explains their slow pace of life, and they added that energy expenditure can contribute to aging – as all organisms need energy to grow and reproduce.
“The environmental conditions favouring reduced energy expenditures may hold a key to understanding why primates, including humans, evolved this slower pace of life,” says David Raichlen, co-author of the study and anthropologist from the University of Arizona.
Though it seems logical that primates in captivity may not expend as many calories daily as those in the wild, the researchers found this is not the case.
The captive primates expended just as many calories each day as those in the wild, which the team says may suggest that physical activity contributes less to total energy expenditure than we think.
Co-author Steve Ross, director of the Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, says that the similarities in daily energy expenditures between wild and captive primates “demonstrates the depth of research potential” for zoo and sanctuary settings.
He suggested that these settings “represent an alternative to traditional laboratory-based investigations and emphasised the importance of studying animals in more naturalistic conditions.”
The findings, reported on Medical News Today, revealed that daily energy expenditure may uncover how our bodies develop and age – have important implications for understanding health and life span in humans.
The researchers said unfolding the relationship between physical activity and daily energy expenditure may help us better understand metabolic diseases and obesity.
Herman Pontzer said they are already conducting more detailed research on the subject, adding: “Humans live longer than other apes, and tend to carry more body fat. Understanding how human metabolism compares to our closest relatives will help us understand how our bodies evolved, and how to keep them healthy.”
The deafening silence over the new date for the implementation of the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) is, to say the least, very worrisome. Since the Nigerian government failed, yet again, to keep to the last proposed date for the implementation of the guidelines, which was December 2018, it has decided not to announce a new date for its implementation.
It would be recalled that the NDDG policy was a cumulative effort of all the stakeholders in the health sector and was designed to ensure a well-ordered drug distribution system for the country. Its implementation was to help reduce the increasing incidence of fake, adulterated and substandard medicines, eliminate unregulated drug markets, facilitate oversight functions of government agencies like NAFDAC and PCN, and ensure that all drugs in the system are safe, efficacious, affordable and of good quality.
Drugs open market in Nigeria.
Formulating the policy became a matter of urgency as the decades of poor control over drug distribution in the country were not just causing severe medication and health problems for Nigerians but were found to be responsible for many social, security and economic challenges for the nation.
The NDDG was eventually launched in February 2013 and considering the promises and prospects that accompanied the concept, stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector, as well as millions of Nigerians, were hopeful that its implementation would be the ultimate solution to the age-long problem of drug distribution in Nigeria. Unfortunately, since that momentous launch, the concept has continued to face the “Nigerian syndrome” of poor policy implementation. The date for its implementation was first slated for 2014, then shifted to 2016, and again to December 2018, which, like the previous dates, came and went with government giving all sorts of excuses again.
It must be stated that while the refusal of government to commit to a new date to commence the NDDG’s implementation may be a clever way to avoid having another unrealistic implementation date and allow for the completion of required structures, the decision has created a lacuna that is capable of giving the impression that the government is no longer serious with the policy. This must not be allowed. We therefore urge the Nigerian government to promptly announce its unambiguous plan for the NDDG.
We must also emphasise that while it is right for the Federal Government (FG) to make the NDDG a public-private-sector-driven initiative, it must also be aware that as long as medicine is on the exclusive list, the implementation of the policy is the responsibility of the presidency and the FG must arise and deliver on this responsibility.
We call on stakeholders in the health sector and indeed all Nigerians to make it their business to advocate for the implementation of the NDDG to prevent this noble concept from going the way of many brilliant ideas that could have helped this nation progress but died as a result of lack of the needed will to push for their implementation.
The NDDG idea must not be allowed to end up as one of the documents gathering dust on our national shelf. The Nigerian government must be told that delaying the implementation of this scheme is causing the nation more harm than good.
It is noteworthy that this present government has promised to take Nigeria to the next level; and we daresay that the next level to save Nigeria from the problem of chaotic drug distribution and its attendant effects of drug abuse and other social problems fuelled by people having access to drugs where drugs should not be is the prompt implementation of the NDDG.
