With few weeks to the 2019 General Elections, it is pertinent to assess access to quality healthcare under the watch of this administration, to enhance informed decision for the next choice of presidential candidate.

Hence, the question is : How would you rate the performance of President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration in the health sector?

[totalpoll id=”15942″]

Poised to improve nursing education in the country, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has disclosed that there is going to be a massive restructuring in the academic activities of nurses, from post basic nursing clinical specialty into post graduate programmes, for the award of academic certificates.

The Registrar of the Council, Alh. Faruk Umar Abubakar made the disclosure in a statement released by the council N&MCN/EDU/CIR/44/VOL.1.43 dated 11th February 2019.

He explained the motive behind the educational reform noting that it was geared towards ensuring the graduates of these programmes are being awarded commensurate academic certificates and the initiative will pave way for career progression in line with the conventional system of education in Nigeria, as well as promote satisfaction among the professionals.

The statement reads in part:

“All current Hospital-Based Post Basic Nursing Specialty Programmes should be affiliated to or assimilated into their parent universities and be operated either as Post Graduate Diploma or Masters programmes in nursing specialties.

“Each Teaching Hospital in conjunction with their university should consider their areas of strength and decide on which Post Graduate Programmes in clinical nursing specialty to take up.

“Each Post Graduate Clinical Nursing Specialty Programme shall be operated by the Department/ Faculty of Nursing in conjunction with the Teaching Hospital in line with the guidelines of Post Graduate School of the university as approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

“Graduates of the B.Sc/B.Nsc. from a recognized department/ faculty of nursing with good grades shall be eligible to proceed for Masters in any specialty of choice, while those with lower grade shall go for PGDN before proceeding for Masters in Nursing.

“Successful graduates of the Higher National Diploma (HND) Nursing Programme shall be eligible to go for Post Graduate Diploma in any Clinical Nursing Specialty of choice.

“Irrespective of the year of graduation, the basic entry requirement shall remain five o’ level credits in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology at not more than two sittings.

“The Management of Teaching Hospitals currently running Post Basic Clinical Nursing Programmes should release and sponsor some of the academic staff for Masters and PhD in Nursing in specialty areas they wish to run in order to strengthen the manpower needs for running these programme.

“The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria in collaboration with NUC, departments/faculties of Nursing and some coordinators are working on the minimum benchmark/ academic standard for the various Post Graduate Programmmes in a variety of specialty areas. These shall be made available to the institutions in due course.

“From the year 2023, that is five (5) years from now, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria shall cease to register and licence graduates from any institution running Post Basic Clinical Nursing Programme that have not been reorganized in line with the Council’s requirements as enunciated above”.

Until there is a strong synergy between public and private sectors to boost investment in Africa’s health sector, about 16 million jobs will remain elusive and exported outside the continent, United Nation’s Economic Commission for Africa’s (ECA) executive secretary, Vera Songwe, has said.

Songwe, who asserted that Nigeria and other African countries presently spend about $14 billion on importation of pharmaceutical products needed in the continent, due to lack of capacity in local production, said the African’s health sector has the potential to create 16 million jobs.

“The health and wellness sector has the potential to create 16 million jobs. We should no longer export those jobs. We should bring back those jobs,” said Ms. Songwe.

She made her remarks in a statement at the Africa Business Health Forum 2019, noting that if the public and private sectors could collaborate and invest enough in the drugs industry, the huge amount spent on pharmaceutical importation will be drastically reduced.

According to her:  “By 2030, an estimated 14 percent of all business opportunities in the health and wellbeing sector globally will be in Africa, second only to North America with 21 percent. This is a huge opportunity for the private sector.”

Songwe thus urged governments of Nigeria and other African countries to work with the private sector to ensure there’s access to health by all on the continent.

Also represented at the forum was the Africa’s business magnate, Aliko Dangote, who via his message for the occasion remarked on the global public private trend, saying governments from both developed and developing countries were increasingly looking at public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a way to expand access to higher-quality health services by leveraging capital, managerial capacity, and knowhow from the private sector.

His words: “As a businessman, and through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, I am committed to working with governments and key stakeholders for the development of impactful health initiatives in Africa.

“I believe that private sector leaders have a strong role to play. In the past, I have in my country charged business leaders to commit at least one percent of their profit after tax to support the health sector.”

In the words of the Founder and Chairman of Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) and Co-Chair of GBCHealth, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede,  Africa’s government alone cannot solve the continent’s health challenges.

