Experts from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, have affirmed the efficacy of a new antimalarial formulation, Amatem Softgel, in the treatment of malaria in the country.

Speaking on the findings of a comparative study conducted on the bioavailability, efficacy and toxicity of Amatem Forte Softgel and a known brand of Artemether-Lumefantrine tablet formulation by a group of renowned researchers from LASUTH, Dr Omoniyi Yemitan , one of the researchers noted that “Amatem Softgel was found to be more bioavailable in the bloodstream than the tablet formulation of Artemether-Lumefantrine. The implication of this is that Amatem Softgel has a faster onset of action and more efficacious than tablets formulation”.

He further disclosed that the toxicity study of Amatem Softgel did not reveal any major side effects of the drug on patients.

Stakeholders present at the product launch, held at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja recently, expressed the need to accommodate such innovative, patient-friendly therapy in the essential drug formulary and to make it easily accessible in all the three tiers of the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria, adding that this would help to protect the populace from the malaria scourge.

At the official unveiling and seminar on preventing treatment failure with Artemether-Lumefantrine, participants commended Elbe Pharma Nigeria limited for bridging the gap in the treatment of malaria, noting that the soft gel is the first of its kind in the country.

The seminar, which was well-attended by medical experts and other policymakers in the health sector, was held at the  Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.

Dignitaries at the launch included: Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, represented by Pharm Yusuf Alhassan; Executive Secretary of Health, Federal Capital Authority, Abuja, Engr U. G. Jibrin, represented by Dr Matthew Ashikeni;  Col. R.S Omoge; Dr (Mrs) Chimah Uzor DHQ, Abuja; representatives of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicines Dealers (NAPPMED); and the host, GM/COO, Elbe Pharma, Shiva Kumar.

Mr Kumar, in his address, noted that malaria is one of the diseases that have significantly reduced human resources, with an estimated 100 million cases and over 300,000 deaths per year in Nigeria.

“Over time, the disease has resisted treatment, especially the tablet form.  Two years ago, Elbe Pharma Nigeria’s quest to find a superior, more acceptable antimalarial, led to the introduction of a research-based formulation – Amatem forte softgel,” he said.

Kumar also emphasised the import of having a product with a unique advantage to enhance the fight against malaria, saying: “The new brand in softgel dosage form helps in reducing the resistance and associated treatment failures and at the same time protects the efficacy of this all-important  WHO recommended first-line antimalarial therapy, as there are no new alternatives coming up in the near future”.

He added that the novel drug therapy is quite different from that of the tablet form, which makes it very affordable, considering the therapeutic benefits and cure success rate derived from the formulation.

This is an Invitation to all to watch Live the upcoming PSN presidential debate being organised by Pharmanews Limited in collaboration with Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and De-crew media studio the official media partner of PSN Oluyole 2018. This momentous event which will be attended by all the presidential candidates and graced by a good number of pharmacists is billed to hold on 12 October, 2018 at PSN House, Anthony, Lagos, by 12.noon.

The event will be streamed live on PSN Oluyole 2018 on Facebook and YouTube

As Pharmacy Plus, Reckitt, Sylken, others win in other categories

In recognition of his selfless service to humanity and growth of pharmacy practice in Nigeria, Pharm. Deji Osinoiki, managing director of Deyo Pharmacy, has bagged the 2018 edition of Pharmalliance Retail Pharmacy Legend Award.

The award ceremony, which was part of the 10th edition of The Panel, an annual retail pharmacy business summit organised by Pharmalliance, was held at Classique Event Centre, Lagos on 16 August, 2018.

According to Pharm. Adeshina Opanubi, convener of The Panel, Osinoiki remains a beacon of hope for young pharmacists, given his achievements and influence in the last 25 years.

The revered pharmacist is a one-time national chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) and chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the same association. Interestingly his wife, Pharm. Yomi Osinoiki, and his two children are also registered pharmacists.

Osinoiki, who described the award as a thing of joy, was full of accolades for the organisers.

“I want to specially thank the Pharmaalliance team, especially Shina (Opanubi), whom I have known from his teenage years.

“He used to come to my pharmacy any time he returned from school. Of course, that was shortly before he joined Pfizer. You have all done well,” he remarked.

Another notable awardee at the two-day summit was Pharm. Wale Oladigbolu, chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Rivers chapter.  He clinched the Pharmalliance Leadership Award.

Similarly, Pharmacy Plus, Sylken, Biofem, New Heights, Reckitt Benckiser and Business School Netherlands all won the Brand Endorsement Award category for their continual support of the initiative since inception.

Keynote speaker of the event, Hakeem Belo-Osagie, former chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) and chairman, Etisalat Nigeria, shared his experience in the world of image branding and investment in Africa.

At the end of his presentation, he was presented with a portrait of himself, amidst a standing ovation. The ovation got much louder when the audience was informed that the portrait  had been sketched in less than 30 minutes to its official presentation by Kareem Waris Olamilekan, the now famous 11-year-old Nigerian artist who sketched and presented a self-portrait to Emmanuel Macron, president of France.

In attendance at the event  were Pharm. Ike Onyechi, managing director of Alpha Pharmacy; Pharm. Bukky George, chief executive officer of the Health Plus Group & CasaBella Beauty World; Pharm. Jimi Agbaje, a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Pharm. Ibrahim Babashehu Ahmed, director, planning, research and statistics, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); and Pharm. Ismail Adebayo, immediate past national chairman of Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN).

Pharmalliance is an informal network of retail pharmacies that access a common pool of shared resources. These resources include financial services, legal services, insurance services and business development services.

According to the organisers, Pharmalliance is for retail pharmacies registered by the PCN. It is an alliance of pharmacy businesses and non-pharmacy professionals.