This article was drawn from the address that should have been presented at an event by the Young Pharmacists Group (PSN-YPG). I had been invited by the Group’s Lagos coordinator, Funmbi Okoya, whom I have known since his days as PANS president at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), and I can say, without any reservation, that he is like the proverbial smart kid who knows how to wash his hands clean and therefore deserves to dine with the elders.
I am also excited about the new leadership that is coming from PSN-YPG and from close quarters, I can say the future of Pharmacy is safe in your hands. They had chosen a contemporary and apt topic which really indicates their desire to move the profession forward. I want to assure the YPG that many of the older colleagues, myself inclusive, are one with you in this laudable endeavour and will be willing to render support as may be desired.
Strength and unity
Strength, in the common parlance, is described as “the quality or state of being physically strong”. For the purpose of this discussion, however, we will look at strengths as tasks or activities that you can do well. These encompass areas of knowledge, proficiencies, skills and talents. You can complete work or relate with others using these traits and abilities. However, nothing beats a team player, the ability to work well with others is an indicator of success.
Dr Lolu Ojo
The evidence of unity or togetherness is all around us: animals cannot produce their offspring without the male and female coming together. The tree cannot bear fruits without some ingredients from the sun, the land, the atmosphere and efforts of the vineyard dresser.
Let us look at the broom which we use for cleaning purposes in homes and offices. It is a symbol of strength in unity. It is when the broom sticks are bonded together that they become a broom. As a separate items, each of the broom sticks is weak and almost useless. Unity yields a positive result as the result of the union is better than that of the individuals.
Closer home, in Pharmacology, we talk of addition, potentiation or synergy when two substances are used together. According to Haile Selassie, “History teaches us that unity is strength, and cautions us to submerge and overcome our differences in the quest for common goals, to strive, with all our combined strength, for the path to true African brotherhood and unity.”
To date, Africa remains largely underdeveloped because the clarion calls like that of Selassie and those after him are not heeded. There is no time that can be more crucial than now when the household of pharmacy in Nigeria needs to find strength in unity.
We can do much more if we are united in pursuing a common goal. We are pharmacists of different backgrounds, orientations, cultures, pedigrees, aspirations, languages, ideas and knowledge, who should be joined together in the pursuit of rendering the best pharmaceutical services to the teaming population of Nigerians in need.
It should also be our common goal to pursue ethical pharmacy practice and equitable share of the wealth associated with the profession. It is in unity that we will find the strength to fight for professional recognition and empowerment for our colleagues in the hospitals and administrative institutions.
In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength, says Maya Angelou; but Pharmacy in Nigeria is yet to harvest the beauty and strength embedded in our diversity. It may be a consolation to say that this is generally true for the Nigerian economy and nationhood, but we must not accept the status quo as a desired destination.
It is heartwarming, however, to know that young pharmacists are already thinking and talking about this subject. We need to harness the strength inherent in our diversity to confront all the ills currently ravaging the pharmacy profession in Nigeria.
I am a firm believer in the group process and the principle that the group can do much more than what an individual alone can achieve. It is for this reason that I have devoted my time and energy in mobilising pharmacists for action and we have succeeded in many ways. These include: Setting up an academy to update knowledge and develop skills and competencies; Pharmacy Estate, to provide accommodation; and Ultra Logistics Company Limited, designed to be a special purpose vehicle for commercial engagements for all pharmacists.
The ball is now in our court to move these concepts forward. Together, we can get pharmacists off the streets searching for internship placement or jobs, assist those with special needs (career renewal, new jobs, etc) and get the young graduates ready to take on the challenges of the practice environment.
There is every need to mobilise everyone, both young and old, in the profession in a manner that guarantees greater cohesion for task accomplishment. I will urge you to stand in unity and unleash the adrenaline of innovation and progress into the life- blood of our profession.
