How pharmacists fought medical directors for professional recognition – Onwudike

26/07/2016

Pharm. Nwakaku Onwudike is a former chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Imo State, and team leader of PCN inspectorate team to drug manufacturing companies in the southeast zone.

In this interview with Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis, the senior citizen relives how she pioneered the struggle for pharmacists in tertiary health institutions to rise to the peak of their career as directors . She also reveals why she feels there should be a dress code for pharmacists in different sectors of practice. Excerpts:Tell us about your early days, family and education

I am the fourth child in a family of 10 children. Before the civil war started on 6 July 1967, I was in Upper 6th form at Archdeacon Crowther Memorial Grammar School (ACMGS), Elelenwo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. I had my secondary education at Union Secondary School, Ibiaku in Akwa Ibom State and got my B. Pharm. degree from the University of Benin (1970–1975). Thereafter, I obtained M.Sc. in Pharmaceutics from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in May 1979.

What about your work experience?

I worked briefly with the Food Directorate Headquarters, Umuahia (1968- April 1969) as a clerical staff and equally worked as accounts clerk, Bank of Biafra (June 1969 – December 1969).

I had my pharmacy internship at OAU Faculty of Pharmacy as research assistant in Drug Research Unit. In July 1977, I became graduate assistant and, later (in May 1979), assistant lecturer in the same faculty. I later moved to OAU Health Services Department as senior pharmacist.

I was, on different occasions, the principal pharmacist, assistant chief pharmacist, chief pharmacist, deputy director pharmaceutical services and director of pharmaceutical services in OAU, before my official retirement on 6 July, 2008.

Four months after I retired from the civil service (that is November 2008), I established THELIA Pharmacy Limited in Owerri.

Was your decision to study Pharmacy personal or circumstantial?

Yes, it was circumstantial because I was admitted initially into the Midwest Institute of Technology. However I later changed to the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to study Medicine. Unfortunately, there was no facility for the Pre-clinicals; and as there was opportunity for only 20 students to go to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, some of us who qualified were dropped.

Looking back, would you say studying Pharmacy was a good decision?

Yes, I believe so.

While studying for your degrees in Pharmacy, were there some memorable intrigues or controversies?

I really cannot think of any intrigues during the course of my obtaining degrees in Pharmacy, especially the first degree, because we were the pioneer students of the university. We were treated very well, or rather, pampered, as we were only 14 students admitted to study Pharmacy in the University of Benin.

How would you compare pharmacy practice today with your day?

I feel there is a lot of difference. Pharmacy practice in my day was faced with the challenge of physical space. We used to operate from a small hole in hospital setups and clinics. However, there has been a lot of improvement on the appropriation of adequate space in some establishments, although a lot more still needs to be done to improve our work environment.

Also, in my day, medical directors hardly allowed pharmacists to practise the way they should, without a ‘fight’ from the pharmacists. That was what happened during my years of service both at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, and FUTO Health Services – for the purchase, storage and dispensing of drugs, or inappropriate prescribing by doctors.

For instance, the medical directors would sometimes want to dictate what type of drugs and other medicinal products pharmacists procured and where they procured them. In a worst case scenario, some might even attempt to buy the drugs themselves with or without the Drug Formulary, which professionally had been produced by the Drug Formulary Committee to be employed for such purchases in the hospitals or health centres. This is because the doctors were considered as the ‘be all and know all’ in matters concerning health – even with drugs, which is the main thrust of pharmacists’ education and knowledge.

This has changed greatly in present day practice, even though there is still much to be achieved. There will be a great deal of improvement if each profession in the health sector is allowed to function adequately within its area of study, practice and professional ethics.

Furthermore, during our day, pharmacists had no input whatsoever in decisions taken in the establishments that affected the pharmacist in his or her promotions and the needs of the pharmacy unit. This is because, prior to the training of pharmacist, the first practitioners in the hospitals/clinics or health centres were drug dispensers who were trained on the job by doctors in the hospital. At least now, Pharmacy is a department of its own and therefore has a head of department who can speak for the pharmacists whenever decisions concerning them and the practice are to be taken.

In addition, pharmacists in our time were not employed at the highest level of entry in the Health Service; if employed at all, they were engaged at the lowest level where they would not be able to check or challenge the excesses of the doctor/ medical director who in Nigeria is the administrative head in any medical setup, unlike in most countries of the world. In fact, in some cases, rather than employing a pharmacist, a pharmacy assistant or pharmacy technician whose scope of studies only qualified him or her to dispense drugs was employed.

What do you consider as your major contribution to the pharmacy profession?

Pioneering the struggle for pharmacists in tertiary health institutions (using FUTO Health Centre as a case point) to rise to the peak of our career as directors in the university sector of the practice in April 2008 is what I consider as my epic contribution to the pharmacy profession.

As at that time, any graduate in any other profession got to the peak of the service except for the pharmacist. By God’s grace, this ‘struggle’ came into fruition, even though I only benefited from it for less than three months before I retired from service. I also saw to it that pharmacists who worked in the Polytechnics rose in their jobs, according to the “Career Structure for Pharmacists” where initially, the rectors of the institutions did not allow a pharmacist to be promoted above the level of Pharmacist 1 in such establishments.

My other contributions include being a member, Privileges Committee of PSN (2006 and 2009); member, Local Organising Committee and Finance Sub-Committee for the 79th PSN National Conference (2006); member, Accreditation Panel of PCN to Schools of Health Technology to Delta and Cross-Rivers States (2005); Member, Pharmacists Council Investigating Panel (2004-2008); Member and Secretary, Pharmaceutical Reconciliatory Committee on conflict between PSN and NAFDAC (2002); Member, Appointment and Promotions Committee, PCN (2000-2002).

It was during this period (2000-2002) that many of the pharmacists who are now deputy directors were employed into the Council.

In 2000, I was the team Leader PCN Inspectorate Team to Drug Manufacturing Companies in the South East Zone in Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Rivers States. And as the Imo State PSN Chairman (February 1999 to February 2005), we were able to improve the remunerations of pharmacists who were working for non-pharmacist directors in pharmacies to be better paid and not be intimidated or mistreated by their employers.

Do you have any awards or recognitions for your achievements in pharmacy practice?

Aside from being a Fellow of both the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (FPSN) and the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (FPCPharm), I have been honoured with the following awards: Merit Award for Noble Contributions and Service to the Profession of Pharmacy and to the Association of Lady Pharmacists ALPS (MAW, 2003); Distinguished Service Award of the Nigerian Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists (2004); and the Valuable Service Award by the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (2002).

What is your view about pharmacists in politics?

If the pharmacist going into politics has the interest of the profession at heart and not a personal interest or ulterior motive, I think it will be a noble cause, especially if he can cope with the intrigues in politics. This is because he or she will be a reliable ‘platform’ to ensure and enforce favourable professional decisions concerning pharmacists and our practice in general.

What do you think is the future of Pharmacy in Nigeria?

I think the future of Pharmacy is very bright, if only pharmacists would be proud of the profession and face the challenges and intrigues affecting the practice currently – especially with doctors, medical laboratory scientists and, worst still, patent medicine vendors posing and doing the jobs of pharmacists; as well as the establishment of departments for the training of so-called “pharmaceutical technologists” in some polytechnics.

If there are some things you can change about the pharmacy profession in Nigeria, what would they be?

First, there should be a body to oversee all the activities affecting the practice of the profession, apart from the regulatory role of the PCN. The body should be such that it can look immediately into external matters that affect the practice of the profession and report to the PCN. This is because I think the PCN is handicapped by lack of funds since it is a government agency.

Second is the establishment of a dress code for pharmacists in the different sectors of practice, as many still dress shabbily to their offices.

What is your advice to pharmacy students seeking to follow your footsteps?

They should have integrity, maintain the ethics of the profession, and not be focused on making money at all costs to the detriment of the profession and practice. They should be courageous and not be intimidated by any other professions in the health sector within any establishment where they are operating.

Fulani herdsmen killings, our greatest fear before ACPN conference – Alkali

26/07/2016

The alleged invasion of Ukpabi Nimbo community in Enugu State and the subsequent bloodbath by suspected Fulani herdsmen few weeks to this year’s Annual National Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) which held at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, Enugu State from 29 May to 3 June 2016, could have led to poor attendance or even outright cancellation of the conference, but for the prompt intervention of the Enugu State government and the federal government.

This was the disclosure of the national chairman of the association, Pharm. (Dr) Albert Kelong Alkali, during an interview with Pharmanews i shortly after the one-week-long event. Dr Alkali, who was full of appreciation to God for making the conference, his first as the national chairman, a success and, arguably, one of the best in the history of the association, promises that next year’s edition will be even greater. Excerpts

What is your assessment of the conference at Enugu, being your first conference as national chairman?

Enugu Coal City 2016 was a huge success and our colleagues can testify to that. I promised our colleagues before the conference that they should be expecting a well-organised and memorable conference. We give God the glory that it happened exactly as we promised. Of course, I cannot solely take credit for the success of the event. The Conference Planning Committee (CPC), under the chairmanship of the hardworking and resilient Pharm. Bridget Okocha, and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) gave their best to ensure that we recorded a huge success to the delight of all delegates, visitors and dignitaries at the conference.

I also want to hinge the success on the fact that we were focused before the conference. We knew what we wanted and we were determined to use all the available channels to achieve it. And I must say that the presence of the state governor at the opening ceremony, and that of his wife during the rally, despite the security challenges in the country, made us happy as it added more glamour to the conference.

Note that when I talk about the conference being a success, I’m not just talking of some aspects – I’m talking of the entire event. It was an all-round success, in terms of money, the turn-out of participants, the presence of dignitaries and government officials, and so on. In fact, we were overwhelmed because the only time we usually have that kind of turn-out is during election periods; but to our surprise, the number of our colleagues that came for the conference was unbelievable.

I will also not forget to mention the contribution of the National Executive Council (NEC), especially the national publicity secretary, for the success because our members were properly informed and adequately mobilised for the conference.

In fact, I was overjoyed when I saw so many of the Fellows of the profession; the present, the immediate past and the former presidents of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN); the immediate past and former national chairmen of ACPN; the registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN); the executive governor of Enugu State and members of his cabinet; and so many others dignitaries.

What informed the theme of the conference, “Manpower Development in Community Pharmacy Practice – Adopting Global Best Practices”?

ACPN is a technical arm of the PSN, just as the PSN is a member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). The norm is that whatever we are going to come up with as a theme in our annual conferences must be derived from the last theme of the PSN conference, while the PSN on its own part takes its themes from the FIP. The aim is to ensure that whatever information that is disseminated at the top gets to the last cadre. This is why we had that theme for our conference this year.

That aside, the theme was apt, as it was timely. The current economic situation in the country proves that we cannot afford to remain on the same spot if we want progress and development.

Did you harbour any concerns before the conference?

Honestly, one of our fears was that we might not have the honour of having the state government in attendance – which was necessary to further enhance the development of our practice in the country, especially in Enugu State. But we thank God it turned out well.

Another major fear was that delegates might not be as many as we expected, since it is not an election year, but to our surprise the attendance was beyond our expectation.

However, our greatest fear before the conference was the security issue in the state, especially the alleged herdsmen attack on a community in the state. The incident generated fears in the minds of people and we too were concerned that it would affect the turn-out of participants and sponsors. Nevertheless, we were assured by the LOC that the state government was on top of the situation and that the community where the attack happened was far from the capital city.