– As Academy decorates Akinkugbe, TY Danjuma for pharmacy exploit

To heighten the interest of government and the general public in scientific research, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm) has officially launched its proposed Olu Akinkugbe Research and Innovation Centre (OARIC).

The unveiling, which took place during the Academy’s investiture, lecture and luncheon at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, on 12 September 2018, had several pharmacists, professors, technocrats, industrialists and government functionaries in attendance.

According to Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, president, NAPharm, OARIC is a vehicle that the Academy created to give enduring impact to research and development in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical space, adding that it had received generous support and blessings.

In his words: “As I stated a year ago during the induction of five distinguished pharmacists into the Academy, NAPharm owes a debt to the society. We owe a duty to help unravel better, safer, more convenient and more affordable medicines and treatment regimens for diseases that affect mankind.

“It is for this reason that research is central to our operations. We want to complement local and international efforts that support scientific research and related activities.”

Adelusi-Adeluyi also remarked that he envisaged that the new Centre would help to provide tangible support for pharmaceutical research.

He added that the details and methodology of such support are being painstakingly deliberated upon and would be announced in few months when OARIC is fully commissioned.

Conferring a Lifetime Achievement Award and Honorary Fellowship on the duo of Chief Oludolapo Akinkugbe, the OARIC patron; and General Theophilus Danjuma, chairman, May & Baker Plc, Adelusi-Adeluyi noted that the honour was a token of the Academy’s appreciation of the recipients’ individual contributions to Pharmacy.

In attendance at the event were Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, vice president (South), NAPharm; Pharm Jimi Agbaje, managing director, JayKay Pharmacy; Pharm Ike Onyechi, treasurer, NAPharm; Pharm. Nnamdi Okafor, managing director, May & Baker Plc; and Prof. Mbang Femi-Oyewo, former dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).

Others were Prof. Kemi Odukoya, former dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Prof. Oladipo Akinkugbe, professor of medicine; Oba Otudeko, distinguished industrialist and chairman of First Bank Plc; and Senator Daisy Danjuma, wife of the honorary fellowship recipient, among others.

Chief Oludolapo Ibukun Akinkugbe is a veteran pharmacist of high repute. Aside from being the oldest former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) alive, he is also the founding director of Palm Chemist and was the pioneer general secretary of the defunct Nigerian Union of Pharmacists (NUP) in the 1950s. Born in Ondo Town, on 5 December, 1928, Akinkugbe’s father was a renowned druggist who qualified as a pharmacist in 1919.

Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma retired as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff at the dawn of the Second Republic. He was a former minister of defence during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo. His long association with Pharmacy, through his engagement with one of Nigeria’s oldest multinational pharmaceutical manufacturers, May & Baker, has made him popular in pharmacy circles.

The traditional ruler of Iju-Ishaga, His Royal Highness, Oba Abass Ajibade, the Olu of Ishaga, and his counterpart from Ifako-Ijaiye kingdom, His Royal Highness, Oba Taofeek Fatusi Obawole, the Onifako of  Ifako Kingdom, and several  residents of both communities have lauded the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos State Branch, for their roles in disease prevention and management.

Speaking at the event organised to commemorate the “World Pharmacy Day 2018”, held at the Ifako-Ijaiye Mini Stadium, Ifako, the Onifako of Ifako Kingdom, Oba Taofeek Fatusi Obawole, who was one of the royal fathers for the event noted that community pharmacists are making invaluable contributions to effective medication use, adding that their roles and contributions in healthcare delivery cannot be overemphasised.

The monarch, however, bemoaned the alarming rate of drug abuse and misuse in the country, describing it as a threat to national development. “Dangerous drugs like codeine, tramadol, and others are being used as stimulants by a large number of our youths, and if care is not taken and nothing is done to put an end to these anomalies, we may have to bear the burden later,” he said.

Also speaking, the Olu of Ishaga, Oba Abass Ajibade, commended the ACPN for its unrelenting efforts at bringing healthcare services closer to the people at the grassroots, saying the role and contributions of community pharmacists in healthcare delivery are very important.

Fielding questions from journalists at the event, chairman, ACPN, Lagos State, Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi, noted that the theme of the event “Pharmacists: Your Medicines Experts, was chosen to reflect the important role of community pharmacists in the society, adding that globally, community pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professionals, noting that the role of pharmacists has evolved from that of providers of medicines to that of providers of care.

Explaining the vital role of community pharmacists further, Obideyi noted that in line with the theme of the global event, “Pharmacists: Your Medicines  Experts”, he assured the populace of their selfless services including medicine information, patient counselling, drug information and medication review,  as well as enlightenment.

The highpoint of the event was the free counselling and screening of people at the event on health conditions like, blood sugar, blood pressure, breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, dental check, and tuberculosis.

Dignitaries at the event included Apostle Oloruntoba Oke, executive chairman, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government; Pharm. (Mrs) Olubukola Oyetunde, head of the department, Clinical Pharmacy, University of Lagos; Pharm. (Mrs) Kemi Adeyeye, managing director, Boluke Pharmacy; Pharm. (Mrs) Ojuolape Okulaja, managing director, Pero Pharmacy; ACP Aruse J.O, Area Commander, Area G Police Command, represented by, ACP Balogun Sanusi; Pharm. Olufemi Ojuoko, Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital; High Chief Omitola Jacob Ademosu, Baale, Egbatedo Panada; Pharm. Anthony Bola Oyawole; Pharm. (Dr) Lolu Ojo, and Pharm. Abiola Paul-Ozieh, immediate past chairman, ACPN, Lagos State, among others.