Building the 8-star young pharmacist
The social relevance we seek in survival and growth of the pharmacy profession will be determined to a large extent by the training we receive from school and the relentless efforts we make on fulfilling the responsibility of self-education. Apart from the curriculum review conference of the PCN many years ago that suggested decongestion of the curriculum and allotment of more time to clinical training, veterinary pharmacy, behavioural science, communication skills, information technology and practical internship, lots more are still needed to meet up with the challenges of the 21st century pharmacy practice.
The best definition for education is “the training of mind and character” and the first degree (or any level of education which trains the mind and character) prepares the holder for any future engagement and responsibilities. For this reason, you will find engineers excelling in a banking career and you have doctors, pharmacists, lawyers and others going into and succeeding in endeavours different from their primary course of study.
The success stories are all dependent on the readiness of the concerned individuals to learn on the job through honesty, hard work and sincerity of purpose. In building the 8-star young pharmacist, the above skills acquisition should be synergised and brought together with focus on the public health and supply chain management systems of the healthcare delivery system in our country. While doing this, we must always remember that our greatest asset is ethical professional practice. This is how we can empower ourselves professionally, in addition to seeking mentors that will guide us through our journeys, to avoid costly mistakes.
It is necessary for all of us to appreciate that professional empowerment is the greatest weapon at the disposal of any professional group. This comes through no other way but through excellence and ethics. Ethics, as mentioned earlier, is the clearest indicator that differentiates professional practice from quackery, irrespective of educational background. A professor of pharmacy who throws off ethics from practice is no different from a school- leaver attempting to give and counsel on drug matters. You have a date with destiny; don’t ever betray it, because you are the future.
Conclusion
Pharmacy has a rich heritage to bequeath to the present and future generation of pharmacists. Let us resolve to preserve such rich heritage and culture of excellence as exemplified by many outstanding colleagues who are renowned locally and internationally. They achieve all those feats of being stars and beacon of excellence in the pharmacy profession because of the long years of preparation and determination to succeed.
With the population of Nigeria in excess of 200 million, meeting the pharmaceutical needs of the people is by no means an easy task. Posterity is beckoning on us to accept this special responsibility. On this note, distinguished colleagues, I leave you with a humble prayer that, our search for excellence in Pharmacy shall not be in vain.
The Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS) Madonna University (MAU) Nigeria recently held her 2019 Students’ Week, which took place from 11 March to 3 April 2019, at the institution.
The PANS Week featured different activities, lined-up for different days of the celebration, which included: Pharmacy Decathlon, Opening match of the dispensers league, Pharmacy symposium/pharmacy awards, Finals for girls, and Dispensers league finals/closure.
Professor Oleka Kelechi Udeala presenting certificate of recognition to Dr (Mrs) Zell Igweze on symposium day.
Prominent among the people that graced the Pharmacy Dispensers League/Symposium were: Deputy Vice-Chancellor Madonna University, Dr Phillipe Mounmbegna; Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University Nigeria, Prof. Cletus Nze Aguwa; Associate Dean Pharm. Mrs Ogah Margaret; Distinguished Professors of Faculty of Pharmacy Madonna University, Prof. Oleka Kelechi Udeala; Prof. Azuka C. Oparah; Prof. Okonta Jegbefume Matthew; Prof. Obaseki Ebor Emmanuel; Prof. Iwuagu Magnus; Prof. Onyekweli .A; Prof. N. Oparache; and Prof. O. O. Ebong.
Other Madonna University Dons at the occasion were: Dr Felix Osuala; Dr M.C. Omuta; Dr (Mrs) Zellinjo Igweze; Dr Tavs A. Abere, Dr E. C Egere; Dr Oluigbo Kennedy, with foreign lecturers from Philippine, alumni, pioneer graduates of the faculty of pharmacy Madonna University Elele, Rivers State, and former PANS Presidents of Madonna University Chapter, Pharm. Iheka Gregory and Dean of Students’ Affairs Rev. Fr Sylvester FJS.
Some of the activities featured at the PANS Students’ Week were spelling bee, quiz and debate competitions by pharmacy decathlon, pharmacy symposium, pharmacy dispensers league/vitals signs checkup and awards reception.