And indeed by the time we came to the state ahead of the conference with members of NEC, security wasn’t an issue to be worried about any longer; so we quickly passed the information down to all our members and interested pharmaceutical companies that the state was safe. Kudos must be given to the publicity secretary for ensuring that the information was properly disseminated.

There were speculations that the number of participants at this year’s conference was more than that of last year, despite the fact that last year was an election year, how true is this?

I think the speculations were true because, going by the information coming from the registration desk, the participants that attended this year could be close to 1000, if not more. And if we add others who are not community pharmacists, the total number could be between 1,500 to 2000 people.

What should your members expect at next year’s conference holding in Jos, Plateau State?

From the testimonies of the participants of the just concluded conference, one would have no option than to agree that the conference was a great improvement to all the conferences we had had in the past, and when the foundation is solid, it means the building is bound to be good. So we will ensure we build on the success we have recorded at this conference, while also taking steps to correct a few lapses noticed at the conference. So, by the grace of God, next year’s edition will be far better than this year’s.

Prof. Isa Odidi: The pharmacist ahead of his time

Admin

26/07/2016

(By Ola Aboderin)

“The principal mark of a genius, is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers.” – Arthur Koestler

Every once in a while, the course of history is traversed and consequently transfigured by certain individuals, whose spectacular brilliance dazzles their contemporaries, brightens up the world around them and blazes a trail of excellence for those coming after them. The rarity of such luminaries lies not just in the enormity of their impact but in its far-reaching diversity. As I write, the pharmaceutical world and indeed the scientific world is witnessing the revolutionising impact of one of such pacesetters.

Meet Prof. Isa Odidi, the erudite pharmacist, celebrated scientist, distinguished innovator, first-rate technocrat and consummate entrepreneur, whose foremost passion is bridging the worlds of design, science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, with a view to maximising the outcome for economic and social advancement in developing economies such as Nigeria.

With over 100 issued and pending patents in the USA, Canada and other international jurisdictions, Prof. Odidi is globally recognised as a prolific inventor in pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical technology. He is acclaimed for pioneering controlled, targeted or timed release drug delivery technologies and their “reduction to practice” to allow commercialisation and use for the common good. A tireless researcher, his works have been cited in several publications and he has published over a hundred scientific and medical papers, articles and textbooks.

L-R: Prof. Isa Odidi, Dr. Amina Odidi, Sir & Lady Ifeanyi Atueyi at Intellipharmaceutics Inc., Toronto, Canada.

It is no surprise that his superior intellect, entrepreneurial acumen and tremendous contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences continue to be recognised and acknowledged globally. He has been honoured with several prestigious awards, including the Harry Jerome Award for Technology and Innovation(2004); the University of Toronto’s Black Alumni Association Award for Professional Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; the Planet Africa Award for Science and Technology (2010); the Scientific/Medical Achievement Award for excellence in pharmaceutical research, technology and innovative research (ANPA, 2001); and the Nigerian Canadian of the Year Award (2007). He has also been featured on global media outlets such as the CNN, VOA, BBC, the World Wide Web, as well as several Nigerian media houses.

Currently, Prof. Odidi is chairman, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer (CSO) of Intellipharmaceutics International Inc., Toronto, Canada, a pharmaceutical company specialising in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of generic controlled-release and targeted-release dosage drugs. The Fortune 500 company, which was co-founded with his wife, Dr Amina Odidi – herself a world-class scientist – boasts of state-of-the-art R&D facilities and a fully approved cGMP pharmaceutical manufacturing plant that operates with the highly coveted Health Canada & FDA licences.

With all these, however, it seems only a fraction of Prof. Odidi’s vision has been accomplished. He continues to work assiduously to ensure a world that is holistically transformed through the power of innovation and entrepreneurship. Surely, there’s a lot to glean from his experiences.

The making of a maestro

Prof. Odidi studied Pharmacy at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. It was in the course of his studies in ABU (between 1976 and 1979) that he met the beautiful and brilliant Amina, the lady that would become his lifelong companion in marriage and a destiny-helper in career success.

Both students had been in the same practical research group in the faculty of pharmacy, where Amina had stood out in conduct and countenance. Young Odidi couln’t help falling for her charms. To use his words, “Amina stood out and struck me as very intelligent, responsible, caring, selfless, and trustworthy…”

The two soon became friends and as they found out that they shared same belief, interests and worked well as a team (a remarkable synergy that has continued to this day), their fondness for each grew inevitably. And so strong was the attraction that the two decided to get married as soon as they graduated in 1979. That union would eventually produce five children for the couple and countless innovations for the world.

Learning continues

In 1982, the couple were sponsored by the Kano State government to attend Kings College, University of London to study for a Master of Science degree. Prof. Odidi graduated in 1984 with distinction in M.Sc. Pharmaceutical Technology and was awarded the Abbott Laboratories Prize for best student. Dr Amina also graduated in the same year and obtained an M.Sc., degree in Biopharmacy.

In 1986, Prof. Odidi was awarded the commonwealth scholarship to study for a Ph.D. degree and proceeded to the School of Pharmacy, University of London. That same year, Dr Amina was sponsored by the Kano State government to undertake a Ph.D. degree in the same institution. Both of them graduated in 1990 with a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics.

The sojourn and experiences of these uncommon couple at Kings College and School of Pharmacy University of London seemed to have been divinely preordained as the catalyst of their impressive rise to prominence. As Prof. Odidi would later say, “We were privileged to have attended these institutions during the period when the science and research into cutting edge pharmaceutical technologies, physico-chemical properties of pharmaceutical excipients, formulation development, manufacture and function of pharmaceutical dosage forms of capsules, dry powder inhalations, pellets and tablets were at their height…These experiences more than anything else precipitated the renaissance of our drive towards cutting edge pharmaceutical research, drug development, testing and manufacture.”

A lifelong learner, Prof. Odidi further obtained an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada in 2007, before subsequently obtaining the Executive Education certificate in Innovation for Economic Development (IFED) at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in 2013. He was also awarded a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree Honoris Causa from the University of Benin, in the same year.

The Biovail connection

Prof. Odidi’s global reputation as a maverick inventor began to fully manifest shortly after he joined Biovail Corporation, Canada, in July 1995. His mission was to help establish the first viable controlled release drug delivery company in Canada. Meanwhile Dr Amina had also decided to work exclusively for Biovail as a consultant.

At the time the couple started working for Biovail, the company was merely a start-up firm as far as research was concerned. It had no research facility or team. Yet, as the Odidis, with their Midas touch of excellence, got to work, the company’s status was transformed from a state of near bankruptcy to being a billion dollar pharmaceutical company through a series of inventions, manufacturing successes and exceptional management style. In fact, through the couple’s contributions, the company soon became the biggest controlled-release drug research outfit in North America.

In Prof. Odidi’s words: “Our work was ground-breaking in every respect; it impacted pharmaceutical research and development, manufacturing, quality control and testing, quality compliance and regulatory affairs. It helped to put Canada on the world map as one of the best country for controlled drug delivery technologies and impacted positively and significantly on the Canadian economy’’.

Having successfully established the company’s research and development laboratories and training a team of first-rate scientists around him, Prof. Odidi went on to develop several popular drugs, including supergenerics of the very difficult to duplicate Adalat CC (Bayer) and Procardia XL (Pfizer). Soon, he was appointed chief scientific officer of the company, in addition to being the vice president – which was unprecedented for a person of colour, much less a Nigerian immigrant to Canada.

This feat seemed to further rouse his inventive spirit, as he subsequently led his team to invent and develop many other acclaimed drugs such as Diltiazem HCl CD capsules a generic of Cardizem CD; Metformin HCl extended release tablet; Tramadol extended release capsule; Buspirone extended release tablets; Gabapentin extended release tablets; and Bupropion extended release tablets.

Intellipharmaceutics: the incubator for innovation

On leaving Biovail in 1999, Prof. Odidi joined his wife at Intellipharmaceutics to be fully engaged in the business of research and innovation. Since then, the duo have invented, developed and patented a plethora of disruptive multidimensional controlled release technology platforms that can be applied to the efficient development of a wide range of existing and new pharmaceuticals.

Based on these technology platforms, Intellipharmaceutics has developed several drug delivery systems and a pipeline of products (which have received final FDA approval) and product candidates in various stages of development in therapeutic areas that include neurology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal tract, diabetes and pain.

Intellipharmaceutics is certainly a success story by all standards. Currently, the company’s development effort is increasingly directed towards improved difficult-to-develop controlled-release drugs. The company has also increased its research and development emphasis towards new product development by advancing the product development programmes for drugs currently taken multiple times a day and inventing a once a day product e.g., Regabatin™ XR (pregabalin extended-release capsules). On the commercial side, the company now focuses on profit-splitting deals with many pharmaceutical giants, offering patented technologies and drug formulas on a royalty basis.

“When we were a smaller company,” Prof. Odidi says, “we used to sell our patents. But now we only license them to use our patents

Prof. Odidi certainly has every reason to describe Intellipharmaceutics as having become a mega company. Aside from its world class facilities and the transcending quality of its outputs, the company is publicly traded on two of the best international stock exchanges i.e., NASDAQ in the United States of America and TSX in Canada. In fact, history was made on 22 October 2010, when the couple were asked to ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York on the first anniversary of their company going public.

According to Prof. Odidi, “It was really the height of the whole struggle, the whole work, to be recognized at that level, where you have so many millions of people watching and people in industry watching. We’ve done what we’ve had to do. And we’ve gotten there and we’ve gotten recognized.”

The pharmacist as a patriot

One remarkable feature of the life of Prof. Odidi is that even though he is based in Canada, his heart continually yearns for the well-being of his native country, Nigeria. And thus, he has been actively involved in processes and campaigns that are aimed at ensuring good governance and promoting socio-economic growth of the nation.

He was appointed to serve as member of the National Political Reform Conference in 2005 as one of 200 eminent persons by Olusegun Obasanjo, then President of Nigeria, to help draft a new Nigerian constitution. In April 2007 he contested in the Nigerian presidential election under the New Democrats (ND) political party which he founded.

On 15 April, 2013, he was appointed coordinator of Diaspora Nigerians for Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). On 3 February, 2015, he was appointed to serve as a member of the Fundraising Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. He was one of those who worked relentlessly towards the election of Mohammadu Buhari as president of Nigeria.

When asked how he’s able to combine all he has to do as a scientist, entrepreneur and politician and still record outstanding success, his answer is unequivocal: “Heaven helps those who help themselves. It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of hard work. Prayer alone won’t do it — hard work as well, they go together.”

Journey to extraordinary leadership: 10 mistakes to avoid

Lere Baale

26/07/2016

Thinking that you have already missed your chance

Your life, with all its ups and downs, has moulded you for the greater good. Your( life has been exactly what it neededbring to be. Don’t think you’ve lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to you to the current moment. And every moment of your life, including this one right now, is a fresh start. You just have to learn three little words that can release you from your past regrets and guide you forward to a positive new beginning. These words are: “From now on…”

Using failed relationships as an excuse

Life doesn’t always introduce you to the people you WANT to meet. Sometimes life puts you in touch with the people you NEED to meet – to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you, and to gradually strengthen you into the person you were meant to become.