As Nigerians join the rest of the world to celebrate World Pharmacists Day 2018, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has charged pharmacists to seize the opportunity to make meaningful impact on patients’ health, through different health advocacies for improved patients’ outcomes.

The World Pharmacists Day established in 2009 by the FIP Council in Istanbul, Turkey, set aside 25 September for the annual World Pharmacists Day, in which pharmacists across the globe are expected to carry out activities tailored towards advancing healthcare in their societies.

Speaking on the theme of the 2018 commemoration of the day, “Pharmacists: Your medicines experts”,  the FIP President Dr Carmen Peña,  stated that this year’s focus is on the extensive expertise that pharmacists have and put to use every day to ensure better patient health. “This expertise is applied through science and research, through educating the next generation, and through transforming patient needs into services”.

According to him: “The theme of World Pharmacists Day emphasises that pharmacists are a trusted source of knowledge and advice, not only for patients but for other healthcare professionals. For every patient who walks into a pharmacy, pharmacists ensure that the right medicine is provided at the right dose and in the most suitable formulation.

“We work with other healthcare professionals to ensure that every individual receives optimal treatment. Moreover, as one of the most accessible health care professionals globally, pharmacists use their learning to protect health and prevent illness”.

For optimal usage of the day, the FIP has invited all pharmacists to actively participate in the commemoration on social media by creating profile pictures for their social media accounts using the official FIP Twibbon, as shown on the website: https://www.fip.org/worldpharmacistsday

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Adewale Oke, has decried the low number of trained rheumatologists to treat musculoskeletal diseases in Nigeria.

Mr Oke, a professor, made the assertion at the West African Rheumatology Conference organised by the Nigerian Society of Rheumatology (NSR) in LASUTH, Ikeja on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day conference is themed: “Rheumatology in West Africa; the journey so far’’.

“This is another challenge that I think we must improve on; that is, the significant low number of rheumatologist available.

“Close to 30 years after my studies, we probably have about 30 or 40 rheumatologists, I think that is a significantly low number of rheumatologists for our growing 200 million populations.

“If we have only 40 rheumatologists trained, I think that is an abysmally low number, I want to implore all of us in this gathering, let us continue to fashion a way of increasing this number.

“I encourage us to continue to increase the awareness of rheumatology as a discipline such that we can also increase the number of rheumatologist that is available for our people,’’ he said.

Mr Oke, was represented by Ibrahim Mustapha, Director of Clinical services and training.

Femi Adelowo, professor and consultant rheumatologist in LASUTH, said in his presentation that rheumatology in Africa had expanded.

“Rheumatology in West Africa has expanded, it scavenges every other specialty and there are more than 200 cases that come under rheumatology.

“So the theme for this particular conference is apt because it talks about HIV disease which affects us most in West Africa,’’ Mr Adelowo said.

He expressed the hope that the over 40 trained rheumatologists would expand the specialty and ensure they closed the gaps in the knowledge of rheumatology.

Marie Doualla, professor of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Cameroon, said there was the need to work on the poor availability of Rheumatologists in Africa.

“Shortage of rheumatologist is even more acute in Cameroon because for a population of 20 million of inhabitants, we have only 11 rheumatologists.

“In Nigeria, I heard that there are about 42 rheumatologists, for 200 million inhabitants, so the shortage is certain in the African settings and I think we have to do something about it.

“This will make the cure of musculoskeletal diseases more difficult and not readily accessible for patients,’’ Doualla said.

A consultant physician from the Ministry of Health, Lagos, Rasheeda Oba, said the only way people can know about rheumatology as a specialty was through awareness programme.

“Rheumatology is a fairly new and developing specialty in Nigeria and in the West African sub region.

“Compared rheumatology to most other specialties in medicine, you find out rheumatology is just coming up; we still have very few specialists.

“But the thing about it is that we want the world to know more about it and that is the reason we have this conference,’’ Mr Oba said.

NAN reports that participants at the event are trainees, residents, Dermatologists, Orthopedists, Paediatricians and General Practitioners.

(NAN)

-Receives NAPPSA Distinguished Service Award

The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Pharm.  Ahmed I Yakasai, has listed some of the factors responsible for  disharmony and rivalry in the Nigerian healthcare sector to include: Establishment of the office of Chief Medical Adviser “Surgeon General” to the president; Creation of a national healthcare commission; Matters arising from Teaching Hospital Act; Opposition to appointment of other health professionals as directors in Federal Health Institutions; Establishment of Postgraduate colleges for other health professionals, and the obvious bias against health professionals other than doctors especially in the reflected areas.

Pharm. Yakasai, who presented a paper  at the just concluded Annual Scientific Conference and Exposition of the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA)  titled: “Synergy among Healthcare Practitioners: Advocacy to Respective Agencies for Collaborative Practice in Nigeria”, emphasised the place of synergy in a successful healthcare  delivery system.

According to him: “Synergy among healthcare practitioners is a must and not an option in achieving optimum safe quality care for the patients. When healthcare practitioners with different complimentary skills cooperate, come together and work hand in hand in the interest of the patients they always achieve better results for the patients.

“The outcomes achieved due to synergy among the healthcare practitioners is far better than when each healthcare practitioner works in isolation. That is synergy. Even drugs work better when they work synergistically which one drug increases the other’s effectiveness. For example; Effect on the same cellular system by two different antibiotics like a penicillins damage the cell wall of gram positive bacteria and improve the penetrations of aminoglycosides”.

Comparing recent development in the healthcare industry to what obtains in the past, he said there is an obvious change in healthcare delivery nowadays due to influx of knowledge on the parts of patients and practitioners, which keeps the scope of healthcare expanding by the day.