Cross section of 500 Level students of the faculty, conducting vital signs check-up for participants on the opening ceremony of the Dispensers League.
At the end of all activities, nine winners emerged in all, and were presented Decathlon Value Awards by Prof. Azuka C. Oparah. The winners for the quiz competition were Aniekwe Adaobi Maureen and Orji Sandra Chiemerie; while the trio of Obiefule Henry Chukwubuikem; Adaobi Mavis; and Ologundu Taiwo Temitope, emerged winners for the spelling bee competition, and Borokini Oluwafunto; Godspower Priscilla Kenyo; Onah Pascal and Oguezuonu Emmanuel were winners of the debate competition.
The symposium, themed “How a pharmacist can stay relevant in the 21st century”, highlighted common issues experienced by pharmacists, in the face of unrelenting global changes and technological advancement, with slow progression of adoption of new advances coupled with ethical violation of external groups that disrupt how pharmacists can effectively reach out to the public.
The keynote speaker was Professor Okonta Jegbefume Matthew, while the featured speakers were Pharm. Anim Justice Ikechukwu of International Business Management Institute, Berlin, Germany; Dr. (Mrs) Zell Igweze and Pharm. Steve Igala.They spoke on topics:The Thriving Pharmacist (Essentials Skill Required of a Pharmacist); Navigating Uncharted Waters (Emerging Fields in Pharmacy Practice), and Overcoming the Challenges a Pharmacist Deals with in Staying Relevant in the 21st Century.
Appreciating the efforts of all participants towards the success of the Madonna University 2019 PANS Students’ Week, the PANS President, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University, Sunrise Ndah, expressed his gratitude to the Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University Nigeria, Prof. Nze Aguwa Cletus and associate Dean Pharm. Mrs Ogah for their indispensable leadership to the foundation and training of pharmacists in the faculty.
“We have received the greatest benefits any student can imagine from our studies and I cannot imagine any possible way to truly express my appreciation for what you have done and what I look forward to in the nearest future. With your leadership, we are inducting over 150 pharmacists every year, and another applauding performance is the full accreditation Faculty of Pharmacy Madonna University Nigeria received from Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN).
“ Sirs you are simply amazing. At this juncture, I especially thank all our competent lecturers both part time and full time and administrators at the Faculty of Pharmacy, some of you constitute members of the high table, motivational and outstanding speakers, the panel of judges and played vital roles during this Students Week”, he remarked
Ndah also thanked members of the various organising committees for their efforts and sacrifices towards the hosting of the 2019 Student’s Week. They include: Dispensers League Organising Committee, Symposium Organising Committee; and Decathlon Organising Committee.
Researchers from Duke University School of Medicine, US, have recently identified the enzyme that suppresses immune system in a breast cancer.
According to the world health leading organization, every year more than 1.7 million women all over the world are diagnosed with breast cancer, with the disease ending fatally for around a half-million patients.
The researchers define Immunotherapy as a type of cancer treatment that immune system to fight cancer. The immune system helps your body fight infections and other diseases.
Immunotherapies have transformed cancer care, but their successes have been limited for reasons that are both complex and perplexing.
Scientists Discover Enzyme That Suppress Immune System in Breast Cancer
In breast cancer especially, only a small number of patients are even eligible to undergo treatment with Immunotherapies, and most see little benefit, the researchers explained.
According to findings published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers identified an enzyme in cells involved in regulating the growth and spread of breast cancers.
To comprehend this analogy, the researchers tested some mice; they demonstrated a way to shut down the enzyme’s activity to allow T-cells to mount an immune attack.
“We found that inhibition of the activity of this enzyme decreased the ability of macrophages in tumors to suppress an immune attack on cancer cells and indeed encouraged them to start producing chemicals that attract more cancer-killing T cells into the tumor,” said Donald McDonnell, Ph.D., chair of Duke’s Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology. “We can basically uncloak the tumor to the immune system.”