“We have no alternative but to turn to the private sector to complement government funding. That is why we have gathered here in Addis Ababa today to see how together we can fix health in Africa. The private sector and the public sector working together as partners have the potential to change Africa’s healthcare from doom and gloom to progress and results,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently inaugurated the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Advanced Cancer Treatment Centre in Lagos, with a pledge to ensure that facilities for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer are available to many more Nigerians.

At the inauguration of the state-of-the-art centre in LUTH, Idi Araba, President Buhari announced that the model will be replicated across the country to bring quality, first-class healthcare services to cancer patients in Nigeria.

‘‘We are aware that up to 40 per cent of funds spent by Nigerians on medical tourism is attributable to patients seeking treatment for cancer. Despite having an increasing number of citizens suffering from cancer, we until now had only two working radiotherapy machines in the country.

“Working through the NSIA and LUTH we utilised a PPP model that unlocked investment capital to directly address this issue. We will replicate this model across the country to bring quality, first-class healthcare services to as many Nigerians as we can.

‘‘Indeed, over the coming months, under our leadership, the NSIA will commission two Modern Medical Diagnostic Centres to be co-located in the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State and the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Abia State, respectively, bringing additional investment to Nigeria’s healthcare sector,’’ he said.

The President while wishing the management of the hospital good luck in operating the centre emphasised the need for maintenance of the equipment.

‘‘Our goal today is not simply to celebrate and applaud the culmination of months of hard work to achieve this objective. Neither is it solely to revel in the successful completion of the most modern and best-equipped Cancer treatment centre in West Africa.

‘‘Indeed we are proud, but we recognize that this modest effort to address the gaps in our tertiary healthcare system alone is insufficient to address all the challenges faced by the sector.

‘‘Today, we showcase what feats we can accomplish when we are together, unrelenting in our effort to deliver a common objective.

‘‘No one ever prays to be diagnosed with Cancer, but if they are, what we have made possible here today is the hope that a true chance of survival and good quality of life becomes part of the story of many Nigerian patients with cancer,’’ he said.

The President promised that his administration, which has introduced programmes to alleviate common diseases, including the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund targeted at ensuring access to primary healthcare for all Nigerians, will continue to push hard to raise awareness about cancer, educate the people and facilitate early diagnosis.

He noted that this objective was part of his solemn commitment to Nigerians four years ago to improve the quality of health care in the country.

The President, who performed the ceremony after attending the APC presidential campaign rally at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere, Lagos, said his administration had focused on greater investment in the sector and worked hard to ensure increased access to safe, high-quality healthcare.

‘‘We promised to effect policies that would remove debilitating constraints on the sector and create sustainable structures to strengthen our healthcare institutions.

‘‘Today, we are gathered here to acknowledge the modest but laudable strides we are making in fulfilling that promise. We recognize that progress in the health sector is handicapped by several bottlenecks.

‘‘Accordingly, we have worked and we will continue to work to ensure that systems are introduced to bridge these gaps,’’ he said.

The President told the audience at LUTH that the Federal Government has created an enabling environment for institutions such as the NSIA to help fund high impact projects on time and on budget, thereby delivering immense value for our people.

‘‘In the case of the Cancer Centre, we can measure this value in currency, but we prefer to measure the value in terms of its social impact, the number of lives of Nigerians that will be saved and positively affected as well as the impact of capacity building for our people,’’ he said.

In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji said the Centre is expected to raise the bar in the quality and standard of cancer treatment in Nigeria with outcomes that would be consistent with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

‘‘In addition, this Centre will demonstrate the economic potential of healthcare investments in Nigeria and catalyse increased private sector participation,” he said.

Also speaking, Professor Chris Bode, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, noted that the Centre is world-class and no Nigerian cancer patient needs to travel abroad again to receive treatment easily obtainable at home.

‘‘We, therefore, want to assure Your Excellency that we shall give what it takes to run this centre as a pride to all Nigerians. NSIAs investment is not only safe but will yield ample dividend to encourage other deep pocket investors to open up the health sector as a veritable investors’ haven, ’’ he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole described the centre as the single largest investment in cancer treatment in the country by any administration since independence.

Prof. Adewole added that the facility can cater for 100 patients daily and provide training for over eighty healthcare professionals, among many others.

NAN

-As Graduate Nurses Felicitate with him

Following the recent election of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which took place during the 12th Delegates Conference on 6 February 2019, at the FCT, Abuja, Comrade (Nurse) Abdrafiu Alani Adeniji, was announced the winner of the NLC Vice Presidential position.

Adeniji, who is the President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Mid-wives (NANNM), has got another feather to his cap as the NLC Vice President.