“ In the past, as it relates to the care process, healthcare practitioners were primarily nurses, pharmacists and doctors. Now the term healthcare practitioner encompasses a wide range of other people including other professionals. Not only has the number of medical subspecialties significantly increased over the last century (from 14 in 1927 to 103 in 2000), but the number of non-medical care practitioners has also increased. Patients too have to a certain extent become ‘practitioners’ in their own healthcare.

“Moreover, not only do current practitioners role need to be specified relative to the new care processes and operating systems, but entirely new roles (perhaps system architecture for example) need to be developed and reimbursed”, he stated.

The PSN President, however did not fail to mention the merits of synergy in the healthcare sector. Some of the benefits of collaboration among healthcare practitioners he mentioned are:  promotion of patient-centred care, enhancement of better communication, comprehensive patient care, better coordination of patient treatment plans, and it empowers team members.

In a related development, in recognition of his advocacy and tenacity for Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria, Pharm. Yakasai received the NAPPSA Distinguished Service Award, on Saturday, 22 September 2018, at Embassy Suites-Concord Hotel, Concord, North Carolina, USA

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Sanni Aliyu, says no fewer than 1.1million persons living with HIV/AIDS are currently on treatment in Nigeria.

He said this at a briefing to recount the activities of the Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) on Thursday in Abeokuta.

Mr Aliyu, who said 17,000 persons and 800 pregnant women were currently receiving treatment for HIV in Ogun, noted that only the survey could ascertain the baseline.

“What we’re not certain of is the gap that currently exists. Out of those 17, 000 on treatment, what proportion are we currently having? Is it more than a 100, 000 or less than 50, 000.

“We’re not sure of those figures; which is why we’re doing the survey.

“The survey will give us more precise estimate of the HIV prevalence in Ogun. It’ll allow us to do more effective advocacy and seek for resources that can be used judiciously.

“We’ll also be able to identify the hot-spots and target them,” he said.

He explained further that the survey which began nationally in June would last for a six month period in each zone, just as it would last four weeks in each state visited.

According to Mr Aliyu, the NAIIS is the largest single country HIV survey ever done in the world, “and just like science, if you’re sampling, the more people you sample, the more accurate you get.

“This is why we’re putting in resources to define the epidemic more clearly,” the director general said.

He said the survey in Ogun had been successful; 90 per cent of the enumerated areas had been covered in three weeks.

He, however, attributed the success to the hard work from his team, commitment from state government, community leaders and religious institutions.

“We started three weeks ago and we’ve covered 20 local government areas and 112 enumeration areas which represent 90 per cent of the total enumeration areas.

“We have just one week to finish with Ogun and move to Ondo.

“Three out of every four households we visited have accepted to be part of the survey, which made it easy for us,” Mr Aliyu said.

The NACA boss advised sexually active and non-sexual active persons alike to endeavour to know their status.

He, however, said the total results of the survey would be available by June 2019.

Earlier in an address, the Ogun commissioner for health, Babatunde Ipaye, commended the team for working tirelessly to achieve the desired goal.

Mr Ipaye, who was represented by Nofiu Aigoro, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, thanked the director-general for making the state to benefit from the survey.

He said the current administration was committed to the health of its citizenry, pledging to provide total support to the agency.

NAN

As the Pharmaceutical Industry landscape is hotting up towards the upcoming presidential elections, billed to hold at the 91st Annual Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, tagged “Oluyole 2018”, the office of the PSN President is being contended for among four highly spirited aspirants, which are: Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa; Dr Lolu Ojo; Pharm.  Anthony Oyawole and Dr Otakho Daniel Orumwense.

As a pilot poll to the main election based on social acceptance among our readers, we would like you to vote your candidate here. Please note that voting ends at 12noon on 28 October, 2018.

[totalpoll id=”14842″]

Please we will like to STATE HERE that this ONLINE POLL is NOT A SUBSTITUTE for the upcoming PSN Presidential Election in anyway.

The Maternal and New Child Health (MNCH2), a UK-DFID funded programme, has claimed that Nigeria loses about 700 Nigerian children daily as a result of different preventable health challenges.

Ashiru Hamza, the Advocacy and Accountability Advisor of the organisation, disclosed this while presenting the evidence at an Editorial Roundtable meeting in Kaduna on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MNCH2 organised the meeting in order to step up media coverage on health related issues aimed at sustaining the MNCH2 intervention in the six northern states of Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Zamfara as the programme is exiting its five years intervention by May 2019.

According to him, the country accounted for 10 per cent annual maternal death globally based on a survey conducted in Nigeria in 2016.

He said: “The under-5 mortality in the northern parts of the country is also much higher than the national rate which is 265 and 120, respectively.’’

He noted that women and under-5 children suffered treatable complications in pregnancy and childbirth such as injury, infection and disability.

He further said several studies conducted in the country indicated a drop in maternal mortality in Southwest and South East by 165 and 286, respectively, while the situation had remained as high as 1,549 and 1,026 in the North East and North West, respectively.

This, Hamza said, was also caused by lack of accountability and transparency where a substantial proportion of health funds do not reach the end user with the consequences of children who lost their mothers 10 times likely to die prematurely.

The Deputy Team Leader (Results) of MNCH2 Nigeria, Dauda Suleman, had earlier urged the participants to influence concern from policy makers to improve the healthcare indices.

The meeting was attended by public and private media executives; representative of Palladium, Ibrahim Dala; and a representation from Nigerian Health Watch.

NAN

Eminent medical practitioners  including Dr A. B. Awesu, consultant psychiatrist, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos; Dr Tajudeen  Abiola, consultant psychiatrist, Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaduna, and Dr Ibrahim Oreagba, associate professor of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, University of Lagos, have condemned  the high rate of drug abuse among young adults in Nigeria, saying the menace has now become a serious health and social issue rendering its users unproductive and dangerous.