McDonnell and colleagues, including lead author and collaborator Luigi Racioppi, M.D., Ph.D., reported that a kinase, or enzyme, called CaMKK2 is highly expressed in macrophages within human breast tumors.
They performed a series of exploratory studies that revealed the molecule’s potential utility as a therapeutic target for breast cancer. Working with colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, they developed a new class of drugs that inhibited the growth of human breast tumors grown in mice.
“The use of this molecule suppressed tumor growth not only by increasing the accumulation of tumor-killing T cells, but also by reducing the tumor’s capability to suppress T cell activity,” McDonnell said. “It’s solving two problems, like we couldn’t get into the bar, and if we did, we couldn’t get a drink. Now we can do both.”
McDonnell said additional studies are ongoing, with the goal of acquiring data to launch a clinical trial in breast cancer patients within the next 18 months.
Spiritual health is germane in experiencing great health. We all are spiritual beings. I understand that some skeptics of religion may not be keen about this topic, but my advice is, kindly read on, ponder on what you have read and take your decision at the end of the day to either apply it or not.
My life’s purpose is to equip and educate people to discover, develop and deploy their inherent greatness in order to achieve their full potentials and make a difference. Therefore, my major focus is how to keep creating value to the highest need of humanity (fulfillment).
Pharm. Sesan Kareem
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the highest human need is self-actualisation (fulfillment). This can be achieved through a pattern of living which will focus on two spiritual needs:
Continuous growth (achieving our full potential)
The need to contribute beyond ourselves in a meaningful way (to make a difference in the lives of others).
In other words, for us to experience a better quality of spiritual health, we need to keep growing individuals in order to achieve our full potential and also be able to make a difference in the lives of others. Your spirituality feeds on fulfillment.
Another important key to spiritual health is contribution. Giving is living, sharing is caring. If you make it a point of duty to be a giver, as well as a receiver, you will enjoy spiritual bliss.
More often than not, when people hear giving, what often comes to their mind is money. Yet, cash is just one of the various things we can give out. You can give a helping hand by volunteering for a non-governmental organisation (NGO), your community, an association you belong or your religious society.
Other things you can give out that cost little or nothing and can make a huge difference in the lives of others, sometimes more than money, are kind words, knowledge, experience, a smile, advice, empathy, encouragement, counsel, kindness and love. I believe right now that you are aware that you have so much to offer to the world and you have no excuse not to give and be a giver at a go.
Outlined below are simple ways to achieve optimum spiritual wellbeing. I believe with the entire fiber of my being that if the strategies elucidated below for optimum spiritual well-being are fully applied, anyone, rich or poor, young or old, able or disabled, tall or short, white or black, can live a healthy life and achieve optimum wellbeing with all its benefits.
Premium person: Who is that person that always brings out the best in you? Every moment you spend with the person catapults you higher. Intentionally spend more quality time with such a person. Treasure the relationship. Bring out the best in the person, so that he or she too can bring out the best in you. My premium person is my wife. Her presence and contributions elevate my vibration of thoughts to a higher degree.
Premium place: Where is that place in this world that you are always at peace? Spend more time in that place. Connect with nature. Allow yourself to slow down and enjoy the beauty of nature. Where is that location in the whole earth in which you are filled with serenity and tranquility? Spend more time at your premium place. My premium place is my apartment and I’ve made it a point of duty to always stay in a peaceful and serene environment, free from the hustle and bustle of modern life. I also pay premium attention to the aesthetics of the interior of my apartment for soothing and conducive habitation.
Premium activities: What activity connects you to your core? What makes you feel fulfilled and takes you to your spiritual realm? For me, it is writing, teaching, inspiring, training and coaching. In short, helping others to grow and become better connects me to my core and I will keep doing these activities till my last breath. Find out those activities that connect you to your core and make a firm decision at this moment to submit to your purpose, to keep doing those activities that matter to your spiritual well-being.