While several nurses and other healthcare groups have been celebrating his victorious emergence as a member of the healthcare team on the leadership of the NLC,  the University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA) [also known as ‘Graduate Nurses Association of Nigeria’ (GNAN) has congratulated the NANNM’s president, on his new position as the NLC vice president.

The graduate nurses’ congratulatory message reads in part:

“We felicitate with you being confident that your wealth of experience in the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) will bring the much needed good fortune in the ‘Grand Labour centre’ at this auspicious moment that the labour movement in Nigeria is confronted with a lot of hard challenges!

“This great feat will remain a flowing source of motivation for upcoming nurses as it directly reinforces our age-long belief that the nurse has the capacity and competency to hold any public office.

“We therefore charge that you should gird up your loins and go the extra mile to get the job done against the most formidable, bearing in mind that the victory is not just yours but also that of the nursing profession that granted you your primary platform of union leadership.

“UGONSA believes that this is a stepping stone to greater opportunities and passionately urges that you make the most of this uncommon opportunity by working with utmost diligence and altruism such that your performance shall stand as a positive reference basis for strong advocacy to entrust nurses with more positions of authority in our national polity”.

-Lauds The Roses Ministry’s Widows’ Day programme

The gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Pharm. Jimi Agbaje, has urged the federal government and the Lagos State government to ensure provision of basic healthcare needs of Lagosians, especially the vulnerable, noting that this will significantly curb untimely death among the populace.

Agbaje made the call while speaking at the recent Annual Widows’ Day Free Healthcare Outreach, organised by The Roses Ministry at the National Population Commission Secretariat, Surulere, Lagos.

He decried the rate at which vulnerable Nigerians are dying due to lack of adequate healthcare delivery.

Agbaje, whose arrival at the venue of the event threw the crowd into wild jubilation, is in the Lagos State gubernatorial race for the third time, having lost the last election to the incumbent governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

The eminent pharmacist urged the widows in attendance, who numbered about 2000, to imbibe the habit of checking their health status, stressing that regular check-up was a way to get early intervention and arrest any negative health condition.

Addressing The Roses Ministry coordinator, Pharm. Ezenwa, Agbaje remarked: “When I walked into this gathering, I thought I had entered a venue meant for a political rally when I saw the large crowd that was already seated. I must be sincere, you are a Godsend to these people and I pray that as you are putting smiles on their faces, God will reward you and give you the fulfillment of your desires.”

The PDP candidate, who also participated in screening some of the widows, said that though he was not at the programme to campaign, he would ensure to introduce a health insurance scheme to cover all citizens in addition to providing adequate health facilities in the state, if elected as governor of Lagos State in 2019.

As the widows in their thousands benefited from the free health screening and donations of food items, clothing materials, and drugs at this year’s programme,  Pharm. Ezenwa attributed the success of the programme over the years to God.

According to her, “The Roses Ministry, a Foundation set up to show God’s love to the hurting and vulnerable in society, had little beginning as it started with about 50 widows some years ago, but has significantly increased to over 2000 widows in 2018. One of the reasons for conducting free healthcare screening and giving out free drugs to all the widows is to assist many of them, who desire adequate healthcare but do not have the financial strength to obtain it.”

Also present at the healthcare screening exercise was the Zonal Coordinator, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Surulere Zone, Pharm. Daniel Okoye, who explained that the free healthcare outreach for the widows had become an annual partnership between the ACPN, Surulere Zone, and The Roses Ministry, adding that it was part of the association’s contribution to improving public healthcare in the country.

Also speaking, Ugochi Opara, head, Widows Department, The Roses Ministry, noted that apart from the level of support towards the ministry which has improved tremendously, the number of participants has also increased significantly compared to the previous year.

The 2018 edition of the event was themed: “The Widow and Her Choices”, and featured  praise and worship, drama, free medical attention, counseling and giving out of relief materials, including Bibles, Ankara fabrics, bags of rice, drinks, tomato pastes, loaves of bread, vegetable oil, toiletries and drugs to the widows.

The Roses Ministry is a faith-based non-governmental organisation, which focuses on alleviating the plights of widows, orphans and vulnerable persons in the society.

Worried by the prevalence of cancer in the country, members of the Musculoskeletal Oncology Support Foundation (MONSUF), took to the street on Monday to enlighten people on the importance of reporting the growth of any tumour in their bodies to their doctors early, in order to prevent such from metamorphosing into cancer.

Members of the Foundation commenced their walk against cancer from Yaba to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, displaying various posters with inscriptions such as : “I am and I Will”; “Sarcoma is not a death sentence! Early treatment makes cure possible”; “Lump or bump in a limb? Visit an orthopaedic surgeon early”; Pain in the limbs? Please come around for a check up”, etc.

