Poised to establish the impact of regular Facebook usage on users’ health, researchers from University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia — led by Prof. Eric Vanman, have found that frequent usage of Facebook could raise users’ stress levels.

The study, published in the Journal of Social Psychology explained how previous researchers have found that quitting the social media network can drastically lower your stress levels.

To commence the investigation, the team led by Prof. Vanman, a senior lecturer at the university's School of Psychology, formed two groups of regular users of the social network, consisting of 138 participants. While one group was asked to stay off Facebook for five days, the other group participants continued their regular usage.

The study, as reported on Medical News Today, collected saliva samples from the groups participants before the experimentation and after the intervention, for the measurement of their stress levels, which will be revealed by the stress hormone, cortisol.

According to Prof. Vanman, “Taking a Facebook break for just 5 days reduced a person's level of the stress hormone cortisol.”

Cortisol is known to soar when a person is stressed. In fact, the hormone is considered to be the key player in stress, regulating how our body responds to it”.

He further explained that too much cortisol can compromise our immune system, making us more vulnerable to infections, impairing our memory, and predisposing us to obesity, among other things.

Other negative effects of chronic exposure to cortisol over prolonged periods of time may include “impaired cognition, decreased thyroid function, and accumulation of abdominal fat, which has implications for cardiovascular health”, he stated.

While a reduction on the social media platform engagement or total withdrawal may reduce your stress level, as found by the study, it was also discovered that staying away from Facebook might make you sadder — at least in the beginning.

As Prof. Vanman remarked “While participants in our study showed an improvement in physiological stress by giving up Facebook, they also reported lower feelings of well-being.”

“People said they felt more unsatisfied with their life, and were looking forward to resuming their FB activity.”

Prof. Vanman speculates on what may have led to these results. He says, “People experienced less well-being after those 5 days without Facebook — they felt less content with their lives — from the resulting social disconnection of being cut off from their friends on the platform.”

“Abstaining from Facebook,” continues Prof. Vanman, “was shown to reduce a person's level of cortisol, but people's own ratings of their stress did not change — perhaps because they weren't aware their stress had gone down.”

The team however acknowledged the renowned platform as a veritable tool of interaction for millions users across the globe, which obviously enhances intercontinental communication, and offers more benefits for users. Still, due to the plethora of social information it conveys about large network of people, its poses a danger of information overload to users.

The Takeaway from this study is, in as much as Facebook is recognised as an essential platform for social networking, quitting the platform may not be the best option, rather, users  can control their activities on it, to ensure maximum result and best health output.

Regardless of the double-digit inflation rate that impacted the nation’s economy negatively in the year 2017, the management of May & Baker Nigeria Plc was able to sustain a high growth in both pre and post-tax profits, as it recently announced a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N605.6 million.

The consolidated audited statement of the healthcare group for the year ended 31 December 2017, showed that the profit rose by 75 percent above the previous year’s figure of N346 million. However, the profit after tax for the current year stood at N371 million. This leapt from N41 million after tax loss in 2016 – a year of seething recession.

Following this impressive growth in its performance for 2017, the Board has okayed a 233.3 percent increase in cash dividends (N196 million) to shareholders of May & Baker.

The press statement from the organisation revealed that the revenue grew by 10 per cent from N8.5 billion in 2016, to N9.4 billion current year. However, cost of sales grew marginally by 2 percent from N5.9 billion prior year to N6.1 billion in the year under review due to increases in materials’ costs, and high power cost. The company resolutely waded through market variances to generate a 29 percent growth in gross profit from N2.5 billion in the previous year to N3.3 billion in the current year.

Speaking on the company’s outlook for the new business year, the Managing Director, May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, holds the projection that both the global and the local economy will grow in 2018 and May & baker will connect with this growth.  He stated that, “The Company will remain focused on its long-term goal of strengthening existing investments and expand new business areas so as to continue to create new opportunities that will grow value and long term returns to all our stakeholders.”