Changing who you are to satisfy others

No matter how loud their opinions are, others do not have to determine who you are. The question should not be, “Why don’t they like me when I’m being me?” It should be, “Why am I wasting my time worrying what they think of me?”

If you are not hurting anyone with your actions, keep moving forward with your life. Be happy. Be yourself. If others don’t like it, let them be. Life isn’t about pleasing everybody.

A person does not have to be behind bars to be a prisoner. People can be prisoners of their own concepts, choices and ideas. So, tell the negativity committee that meets inside your head to sit down and shut up.

When you dream, you better dream big; when you think, you better think big; and when you love, you better love truthfully. Happiness is a choice. There are no excuses for not trying to make the very best out of your life. There are no excuses for living in a way that consistently makes you unhappy.

Putting up with negative people and negative thinking

It’s time to walk away from all the drama and the people who create it. Surround yourself with those who make you smile. Love the people who treat you right, and pray for the ones who don’t. Forget the negative and focus on the positive. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Making mistakes and falling down is a part of life, but getting back up and moving on is what living is all about.

Overlooking what you have to focus on what you don’t

Most people end up cheating on others and themselves because they pay more attention to what they’re missing, rather than what they have. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, think about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Focusing all of your( attention on another time and place.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

This day will never happen again. Enjoy it. Cherish your time. It’s often hard to tell the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

Someday you may discover that the small things were really the big things. So, learn to appreciate what you have before time forces you to appreciate what you once had.

If you hadn’t fallen down, you would never have learnt how to get back on your feet. If you hadn’t been forced to let go and move on, you’d never have learnt that you have the strength to stand on your own. If you hadn’t lost hope, you would never have found your faith.

The best often comes after the worst happens. You can either move on, or you can dwell on the things you can’t change. Either way life does move on with or without you. So learn from the past and then get the heck out of there. You will always grow stronger from the pain if you don’t let it destroy you.

Dwelling on the things you can’t change

Making mistakes and falling down is a part of life, but getting back up and moving on is what LIVING is all about.

Constantly sacrificing your own happiness for everyone else

Never let your own happiness wither away as you try to bring sunshine to others. Life is not just about making others happy. Life is about being honest and sharing your happiness with them.

Losing track of your own goals and ideals

Knowing who you are is one thing, but truly believing and living as yourself is another. With all the social-conditioning in our society, we sometimes forget to stay true to ourselves. Don’t lose yourself out there. In this crazy world that’s trying to make you like everyone else, stay true to your awesome self.

Dealing with the stress of deceiving others

If you say you’re going to do something, DO IT! If you say you’re going to be somewhere, BE THERE! If you say you feel something, MEAN IT! If you can’t, won’t, and don’t, then DON’T LIE.

It’s always better to tell people the truth upfront. Live in such a way that if someone decided to attack your character, no one would believe it. Live so that when the people around you think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you.

And remember, life will never be perfect, no matter how hard you try. Even if you pour your heart and soul into it, you will never achieve a state of absolute perfection. There will always be moments of uncertainty; there will always be days where nothing goes right. But as time rolls on you will learn that even the most imperfect situations can be made better with a little love and laughter which invariably help you in your journey to extraordinary leadership.

Overweight and obesity: an emerging epidemic in Nigeria

Admin

26/07/2016

One-third of the world’s population is now overweight or obese, while 62 percent of these individuals live in developing countries (The Atlantic, 2014). In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight, and of these over 600 million were obese (WHO, 2015). Despite new inventions and innovations of drugs, machines and other materials now available to the health care team members, no national success story has been reported in the control of obesity across nations in the past 33 years (TheAtlantic, 2014).

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 12.7% of African children will be overweight by 2020 compared to 8.5% in 2010, unless this is addressed soon.

What then is obesity?

Overweight and obesity are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m²)

For adults, WHO defines overweight and obesity as follows:

Overweight is a BMI greater than or equal to 25; and
Obesity is a BMI greater than or equal to 30.

Obesity is defined by National Institutes of Health as body mass index (a measurement obtained by dividing a person’s weight by the square of the person’s height) >/= 25kg/m2 and 30kg/m2 respectively, this definition however is not to be considered in some countries like Japan and China, who considered Obesity to be BMI above 25 and 28 respectively. A classification has grouped Obesity into five groups;

Group 1: BMI 30.0 – 34.9

Group 2: BMI 35.0 – 39.9

Group 3: BMI 40.0 – 49.9

Group 4: BMI 50.0 – 59.9

Group 5: BMI 60.0 and above

Another classification also exists:

BMI >/= 35 or 40 Severe obesity

BMI >/= 35 or 40 – 44.9 or 49.9 Morbid obesity

BMI >/= 45 or 50 Super obesity

Obesity and Developing Countries

Down the years, obesity has been thought to be a condition more pronounced in the developed nations. But the present rate of overweight and obesity in developing countries is alarming. Report says that the majority of people who are overweight or obese today can be found in the developing world rather than the developed world (Trans, 2014). Nigeria, a developing nation has a lot to do to curb this trend as data from the WHO shows that the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased by 20% between 2002 and 2010 in Nigeria.

In 2010, World Health Organization(WHO) surveyed data in Nigeria showed a prevalence of 26% and 37% in men and women respectively who are overweight, while a prevalence of obesity was 3% and 8.1% respectively.

Factors Predisposing to Obesity

Being a major public health concern there are several factors that have been identified to the causes and predisposition to Obesity, some of which are;

Genetic causes: Obesity is believed to ‘run’ in families, that is, there is tendency thatchildren whose parent(s) is/are obese, will likely become obese.
Poor Dietg Excessive alcohol intake, excessive intake of processed or fast foods, overeating, excessive intake of sugary drinks and foods, excessive high fat diets, snacking in between meals, eating faster taking less time to chew foods.
Lifestyle:Another risk factor is lack of physical activities, that is, living a sedentary lifestyle. Similarly, getting less than seven hours of sleep at night can cause changes in hormone that increase your appetite, thus leading to increase weight.
Medications: Some medications such as corticosteroid, antidepressants have been linked to the cause of obesity.
Endocrine factors such as hypothyroidism, hypogonadism and Cushing syndrome has also been highlighted.

The Effects of Obesity

Obesity has affected the health of individuals and the community at large in significant terms. Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight (WHO, 2015). These effects include:

Cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke) which were the leading cause of death in 2012
Diabetes
Musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis – a highly disabling degenerative disease of the joints)
Some cancers (including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney and colon (WHO, 2015)
Premature death and disability in adulthood,
Obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effect (WHO, 2015).
It has also affected the psychological health of people due to their perception and the way people isolate them.

Prevention and Treatment of Obesity

Obesity can be prevented and reduced by reducing weight through careful planning of diet, reducing dietary intake, reducing sugar and fat intake, Involving in exercise and physical activities, and drugs. Weight loss surgery offers the best chance of losing the most weight, but it can pose serious risks.

Institute of Nursing Research’s Recommendations

To The Individual:

Individuals should identify obesity as a threat to their health and immediately seek medical attention if noted
Individuals should take actions that prevent obesity by avoiding the predisposing risk factors.

To The Government and Non-Governmental Organizations

Government and NGOs should increase social marketing and education campaign, including training of women to prepare traditional low-fats, high vegetable meals.
Government and NGOs should increase public awareness about obesity through advertisement using Information Education and Communication (IEC) support materials such as posters and billboards showing information on Obesity and its effects
They should sponsor new innovations, inventions, drugs and techniques that can be used to combat obesity.
They should implement strategies and programs that can be used to reduce obesity and also enact laws and policies guiding food production in food industry.

To The Health Care Professionals

1.The role of the nurses and doctors in the prevention and control of obesity cannot be overemphasized. Adequate educations of pregnant woman at antenatal care, emphasizing the impacts of food during pregnancy, weaning process, encourage exclusive breastfeeding as all these contributes to the development of obesity. They should also advocate for daily exercise at least 30 min per day, educate the public on food monitoring taken by student to schools, enlighten food industries on types of food to be produced, encourage people to take more of naturally available foods than processed ones, and lastly develop structures for obese client on how to live healthy and many more. They should also develop new skills and techniques and to get new knowledge that can be used to manage obesity, this should be borne out of intensive research.

Pharmacists and pharmacologists should conduct more clinical trials in a bid to produce new drugs used in the treatment of obesity in addition to the existing ones and make them to circulate round the country as drugs used in obesity treatment are but a few.
Nutritionists should prepare a template of daily nutritional plan that can be followed by individual and family and making these available in written forms, they should also give health education to the community on the need for balance diet, and usefulness of each nutrient found in our diet.

If the above measures are taken, sooner than expected, drastic reduction will be recorded in the prevalence of obesity in our communities.

INR SAYS

Control your dietary intake!

Stay Active!!

Live Long!!!

Written By

Olawoore Samuel, Opeyemi Ajakaye, Olaniyi Gloria.

Institute of Nursing Research, Fellowship of Christian Nurses, South West Zone, Nigeria.

References

National Institute of Health (n.d) Causes of Obesity. Accessed 24^th June, 2016. Available at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/page/causes.aspx

The Atlantic (2014). Two-Thirds of Obese People Now Live in Developing Countries. Accessed: 23 June, 2016. Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/05/two-thirds-of-the-worlds-obese-people-now-live-in-developing-countries/371834/

Trans,M. 2014. Obesity soars to alarming levels in developing countries. Accessed 30^th June, 2016. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jan/03/obesity-soars-alarming-levels-developing-countries;

World Health Organization. 2015. Obesity and overweight. Accessed 5^th July, 2016. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

Reviving the battle against HIV/AIDS

Admin

26/07/2016

Strategies for intensifying the battle against HIV/AIDS and tackling impediments to its eradication dominated discussions, as world leaders, distinguished scientists and public health advocates working on the pandemic gathered in Durban, South Africa, from 18 to 22 July for the 21st International AIDS Conference, tagged: AIDS 2016.

Speaking at the opening press conference of the event, Ban Ki-Moon, UN secretary general, emphasised the need to do whatever was necessary to stamp out the disease, stressing the need to close the gap that keep people from accessing HIV/AIDS-related services and living with dignity. Affirming the urgent need to expand resources and efforts towards global eradication efforts, the UN boss urged all stakeholders in AIDS control to let AIDS 2016 signpost the commitment to a new era – the era of a fast-tracked response aimed at achieving the 90-90-90 targets by 2020.

According Ki-Moon, these targets, aimed at ensuring 90 per cent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90 per cent of people who know their HIV positive status are accessing treatment and 90 per cent of people on HIV/AIDS treatment have suppressed viral loads, is crucial to achieving the global goal of completely ending AIDS by 2030.

Nigeria, more than any other country, needs to pay particular attention to this crucial call from the UN. This is especially so, as available UNAIDS statistics have shown that, of the estimated 36.7 million people living with HIV, a significant percentage of whom are residing in Africa, Nigeria has been shown to have the second largest number of people living with the virus. This, indeed, is worrisome.

The Nigerian government should equally be concerned that while 17 million people are now receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS globally, the figure is still disproportionate as it shows that more than half of all people living with HIV, especially in countries like Nigeria, still lack access to treatment.

Additionally, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in its Prevention Gap Report disclosed that while new HIV infections among adults and children have been reduced by 40 per cent since 1997, the decline among adults has stalled for at least 5 years, resulting in an estimated 1.9 million adults becoming infected with HIV every year for the past five years.