Speaking with the Chairman, MONSUF, Prof. Suleiman Olaiwola Giwa on the essence of the walk, he explained that they were out in commemoration of the World Cancer Day, established by Union For International Cancer Control (UICC) to enlighten people on early presentation of any growth in their bodies, emphasising the importance of seeing their doctors in time.

As a bone surgeon, he hinted on the rate of bone cancer prevalence in Nigeria, saying bone cancer make up one percent of all other cancers. “Although people might say it is very small, but one life is very important to us, so we want to say that one life among many”.

Also present at the campaign, a Professor of Surgery, Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Samuel Eyesan, noted other agenda of the advocacy walk, which were addressing the risk factors of cancer and listing the preventive measures to cancers. He mentioned regular exercise as the number one antidote to cancer, saying exercise has been proven to reduce cancer risk, as a person that exercises daily will hardly develop cancer.

He also stated that eating of fresh fruits and vegetables will help a great deal in reducing the risk of cancer, as they are loaded with antioxidants to combat free radicals, which bring about the development of cancer.

On the factors that predispose people to cancer, he said smoking and the consumption of alcohol top the list of these predisposing factors to cancer.”  Tobacco smoking and alcoholic consumption increase cancer risk, as studies have established that smokers die 15 years earlier than they are supposed to die, and 80 % of lungs cancer patients are found to be smokers. It is also established that smoking can cause cancer of anywhere mouth, stomach, lungs, gut, etc, while alcoholic drinks expose people to cancer of the liver”.

However, the professor of surgery said that cervical cancer is preventable, because scientists have been able to develop a vaccine against the virus that causes it called Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), and it is given to young ladies now a days. “Anyone who has received it is saved from developing cervical cancer to about 90 %”.

Prof. Eyesan also assured prostate cancer patients that there is hope of surviving it, if they report early. Speaking from patients’ observation over the years, he said there are survivors who have lived forty years after their diagnosis because of their early presentation. “For instance, in my church, I have someone who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer early, and the surgery was done in the US, and she is still alive fifteen years after”.

The Secretary to the Foundation, Pharm. Modupe Alli, also urged patients not to be shy to narrate their experience to their doctors, saying a problem shared, is half solved.

Provision of healthcare services in 23 Kenyan counties was paralysed on Monday as nurses went on strike to protest delay in the implementation of an agreement to pay them higher salaries.

The nurses’ strike affected critical services in public hospitals where the bulk of Kenya’s low-income earners seek treatment.

Union officials said the strike would continue until a collective bargaining agreement negotiated with their employer in November 2017 is implemented in full.

Seth Panyako, Secretary-General of Kenya National Union of Nurses, said his members would not relent in their push for higher salaries and perks in line with an agreement signed with the employer.

“We are demanding full implementation of the collective bargaining agreement of 2017 before the strike by our members is called off.

“The strike was our last option and hope the stalemate will be solved amicably,” said Panyako.

Earlier on, Ukur Yatani, cabinet secretary for Labour and Social Protection, urged the nurses’ union to call off the strike and embrace dialogue to avoid hurting operations in public health facilities.

Yatani appointed a three-member team to resolve the stalemate between the nurses’ union and the council of governors before the strike kicked off countrywide.

The cabinet secretary demanded that the union representing more than 8000 nurses give an additional one month to facilitate implementation of the deal on salary increase.

Local media reported that the nurses’ strike was taking a toll on healthcare services across 23 counties including the capital, Nairobi.

The paralysis was pronounced in Nairobi and other major towns like Mombasa and Kisumu where outpatient services in public hospitals were grounded due to absence of nurses.

Similarly, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday sent a message of goodwill to the Chinese people ahead of New Year festivities to be marked from Tuesday.

Kenyatta in his salutations underscored the long-standing friendship between Nairobi and Beijing that has unleashed benefits across the social, economic, political and cultural spheres.

“It is a pleasure to send our best wishes to the people of China, and to all those, who will celebrate the Chinese New Year beginning this Tuesday,” said Kenyatta.

“The friendship and partnership between Kenya and China is very old; in recent years, we have drawn even closer together, with tight cooperation now across a whole range of areas, from industry to infrastructure,” he added.

Chinese nationals will celebrate the 2019 New Year or Spring Festival beginning February 5 amid pomp and pageantry.

The 2019 Chinese New Year called the Year of the Pig will provide an opportunity for family reunions and celebration of timeless cultural values and norms that have defined the Asian country.