He added that, “May & Baker has a great pedigree and is poised to play beyond the boundaries of Nigeria and break into Sub-Saharan Africa. To drive this, we will continue to acquire necessary competences, engage pertinent partnerships and then keep leveraging our installed capacity at the pharmaceutical facility in Ota to the fullest so as to improve on our numbers year-on-year”.

The document expatiated on the 2017 operating expenses of the company, noting it swelled by 26.5 per cent, posting N1.4 billion against the previous year’s cost of N1.1 billion while Finance cost increased by 22 per cent from    N519million last year to N635million present year. This was largely driven by the cash backing requirement for LCs and import financing.

Having operated in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry for about 74 years, May & Baker has remained a viable attraction for investment especially as the company’s operational efficiency continues to increase year-on-year. This is manifested in the financial outlook of the company’s 5-year comparative results of pre- tax profits.

In 2013, the group posted a PBT of N11million loss and then bounced back to record a phenomenal N101.17 million profit, the following year. Despite the 2015 “political headwinds”, the company grew its PBT to N142.40 million and then withstood the 2016 scorching recession to announce N345.94 million as PBT. The 2017 profit before tax stands at N605.62 million.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says irrespective of current health crisis still bedeviling some nations, it has recorded great success in eradicating diseases and improving life expectancy globally during its 70 years of existence.

In a statement to celebrate seven decades of the existence of WHO, the organisation said one of its health gains was reducing death rate among children under five years by 6 million between 1990 and 2016.

It said that since the organisation’s establishment, life expectancy globally had increased by 25 years with smallpox defeated and polio on the verge of eradication.

The organisation said many countries had successfully eliminated measles, malaria and debilitating tropical diseases like guinea worm and elephantiasis as well as mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.

WHO said that with its recommendations and efforts, the plight of more than 300 million people suffering from chronic hepatitis B and C infections had gained global attention.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, “our efforts have helped 21 million people get life-saving treatment for HIV and our innovative partnerships has produced effective vaccines against meningitis, Ebola and the world’s first ever malaria vaccine.

“In the coming weeks, WHO will publish the world’s first Essential Diagnostics List.

This document is a guide for countries on the key medicines that a national health system needs.

“In the early years, there was a strong focus on fighting infectious killers like smallpox, polio and diphtheria.

“But in the recent decades, the world has seen a rise in non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

“These diseases now account for 70 per cent of all deaths; WHO is therefore shifting focus along with other health authorities around the world to promote healthy eating, physical exercise and regular health checks.”

The  organisation said in spite all these achievements, it continued to remain on constant alert to all health crises globally and it was committed to prevent outbreaks from turning into epidemics.

WHO said the organisation had run global health campaigns on the prevention of diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and was working towards reducing disease and death caused by tobacco.

It said that the organisation was also currently responding to outbreaks and humanitarian crises in more than 40 countries worldwide.

“Every year, WHO studies influenza trends, to work out what should go into the next season’s vaccine.

The  World Health Organisation remains on constant alert against the threat of pandemic influenza.’’

According to WHO, 100 years after the flu pandemic of 1918, it is determined that the world should never again be subjected to such a threat to global health security.

It said at the World Health Assembly scheduled for May, the organisation will propose a bold new agenda that would build on lessons learnt and experience gained over the past 70 years.

“It will focus on achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for one billion more people; protecting one billion more people from health emergencies.

“It will also enabling one billion more people to enjoy better health and wellbeing by 2023, the halfway point to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda deadline.”

The establishment of World Health Organisation, WHO was approved by the UN Conference in San Francisco, USA in 1945 and the organisation began its operations in 1948.

WHO will mark its 70th anniversary on April 7, a day set aside yearly to commemorate the “World Health Day”.

The theme for the 2018 World Health Day is “Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere”.

(NAN)

No fewer than 23 Health Management Organisations, (HMOs) have been sacked from Nigeria’s Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.

The decision was reached after a validity test carried out on all 57 HMOS operating under the scheme.

According to the newly inaugurated governing council of the scheme, the Health Management Organisations, HMOs were delisted because they failed to meet up with the minimum operational standard expected of them.