No other factor could have caused this intermission in the defeat of HIV/AIDS other than the fact that efforts to tame the disease have drastically dwindled in most countries, with Nigeria being a prime example. It is therefore paramount for stakeholders in the nation’s health sector to wake up to this challenge. It is our firm belief that if nothing is done about this timely alarm, the devastating consequences may be too late to contain later.

Nigeria must, in tandem with the theme of the 2016 AIDS conference: “Access Equity Right Now” scale up access to comprehensive treatment, prevention, care and support services for HIV/AIDS. Anyone tested and confirmed to be HIV positive must be on antiretroviral therapy as this not only helps to keep them healthy but also reduces their chances of infecting other people.

The only way to prevent HIV/AIDS from staging a comeback not just in Nigeria but the world at large is to avoid a reversal of the big gains recorded on the treatment front through complacency. Even though, presently, there are challenges with funding health and by extension important public health intervention programmes like HIV/AIDS control, especially because donor organisations are scaling down their support, the Nigerian government must still devise ingenious ways to surmount this challenges and ensure efforts to tame the disease are consistently sustained.

While we acknowledge ongoing efforts by scientists to come up with a preventive and perhaps curative vaccine to finally end the HIV/AIDS menace, it is our view that sustaining the tempo of HIV/AIDS control efforts of past years, especially the massive enlightenment campaigns, mass testing of people and ensuring access to antiretroviral drugs for those that are positive must not be jettisoned but sustained.

Shall we go back to ‘Egypt’?

Lolu Ojo

26/07/2016

There is, indeed, a financial crisis in our country today and the economy is sliding into recession. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has rightly predicted that Nigeria’s economy will most likely contract this year as reported in the newspapers (Punch, pg. 29, 12/7/16). We have already witnessed the first contraction (about 0.4 per cent) of the GDP in a decade in the first quarter of 2016, and whatever traction that could be gained in the third and fourth quarters may not compensate for the losses already suffered.

Many reasons adduced for this observation include but not limited to: Slump in oil output, falling prices of crude oil in the international market, scarcity of foreign exchange; shortages of goods (including the essential commodities), rising inflation, widespread unemployment, insecurity and social unrest in many parts of the country, power and symptoms of distress energy crisis, etc.

We really do not need economists to roll out the statistics before we know that things are not well with our economy. The signs are all around us. The pure water that we used to buy for N5 is now selling for double the amount. The fuel that has become so important to our daily lives has moved from N86.5 to N145 per litre. We need the fuel to power our vehicles for movement and our generators for power. There is, therefore, no household that is not affected by the increase in pump price.

The business front has not fared any better. Most businesses cannot get foreign exchange to fund the purchase of inputs for manufacturing or finished goods for sale as the case may be. Matured obligations are not being met, and in the few cases that have been settled, the cost is astronomical. All businesses with outstanding financial obligations that are denominated in dollars or any other foreign currency are now in trouble. There have been job lay-offs in recent times and the trend is on the increase.

Many companies that are still on their feet are either struggling to pay salaries or have been forced to pay less than the usual amount. It is worse with state government workers – some of them have not received salaries in the past eight months or more. These are people who have dependants and other responsibilities. The tale of woes pervades the entire length and breadth of the country and the cry for a change is becoming deafening.

Disillusioned populace

With the scenario painted above, it is understandable that people are already disillusioned. The government of the day is under fire and the charge of cluelessness is flying around. It was this same charge that got stuck on the last president and politically, he did not survive it. The current president, Muhammed Buhari, is under immense pressure to turn things around as promised. The voice of those who are opposed to his style of governance is already taking over the airwaves. The President has been accused of so many things among which are:

He has made Nigerians poorer with the local currency losing more than 50 per cent of its value in exchange with other currencies under his watch.
The insecurity which he promised to wipe out is still with us and, in fact, the incidences of armed robbery, assassination, kidnapping, etc, have gone up since 29 May, 2015.
The power situation has worsened to the extent that no community is spared of the darkness anymore.
Lack of clarity on his economic management plans and execution.
He has openly demonstrated his bias in favour of the northern part of the country by the limited spread of his appointment so far and the kid glove treatment of the marauding Fulani herdsmen.
The anti-corruption crusade is selective, politically motivated and targeted at the opposition.

Some people are already reminiscing about the ‘good’ days of President Goodluck Azikiwe Ebele Jonathan and there are muffled voices on a ‘bring back Jonathan’ project. They are no longer fascinated by the change mantra of the current president and his party. While they agree there was massive corruption in the past administration, they argue that the crumbs falling from the masters’ table were enough for them to keep going.

The pain of the day has, indeed, blurred the vision of tomorrow. The ‘believers’ are no longer sure and the hands of the ‘sceptics’ are strengthened because of the slow pace of progress (or lack of progress) in virtually all sectors of the economy.

Learning from history

It is a natural thing for human beings to react negatively to anything that will bring pain or discomfort. The exodus of the biblical Israel from ‘Egypt’ to the ‘promised land’ aptly demonstrates the “short-memory syndrome” we suffer when faced with daunting challenges.

According to the biblical account, the people of Israel were in slavery for 400 years and they cried bitterly to God for freedom. God answered their prayers and with a ‘strong hand’, He led them out of the land of slavery with a promise to take them to a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’. They were ecstatic and with songs and praises, they left ‘Egypt’ with high hopes to get to the ‘promised land’ -and quickly so, they must have thought in their minds.

However, things did not work exactly the way they had imagined. There were obstacles on their path. There were issues that brought pain including hunger and thirst which almost completely obliterated their memory as it relates to their years of slavery. They accused their bewildered leaders of taking them out of ‘Egypt’ where ‘…we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted’ (Exodus 16:3). They forgot completely their years of hard labour because of the present and urgent need to satiate their hunger and thirst.

As a nation, Nigeria is at a crossroads and we need to ask and answer the question: Shall we go back to ‘Egypt’? Have we really pondered on how we got to this sorry state of economic mess? Can we truly put the blame entirely on the doorstep of President Muhammadu Buhari?

Foundation of crises

My opinion is that the foundation of the current economic difficulties was laid long before the current president was inaugurated. We are suffering now because we had had ungodly people as our leaders for so many years. We had got used to spending money that we did not work for. The foreign oil companies did the exploration and other things that resulted in getting crude oil in barrels for sale in the international market. Nigerians in the oil industry (particularly those with oil blocks), without any deep intellectual input, became billionaires overnight and transformed very quickly to political leaders or godfathers. The people in government made budgets for themselves and years after years frittered away the resources of the nation and got the majority poorer.

We hardly can point to any major projects that have brought prosperity to our people. From the Ajaokuta Steel complex – all the steel rolling mills, aluminium companies, fertilizer companies, automobiles, refineries to others that are too numerous to mention- all resulted in failures with the managers becoming richer. It is sad to see old people queuing up endlessly to collect their pension and there have been reports that some lost their lives on the queues.

Corruption in high and low places has brought Nigeria to her knees and if we don’t kill it now, it will kill us eventually. Corruption is our ‘Egypt’ and we should never go back there for any reason. The revelations that are coming out on the atrocities of the last administration are alarming.

Collective focus

Our collective drive should be to permanently put a stop to the culture of impunity in our system. Let people work for the money they earn. Let the resources of the nation be used for the benefit of the entire populace. Let us celebrate the good people among us and condemn the villains to serve as deterrent.

This cannot be done without a leader who has demonstrated a reputation for discipline and integrity. And this is why I will advocate that we should rally around our president and pray for his success. All the accusations against his government are not grounded in deep reality. It is more about the current economic hardship induced pain and much more about corruption fighting back.

President Buhari may not be your ideal, charismatic leader but he means well for this nation. The economy will bounce back. There will be diversification as many other sectors apart from oil will start, very soon, to yield revenue for the nation.

We need peace and stability to survive the current hardship under the strong and incorruptible leadership of President Mohammadu Buhari. We certainly should not go back to ‘Egypt’ as defined by corruptive accumulation of wealth by a few individuals.

Unbreakable Laws of Sales 3rd law: The more you connect, the more you sell

George Emetuche

26/07/2016

“You don’t close a sale; you open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise.” Patricia Fripp

Human beings are creatures that connect. They like appreciation and association. No man can exist alone, hence the saying, ‘‘No man is an Island.’’ It is by connecting effectively and efficiently with one another that businesses and relationships excel.

The business environment today has gone ‘‘personal’;’ everyone wants to give a personal touch to customers. Customer Service departments of organisations are improving their knowledge base and strategies by the day to ensure that their organisations stay on top. They improve their strategies to ensure they connect more with their customers and prospects. The more you connect with your customers, the more you protect your business from activities of competitors.

Salesmen are not left out in this new world of business where a lot is determined by the ability to connect with customers. Today’s selling is about relationship. One factor that will stand firm in any business relationship, even when other things fail, is the cordial relationship you have built over the period. Buyers will likely stand with a salesman who is their ally. People naturally protect true friendship. This is human nature.

Selling as an art

I often talk about the artistic nature of selling. This aspect of selling is where the salesman displays creativity and ability to bond with the buyer. A salesman who has mastered better ways to relate with his customers and prospects will always be successful. He will be successful because he has discovered his customers; he has also discovered their needs.

You cannot sell unless you know. You must discover before you sell and you cannot discover what you have not connected with. You must connect to know. This is the psychology of selling. It takes a lot to discover your customers and prospects. It takes the man who has nurtured the buying and selling relationship to a ‘‘personal level’’ to discover the customer.

A salesman who succeeds in connecting with the customer often excels because of the relationships he developed, and not necessarily because of any other reason. The logic also goes that the more you connect with customers by way of building good relationships with them, the more you sell.

People will always buy from salespeople they like and trust. They will buy from salespeople they like because human nature encourages solidarity. They will also buy from people they trust because integrity begets value and high quality. Integrity presents the best. This is a given.

eThe glue of relationship

It takes integrity before trust. The salesman would have shown high level of integrity in his dealings with the customer before attracting his trust. Therefore, the buyer loses nothing if he buys from a salesman he trusts.

This is a simple logic that applies in advanced selling strategies. The duty of the salesman is to build the relationship that will enhance trust. The simplest way to ensure this is by developing and sustaining friendship with the customer, and by offering the best products and services. The more truthful and reliable you are to the customer, the more you build a robust relationship with him. It takes friendship before trust. Trust is earned.

Every salesman must know that friendship with customers and prospects should not be taken for granted. I have said this before and I will say it again – being friendly with the customer is not a ticket to cut corners. It is not an express approval to take advantage of the customer.

Ideal selling represents integrity. This cannot be overemphasized. Integrity should be your guide any time you sell; no matter whom you are selling to. Professionalism should not be sacrificed on the altar of friendship. The salesman should connect with the customer and at the same time be professional – selling the best products and offering the best services. This is the only way to develop, nurture and sustain cordial business relationship.

Again, let me reiterate my regular advice to salesmen: ‘‘Sell emotionally and justify logically.’’ Sell emotionally to explore the existing friendship and also to appeal to the emotions of the buyer. Justify logically to give adequate reasons why the buyer should go for your product. This is the science and art of selling. You can’t go wrong in your selling when these two concepts are applied.