Kenyatta, who has visited China four times since he was sworn into office in April 2013, in his New Year message hailed bilateral ties with the world’s second largest economy.

“That cooperation has changed the lives of ordinary people in both countries. In Kenya, we see it most clearly in the Standard Gauge Railway, the region’s most ambitious infrastructure project,” said Kenyatta.

He said the China funded modern railway project had reaffirmed the mutual benefits that are likely to be unlocked against a backdrop of robust ties between Nairobi and Beijing.

“I look forward, as do the people of Kenya, to working with China, a true partner and friend, in the year to come,” said Kenyatta.

China has become the leading trading partner and source of foreign direct investments in Kenya since the two countries established diplomatic relationship more than 50 years ago.

(Xinhua/NAN)

The World Health Organisation says an estimated 116,000 new cases of cancer and 41,000 cancer-related deaths were recorded in Nigeria in 2018.

The WHO Official In Charge of Nigeria, Clement Peter, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists in Abuja at an event held in commemoration of the World Cancer Day.

Mr Peter blamed the alarming figures on the increased intake of tobacco and alcohol, and the unhealthy lifestyles of people in the country.

The World Cancer Day is an international event held on February 4 to raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.

The theme for this year is “I am and I will.” Mr Peter who represented WHO Regional Director, Matshidiso Moeti, said the theme was chosen as “a reminder of the important actions that we can – and need – to take as individuals, groups, communities and political leaders, to reduce the impact of cancer on our lives.”

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide as new cases and deaths from the disease keep rising.

Statistics from the WHO showed that in 2012, there were 14 million new cases and 8.2 million deaths, while in 2018 there were 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths.

Mr Peter said if current trends are maintained, the cancer burden in Africa is projected to double from 1,055,172 new cancer cases in 2018 to 2,123,245 by 2040.

He said the key driver to the cancer burden in Africa includes increasing exposure to known cancer risk factors such as tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diets, alcohol use and environmental pollution.

He said it is pathetic that more young people are getting hooked to tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and eating of fatty and junk food irrespective of the health hazard.

“Let us inform the youth that tobacco use is catastrophic, fast food and diet increases body weight and this causes obesity which if not checked can lead to cancer.

“Cancer is one of the non-communicable diseases which is killing many people globally. If the majority of the drivers are addressed, it would not only address cancer but also diabetes, hypertension, chronic heart problems and also reduce the cost of treatment of most of these diseases which are on the high side,” he said.

Mr Peter said the high poverty rate, late and poor cancer diagnosis and lack of medical cover are among factors posing a serious challenge to cancer patients in most African countries.

Other factors responsible for the heavy cancer burden in Africa are the absence of widely available information on the early signs and symptoms of cancer, late diagnosis, misdiagnosis, the absence of/weak referral systems, difficult access to care and treatment, catastrophic costs of treatment and medicines, and weak health care systems.

“Additional contributing factors in the rise of the cancer burden in Africa are the epidemiologic and demographic changes that are currently taking place. In short, the cancer burden is increasing as Africans are now living longer, in large part because of improvements in the control of the infectious causes of mortality and morbidity,” he said.

“Though significant progress has been made in diagnostics and treatment of cancers in high-income countries, sadly, most cancer patients in Africa are diagnosed at a late stage and the prognosis for a positive outcome is lessened, even in cases where treatment is available and affordable.

“Only 26 per cent of low-income countries around the world reported having public sector pathology services, and only 30 per cent of these countries had cancer treatment services. However, 90 per cent of high-income countries can offer such services.”

Mr Peter urged stakeholders, specifically African governments at the local, state, provincial, national and supranational levels, to create an environment for reducing cancer risk factors such as alcohol and tobacco use, and the citizens maintain good levels of physical activity, healthy body weight, and good nutrition.

He said cancer diagnosis should not represent a death sentence in Africa, nor should it lead to catastrophic expenditure through out-of-pocket payments for diagnosis, treatment and palliative care.

“Thousands of lives can be saved in Africa with proper cancer prevention, early detection, access to proper treatment and care, he said.

In a related development, a report by Philips Consulting (PCI), which reviewed ‘the socio-economic impact of cancer in Nigeria’, noted that the financial implication of cancer treatment on patients in Nigeria is very high.

The organisation said this has been having a grave and negative impact on the lives of patients, families and friends.

Some of the findings, which were released in a press statement signed by a media consultant for PCL, Chiadika Okereke, showed that the cost of cancer treatment in Nigeria ranges between N850, 000 and N3, 600,000.