“Only one out of the 57 HMOs actually scored 100 per cent and is therefore granted accreditation to operate,” Enyanatu Ifenne, chairperson of the board said at a press briefing Thursday in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary of the scheme, Usman Yusuf, alongside members of the board were present at the briefing.

Ms Ifenne noted that 34 HMOs were granted provisional accreditation until they are able to fulfill all the conditions for the reaccreditation process, while 23 were denied reaccreditation as they failed to meet the minimum standard.

She said all HMOs operating in the scheme are expected to renew their accreditation every two years, while some of them had their accreditation last since 2013.

The board chairperson explained that Decree 35 of the scheme gives the council the power to re-accredit Health Management Organisations, HMOs and lays out clearly the condition and processes through the operations and guideline that were drawn down by the Act.

Decrying the low coverage of the scheme since inception, Ms Ifenne, a padaetrician stated that the scheme has mapped out plans on how to expand enrollee coverage by 10 per cent annually.

“We have a plan go expand coverage of the scheme at least by 10 per cent every year. We can do better but that’s the modest goal.

“We can achieve that by providing support to states to enable their own law and establish their own front. We have a lot (of) social capital in the non-formal sector that we have to activate. We are targeting universities, NYSC members, less-privileged, pregnant women and children. We are worried that countries like Ghana and Rwanda are doing much better.

“The fact that health facilities are reluctant to accept NHIS enrollees is an indictment on NHIS as public entity because what we see with this reaccreditation is accumulation of regulatory failure. Accreditation should not be the only time we know that the company is bankrupt or nonexistent or sold to (a) South African entity. If we were up and doing and on our toes in applying the regulatory powers giving us under the law, this should not happen.”

She said the current value chain the scheme operates ”which puts the NHIS at the top, the HMOs, the healthcare providers at the centre and the enrollee at the bottom is wrong.”

“Elephants have been fighting, the grass gets hurt. The grass here is the people we call enrollee. I hate that word. Enrollee just makes it look as if they were conscripted. They have no choice but to take poor service whether they like it or not or opt out.”

She also said the board has made plans to change the current trend and put the enrollees at the top of the ladder; noting that the satisfaction of the enrollee is key to the operation of the board.

“With this shift, the healthcare providers will be held to account not only for the quality care but also for the humanity because from the information we have, most people in the scheme are treated as second rate patients. So we all, NHIS, Health Management Organisations, HMOs and healthcare providers have to work so that the enrollees is at the tip of the value chain.

“We are going to redefine the processes and focus of NHIS to stand up to its regulatory function. The failure to meet our regulatory function is the reason why this plague has being spread.”

Also speaking, a representative of the Health Management Organisations, HMOs, Lekan Onaikan, said the HMOs are willing to comply with all regulatory guidelines mapped out by NHIS.

“As far as we are concerned, this industry is meant to be strongly regulated and if a regulator regulates well, whoever that doesn’t want to comply with regulation should step aside,” he said.

A cholera outbreak in Gashua, Yobe State has claimed 13 lives out of 160 cases reported in the last six days, a source at the Gashua General Hospital revealed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a source from the Gashua General Hospital told NAN that five deaths were first recorded while eight lives were later lost to the disease.

The source said that the victims were brought in from Sabon Gari, Katuzu, Zango, Lawan Musa and Sarkin Hausawa, which were among the areas worst affected by the outbreak.

Meanwhile, the state government has despatched a Rapid Response Team to contain the outbreak and spread of the disease.

Mohammed Bukar, the General Manager, Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), confirmed that the response team has embarked on chlorinating water reservoirs and disinfecting toilet facilities in the area.

He said aqua tablets were also distributed to households while promotion of personal hygiene had been intensified to curtail spread of the disease.

Mr Bukar attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene, adding “we collected water samples from various sources, and using the bacteriological test kit, we discovered some private boreholes with contaminated water.”

He said shallow boreholes managed by private individuals are prone to contamination.

“There is the need to pass the water law in good time to check the excesses of some private boreholes who abuse due process and put the lives of the people at risk,” the general manager said.

According to Mr Bukar, water samples from five boreholes in Gashua which tested positive have been shut down while more samples have been taken for advance laboratory analysis.