George Emetuche is chief executive salesman, The Selling Champion.

www.thesellingchampionconsulting.com

Your work is service to God

Ifeanyi Atueyi

26/07/2016

Work is essential for the development of the mind and body. Indeed, you become the person God wants you to be through your work. You are a reflection of your work. Zig Ziglar said, “Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.” That is why it is important to do what God wants you to do and to do it the way He wants you to do it. This is obedience which attracts all manner of blessings.

God has promised to bless the work of your hands (Deuteronomy 28:12). But I believe that you will be blessed only when your work pleases Him. Generally, people are not rewarded for unsatisfactory service.

My definition of work in this context is whatever you do to satisfy a need or solve a problem. A housewife cooking, washing clothes, dressing her kids, or selling her fruits in her kiosk is engaged in a form of work or service. Workers engaged in the production or selling of products are doing their own work. The managers in administration, accounting or business promotion are performing their own assignments.

Since whatever you do defines you, you must do it wholeheartedly and with the fear of God. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (NKJV).

You must put your spirit, soul and body in your work. If you are physically present at your job but mentally and emotionally far away, you will not succeed or excel at it. This is the type of situation that brings frustration, unhappiness, absenteeism, sickness, and dislike for employers and colleagues at work. In this type of environment, you cannot develop your talents and gifts and you pray that Monday to Sunday will be shortened while Saturday and Sunday get extended hours. My friend, if you find yourself in this type of job, it is better for you give it up.

In order to achieve success in your career, profession or business, you need to find joy in what you do. King Solomon again said something very revealing in Ecclesiastes 3:22, “I perceived that nothing is better than that man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his own heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him” (NKJV). Some of us have times we are so involved in the work we enjoy that time seems to move faster. At other times, we watch the clock and the minutes go by like hours.

I enjoy reading and writing and that is why I love my work. Many years ago, I used to work for long hours and late into the night. My young son was also in love with computers and could spend hours solving some problems. One particular night, I worked very late and really felt tired. As I was locking my office to go home, my son was yelling from the inner office where he was working on his computer, when I thought he had gone home. He was completely absorbed in his work. For my son, the love for his computer work gave him admission to the Department of Technology of the Obafemi Awolowo University lIe-lfe and from there to Northeastern University in Boston for a degree in Computer Engineering, where he graduated in 2002.

Some people have asked me how I have been able to keep working at Pharmanews all these years. My simple answer has been that I enjoy what I am doing. The joy in your work will make you tackle and overcome some inherent challenges. It will boost your energy, enthusiasm and perseverance.

Naturally, if you love someone, you would like to stay in his or her company. It is the same with the work you love. If you love what you’re doing, then you don’t want to quit. If you want to quit, then you don’t love your work.

Work is designed not only to provide for your material needs, but also to bring you enjoyment, satisfaction and fulfillment in life. Sam Walton said, “If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you – like a fever.”

As you do your work, you should be asking yourself whether your present job is for a short or long term goal. I engaged in various jobs that satisfied my short term goals. For instance, I worked as hospital pharmacist, production pharmacist, community practice pharmacist and sales and marketing pharmacist. In all these, my spirit was telling me that I had not hit the target. I discovered that the jobs were only preparing me for my vocation.

The joy of your work will be complete when you are convinced that you are serving God. That is when there will be fulfillment and life has a meaning for you. The constant question in your mind should be, is God satisfied with my services? “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).

Massive turnout at Chike Okoli Foundation’s 10th anniversary

26/07/2016

In what many have described as a massive boost for its cause, the 10th Anniversary of Heart & Soul Gala of the Chike Okoli Foundation witnessed a huge turnout of pharmacists, technocrats, political bigwigs, socialites and professionals from all walks of life.

The Foundation was established in furtherance of the ideals of Chike Edward Okoli who had died five days to his 25th birthday from undetected coronary artery disease. Rising from the grief of his untimely death, his family had set up the Chike Okoli Foundation to promote the passion of his life – entrepreneurship – and to combat cardiovascular diseases which had led to his untimely demise.

emzor 2 — L-R: Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Bimbo Ashiru; Dr Jide Idris, Lagos Commissioner for Health and Dr. Stella Okoli, chairman of Emzor Group.

Speaking at this year’s event, Dr Stella Okoli, chairman of Emzor Group, explained that when the Foundation was established 10 years ago, the only thing the family had held on to was faith in God.

“Today, every evidence shows that our faith has been justified and bountifully rewarded by Him,” she noted, adding that “it is for this reason that we are now celebrating 10 years of the Foundation, which has grown and evolved from just a dream to an institution to which many young people owe their entrepreneurial beginnings.”

The Emzor boss further remarked that the Foundation’s activities had impacted close to 10 million youths, while several thousands had been trained in entrepreneurship at the Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies (COCES), located at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka.

Okoli further noted that, since inception in 2006, the establishment, in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education, had sustained a regular grassroots cardiovascular health programme which had so far reached out to thousands of young people with valuable information on lifestyle habits.

“We owe all that we have been able to accomplish at the Foundation to the unflinching support, donations in cash and kind prayers and good wishes of our sponsors and supporters,” she noted.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Chief Eric Umeofia, chairman of the occasion, exhorted on the importance of making a positive impact before leaving the earth.

“Our treasure should not be found in money or big cars but in the lives of people we have impacted. With what happened to Chike 10 years ago, Stella (Okoli) has shown her good side to ensure young people don’t suffer the same fate. She has done well. Some people have money but cannot invest in other people,” Umeofia stated.

When called upon to kick-start the donation and appeal segment, Mrs Taiwo Taiwo, managing director of Shonny Properties Limited, told a shocked audience how she shared a similar fate with the Emzor boss.

She gave a brief narration of how she equally lost a daughter to vehicle accident before her 24th birthday, adding that it was shortly after that Chike’s unfortunate death also occurred.

“That is why Stella still stands in the colour of love. I know that God will be quite happy with all she has done so far. Only a mother’s love does that. I know what it feels like to see people you love leaving you suddenly,” Taiwo said.

She further noted that “some beneficiaries of the cholesterol and high blood test we have conducted may not know why we are doing it for them for free. I therefore plead with you to donate generously toward sustaining this cause.”

Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, former boss of Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, also showered encomium on Okoli for sustaining the vision of the Foundation over the years.

In his words: “I am always short of words each time I recall God’s mercy over us. Personally, I don’t think God made a mistake by placing this burden on Mrs Okoli. She has shown commitment all the way.

“The root cause of Nigeria’s problems, from kidnapping, Boko Haram to Niger Delta militancy, all boils down to unemployment and abject poverty. Therefore any contribution you make to this Foundation goes a long way to alleviate these problems.”

Other personalities at the event were Prof Jane Ajuluchukwu, consultant cardiologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, vice chancellor, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka; veteran actor Chief Olu Jacob and his wife, Joke Silva; and Weikang Jiang, chairman of Success Way Clean Technology Company.

Others were Dr Jide Idris, Lagos Commissioner for Health; Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun State; Pharm Okey Akpa, chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN); Chief Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, Ogun State Deputy Governor; Mrs Uzoma Ezeoke, executive director of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries and Pharm Folourunsho Alaran, Emzor’s business development manager.

Adelusi-Adeluyi, Akinyanju bag 2016 NHEA Lifetime Achievement Award

Admin

25/07/2016

– Mopson, Sproxil, others win in other categories

In recognition of their outstanding contributions to pharmaceutical practice and haematology in Nigeria respectively, Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi (OFR) and Professor Olu Akinyanju (OON) were recently honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the organisers of the annual Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA).

The event, which held at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on 25 June, attracted several notables in both the medical and the pharmaceutical industries.

Pharmacy icon, Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi, along with Prof. Olu Akinyanju (OON) whose campaign against sickle cell has given succour to many victims in Nigeria, received the highest honour at the event.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewale, minister of health, who was represented by Dr Olufemi Fasanmade, chairman, medical advisory committee, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), explained that though there are challenges facing the sector, health care professionals must continue to encourage themselves and promote good deeds in the society.

“The awardees who happen to be our colleagues and other stakeholders celebrated here today truly deserve the awards. NHEA is a good initiative that deserve encourage from all stakeholders,” he said.

Giving a short remark after receiving his award, Adelusi-Adeluyi noted that “Nigerian health care over the years has always been at the forefront of promoting innovation, teamwork, technological advancement and quality of health care service delivery.”

He therefore called for unity in the sector to ensure its growth and advancement for the benefit of all.

Adelusi-Adeluyi (fondly called Juli by friends and close associates) is the first and only pharmacist in Nigeria to have become a minister of health. Born into a royal family in Ado Ekiti, he was one of the pioneer set of pharmacy students at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) where he bagged a number of scholarships.

When he floated the first indigenous company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (Juli PLC), the then military president, Ibrahim Babangida, sent him a letter of commendation.

An alumnus (mni) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Adelusi-Adeluyi is a former president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).

Professor Olu Akinyanju, on the other hand, received his medical training at the University of London’s St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, now the Imperial College School of Science, Technology and Medicine.

Shortly after, he returned to Nigeria and took up a joint appointment in the fields of Medicine and Pathology. This exposed him to many patients with the sickle cell disorder and he proceeded to separate them from the general haematology clinic into a new dedicated sickle cell clinic.

In 1991, he founded the Federation of Sickle Cell Clubs of Nigeria (FESCCON) for mutual support and harmonisation. Five years later, he co-founded the Federation des Association contre la lutte de la depranocytose en Afrique (FALDA), which links the non-governmental sickle cell organisations in 13 West African countries. He is currently advising the WHO on the introduction of sickle cell programming in developing countries.

It would be recalled that the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award of the NHEA were won by the duo of Pharm (Sir) Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited and Olorogun (Dr) Sonny Kuku, a co-founder of the Eko Hospital.

In other categories of the award for this year, Sproxil Nigeria Limited was honoured as Innovative Healthcare Service Provider of the Year, while Smile360 Dental Specialists won the award for Dental Service Provider of the Year for the second time, having achieved same feat in 2015.

Several other organisations continued their winning streak for the third time, including HealthPlus Pharmacy (Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of the Year); Reddington Hospital, Lagos (Private Healthcare Provider of the Year); and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, which again bagged the award for Tertiary Healthcare Provider of the Year.

This year’s Outstanding Corporate Social Responsibility Project of the Year award went to the Dangote Foundation for building a state-of-the-art hospital in Kano, amongst other projects; while the Ondo State Trauma and Surgical Centre was announced winner of the award for Outstanding State Healthcare Programme of the Year.

JNC International and Swiss Biostadt Limited won the awards for Biomedical Engineering Service Provider of the Year and Hospital Equipment Marketing Company of the Year respectively

The award for Pharmaceutical Operation Excellence for Manufacturing Companies went to Mopson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., while May and Baker was honoured for the second time for Excellence in Pharmaceutical Research and Development.

Also, Pathcare Laboratories was announced winner of the Private Laboratory Service Provider of the Year award for the third time, while the Special Recognition Award of Service to Humanity was picked up by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders). Total Health Trust bagged Health Maintenance Organisation of The Year Award.

Moses Braimah, NHEA director of strategy and communication, hailed the award as the Oscar of Nigerian Health sector.

“NHEA has come a long way and as you can see, the 2016 edition has shown far more improvement than the previous two editions in terms of organisation and participation by stakeholders. It can only be better,” he said.