Unfortunately, many of the victims have to spend out of pocket money in the treatment of cancer because the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) covers less than four per cent of the Nigerian population.

Those covered by the scheme also have to pay because most of the treatments for cancer are not covered by NHIS.

“The number of people resorting to public intervention has constantly increased over the years; this is intuitive evidence of the great socio-economic burden faced by cancer patients and their caregivers”, Mr Okereke said.

The research also noted that every year, cancer patients spend a huge amount on medical treatment abroad.

WHO

 The Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), Gombe State office, has inaugurated an inspection committee to check illegal pharmaceutical stores in the state.

Mrs Rhoda Stephen, the state officer of the Council, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe.

Stephen said: “Before August 2018, there was no regulation at all in the state and people were engaged in so many illegal practices. But after our monitoring and inspection team from Abuja visited the state and sealed 596 pharmaceutical stores, we stepped up our activities in that regard.

“We have inaugurated our inspection team in the state. With this, we intend to address the issues of illegal premises and malpractices with regards to personnel and pharmaceutical stores. The committee has requested for imbursement which is being processed and as soon as this is done, we will start inspection and monitoring activities immediately.

She explained that the inauguration of the committee was to continue with the enforcement, inspection, and regulation activities that began in Aug. 2018, so as to sustain the fight against illegal pharmaceutical stores in the state.

NAN reports that the committee which is tagged: Pharmaceutical Inspection Committee (PIC) is in collaboration with the PCN and the state Ministry of Health. Other partners in the committee include: members of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) and leaders of Patent Medicine Vendors (PMV). Stephen stressed that the collaborative efforts would go a long way in reducing cases of illegal premises and personnel. She said that an appeal had been made to Mr Kennedy Ishaya, the state Commissioner of Health to urgently inaugurate a task force that would complement the job of PCN in the state.

NAN

One in seven Nigerians uses drugs, more than twice the global average, according to the country’s first major national drug-use survey published on Tuesday.

The survey, conducted by the Nigerian government, the European Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC), said an estimated 14.4 percent of Nigerians use drugs. That is more than twice the global average of 5.6 percent. It based its findings on data collected from nearly 50,000 respondents.

In Nigeria, that 14.4-percent figure translates to 14.3 million people aged 15 to 64 using drugs other than alcohol and tobacco last year, said the survey. “Some of the findings of the survey presented today are striking and alarming,” said Nigeria’s health minister for state, Osagie Ehanire.

They require “concerted efforts to mitigate the negative consequences of this rising menace on the health, socio-economic and security of our nation”. A new drug-control masterplan was being formulated to tackle the problem, he added. The report revealed for the first time the extent of drug use in Africa’s most populous nation. It said that 4.6 million people — 4.7 percent of the population — used prescription painkillers such as tramadol and cough syrups for non-medical purposes last year. This abuse, responsible for most of the negative health impacts of drugs, led to Nigeria banning codeine-based cough syrups last year because of concern at the spiralling rates of abuse.

The levels of consumption in Nigeria placed it among the countries with “highest estimates of non-medical opioid use globally”, the report said. Many of Nigeria’s drug users are in the restive northeast, which has suffered from the Boko Haram insurgency for almost a decade. But the highest rate of drug use is in the southwest, where just over one in five (22.4 percent) of 15-64 year olds used drugs last year, the report said. In Lagos, Nigeria’s sprawling megacity where poverty and unemployment is increasing, drug use was even higher, at 33 percent. In Nigeria, as in the rest of the world, the most abused drug was cannabis, according to the report.

Vanguard

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Nigeria has the second largest number of stunted children in the world, with over 11 million children under the age of five affected.

Annefrida Kisesa, the Chief Field Services and Operations, UNICEF, made the remark at a two-day workshop on nutrition and comprehensive dietary diversification held on Tuesday in Kano.

NAN reports that the workshop was organised by the fund in collaboration with Kano Emirate Council Committee on Health and Human Development for district and village heads from Bichi and Sumaila Local Government Areas of the state.

“Kano is the most populous state in Nigeria with 13.5 million people including 810,000 children aged six to 23 months. Stunting affects more than half (58%) of under five in Kano State,” Mrs Kisesa said.

She explained that poor infant feeding was one of the reasons for stunting and called for greater investment in nutrition in order to ensure that all children enjoy better health and nutrition state.

“The 2017 Multi-indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) also revealed poor infant feeding practices in Kano with 30 per cent of children 6-23 months consuming Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD).’’

She said the survey also indicated that 40.5 per cent of the children were consuming Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF), while only 14.6 per cent were consuming Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD).