He said communities in neighbouring Karasuwa and Yusufari Local Government Areas have been disinfected and provided with aqua tablets to check possible spread.

Similarly, the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, has provided fluids and drugs to the Gashua general hospital for treatment of victims at the hospital.

Habu Kaku, aide to the leader of the Senate, told NAN that the donation of the drugs and fluids was to complement government efforts in the treatment of the victims.

“This is a first phase intervention to arrest the unexpected outbreak and to compliment the efforts of the state government in curtailing the menace,” Mr Kaku said.

(NAN)

…Presents a congratulatory plaque on his 90th birthday

As a way of advancing their mutual relationship of many years, and also to celebrate the Therapeutic Laboratories Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Joginder Singh Lalvani at 90, Sir Ifeanyi  Atueyi, managing director, Pharmanews Limited, recently led a delegation of the company’s management team to pay a courtesy visit to the nonagenarian and the Therapeutic Laboratories  Nigeria Limited team.

The courtesy visit, which took place at the Therapeutic Laboratories Nigeria Limited head office, Maryland, Lagos,  had in attendance, Mr Joel Omikunle, business manager, Pharmanews Limited; Mr Yusuff  Moshood, editor; Mr  Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, senior correspondent, and Mr Adebayo Oladejo, a senior reporter in attendance.

Explaining the reason for the visit, Sir Atueyi said it was to show appreciation for the continued support of Therapeutic Laboratories over the years, especially in the aspect of advert placements in the Pharmanews Journal for close to 30 years. He also noted that it was to felicitate with the Therapeutic boss on his 90th birthday, while he prayed that God grants him strength and grace to celebrate more years in life.

Atueyi, who described the visit as a very significant one, being  his second time to the company, said the first visit was several years ago. He said he was also there to learn from the nonagenarian, the secret of attaining such an old age.

In his response, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Therapeutic  Laboratories Nigeria Limited, Baba Joginder Lalvani, as he is fondly called, expressed his delight for the second  visit of the Pharmanews boss and his team to the company.

Reminiscing on his entrance into Nigeria about 40 years ago, the Indian industrialist narrated how his first experience of a major military coup in the country that toppled the government of Gen. Yakubu Gowon and brought in late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, never gave him a hope of staying so long in Nigeria. He was however surprised about how he was able to subdue his fears, and still living in the country till date, after four decades.

He therefore advised the Federal Government to encourage local pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country, through favourable policies that would promote their businesses and sustain them in the sector.

Other top officials of Therapeutic Laboratories Nigeria Limited at the event were: Mr Rajan Lalvani, executive director; Mrs Rhoda Oladipo, marketing manager, OTC; and Pharm. Felicia Oladimeji, superintendent pharmacist and head of the factory.

For the use of narcotics to be reduced to the barest minimum in the country, then all stakeholders must play active roles in ensuring compliance with regulations on the importation of such drugs, as well as urgently reporting the sales and use of such drugs to the appropriate quarters, whenever such is found, Chairman, NAFDAC Governing Council, Alhaji Wuwa Abdulkadir has said.

The NAFDAC Chairman, who was not by any means shifting the responsibilities of the agency to the citizens, stated that in a country of about 200 million population, NAFDAC officials cannot be everywhere at the same time, which calls for the people to be vigilant and ready to report any nefarious activities around them to the nearest NAFDAC office to them.

Alhaji Abdulkadir who was meeting the agency’s national directors for the first time, at the NAFDAC Main Laboratory Complex, Oshodi, since the inauguration of the council, said although this is not the best of time, as there is so much drug abuse and misuse in the country, however pledged the commitment of the council, to work hand in hand with the management of NAFDAC, to rid the nation of illegal drug use.

He also emphasised the essence of having well motivated staff members, which he described as key in fighting drug abuse to a standstill in the country.

“Our vision is to improve our staff welfare package, because whatever is our mandate, there is no means of achieving it, without motivated staff. In fact, the agency stands at a risk if our staff could be easily manipulated by unscrupulous persons for gain of reward, to the detriment of the agency”.