Speaking at a workshop on ‘Addiction Prevention’, organised by the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN), Lagos State Chapter, in collaboration with Nigerian Green Crescent Health Development Initiative (GHI), at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi (NOHI) Lagos, recently, Dr Oreagba, described addiction as an act of surrendering or enslaving oneself to something, such as drug or any activity.

According to the don, drug addiction is a major destroyer of the youth, as it kills more than automobile accident, gun accident, and all other forms of accidents combined. He added that over 60 percent of Nigerian youths, especially in the south-west, consumed various forms of illicit drugs; a development he said had made them irresponsible to themselves and the society.

Oreagba, a member of the GHI, and national vice president, IMAN, noted that some of the factors that predispose so many youths to drug abuse and addiction include: peer pressure, curiosity, ignorance, academic induced frustration, lack of parental care, indiscipline, lack of significant relationship with caring adult, lack of mutual attachment and nurture by parents and caregivers, among many others.

While speaking on a topic:“Preventive Treatment in Drug Addiction”, Dr A. B. Awesu, stated that drug abuse and addiction cut across the society, the rich or the poor, the villagers or the city dwellers, the males or the females, the young or the old, saying for its effective prevention, it must involve the different sections of the society.

He urged parents to be good role models to their children,  as well as establish and maintain good communication with them early, on the danger of drug abuse and addiction, saying dysfunctional family can lead to drug abuse.

In his submission, Dr Tajudeen Abiola identified high availability of drugs in the communities, poverty, high population density, and lack of knowledge on what to do by parents and teachers as some of the major reasons for maladaptive use of addictive substances and activities in the country.

“Addiction is dangerous as it robs one of ability to recognise one’s problem, thereby forcing the family to take action against the addict like sending him to jail or forceful rehab. This could also cause a huge burden on the family and circle of friends, because of fear that the addict is getting harm or hurt,” he said.

The consultant psychiatrist therefore called on the Federal Government to implement policies that would keep the adolescent safe from drugs, while urging other organisations to partner IMAN, in order to organise more seminars and workshops to enlighten youths on the consequences of drug abuse and addiction.

Earlier in his welcome address, the chairman, IMAN, Lagos State Chapter, and chief medical director, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, Dr Mustapha Alimi, noted that the issue  of illicit drugs use had reached an alarming proportion in the country, adding that this is why such intervention by IMAN is apt, which rates the health of Nigerians a priceless treasure, by providing healthcare services for the sick and instituting interventions that both prevent the onset of illness and promote wellness.

Other dignitaries at the awareness campaign include: Pharm. (Mrs) Sadia Modupe-Ore, deputy director, Pharmacy, NOHI; Pharm. Usman Sikiru Olatunji, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, UNILAG; Dr Abdulahi Lawal, deputy president, IMAN, Lagos State; Mrs Shekinat Abdulfatai, financial secretary, IMAN, Lagos State; Pharm. Afusat Adeshina, among others.

-As NAFDAC DG interacts with stakeholders

The dividends of the remarkable stakeholders meeting, organised by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for producers and distributors of cosmetics, agrochemicals and veterinary products, will linger longer in the minds of the participants, as the agency has promised among other things, to bring them respite from multiple registrations, imposed on the marketers by sister agencies.

Speaking at the one-day interactive session themed: “A Date with the Director General, NAFDAC”, held at the NECA House, Ikeja, on 17 September, 2018, NAFDAC DG, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said she is already in discussion with the Director General of other agencies like the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA); Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), to see how to bring an end to the issue of multiple product registrations, which is belabouring stakeholders.

Prof. Adeyeye, who heeded the general lamentation of stakeholders in eradicating several registrations of a product, explained that this is not in favour of ease of doing business policy in Nigeria, as it is hitting hard on marketers.

According to her:”We are working on it right now, as we are already talking with the Director General of SON, CPC, and NESREA. We have to come to an agreement, as it is the stakeholders that are at the losing end, because of many regulations and fees imposed on them. We are also talking about it at the vice presidency level, in terms of ease of doing business, and creating an environment, conducive for businesses”.

The NAFDAC DG, also pledged to look into the issue of police harassment on agrochemicals dealers, as the agrochemicals distributors complained bitterly about unnecessary threats and distraction of their members by the Police, as they go about their legal businesses in the society.

While announcing some laudable initiatives of the agency to support micro scale businesses, Prof. Adeyeye noted that NAFDAC has scaled down some of her processes for the micro scale cosmetics manufacturers without compromising standards and put in place policies that will drive growth in cosmetics MSME sectors in line with ease of doing business.

She however emphasised the decision of the agency to allow micro entrepreneurs in the cosmetics industry to use their personal kitchens to produce certain products, but with a caveat that untidy and shared kitchens will not be permitted for use.

Her word: “The boldest move made so far by the Agency is consent for use of personal kitchens to manufacture certain classes of cosmetics products under micro scale. Albeit, may I state clearly that kitchens shared by families will not be allowed neither will individual kitchens that are kept untidy”.

While appealing to the stakeholders to adhere to the rules and regulations of NAFDAC during product registration, she highlighted the generally observed lapses to include: untimely renewals of listing certificates, incomplete documentations e.g inadequate stock cards & utilization records, safety data sheets without chemical compositions, illegible attachments to the portal, noncompliance to good warehousing practice, etc.

On minimisation of pesticides residues on exported agricultural produce, she said the agency is setting up policies in terms of exportation of agro products, which will ensure that exporters bring their products to NAFDAC first for testing, in order to save the nation from further national embarrassment due to products containing high pesticides residues.