Premium time: What particular time of the day are you always at your best? Is it in the early morning or late at night? Or perhaps in the middle of the night like my great friend, Deji Abimbola. My premium time is early in the morning, from around 4:30 am to 7:30 am. And I make it a point of duty to strategically use this period of the day to do some of the most important activities that matter to my spiritual health and productivity. These are writing, reading, learning, praying, inspiring, and practising my speech. Find out your optimum time of the day and schedule your most rewarding activities during this period of the day.
ACTION PLAN: I will spend more time with my premium person at my premium place during my premium activities at my premium time.
AFFIRMATION: I enjoy spiritual bliss and wellbeing. I am blessed and highly favoured.
The achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is dependent on how healthcare systems are being financed and this has a ripple effect on the economy of nations and the global economy. This was affirmed by Judith Shamian, former president of the International Council of Nurses (ICN), who stated that the wealth of nations depends on the health of their populations
Selection of an adequate and efficient method of financing, in addition to organisational delivery structure for health services, is essential, if a country is to achieve its national health objective of providing healthcare for all, as posited by Carrin, Evans & Xu (2007).
To this end, various models or schemes exist in the financing of healthcare systems, depending on the countries involved and the resources available. Howbeit, basic models exist, with different countries adapting and domesticating them to suit their needs according to local realities and unique differences.
Comrade Olubunmi Akinola
While some countries approach healthcare financing with the consideration that health is a basic human right, and therefore make healthcare services available to all citizens, irrespective of their economic status or ability to pay, some others have viewed healthcare as a business and see no reason for governments to commit funds that will not yield profits into healthcare financing.
The latter approach have made governments to embrace privatisation of healthcare services or Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), a concept that has arguments for and against. However, it is imperative to note that the basic goals of healthcare financing systems are to keep people healthy, treat the sick and protect families against financial ruin from medical bills. It is also important to note that the goal of healthcare systems is not profit-making as healthcare delivery should be seen as a public service and not a business venture.
This article will consider healthcare financing in Nigeria with a focus on PPPs and privatisation initiatives, explore arguments for and against them, and attempt to show whether this new trend translates to people over profit or profit over people.
Healthcare financing
Healthcare financing involves the pooling, collection and deployment of funds from various sources, as well as the strategies and mechanisms employed to make payment for healthcare services and expenditures, as described by Yunusa et al (2014).
Obansa and Orimisan (2013) refer to health financing as the collection of funds from various sources (e.g. government, households, businesses, and donors) and pooling them to share financial risk across larger population groups and using them to pay for services from public and private healthcare providers.
They further identified the objectives of health financing to include: making funding available, ensuring appropriate choice and purchase of cost-effective interventions, giving appropriate financial incentives to providers and ensuring that all individuals have access to effective health services.
Nduaka (2018) posited that “health financing is the identification and mobilisation of resources for healthcare services. The application of these resources is also important. It should be geared towards meeting at least 80 per cent of medical needs of about 90 per cent of the populace.”
Apart from involving funds allocation to various sections, regions, groups and specific types of healthcare, healthcare financing by any nation targeting economic growth and development must commit sufficient expenditure to health to achieve desired levels of health status and economic development, because there is a relationship between health and economic growth, while ill-health is a major cause of poverty or bankruptcy (Agbatogun & Taiwo (2010).
Yunusa et al. (2014) identified three sources of healthcare financing according to international literature to include: public, quasi-public and private sources. These sources however have considerable adaptations across countries as regards how revenue is generated from them and the relative weight of each of the sources when considering the overall financing of healthcare.
By Comrade Olubunmi Akinola, APNON National Secretary and Assistant General Secretary, Ogun State NANNM.
One thing that makes each of us important and irreplaceable is that everyone is an original. No one is a duplicate or a copy of another person. This uniqueness makes the contribution you are created to make personal and specific. No other person is designed to do what you are created to do. Therefore, your absence creates a gap which only you can fill.
In order to perform your specific roles, God has created you with some natural abilities. Indeed, all our abilities are given by God. These abilities are given to us to serve God and our fellow men. Natural abilities are as important as spiritual gifts. Some people have the ability for architectural designs, while others have for painting, carpentry, writing, teaching, selling, managing, leading and so on. 1 Corinthians 12:6 (NLT) says, “God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.”