On the control of drug abuse and misuse in the country, the NAFDAC chairman noted with dismay that there are a number of drugs in Nigeria which are very dangerous to the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizens.

Citing the misuse of tramadol for instance, he said it is imported to sustain criminal activities in the society.

According to him: “The misuse of tramadol is really destroying our youths and endangering the security of the nation, as it is a major boost to criminal activities. Thus, the more tramadol in circulation, the more insurgency on the rise”.

He said this negative development calls for the concern of all citizens, much more now that political campaigns are at the corner, when political thugs will be in desperate search of stimulants to cause mayhem in the society.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Abdulkadir commended the efforts of the agency’s enforcement officers,  who risk their lives on a daily basis in curtailing the activities of drug peddlers in the county, noting that the council will not relent  its efforts, until a good number of these evil men are brought to book.

The chairman who expressed his satisfaction, with the pace of work at the institution, however said that a lot needs to be done in upgrading capacity, in order to cater for the teaming population of Nigeria. He also observed the dedication of the staff, even in the face of seemingly shortage of hands; they are still meeting their deadlines on assignments given to them.

The Director General, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye expressed our deep delight with the appointment of the chairman and members of the council, after the agency has suffered several setbacks, due to the absent of a governing council and a substantive DG.

She identified adequate funding as key factor for effective enforcement of the agency’s regulation in the country. “Several vehicles are needed for combing of nooks and crannies of the nation, as well as for the inspection of companies and facilities”.

On her assumption of office, she said the state of facilities in the agency was comatose, which spurred her into action immediately, as she has been able to improve the situation, within few months.

With the agency’s 9 April 2018, deadline for the clearance of 6,000 backlog applications due for approval, she assured Nigerians of better and faster ways of  getting  their products registered without much delay.

Alta Semper a private equity manager, investing flexible and strategic capital across selected African growth markets, has announced its partnership with Nigeria’s leading retail pharmacy chain HealthPlus. Under the terms of the agreement, Alta Semper is investing US$18 million into HealthPlus, which will enable the company to expand its retail footprint and enhance its competitive position. Alta Semper specifically invests into market-leading businesses in defensive sub-sectors within the consumer and healthcare verticals.

Announcing the partnership through a press statement jointly signed by the two companies, it noted that the healthcare and retail markets in Nigeria are characterised by growing demand, driven by favourable demographics, increased consumer awareness and evolving consumption patterns. Furthermore, Nigeria is home to one of the least penetrated formal retail markets in the world, despite its large and growing population. The retail pharmacy sector is highly fragmented, with many independent drug stores and several patent medicine outlets.

The statement further described the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry, though full of many opportunities, but its besieged with several challenges, a situation which prompted the investment company to invest in the industry.

“Given structural challenges with the industry supply chain, counterfeit pharmaceuticals find their way into over forty percent of the retail market, while most wholesale and retail sales across the country are still made through informal markets. Moreover, much of the healthcare infrastructure is confined to major cities, with people living in urban areas having approximately four times as much access to healthcare as those living in rural areas.

“The investment into HealthPlus will enable the company to capture the pent-up demand for high-quality yet affordable healthcare and professional beauty supplies by developing regional distribution centres in commercial hubs across Nigeria, rapidly expanding the Company’s footprint across Nigeria as well as developing a wholesale channel and investing in private label and e-commerce”.

This transaction marks Alta Semper’s first investment in Nigeria.

Commenting on the investment, Bukky George, Founder & CEO of HealthPlus said

“We believe Alta Semper is the right partner for our next stage of growth. Alta Semper’s focus on the healthcare sector, as well as its ability to invest patient and flexible capital, will allow us to grow strategically across Nigeria and further our mission to provide high quality and affordable healthcare products and services to a market that is large and growing. Our vision is to be Africa’s #1 for pharmacy, wellness and beauty. We believe we have found a partner who can help us achieve this goal over the coming years.