Mr Mamud Talid, representative of Pest Control Association of Nigeria, implored the NAFDAC DG to look into the formation of Pesticide Bill as it is done in other climes, as well as pleaded with the agency to make the intended increase in tariff reasonable enough to their level.

Mr John Nwabueze, who spoke on behalf of Cosmetics Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, stressed the need for NAFDAC to reduce faking of cosmetics in the country, as well as scale up penalty for fakers.

Nwabueze, also pleaded with the agency to put in place policies that will encourage exportation of cosmetics, which will enhance rapid growth of the industry.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent a Freedom of Information request to the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, urging him to “urgently provide information about details of actual spending of allocations to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH) Idi Araba and other 20 federal teaching hospitals and 20 federal medical centres across the country, for the period covering 2010 to 2017.”

In the letter dated September 14 and signed by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale, the organisation said: “Despite huge budgetary allocations, many of the teaching hospitals and medical centres under the direct control of your ministry have been left to fall apart and health care facilities in many of these hospitals lack even the most basic of amenities. Ordinary Nigerians have derived appallingly little benefit from all of the allocations, in terms of access to basic healthcare, showing a failure to respect and ensure the right to health and human dignity in the country.”

According to the organisation, “We need a ‘paradigm shift’ and little short of a ‘healthcare revolution’ in the country to end decades of mismanagement, corruption and neglect in the health sector and to improve access of millions of Nigerians to adequate healthcare and treatment. The status quo is simply unacceptable. Ensuring transparency in the spending of allocations to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres would contribute hugely to charting a way forward in this regard.”

The FOI request read in part: “As trustee of public funds, your ministry has a legal duty to render account on the specific details of spending of capital allocations to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres under the direct control of the ministry to the beneficiaries (Nigerians) of the trust, if and when called upon to do so. Any failure or refusal to render account will also be clearly inconsistent with the attitude of a government that has repeatedly expressed commitment to the fight against corruption, and to transparency and accountability.”

“As a key agency of government, the Ministry of Health has a sacred duty to ensure that the country’s allocations to the health sector are used solely to achieve adequate access to healthcare services for all Nigerians and residents. This implies providing strong leadership in the efforts to curb public sector corruption, mismanagement and neglect, and to honour Freedom of Information requests on the spending of allocations to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres across the country.”

“The disclosure of the information requested will give SERAP and the general public a true picture on how the allocations to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres have been spent to improve medical facilities and infrastructure in these hospitals and medical centres and to facilitate enjoyment of the right to basic healthcare by all Nigerians, especially the socially and economically vulnerable sectors of the population.”

“SERAP notes approved capital allocations since 2010 to your ministry as follows: N49.99 billion for 2010; N33.53 billion for 2011; N57.01 billion for 2012; N60.08 billion for 2013; N49.52 billion for 2014; N22.68 billion for 2015; N22.65 billion for 2016; and N55.61 billion for 2017.”

“According to our information and latest research, despite approved capital allocations of trillions of naira over the years to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres under the direct control of the Ministry of Health, these hospitals have been left to crumble and wither away and Nigerians have suffered greatly from the decay of these vital public services.”

“Millions of Nigerian children are believed to die each year before the age of five, and most of those children lose their lives to diseases that are easily preventable or treatable at low cost. Nigeria is third highest in infant mortality rate in the world.”

“Healthcare services in the country remain extremely poor. Nigeria is rated 187th out of 191 countries in terms of health care delivery. One-third of more than 700 health facilities in the country have been destroyed because of many years of corruption, mismanagement and neglect, and that about 3.7 million people are in need of healthcare assistance.”

“By virtue of Section 1 (1) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2011, SERAP is entitled as of right to request for or gain access to information, including information on details of spending of allocations to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres in the country under the direct control of your Ministry, and the said information is in the custody or possession of any public official, agency or institution.”

“By virtue of Section 4 (a) of the FOI Act when a person makes a request for information from a public official, institution or agency, the public official, institution or urgency to whom the application is directed is under a binding legal obligation to provide the applicant with the information requested for, except as otherwise provided by the Act, within 7 days after the application is received.”

“By Sections 2(3)(d)(V) & (4) of the FOI Act, there is a binding legal duty to ensure that documents containing information relating to spending of allocations to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres under the direct control of your Ministry is widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means.”

“The information being requested does not come within the purview of the types of information exempted from disclosure by the provisions of the FOI Act. The information requested for, apart from not being exempted from disclosure under the FOI Act, bothers on an issue of access to healthcare, development, good governance, transparency and accountability.”

“SERAP therefore requests you to provide detailed information on the spending of allocations to LUTH and other teaching hospitals and medical centres under the direct control of your Ministry, for periods covering 2010 to 2017.”

It would be recalled that SERAP last week launched its latest report titled: Failing Healthcare: How Federal Hospitals are letting Down the Poor and Making Healthcare a Privilege rather than a Right.

The report among others alleged that, “At LUTH, even bed sheets are in short supply. Patients use their wrapper for bed sheets sometimes. And when they use LUTH bed sheets, they are usually old and torn most of the time. Toilets in LUTH are centres of disease distribution. You can be sure to get urinary tract infections and the like. I am referring to the toilets in different wards.”

Chief Oludolapo Akinkugbe, renowned pharmacist and General Theophilus Danjuma, chairman, May & Baker Plc and former minister of defence were recently honoured by the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm) with Lifetime Achievement Award and Honorary Fellowship respectively.

The colourful investiture, academy lecture and luncheon which took place at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on September 12, 2018 had Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, president, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy; Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, NAPharm vice president (South); Pharm. Jimi Agbaje, managing director, JayKay Pharmacy and Pharm. Ike Onyechi, treasurer, NAPharm.