Dr Wale Alabi, organiser of the NHEA Awards, described it as “the highest honours for outstanding excellence in the Nigerian healthcare space.”

Dignitaries at the event included Dr Femi Olugbile, former chief medical director in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH); Pharm. Bukky George, managing director of HealthPlus Group; Dr Anthony Omolola, immediate past national president of Association of General Private Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN); and Dr Wale Alabi, NHEA’s project director.

Others were Dr Lolu Ojo, former chairman of Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP); Dr Olaokun Soyinka, Ogun State Commissioner for Health; Pharm. Remi Adeseun, chairman of Rodot Nigeria Limited; and Dr Jide Idris, Lagos State Commissioner for Health.

The NHEA recognises outstanding individuals and organisation for their extraordinary contributions to health care. It is an initiative of Global Health Project and Resources (GHPR), in collaboration with PharmAcess, a group dedicated to inclusive quality health care for people in sub-Sahara Africa. GHPR, on the other hand, is one of West Africa’s leading health care management and consultancy companies, involved in the promotion of health care business in West Africa.

PEFON inducts four pharmacists, 25 other professionals

Admin

25/07/2016

– Elevates Atueyi to BOT membership

Four pharmacists and 25 other professionals from different walks of life were recently inducted into the fellowship of Professional Excellence Foundation of Nigeria (PEFON).The induction ceremony, which took place at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja on 11 June, 2016, also witnessed the elevation of Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited, to member of Board of Trustees (BOT).

With the exception of Pharm. Nnamdi Okafor, managing director of May & Baker Plc., who was represented by Pharm. Everest Okeakpu, the company’s business development manager, the three remaining pharmacists – Sir Ike Onyechi, managing director of Alpha Pharmacy; Dr Michael Oyebanjo Paul, chairman of Mopson Pharmaceuticals Limited; and Pharm. Lekan Asuni, managing director of GlaxoSmithKline – were in attendance for the oath-taking ceremony.

While expressing satisfaction at the choice of inductees and the new BOT member, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, PEFON chairman, expressed confidence that they would do wel
L-R: Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, chairman, PEFON board of trustees, decorating Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi, managing director of Pharmanews Limited as a memeber of the Board of Trustees (BOT).

Spurring the inductees, Adelusi-Adeluyi said: “Just as one drop of acid makes a difference to the PH level of water, I admonish all the professionals inducted today to do same to this foundation.

“I am particularly elated by the growing membership of pharmacists as we are known for best practice around the world.”

The PEFON chairman however noted that it is unfortunate that Nigeria seems not to be making much progress, despite having been governed by various leaders from different tribes since independence.

“Many today claim to be professionals but turn to be mere careerists,” he said. “Many revered the legendary Muhammed Ali, even in death, not because they love boxing or his personality. Ali was adored because of the numerous lives that he had touched. Now that is professionalism”, he said.

Echoing the sentiments of the chairman, Aare Ganiyu Koledoye, vice chairman of the Foundation emphasised that PEFON is not an institute but a professional foundation aimed at encouraging and empowering youths in the country.

“The Foundation is also open for collaboration. We urge those being inducted today to contribute their quota and avoid misdirecting our youths,” he declared.

Expressing his gratitude after taking the BOT membership oath, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi promised to do all within his power to further elevate the rising profile of the Foundation.

In a similar vein, an excited Onyechi opined that PEFON’s aim at reawakening professionalism is the only way to rebuild the nation, adding that with the presence of proven professionals like Adelusi-Adeluyi and Atueyi as BOT members, he has no doubt the Foundation is going places.

Also in attendance were Mrs Olukemi Bailey, wife of PEFON founder; Mr Wale Ogunade, oath administrator; Sir Mike Ozekhome, legal luminary; and Tosin Awosika, pioneer member of Health & Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN).

The induction of the four pharmacists has swelled the number of pharmacy professionals in the fold of PEFON fellowship. Others are Dr (Mrs) Stella Okoli, chairman, Emzor Pharmaceuticals; Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, managing director of Juli Plc; Dr Nelson Uwaga, former PSN president and president of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, PSN past president.

4th Africa Pharmaceutical Summit and Exhibition holds in Lagos

Admin

25/07/2016

Top players in the pharmaceutical and health care industry from all over the world will convene at the Africa Pharmaceutical Summit (APS) West 2016, holding from 6 to 7 September at Eko Hotel and Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The summit, which is expected to be graced by policy-makers, pharmaceutical professionals, institutional investors and key stakeholders, is to discuss developments and opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry.

The APS West 2016 themed: “Driving Forward Improvement in Pharmaceutical Industry – A Clear Framework for Investment,” according to Mr Miles Mudzviti, founder and CEO, PharmaAfrica, was brought to Lagos Nigeria “after successful editions in Hammamet, Tunisia, Accra, Ghana and Nairobi Kenya.”

PharmaAfrica, Mudzviti explained, is privileged to work closely with the pharmaceutical and health industry, global and regional stakeholders, as well policymakers, to pick up the latest developments in the industry and integrate them into the summit concept in a manner appropriate to the target group.

The PharmaAfrica boss disclosed further that the APS Exhibition, which is open to the public, will showcase an array of innovations from the cutting-edge field of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and lifesaving sciences, adding that the summit will have in attendance over 70 exhibitors, complemented by an extensive high-level summit agenda involving more than 50 speakers from science, industry and policy.

The APS West 2016, he said, is therefore an excellent opportunity to showcase products and services, including raw materials, machinery, equipment, contract manufacturing and finished pharmaceutical products and will afford industry players the chance to discuss business models and catch up with the latest industry know-how.

“The exhibition and summit will be interlinked even more closely this year. Indeed, the summit topics reflect the focal points of the exhibition and are accompanied by measures such as giving of free special pass to visitors to provide learning opportunities for the industry,” he said.

According to Mr. Mudzviti PharmaAfrica’s mission is to provide a platform to enable the growth of a quality African pharmaceutical industry that com petitively contributes to the healthcare needs of Africans and is recognised in the global pharma areana for quality and innovation.

Interested exhibitors should contact MilesMudzviti through miles@pharmaafrica.com

Beware: Research links alcohol consumption to 7 cancer types

Admin

23/07/2016

A new study has revealed that a glass of wine a day raises the risk of cancer in human. The researchers said even people who drink low levels are at risk of developing the disease – killing off the idea that a glass of red wine can be good for you.

Although the exact mechanism is not known, there is ‘strong evidence’ alcohol increases the risk of developing the disease, experts said.

According to the study which was published on Mail Online , alcohol causes cancer of the mouth and throat, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, bowel and breast, but may also cause other forms.

However, despite several health campaigns on abstinence from alcohol, 90 per cent of people don’t realise drinking alcohol increases the risk of getting the deadly disease.

Professor Jennie Connor, of the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine at Otago Medical School in New Zealand, conducted the review of research taking into account the latest studies.

She said alcohol is estimated to have caused half a million deaths since 2012 – amounting to more than one in 20 – 5.8 per cent – of all cancer deaths.

Professor Connor added: ‘There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites, and probably others.

‘Confirmation of specific biological mechanisms by which alcohol increases the incidence of each type of cancer is not required to infer that alcohol is a cause.’

She said there is no safe level of drinking with respect to cancer. However, the risks are reduced for some forms when people stop drinking.

The supposed health benefits of drinking – such as red wine being good for the heart – were seen as irrelevant in comparison to the increased risk of cancer.

Professor Connor said the evidence shows the relation between alcohol and cancer is ‘dose dependent’ – in other words the more you drink, the greater the risk.

The research reinforces guidelines issued in January, by the UK’s chief medical officers, who said no level of regular drinking is without risks to health.

Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England said each time she has a drink, she asks herself ‘do I want the glass of wine or do I want to raise my risk of breast cancer?’

In light of the medical officers’ report, NHS guidelines now advise men should consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, down from the previous 21 units, bringing them into line with the recommendation for women.

Pharmanews App on Android

Admin

22/07/2016

Pharmanews, the foremost West African Health Journal introduces its official Android application-Pharmanews App. The mobile application, which is the latest development in the group of E-applications of the publication, is designed to keep readers abreast of latest update in the health sector.

It affords readers the opportunity to constantly follow up on their favourite columns, keep reading while offline and save content for as long as they wish.

Other new products from the stable of the publication are: Pharmanews Journal Ebook and Nigerian Pharmaceutical Directory (NPD) Ebook.

According to the Publisher, Pharm. (Sir) Ifeanyi Atueyi, “we have embarked on these software collections to give our advertisers and subscribers more value for their money”.

Visit the website: www.pharmanewsonline.com for a free download now!

Real reasons you need relief from stress

Admin

22/07/2016

Do you know anyone who isn’t at times stressed out these days? The pace of modern life makes stress management a necessary skill for everyone. Many people juggle multiple responsibilities, work, home life, caregiving and relationships. Learning to identify problems and implement solutions is the key to successful stress reduction.

The first step in successful stress relief is deciding to make stress management an ongoing goal, and to monitor your stress level.

Once you start monitoring your stress level, the next step is identifying your stress triggers. When or under what situations do you experience the most stress? Some causes of stress are easy to identify, such as job pressures, relationship problems or financial difficulties. But daily hassles and demands, such as commuting, arranging child care or being overcommitted at work, also can contribute to your stress level.

Positive events also can be stressful. If you got married, started a new job and bought a new house in the same year, you could have a high stress level. While negative events in general are more stressful, be sure to also assess positive changes in your life.

Once you’ve identified your stress triggers, you can start thinking about strategies for dealing with them. Identifying what aspect of the situation you can control is a good starting point.

For example, if you have a difficult time falling asleep because you’re stressed out, the solution may be as easy as turning off the TV when the evening news is too distressing. Other times, such as high demands at work or when a loved one is ill, you may only be able to change how you react to the situation.

And don’t feel like you have to figure it out all on your own. Seek help and support from family and friends. You may want to ask them what stress-relief techniques have worked well for them.

And many people benefit from daily practice of stress-reduction techniques, such as deep breathing, massage, tai chi or yoga. Many people manage stress through practicing mindfulness in meditation or being in nature.

And remember to maintain a healthy lifestyle to help manage stress — eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. Having a healthy lifestyle will help you manage periods of high stress.

Stress won’t disappear from your life. And stress management isn’t an overnight cure. But with ongoing practice and incorporation of resiliency into your lifestyle, you can learn to manage your stress level and increase your ability to cope with life’s challenges.

Here are some relaxation techniques for you:

Relaxation techniques are an essential part of stress management. If you’re an overachiever, you may put relaxation low on your priority list. Don’t shortchange yourself. Everyone needs to relax and recharge.

Relaxation is invaluable for maintaining your health and well-being, and repairing the toll that stress takes on your mind and body.

Almost everyone can benefit from learning relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques can help to slow your breathing and to focus your attention on the here and now.

Common relaxation techniques include meditation, tai chi and yoga. But there are more-active ways of achieving relaxation. For example, walking outdoors or participating in a sports activity can be relaxing and help reduce stress.

It doesn’t matter which relaxation technique you choose. What matters is that you select a technique that works for you and that you practice achieving relaxation regularly.

Mayo Clinic

90% of HIV drugs in Africa come from India – UNAIDS

Admin

21/07/2016

Discussions at the ongoing AIDS conference in Durban, South Africa, have focused on the dearth of homegrown scientific solutions to HIV/AIDS on the continent.