Commenting on the investment, Afsane Jetha, Managing Partner & CEO of Alta Semper said:

“We are very excited about our partnership with HealthPlus, a remarkable example of a homegrown company that has become one of the largest specialty retailers in West Africa. We believe HealthPlus is well-positioned to take advantage of the grossly under-penetrated Nigerian pharmacy retail market and meet the growing demands of Nigerian consumers, as well as to expand regionally into neighbouring countries. We believe that this is an opportune time to enter the Nigerian retail market and invest into a market-leading player such as HealthPlus, which presents a unique risk-adjusted entry strategy, given its existing size and geographic scope. We are looking forward to working closely with Bukky George and her team to further unlock the Company’s growth potential.”

HealthPlus Limited

HealthPlus was founded in 1999 by Mrs. Olubukunola Adewunmi (Bukky) George, FPSN, a Nigeria and UK-trained pharmacist with over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, who has organically grown the business into the leading pharmacy chain and retailer of beauty supplies in West Africa.

The company’s quest is to provide the Nigerian consumer with high-quality, life-saving and affordable products and services. Furthermore, the company aims to make a meaningful and lasting impact by contributing its quota to the achievement of universal healthcare coverage and to increasing life expectancy for all Nigerians.

It targets a broad base of consumers through the provision of healthcare products such as prescription and over-the-counter medicines, nutritional supplements, natural remedies, home medical equipment, mobility aids and pharmacy services.

The company employs over 700 people which includes 150 pharmacists, with at least two pharmacists dispensing prescription medicines and providing counselling, free health screenings and value-adding pharmacy services at each pharmacy. It operates branches in strategically-located residential areas, shopping centres and airports across 11 of the 36 states in Nigeria. HealthPlus has one of the highest brand recognition and ratings of any consumer company in Nigeria.

The dedication and professionalism of the company has been recognised with several excellence awards including the ICERTIAS Best Buy Award for #1 Pharmacy in Best Price-Quality Ratio 2017, the Nigerian Customer Service Award for Best in the Pharmaceutical Category 2017 and the Nigeria Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) 2016, 2015, 2014.

In pursuance of its mission to rid Nigeria of substandard foods and drugs, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned the public to shun the consumption of fruits ripened with calcium carbide.

The agency gave the warning on Monday in Abuja in a statement signed by its management, saying that dangerous effects of carbide-ripened fruits include cancer and other illnesses.

According to the management, consuming such fruits can also cause heart, kidney and liver failure.

“NAFDAC hereby warns farmers and the general public against the dangers of using calcium carbide for ripening fruits such as banana, mango, plantain, orange and cashew,” the management said.

On how to identify carbide-ripened fruits, the management said that “naturally ripened fruits usually have brown or black spots while those artificially ripened have traces of powdery substances and peel off quickly’’.

The Agency further warned that “ripening fruits and vegetables with calcium carbide is a criminal offence’’, adding that henceforth, perpetrators would be prosecuted.

It advised the public to “report suspected cases to the nearest NAFDAC office or call 09094262773, 09094262772 and 08133630600’’.

The agency reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the health of Nigerians.

NAFDAC, established in 1993, is mandated to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemicals, detergents, medical devices and packaged water.

Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, had earlier this year, cautioned peddlers of unwholesome foods and drugs in the Nigerian markets, saying the agency will soon commence prosecuting anyone found culprit of such act.

Following the statement made by the world second richest man, Bill Gates, on Thursday that Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places to give birth; gynaecologists in the country have recently presented carefully designed guidelines to improve the nation’s infants and maternal health record in the world.

The Chairman of Bill and Melinda Foundation, who  was on a visit to the country noted that :“Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth with the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the world ahead of only Sierra Leone, Central African Republic and Chad. One in three Nigerian children is chronically malnourished”.

While maternal health experts did not dispute his submission, they have highlighted factors responsible for this woeful state of infants and maternal health, and provided measures to improve the condition, going forward.

According to Emeritus Professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, Osato  Giwa-Osagie, one of the factors responsible for  infants and maternal mortality  is old wives tales, which have been  passed down to younger women, and  consequently prevent them from seeking care during pregnancy, until complications set in.