“As a child rights advocates, UNICEF firmly believes that without investing in children, human development will always remain incomplete.

“It is not a favour for children, but it is their right, all of us, parents, communities, and governments at all levels, we have a responsibility to uphold to ensure economic growth and development of the children,” she said.

According to her, parents and community leaders have a critical role to play in transforming lives of their communities and children.

“The first 1,000 days of life from conception to two years represents a critical window of opportunity for the promotion of optimal growth, health and development.

The UNICEF Chief of Katsina Field Office, Padmarathi Yedla, reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to achieve child survival and development in Kano state in particular and Nigeria in large.

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, called on traditional rulers in the state to enlighten their subjects on the importance of giving children food that has nutritious value.

He urged the participants to support the programme with a view to achieving the desired objective.

(NAN)

The Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) and The Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) are organising a medical mission trip to Nigeria on 5 to 12 of April 2019.

This medical mission is focused on the provision of necessary patient care interventions in a clinic setting, provision of surgical interventions, Dental and Pharmaceutical care, continuing professional development and training to locally based healthcare providers and strategic interactions with Nigerian healthcare stakeholders, to foster overall healthcare improvement opportunities in all the various facets of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

While soliciting for the support of stakeholders, to enhance the provision of medical and pharmaceutical aids to the severely underserved communities in Nigeria, ANPA/NAPPSA Medical Mission Team Coordinator, Dr Teresa Pounds, emphasised the essence of the mission, noting that it is for the joint achievement of ANPA and NAPPSA vision of a healthier Nigeria in a healthier world through information exchange, educational development, professional collaboration and cooperation.

Dr Pounds, who spoke through a statement sent to Pharmanewsonline.com, said the medical mission trip is funded largely by donations used exclusively for the benefit of Nigerians. “Our goal is to promote long term self-sustaining healthy communities through medical missions. We typically cover travel expenses for all the professional volunteers who are responsible for all patient care activities, we also have a drug formulary, medical, dental and pharmaceutical supplies list needed to effectively provide patient care activities.

“All materials donated for the mission will be left in Nigeria to be used for the continued care of Nigerians. It is therefore critically essential that you please partner with us to make this medical mission a success through your tax-deductible financial contribution or the donation of items in the attached list”, she pleaded.

Below is the list of drug class and supplies needed for ANPA/NAPPSA Medical Mission :

1. Anesthesia, surgical supplies, tools and medications.
2. Antimicrobials.
3. Pain management and Arthritis.
4. Muscle relaxants.
5. Asthma and allergy.
6. Diabetes medications, monitoring tools and supplies.
7. Heart and blood pressure medications, Diagnostic & monitoring tools and supplies.
8. Gastro Intestinal medications.
9. Dermatology.
10. Eye and Ear health.
11. Vitamins and Nutritional Support.
12. Women’s health.
13. Medical supplies and diagnostic tools.
14. Pharmacy dispensing supplies.
15. Dental tools and supplies.

The inauguration of the 22nd President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Pharm.(Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa and the investiture ceremony of new Fellows, held yesterday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, was graced by dignitaries from within and outside the country.

Photographs below captured some of the faces at the memorable ceremony-

The management and entire staff of Pharmanews Ltd., warmly congratulate Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa, on the occasion of his inauguration as the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), coming up on Thursday 24 January 2019, at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

We also extend our greetings to the new Fellows to be decorated at the inauguration ceremony, while wishing the PSN President, a very successful tenure with great achievement.

-As association gets new executives

The newly elected chairperson of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN) Lagos State branch, Pharm. Titilayo Onedo, has revealed the objectives of her administration for the association.

Onedo, who spoke with Pharmanews, shortly after the handing over ceremony of the association, listed the goals of her administration to include:  resolution of conflicts with the medical doctors; collaboration with pharmacists in other areas of specialisation; capacity building; and sourcing of funds for project execution.

Said Onedo: “We are going to collaborate more, even with the industrial pharmacists, we are going to liaise on how to resolve issues with the medics, and how to tackle the myriads of challenges facing the association.

“We are going to focus on capacity building, and this needs funding, although the commitment is there, and I know that the industry is willing to partner with associations like ours, but funding is key.”

Onedo, who also expressed her gratitude to God and to all members of the association for the opportunity to serve, explained that she and her team were ready to work with all members for the progression of the group.

Asked about her disposition towards her new position, she said, “I actually feel excited about the election; at the same time, I feel challenged because I know the position requires  a lot of work.

“However, my team and I are equally ready to take up the challenge. Moreover, members of the association have given us their words to be committed to the objectives of the association to work with us,” she quipped.