This comes as participants at the conference say that many of the breakthroughs in the treatment and control of the viral disease are coming from abroad instead of within.

According to them, donors from the United States of America and other developed nations commit more funds and resources to HIV/AIDS programmes compared to governments in Africa, the region that is most affected by the disease.

The Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Dr. Michael Sidibe, who spoke at the opening plenary, stated that 95 per cent of antiretrovirals, a drug used by persons living with the disease, came from India and other Asian countries.

Apart from drugs, Sidibe noted, more than 50 per cent of funding for HIV/AIDS programmes in Africa were borne by donor organisations in the US and Europe.

He warned that Africa’s dependence on foreign aids and drugs could frustrate efforts toward eradicating the disease by 2030.

The UNAIDS chief challenged African scientists and pharmaceutical companies to reverse the trend by investing in local manufacturing of antiretrovirals.

Sidibe added, “Today, 90 to 95 per cent of patients are undergoing treatment, thanks to drugs which come from abroad, precisely India. It is therefore time for Africa to produce its own drugs.

“It is impossible to think that in future we will continue to treat patients for the next 20 or 30 years with the belief that these drugs will come from the North.”

Urging African governments to increase their support and funding, he warned that some international donors might reduce their funding due to global economic challenges.

Sidibe said, “Between 2015 and 2016, 13 of 14 donors reviewed their financing for the fight against HIV/AIDS. We noticed a reduction of about seven per cent. This bothers me because if we have difficulty putting patients under treatment, the number of cases as well as resistance could increase.”

Meanwhile, a former Lagos Coordinator, Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, Ibrahim Umoru, said HIV/AIDS patients might suffer more if the government did to increase its domestic funding of HIV/AIDS treatment programmes.

Umoru said, “PEPFAR has been funding HIV/AIDS treatment for the past 10 years. Two years ago, they began flat funding and downsizing. That is why many of the services are no longer free.

“Many do not have money to pay for drugs and treatment. Are we then saying that they should go to their graves? Nigeria has the highest burden of people living with the virus, yet foreigners are paying the bills.

“The Federal Government contributes just five per cent, Global Fund gives 25 per cent and PEPFAR contributes 75 per cent. We know that if Nigeria wants to pick the bill, it has the resources.

“The problem is that those at the helms of affairs in the country just do not want to do it. If Nigeria is truly sincere about HIV/AIDS, foreign governments should not be the major investor for over 10 years.”

The Punch

REVEALED: 4 Tips to creating a healthy lifestyle

Admin

21/07/2016

We are all looking for that perfect balance in our lives. For some of us, we may struggle with our work commitments eating into the time we get to spend with our families and friends. For others, we are fighting an ongoing weight battle and feel that we are at the losing end. Maybe you are just trying to find the balance between where you are and where you want to be.

We all have our own vision of what our ideal health and wellness should look like, and yours would probably be totally different than mine. I have put together a list of some of the ways you can make small changes in your current lifestyle to help bring back that elusive balance you are craving.

Eat Right

Getting your nutrition right is a key area in looking and feeling your best. Think about it this way: if you had just purchased a brand new car and instead of putting fuel into it, you put water, I don’t think you would be getting very far. That is exactly what you are doing to your body when you fill it up with sugar and chemicals instead of whole and nutrient-dense meals.

By eating good, healthy foods you are fueling your body to run more efficiently. You will be giving your body the tools to be able to fight off illnesses better. You will sleep better, feel more alert and have a clearer mind.

Let’s Get Physical

Exercise is such an important part of maintaining a healthy body. Regular exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute positively to maintaining a healthy weight.

By keeping active, you are helping your body build and maintain healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility along with promoting physiological well-being and strengthening the immune system.

Never underestimate how even a little bit of exercise can greatly benefit your health.

Switch It Off

Technology is everywhere and although it has made our lives easier it has come with a price.

How many times are you out and about and see almost everyone around you with their heads in a phone or a computer?

It is now becoming so common that I am worried my children will grow up in an anti-social society where there will be no social skills and people who are genuinely needing someone to talk to will be greeted with the latest avatar programed to “solve the problem.”

Humans need human contact. We need to feel love and be appreciated. Our children need to feel as though they are valued and are more worthy of our time than our phone screens.

Take the time to switch off your phones during family times, turn it off before bed, have a switch off time where after a certain hour you turn off your devices and spend time with your loved ones. You will be amazed at how connected you will feel within yourself just by taking time out to actual enjoy the life around you.

Get Some Sleep

Our bodies need sleep in order to recharge, rebuild and repair. A lack of quality sleep has been linked to weight gain, lack of concentration and a weakened immune system. Good sleep patterns are important for our day to day functions and our bodies ability to deal with stress.

Ways to get a better night’s sleep are to switch off your electronic devices before bed and try some meditation or a relaxing bath. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning and get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Huffington Post

Regular strolls more effective than vigorous exercise at preventing diabetes-Research

Admin

19/07/2016

A brisk walk is better than vigorous jogging for keeping diabetes at bay, according to new research.

Doctors advise regular exercise and low-fat diets to improve glucose control in people with pre-diabetes.

But for those who dread the gym, rejoice: a new study by Duke Health has found walking briskly on a regular basis may be more effective than intense exercise.

The findings, published online July 15 in the journal Diabetologia, are the result of a randomized, six-month study of 150 participants, each of whom was designated as having pre-diabetes based on elevated fasting glucose levels.

Study participants were randomized into four groups.

The first group followed an intervention modeled after the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), considered a gold standard, that aims to achieve a seven per cent body weight reduction over six months.

The program requires cutting calories, eating a low-fat diet, and exercising.

Study participants in this group adopted the diet changes, and performed moderate-intensity exercise equivalent to 7.5 miles of brisk walking in a week.

Other study participants were randomly assigned to receive exercise only, using different amounts and intensities.

The first was a low-amount at moderate intensity (equivalent to walking briskly for 7.5 miles per week).

The second was a high-amount at moderate intensity (equivalent to walking briskly for 11.5 miles per week).

And the third was a high-amount at vigorous intensity (equivalent to jogging for 11.5 miles per week).

‘We know the benefits of lifestyle changes from the DPP, but it is difficult to get patients to do even one behavior, not to mention three,’ said Dr. William Kraus, M.D., the study’s lead author and professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Duke University School of Medicine.

‘We wanted to know how much of the effect of the DPP could be accomplished with exercise alone,’ Kraus said.

‘And which intensity of exercise is better for controlling metabolism in individuals at risk for diabetes.’

On average, participants in the DPP group had the greatest benefit, with a nine per cent improvement in oral glucose tolerance – a key measure of how readily the body processes sugar and an indicator used to predict progression to diabetes.

One of the exercise-only groups came in a close second. Participants in the moderate-intensity, 11.5-mile group saw a seven per cent improvement in glucose tolerance on average.

The moderate-intensity, 7.5-mile group had a five per cent improvement on average.

The lowest improvement was seen among those in the vigorous-intensity, 11.5-mile group, with only a two per cent average improvement.

‘Another way to say it is that a high amount of moderate-intensity exercise alone provided nearly the same benefit on glucose tolerance that we see in the gold standard of fat and calorie restriction along with exercise,’ said Cris Slentz, Ph.D., a study co-author and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Duke.

Kraus and Slentz said the study’s results could reflect the different ways in which high- and moderate-intensity exercise impact the body.

‘High-intensity exercise tends to burn glucose more than fat, while moderate-intensity exercise tends to burn fat more than glucose,’ Kraus said.

‘We believe that one benefit of moderate-intensity exercise is that it burns off fat in the muscles, which relieves the block of glucose uptake by the muscles. That’s important because muscle is the major place to store glucose after a meal,’ Kraus said.

The authors note that only a diabetes outcome study could determine whether moderate-intensity exercise is actually superior to high-intensity exercise at preventing patients with pre-diabetes from progressing to diabetes.

Still, Kraus said the study’s results could provide manageable alternatives for pre-diabetic patients.

‘When faced with the decision of trying to do weight loss, diet, and exercise versus exercise alone, the study indicates you can achieve nearly 80 percent of the effect of doing all three with just a high amount of moderate-intensity exercise,’ he said.

‘I was heartened by the fact that I found out that I can give patients one message and they can get nearly the same effect as when required to exercise, diet and lose weight all at the same time.’

Mail Online

How your height affects your health

Admin

19/07/2016

Generally, people with height attract more admiration and benefits than those with lesser height. However, towering over others has got some weaknesses as people with little height are not totally free from shortfalls too. An Huffingtonpost publication has listed seven medical issues associated with people who are taller or shorter than average. Check the list below:

Longevity

From an evolutionary perspective, there’s a price for enjoying the perks of being tall: a shorter lifespan. As the theory goes, “growing faster and being bigger will mean that you’ll have a shorter life, and we’ve seen that in rats,” says Mary Schooling, a professor at the City University of New York School of Public Health and Health Policy. But in humans, how the theory plays out isn’t quite clear. While certain genes have been linked to both short stature and long life, and shorter populations also seem to live longer, it’s tough to know whether stature itself influences lifespan or if characteristics like nutrition, socioeconomic status and disease risk are responsible

Cancer

If you think about what cancer is ― abnormal cells multiplying out of control ― “being taller and having a higher risk of cancer makes some sort of sense,” Schooling says, since more cells might mean more opportunity for a cancer-causing mutation. That explanation plays out in the research on hormone-related cancers, such as breast, ovarian and prostate, which are more common among the height-gifted. Growth hormone, too, may play a role in the development of cancer, since studies suggest that a lack of it lowers your risk of the disease. “That would be another possible pathway,” Schooling says.

Heart disease and diabetes

Here’s one area where short people get the, well, short end of the stick: They seem to be more prone to heart disease and diabetes, research indicates. “Greater height might allow larger, more robust blood vessels,” Schooling explains. Or, perhaps taller people tend to be protected from cardiometabolic conditions because they were fed healthier diets as children or grew up in an environment where they were less exposed to infections. “We don’t know for sure if it’s really truly the height, or whether it’s something else which makes you taller and protects you against cardiovascular disease,” Schooling says.

Lung transplantation

Whether in line at the deli counter or separated from friends at a concert, short people can be at a disadvantage when seeking attention. That tendency can be particularly detrimental if those folks are waiting for a lung transplant: Research suggests people 5 feet, 3 inches or shorter wait longer for the organ and are more likely to die in the process than organ recipients with more average heights. The authors suggest adjusting the transplant process – including potentially surgically “downsizing” too-big lungs – to address the disparity.

Injuries

Not only are tall people more injury-prone, but their injuries are often worse than those experienced by the shorter set. “Taller patients, when they take a fall, they’re going to go a lot further and … the impact will be higher,” Truumees says, noting that older tall people have higher rates of hip fracture. Some data suggests lanky people may also be crippled by slower reactions times, he adds, since their nerve impulses have farther to travel. Professional athletes, for one, know the consequences of this phenomenon all too well: Towering players, Truumees says, tend to have higher rates of injury and take longer to recover than their littler teammates.