“In as much as we are taking time to address these myths, we want everyone to know that pregnancy is not a disease, and should not be leading to death.  If only pregnant women will take their time to attend antenatal care; follow their doctors advices, nearly ninety-five percent of pregnancies will be delivered successfully at child birth without complications. However, it’s the remaining five percent nobody knows where they are”.

Giwa-Osagie, who is also the joint pioneer of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)/Test Tube Baby in Nigeria, however decried the situation  where pregnant women present  late to the hospital.“Unfortunately, most times, when some of these pregnant women who had initially neglected antenatal care are brought to the hospitals, it’s either the baby is dead or the mother is in a serious condition. This is why I recommend the book “What Mama didn’t tell you about pregnancy-the myth, the truth and the lie”, for every woman, who desires to carry her pregnancy to term successfully”.

For Dr Gregory Ohihoin, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), an average black pregnant woman is predisposed to more complications than her white counterpart, has shown by study a conducted in the US.

“Even in the US, where they have access to the best healthcare facilities, they have access to the best doctors, and they are well educated with good socio-economic status, but the study found that the outcome of a black woman’s pregnancy will be worse than that of an average white woman with the same standard. And I discovered that black pregnant women will have more complications than their white counterparts”, he noted.

Dr Ohihoin, who identified preeclampsia as one of the reasons for infants and maternal mortality, recommended earlier diagnosis of pregnancy and early antenatal registration as keys to overcoming this challenge.

“One of the reasons for this occurrence is hypertensive complications in pregnancy known as preeclampsia, and it runs in more aggressive force in black women. The implication is that black pregnant women should be given more attention than an average pregnant white woman, because she has a higher risk of pregnancy complications. Earlier diagnosis of pregnancy and earlier antenatal registration is the key to overcoming this challenge”, he revealed.

Ohihoin, who recently launched four books, one of which was “What Mama didn’t tell you about pregnancy-the myth, the truth and the lie”, urged every woman of pregnancy age to get a copy of the book, and read, in order to equip themselves with useful information for safe motherhood.

NIMR Director General, Prof. Babatunde Salako also noted the importance of the book, saying it was published in an attempt to reduce the maternal mortality rate and improve pregnancy outcome in Nigeria.

Salako added that the book came as a timely intervention to assuage the state of pregnant women’s health in the country, because essential information and interventions reaching women and babies on time would avert maternal deaths.

Gates had urged the Nigerian government to investment in the people and their health.

He said, “The most important choice you can make is to maximize your greatest resource, the Nigerian people. Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive.

“If you invest in their health, education and opportunities – the “human capital” we are talking about today – then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity. If you don’t, however, then it is very important to recognise that there will be a sharp limit on how much the country can grow.

As Pharmanews pays courtesy visit to WWCVL

Mr Santosh Kumar, managing director of World Wide Commercial Ventures Limited (WWCVL) has bemoaned the arbitrary registration of same pharma brands from different countries, saying that the practice is worrisome.

Speaking during a media tour of the company’s facility by a Pharmanews delegation led by Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of the media outift, which took place on 16 March, 2018, Kumar said the trend is one of the major challenges facing pharmaceutical marketing and distribution.

“I believe when a particular pharmaceutical product is registered, no company should be allowed again to bring in same drug. But things are a bit different here.

“For instance, if Brand ‘X’ (UK) is brought to the market, you will subsequently see Brand ‘X’ (India), Brand ‘X’ (Indonesia) and others. Sometimes this deprives investors and even our partners of business opportunities,” he lamented.

The WWCVL boss recalled that at the time he came into Nigeria about 10 years ago, there was chaos in the drug distribution system with so many counterfeit and substandard products in the market.

“Today, it has reduced drastically. New pharmaceutical companies have sprung up, leading to competition among brands. Also, I think the regulatory body (NAFDAC), has done well in sanitising the system,” he remarked.

WWCVL boss lists challenges of pharma distribution companies

When asked to mention another challenge facing the logistics and distribution company, Kumar explained that the unavailability of a unified pharmaceutical register is another worrying issue.

He disclosed that no individual or organisation seems to have an up-to-date statistics on the number of pharma outlets, vendors selling on the road and those in the open market.