Others were Pharm. Nnamdi Okafor, managing director, May & Baker Plc; Prof. Mbang Femi-Oyewo, former dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU); Prof. Kemi Odukoya, former dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Prof. Oladipo Akinkugbe, professor of medicine and Oba Otudeko, distinguished industrialist and chairman of First Bank Plc and Senator Daisy Danjuma, wife of the honorary fellowship recipient among others.

Aside from presenting two giant portraits of the recipients, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy also used the occasion to unveil the Olu Akinkugbe Research and Innovation Centre (OARIC) to the public.

The research centre scheduled to be officially opened in four months time received a resounding applause from the audience. The ovation got louder when the two elder statesmen hugged shortly after the ageless philanthropist, Danjuma, pledged N10 million to the cause of the institute.

Chief Oludolapo Ibukun Akinkugbe, is a veteran pharmacist of high repute. He is also the founding director of Palm Chemist and was a pioneer general secretary of the defunct Nigerian Union of Pharmacists (NUP) in the 1950s. Born in Ondo Town, on 5^th December, 1928, Akinkugbe’s father was a renowned druggist who qualified as a pharmacist in 1919.

A grand reception was held by the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm) in honour of Chief Oludolapo Akinkugbe and General Theophilus Danjuma, who were conferred with the academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Honorary Fellowship respectively at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on 12 September, 2018.

Below are photographs taken at the event:

-821 million people now hungry and over 150 million children stunted, putting hunger eradication goal at risk

New evidence continues to signal that the number of hungry people in the world is growing, reaching 821 million in 2017 or one in every nine people, according to “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018” released on Tuesday. Limited progress is also being made in addressing the multiple forms of malnutrition, ranging from child stunting to adult obesity, putting the health of hundreds of millions of people at risk.

Hunger has been on the rise over the past three years, returning to levels from a decade ago. This reversal in progress sends a clear warning that more must be done and urgently if the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger is to be achieved by 2030.

The situation is worsening in South America and most regions of Africa, while the decreasing trend in undernourishment that characterised Asia seems to be slowing down significantly.

The annual UN report found that climate variability affecting rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, and climate extremes such as droughts and floods, are among the key drivers behind the rise in hunger, together with conflict and economic slowdowns.

“The alarming signs of increasing food insecurity and high levels of different forms of malnutrition are a clear warning that there is considerable work to be done to make sure we ‘leave no one behind’ on the road towards achieving the SDG goals on food security and improved nutrition,” the heads of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and WHO warned in their joint foreword to the report.

“If we are to achieve a world without hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030, it is imperative that we accelerate and scale up actions to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of food systems and people’s livelihoods in response to climate variability and extremes,” the leaders said.

The impact of climate variability and extremes on hunger

Changes in climate are already undermining production of major crops such as wheat, rice and maize in tropical and temperate regions and, without building climate resilience, this is expected to worsen as temperatures increase and become more extreme.

Analysis in the report shows that the prevalence and number of undernourished people tend to be higher in countries highly exposed to climate extremes. Undernourishment is higher again when exposure to climate extremes is compounded by a high proportion of the population depending on agricultural systems that are highly sensitive to rainfall and temperature variability.

Temperature anomalies over agricultural cropping areas continued to be higher than the long-term mean throughout 2011–2016, leading to more frequent spells of extreme heat in the last five years. The nature of rainfall seasons is also changing, such as the late or early start of rainy seasons and the unequal distribution of rainfall within a season.

The harm to agricultural production contributes to shortfalls in food availability, with knock-on effects causing food price hikes and income losses that reduce people’s access to food.

Slow progress on ending all forms of malnutrition

Poor progress has been made in reducing child stunting, the report says, with nearly 151 million children aged under 5 too short for their age due to malnutrition in 2017, compared to 165 million in 2012. Globally, Africa and Asia accounted for 39% and 55%  of all stunted children, respectively.

Prevalence of child wasting remains extremely high in Asia where almost 1 in 10 children under five has low weight for their height, compared to just one in 100 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The report describes as “shameful” the fact that one in three women of reproductive age globally is affected by anaemia, which has significant health and development consequences for both women and their children. No region has shown a decline in anaemia among women of reproductive age, and the prevalence in Africa and Asia is nearly three times higher than in North America.

Rates of exclusive breastfeeding in Africa and Asia are 1.5 times higher than those in North America where only 26% of infants under 6 months receive breastmilk exclusively.

The other side of hunger: obesity on the rise

Adult obesity is worsening, and more than one in eight adults in the world is obese. The problem is most significant in North America, but Africa and Asia are also experiencing an upward trend, the report shows.

Undernutrition and obesity coexist in many countries, and can even be seen side by side in the same household. Poor access to nutritious food due to its higher cost, the stress of living with food insecurity, and physiological adaptations to food deprivation help explain why food-insecure families may have a higher risk of overweight and obesity.

Call for action

The report calls for implementing and scaling up interventions aimed at guaranteeing access to nutritious foods and breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. Policies must pay special attention to groups who are the most vulnerable to the harmful consequences of poor food access: infants, children aged under five, school-aged children, adolescent girls, and women.

At the same time, a sustainable shift must be made towards nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems that can provide safe and high-quality food for all.

The report also calls for greater efforts to build climate resilience through policies that promote climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction.

-Says 1 in 4 Adults Are Inactive

The new report compiled by World Health Organisation (WHO) experts has highlighted the dangers of physical inactivity in adults to include cardiovascular disease, several types of cancer and diabetes, falls, as well as mental health conditions.

The data published in the Lancet Global Health recently showed that more than one in four adults globally (28% or 1.4 billion people) are physically inactive. However this can be as high as one in three adults inactive in some counties.