Nobody should give an excuse for not doing something because of lack of ability. The abilities are merely lying dormant inside them, waiting to be used. It is a pity that people are full of unused abilities which go with them to the grave. There is nobody created by God who cannot do certain things well. You only need to start doing things that you enjoy, not necessarily for monetary gains. Ask God to help you discover the areas you can apply your unique gifting.
Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi
In fact, the reason you are a human being and not a mere animal is that you were created in the image of God and endowed with some attributes of God like creative abilities. You can design something that does not exist. Like an architect who designs a building, you can design anything from your imagination. You can see things with the eyes of your mind. That is why Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:18 (NKJV) “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened…” God can open your eyes to see what others do not see.
Moses told the Israelites, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day” ( Deuteronomy. 8:18, NKJV). Some people have the ability to build businesses, create wealth and reap a lot of profits. Those with this ability must know that it is not by their power that they succeed. Therefore, they must remember to use their wealth for the glory of God and to the benefit of mankind. They must worship the Lord with their substance. Proverbs 3:9 (NKJV) says, “Honour the Lord with your possessions.”
Abilities are misused or abused when they are used to dishonour or displease God. For example, there are certain individuals that are very good in information technology but they apply that knowledge to commit fraud. Our banks now report many cases of Internet fraud resulting in the loss of millions of naira every year. Some have singing ability meant to worship God but they choose to sing worldly songs and communicate evil thoughts with their sonorous voices. A lot of brilliant and intelligent fellows misuse their intelligence and do things that are contrary to the purpose for their lives. God-given abilities must be used to serve and please Him.
When you realise that no other person on earth can use the abilities God has specifically given to you, you will appreciate and value yourself. You are invaluable and indispensable. No one else can do what you are created to do because they don’t have your unique makeup. That is why you must examine your life to know what you are good at and enjoy doing. This is a clue to discovering God’s plan and purpose for your life.
God’s calling or demands on your life are based on the unique abilities He has given you. He will not expect you to be a mathematician if He has not given you the ability to solve mathematical problems. He will not expect you to be a long distance runner if He has not shaped you for that purpose. God expects you to use the ability He has given you.
When you use your peculiar abilities, you discover your ministry or what you are born to do. It is then that you have satisfaction and fulfilment in your work. Ecclesiastes 3:22 says, “I perceived that nothing is better than that man should rejoice in his own works…”
A native of Ilaro, in Ogun State, Onedo had her elementary education at Lagos Anglican Girls Primary School, Surulere, Lagos. She attended Government College, Agege, Lagos, for her secondary education.
Thereafter, she proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where she bagged her first degree in Pharmacy. She forged ahead to obtain her master’s degree in Clinical and Biopharmacy from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
Pharm. Titiilayo Onedo
Onedo has consistently distinguished herself at the NOHI through the various innovations she introduced in her department for effective healthcare service delivery to patients. She designed, developed and successfully implemented pharmaceutical care for patients infected with tuberculosis of the musculoskeletal system, who presented to the NOHI.
She also pioneered pharmacists-patients counselling at the hospital, while also being a foundational member of the unit responsible for the weekly training of pharmacists in the hospital.
An assiduous Onedo initiated and implemented the publishing of the maiden edition of the Pharmacy Department Newsletter. She also designed and conducted drug utilisation studies for the drug and therapeutic committee of the hospital.
A preceptor for pharmacy residents and undergraduates, Onedo’s professional affiliations span across Nigeria and abroad. She is a Fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP); member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria; past secretary, Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), past treasurer, Association of Lady Pharmacists (ALPs); member, American College of Clinical Pharmacy; member, Commonwealth of Pharmacists Association; and member, European Society of Clinical Pharmacists.
Onedo has served the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in several capacities at both state and national levels. She is married to Pharm. Grant Onedo and the marriage is blessed with three children.