On whether there are special criteria considered before signing up local pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria under the WWCVL umbrella, Kumar explained that only two factors – products quality and companies’ business policy – play a key role in such consideration

Gaps in the Nigerian Pharma market

On his part, Sherring Thekekkara, chief executive officer, Worldwide Healthcare, disclosed that there is no much difference between the Nigerian pharma market and its counterparts in South Africa and Ghana.

According to him, the major difference is that South Africa has more registered pharmacists and lots of insurance coverage.

“The risk of doing business in South Africa is therefore minimal. Unlike Nigeria, Ghana market has no price control. The only challenge I have with the Nigerian market is that there is no enforcement of laws and regulations.

“You go to the market and see counterfeits of your products boldly on display. I don’t think it is right to  pay tax, pay for power, operating license, security and other charges to do business and still encounter such a challenge,” he lamented.

While taking the Pharmanews delegation through WWCVL warehouse, storage centres and controlled drugs section, Pharm. Lucky Ubokor, superintendent pharmacist of the company, disclosed that the facilities have biometric control and built according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standard.

While applauding the host for setting a good standard in the logistics and distribution sub-sector of the pharmaceutical industry, Atueyi reiterated that the courtesy visit was in fulfilment of his earlier pledge to visit the company.

Says NAFDAC set to blacklist countries sending substandard products to Nigeria

Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola  Adeyeye, has stated that the federal government’s policy which prevents officials of the agency from staying at the ports must be changed, saying it is counterproductive.

Prof. Adeyeye who decried the restriction, described it as a huge limitation to NAFDAC’s operations, as it is impossible for the agency to control drugs distribution from its offices.

While calling for the intervention of all stakeholders as well as that of the legislative and judicial arms of the government to resolve the issue, she noted that the rising epidemic of drug abuse and misuse in the country, especially among the youth, can be attributed to this gap.

The NAFDAC boss made the submission at a recent Breakfast Meeting organised by the American Business Council, at Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Adeyeye also sent a warning signal to dealers of substandard drugs in the country, declaring that it would no longer be business as usual for all foreign countries, whose inferior and adulterated drugs and foods had hitherto flooded the Nigerian market, adding that the agency would soon start prosecuting the perpetrating companies.

Her words: “We are going to blacklist many countries; for instance, the Asian countries, which are in the habit of sending substandard products to Nigeria, because the country has been inundated with narcotic products. In fact, we will possibly prosecute any foreign company found guilty of the act henceforth”.

The NAFDAC DG, who briefed the audience on the new development in the agency in the area of ICT, disclosed that the agency was setting up electronic platforms for all transactions, ranging from e-registration, e-clearance and e-permit, in such a way that companies can relate with the agency without the delay of face-to-face communication, which will make NAFDAC’s work easier and faster.

Adeyeye also spoke on advert registration and vetting, with emphasis on improved procedures.

According to her: “The process is being streamlined for now, and paper submission is drastically reduced, as we are encouraging companies to do e-registration, as well as submit advert materials on CD-ROM.

“All adverts shall conform to the principles of fair competition and should be in the interest of all consumers and wider Nigerian society. Only NAFDAC registered products should be advertised, while advert vetting is done through the registration and regulatory affairs. While all approved adverts are valid for one year, there is option to increase validity.”

She further assured stakeholders and investors to expect holistic transformations in the operations of NAFDAC during her tenure, stating that there would be strict adherence to deadlines.

In her presentation at the meeting, Mrs Margaret Olele, CEO/executive secretary, American Business Council, explained the roles of the council and why it was hosting the new DG of NAFDAC.

In her words: “The American Business Council is the voice of American investments in Nigeria and the Nigerian Affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce. Working with the US Mission and other partners, we drive trade and investment opportunities between Nigeria and United States of America in the interest of its member companies and both countries. Our overarching goal is to support sustainable socio-economic reform initiatives in Nigeria through public policy advocacy, promotion and implementation.

In line with the federal government’s objective on improving the ease of doing business in the country, it is imperative for stakeholders and the media to share their perspectives with the DG of NAFDAC, in order to have an organised and healthy society”.