In the press statement titled: “Launch of new global estimates on levels of physical activity in adults”, the WHO disclosed” data that update 2008 estimates on levels of activity and, for the first time, reports trend analyses showing that overall, the global level of inactivity in adults remains largely unchanged since 2001”.

According to the report,” women were less active than men, with an over 8% difference at the global level (32% men vs 23%, women). High income countries are more inactive (37%) compared with middle income (26%) and low income countries (16%)”.

The statement maintained that these data show the need for all countries to increase the priority given to national and sub-national actions to provide the environments that support physical activity and increase the opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, to be active every day.

The new Global Action Plan on Physical Activity sets the target to reduce physical inactivity by 10% by 2025 and 15% by 2030.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the appointment of Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo as the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State.

The appointment, which took effect from 3 September, 2018 is for four-year tenure, according to a press release from the Federal Ministry of Health.

Following the development, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole was the first to congratulate Prof. Ahidjo on his new appointment, while calling his attention to the enormity of the responsibilities of his office as well as the yearnings of the people for an effective and responsive healthcare delivery system for Nigerians.

The minister further advised the new CMD to justify the confidence reposed on him by the President, working with all stakeholders to ensure industrial harmony in the health sector.

-As UNILAG Holds Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun-Afodu 2^nd Annual Lecture in Pharmacy

For the realisation of fundamental factors  to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are access to quality health care services, safe and effective medicines and vaccines, pharmacists must be prepared to play key roles in a dynamic public healthcare system, for effective and positive health outcomes.

This was the submission of stakeholders at the Ladipo Mobolaji Abisogun-Afodu 2^nd Annual Lecture in Pharmacy, held at the Old Great Hall, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Idi-Araba, Lagos, on 6 September, 2018.

Dignitaries in attendance at the annual lecture were: The Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe; Dr (Mrs) Ajoritsedere J. Awosika; keynote speaker and chairman, Bio-Generics’ Integrity Award for Pharmacists in Public Hospitals;  Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG, Prof. (Mrs) B. A. Aina, Head of the Da Rocha-Afodu Clan, Mama A.O. Branco; Director, office of Advancement, Oluwarotimi O.A. Shodimu, Esq.; Pharmanews Publisher and Chairman of the ocassion, Pharm. (Sir) Ifeanyi Atueyi; Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, UNILAG, Prof. Olubunmi  Magbagbeola; Distinguished Professor H.A.B. Coker; Prof. E. A. Ogunlana; Prof. Festus A. Ogunbona; Mrs Olaide Sasegbon, executor of the Estate; and others .

Speaking on theme of the lecture: “Enhancing the role of pharmacists in public health in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, Dr Awosika explained the responsibility of pharmacists in the healthcare delivery system, noting that as drug experts, pharmacists play key role of improving health outcomes through the responsible use of medicines and optimising effective choice and use.

She explained that pharmacy practice however took a new dimension in 1990 through the introduction of the term “Pharmaceutical Care” by Hepler and Strand, as a philosophy and standard of provision of care for patients.

Awosika, who stressed the need for Nigerian pharmacists to key into the concept of pharmaceutical care in its entirety said  Nigerian pharmacists cannot be different from others around the globe, thus they must conform to the latest trend in the practice now, else they fall out of place in the profession.

According to her: “Pharmaceutical care concept has transformed the pharmacy profession to be more accountable in patient care, especially to ensure that a patient achieves positive outcomes from drug therapy. Therein lies the mutually reinforcing role of pharmacy in public health”.

Thus for pharmacists to fit successfully into public healthcare roles, she said they must acquire required skills set in public health, apply the skills accordingly, and advance needed evolution of the pharmacy profession to ensure they make critical, unique and available contributions, to healthcare delivery system in the country.

The Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos (UNILAG) Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, represented by Prof. S.A. Okunuga, in his opening remarks appreciated the donor, late Mrs Frederica Abimbola Omololu- Mulele for bequeathing such huge donation of the sum of N36 million for the endowment of two professorial chairs at the University of Lagos in the fields of Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Pharmacy.

He however explained that when it was clear that the total amount available for the two chairs would not be enough to sustain them in perpetuity, a decision was taken to have it changed to annual lectures to boost the two areas of study in perpetuity.

While calling on other Nigerians to emulate the good example of the donor, in supporting education and research, he said this is one of the special ways of funding education, in the face of dwindling resources for that purpose in Nigeria.

The UNILAG VC expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the executors of the Estate, for executing the donor’s Will to the later.

In his contribution, the Chairman of the occasion, Sir (Pharm.) Atueyi urged all participants to leave a worthy legacy behind, as the legacy left by Late Mrs Frederica Abimbola Omololu- Mulele, has brought them together for the occasion of the day.

He also narrated how the keynote speaker, Dr Awosika had impacted the country positively as a former National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer of the National Programme on Immunisation, and she even assisted a lot of families then, during the economic recession that occured from 1998 to2015, of which his own family benefitted too.

The Pharmanews boss mentioned how a group of PANS national executives established an Annual Essay and Debate Competition for Pharmacy Students in his name in 2015, and he consented to the idea because it is a worthy legacy to leave behind.

Quoting from the Holy Bible in Nehemiah 5:19 which says “Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people”, he asked the audience:”What do you want to be remembered for, what are you living for”?

He therefore concluded with the scriptural saying which states that “Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not to men”.

FIP’s 78^th annual World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, which commenced on 2 September and to run till 6 September, is being held in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The congress is supported by VisitScotland National Conference Bid Funding. 

Some 3,014 pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists from 108 countries are in attendance.

Photographs below captured some Nigerian delegates at the conference. Wishing them best deliberations and positive outcomes.