The election of the new executives, conducted on 13 December 2018, had all the positions contested for unopposed, except that of the treasurer. The occasion also witnessed the launch of the maiden edition of the Lagos AHAPN Bulletin.

On her own part, the outgoing chairperson of the association, Pharm. (Mrs) Folashade Kotun, expressed joy in having a competent successor, while also demonstrating confidence in the ability of the new executives to deliver the needed progress for the association.

“I am confident that starting from January 2019, when I look back at this association, I will be filled with joy because I know they will perform their duties very well”, she enthused.

Speaking on the challenges encountered during her tenure, she said the major one was getting pharmacists both in hospital and administrative settings to be actively involved in the activities  of the association.

According to her, to resolve this, the association embarked on a massive campaign to reorient the concerned pharmacists.

She further urged the new executives to continue from where she stopped by intensifying efforts to reach out to pharmacists in the private sector and also encourage more active participation from those in the industry.

The new Lagos State AHAPN executives are:  Pharm. Titilayo Onedo, chairperson; Pharm. O.S.  Ojuoko, vice chairman;   Pharm.  T.O.  Ajibola, secretary; Pharm.  T.A. Asen, assistant secretary; Pharm.  Temitope  Akinboro, treasurer;  Pharm. Kehinde Oyinlade,  financial secretary;  Pharm.  CTA Ugwu, publicity secretary; Pharm.  Zainab Alabi, welfare officer; Pharm.  C.N. Mbanugo, unofficial member; K.K.  Ekwunife, unofficial member; and Folashade Kotun, immediate past chairman.

To ensure the continued success of their businesses, while providing quality services and delivering affordable care that is improving the lives of patients, community pharmacists in the country must adapt to the evolution of the practice from mere dispensing and compounding drugs to patient-centered and outcome-oriented care.

This was the submission of experts and scholars in the pharmaceutical industry, at the 2018 Lagos ACPN’s Pharmacists Continuing Education Conference, held last December at NECA House, Ikeja, Lagos.

Those who spoke at the event included Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa, president, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); Prof. Bolajoko Aina, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos (UNILAG); Prof. (Mrs) Cecilia Igwilo, distinguished professor of Pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, UNILAG; and Pharm. Samuel Adekola, national chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN).

According to the keynote speaker, Prof. Aina, the education conference was timely and apt, as knowledge gained would not only help community pharmacists to keep their businesses afloat, but also help them to make real changes in their practice pattern as they devise new revenue streams beyond dispensing medications.

The university don, who delivered the paper, “Evolving Pharmacy Practice: Tool to Sustenance of Economic Recovery and Growth”,  said that to survive, community pharmacists must be willing to acknowledge the rapidly occurring changes in healthcare delivery and accept the reality that the changes will continue, noting that the traditional roles and activities are no longer of much value.

According to her, Pharmacy is moving from being prescription-focused to being patient-focused; so the practitioners  must change their mindset beyond just filling prescriptions and move on to a patient-centered view, where they are looking at all of the patient’s needs when they fill prescriptions.

Speaking in the same vein, Prof. (Mrs) Cecilia Igwilo, who was the chairman of the occasion, noted that for pharmacists to survive in today’s world, they must be willing to accept the reality that Pharmacy is evolving and that the activities and practice of yesteryears are diminishing.

She added further that the role of the pharmacist in community pharmacy is changing from a focus on preparation, dispensing and sale of medications to one in which the pharmacist assists the public to get the best possible result from medications through patient education, physician consultation and patient monitoring.

In his goodwill message at the programme, Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa, commended the Lagos State ACPN for the choice of theme for the programme, saying it was very much in consonance with the vision of his administration for Pharmacy.

Said Ohuabunwa: “I am proud of ACPN, Lagos State, and its leadership; and I appreciate them for coming up with this laudable annual programme. It is a good avenue to upgrade the knowledge of community pharmacists so that they can remain leaders in the pharmaceutical business.”

Also, the duo of Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, (PCN), Pharm. N.A.E Mohammed; and National Chairman, ACPN, Pharm. Samuel Adekola, noted that the continuing education conference organised annually by Lagos ACPN has been consistent over the years because of the importance that the association places on knowledge and effective service delivery.

In an earlier address, Chairman of ACPN Lagos, Pharm. Olabanji Benedict Obideyi, said the continuing education conference was designed to ensure members of the association were not left out in the scheme of things, even as the world keeps developing every day.

He also noted that the theme of the conference was timely, considering the wave of disruption being experienced in pharmaceutical practice, with community pharmacy considered the most affected.