Blood clots

Long legs: Great if you’re a model, not-so-great if you’re on a long plane ride, wearing a cast as you recover from surgery or are otherwise unable to move your leg muscles frequently to prevent blood clots, Truumees says. Indeed, one study found that men 6 feet or taller were 2.6 times more likely to develop venous thromboembolism than men at least four inches shorter; men who were both tall and obese were more than five times as likely to develop the condition. “Those people need to be very careful,” Truumees says, since, in the most severe cases, blood clots can travel to the lungs and cause death.

Spine, neck and back problems

Most workspaces aren’t designed with non-average heights in mind: “Short people, tall people – they’re all working around the same cubicle or work unit, and that can cause all kinds of back and neck problems,” particularly for the tall ones, who are more prone to spine conditions like scoliosis, says Truumees, director of spine research at the Seton Spine and Scoliosis Center in Austin. While ensuring your workspace is ergonomically correct helps, some environments, like planes, can’t be altered – much to Truumees’s disappointment. “They say life is about the journey, not the destination,” he says, “but for me, it’s the destination – the journey is not all that fun.”

Research finds vaginal ring with anti-AIDS slashes a woman’s risk of HIV by 92 %

Admin

18/07/2016

A new study has found that vaginal ring laced with anti-AIDS drug ‘reduces a woman’s risk of HIV’ by up to 92%. The ring tested in the new study contained 25 mg of dapivirine, about 4 mg of which gets released over 28 days.

Record has it that women account for nearly 60 per cent of adults with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, where unprotected heterosexual sex is the primary driver of the epidemic.

Despite advances in preventing HIV, women – especially those who are younger – still face a higher risk. In addition, a number of current prevention options, including medication that keeps HIV negative people from becoming infected – may not be accessible to or practical for many.

Previous findings from the study found the ring was far more effective in women over the age of 25 as they were 61 per cent less likely to be infected, as young women reported no extra benefit.

According to the study published on Mail Online, those who regularly used the device – which is laced with medication – were up to 92 per cent less likely to get the deadly virus through unprotected sex, experts found. The ring is coated with an experimental antiretroviral drug called dapivirine. This has been shown to provide significant protection against HIV by disabling a protein needed for HIV replication.

Vaginal rings are flexible products that fit high up inside the vagina where they release a medication slowly over time. They are sold in the US and UK for birth control, but the anti-AIDS version tested in Africa contained no contraception.

Research published earlier this year found 27 per cent fewer women acquired HIV in the group using dapivirine compared to those using a placebo ring containing no active drug. Developed by the International Partnership for Microbicides, it is meant to be used for a month at a time, and women can insert and remove it themselves.

More than 2,600 HIV-negative women between the ages of 18 and 45 from Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe were documented as part of the study.

The women were categorised into one of four groups depending on how often they used the ring. This ranged from non-use to near perfect ring use – and, as expected, the ring appeared to be far more effective when used most or all the time.

The level of protection for those who used the ring most consistently ranged from 75 per cent in one analysis to 92 per cent in another.

Elizabeth Brown, from the University of Washington, said: ‘Adherence to HIV prevention strategies is not always perfect, and we knew that not all women used the ring consistently, so we developed an analysis to explore the degree of HIV protection that was associated with more consistent use.

‘Across all analyses we saw high adherence was associated with significantly better HIV protection.’

While the new results are encouraging, Dr Brown and her colleagues are mindful that their analysis may be not 100 per cent accurate, and further studies will be needed to validate their results.

FIP World Congress – Reducing the global burden of diseases

Admin

15/07/2016

Second registration deadline: 1 August

Pharmacy professionals and scientists from around the world are flocking to the FIP 2016 congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Why? The congress offers a world-leading mix of education, networking and social events delivered by some of the best speakers and event organisers available today. Delegates hear the latest thinking in the practical, political and academic drivers of population health and they have a rare chance to hear, discuss and formulate their own local policies and practice based on global thought-leadership. What’s more, they take home lifelong memories of Argentina’s culture and landscape. Register here!

Emerging infectious diseases

Infectious diseases affecting humans are increasing in range and severity at an unprecedented rate. The latest thinking in infectious disease management by pharmacists will be reviewed at one of the popular education sessions of the FIP congress. Roles in emergency planning are emerging and involve hospital pharmacists in creating preparedness plans that are flexible enough to respond to a variety of emerging infections. The session will show that the hospital pharmacist’s unique skillset can facilitate the tailored provision of drug information, risk-managed use of unlicensed and trial medicines, medicine administration and parenteral nutrition.

Paediatric hypercholesterolemia

Atherosclerosis can begin in childhood and the most important risk factor, hypercholesterolemia, is asymptomatically present in approximately 12% of children. Individuals diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia present themselves in the pharmacy. Focusing attention towards the children of such patients is considered a very effective screening strategy. Argentine researcher of paediatric hypercholesterolemia Dr Jorge Robledo hopes that the FIP congress 2016 will produce a Spanish-speaking partner to design a global pharmacy screening programme. For information, please contact: Jorge A. Robledo — pipes.jovita@gmail.com and look at the website.

Spice up your day with these 5 super spices

Admin

15/07/2016

Just as knowledge is not static, so scientists keep revealing new discoveries on every field. We have been used to super foods in the pasts, but leading nutritionists have found super spices that sooth the human body system all day.

We have known of such miraculous foods like avocado, nuts, sour sops and others, but researchers have recently published on Mail Online, these super spices that give the human system the needed treat to function effectively. Check them below:

CINNAMON: THE BRAIN BOOSTER

It’s often paired with apples, sprinkled on oatmeal and french toast.But, according to recent research published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, cinnamon is more, much more, than just a delicious addition to breakfast

Researchers say it can also improve a person’s ability to learn. How? The spice reverses biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes that occur in the brains of thse people with poor learning ability.

These sweeteners have been linked to mood swings and depression, as well as increased appetite.And therein lies another of cinnamon’s secret weapons, it can provide a healthy substitute to sugar.

Leading nutritionist, and author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar, Dr Marilyn Glenville, told Daily Mail Online: ‘If you are really craving something sweet, try adding cinnamon to your natural yoghurt, latte or porridge.’A few studies suggest that adding cinnamon to food might help better control a person’s blood sugar, by lowering post-meal blood-sugar spikes.’

TURMERIC: THE PAIN RELIEVER

It is instantly recognisable to anyone with an ounce of culinary intrigue – it’s bold, yellow colour beaming from the spice shelves in any food store.

In India, turmeric paste is more than just a vital component of their national cuisine. For it is regularly applied to wounds to speed the healing process.It’s secret lies in a key molecule – curcumin, a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has also been shown to help relieve pain in arthritis patients, injuries and even dental problems.

Lily Soutter, a nutritionist and weight loss expert, explained: ‘This bright yellow spice is best known for it’s potent anti-inflammatory benefits.

‘It is the curcumin within turmeric, which has been used to treat inflammatory conditions like arthritis as well as playing a role within cancer prevention and protecting against heart disease’.

Nutritionist Cassandra Barns said: ‘It stimulates production of bile by the gallbladder that is used by the liver to filter and expel toxins. ‘You can also take turmeric supplements with the active curcumin for similar effect.’

GINGER: THE TUMMY SOOTHER

It is more than just an old wives’ tale, ginger really does have healing powers.The vibrant spice calms the digestive system, helping to sooth stomach troubles.

Dr Glenville said the spice can be particularly helpful to women in the early stages of pregnancy, struck by morning sickness.’Consuming a ginger tea with a meal may be useful, especially in pregnancy.

Ms Soutter, said the spice can also transform a person’s complexion.’Ginger can give you that healthy glow, radiant skin and glossy hair,’ she said.’This is because ginger stimulates circulation, allowing more vital nutrients to reach each organ.

SAFFRON: THE MOOD BOOSTER

There is a good reason why a gram of saffron is more expensive than gold.The spice has long been used in traditional Persian medicine as a mood lifter, usually added to tea or rice. ‘Saffron extract helps increase serotonin, which is the feel good hormone in the brain,’ Ms Barns explained.’This will not only improve your mood but also stop you from snacking, giving the same boost in serotonin as a biscuit.’

CAYENNE PEPPER: THE FAT BURNER

It is arguably the Holy Grail of medical research, discovering a way to help combat obesity.

But, part of the answer may already lie in the store cupboard.Research has shown that capsaicin, a powerful compound found in hot chilles and cayenne pepper revs up the body’s metabolism and may boost the body’s ability to burn fat.

Shona Wilkinson, Nutritionist at SuperfoodUK.com, said: ‘We all recognise that cayenne helps us heat up, even making us break a sweat after consuming it. ‘It is the active constituent capsaicin that creates the heat in our body from the food ingested. ‘Studies have also shown that chilli may help to decrease your appetite too.’

Checkout the list of 9 foods that can help you live longer

Admin

15/07/2016

Do you want to live longer? Obviously, your answer will be affective, then you need diets with healthy fat, as researchers have suggested that Eating a diet that includes healthy fats can increase your chances of living for longer. Here is a list of diet of foods with healthy fats

DARK CHOCOLATE

Chocolate? Healthy? Who would have thought it. But as long as it’s eaten in moderation, chocolate can actually be beneficial.

Dark chocolate is 11 per cent fibre and contains iron, magnesium, copper and manganese. It is also packed with antioxidants – more than blueberries to be exact.Some of the antioxidants in dark chocolate can lower blood pressure and protect you from harmful cholesterol.

Studies also show that people who eat dark chocolate five or more times a week are less than half as likely to suffer from heart disease, compared to people who don’t eat dark chocolate.

There are also some studies showing that it can improve brain function and protect your skin from damage when exposed to the sun.

So, the good news is we don’t have to scrap chocolate from our diets. Just make sure to choose quality dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa.

FLAXSEED

One cup of ground flaxseed contains a huge 48 grams of fat, but it’s all of the healthy, unsaturated kind and you actually only need one to two tablespoons to reap its benefits.

Flaxseed is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation and improves heart and brain health.

It’s also suggested that flaxseed can help to prevent some types of cancer as it contains plant nutrients that have estrogen and antioxidant properties.

And finally, flaxseed contains plenty of fibre, meaning it helps you to feel fuller for longer so you end up eating less. Try mixing a tablespoon into your morning porridge, add it to yoghurts or include it when baking.

SOYBEAN OIL

Soybean oil – which is extracted from the beans – is known for its neutral flavour and well-balanced fatty acids. This makes it a great ingredient for a variety of uses, from baked goods to salad dressings.

High in both poly and monounsaturated fats, it is one of the the few non-fish oils that supplies a great source of omega-3.

It also offers plenty of vitamin E, preventing cell damage that could lead to diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Overall, soybean oil can improve cardiovascular health, blood pressure, heart disease and cholesterol levels, research has shown. Soybean oil can be wonderful when used as a salad dressing or dipping oil.

RAW NUTS

Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, you name it – nuts are high in healthy fats and fibre and are a great plant-based source of protein. They’re also high in vitamin E and magnesium – a mineral that most people don’t get enough of.It’s also suggested that nuts can lower the risk of various diseases such as obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.If you want to mix things up, try making a nut butter or spread.

CHIA SEEDS

Chia seeds aren’t generally perceived as a ‘fatty’ food but an ounce of them actually contains nine grams of fat

But that’s nothing to worry about as almost all the carbohydrates in chia seeds are fibre, meaning the majority of calories in them actually come from fat.This makes them a fantastic high-fat plant food packed with nutrition, minerals and protein.

In fact, most of the fats in chia seeds are heart-healthy and full of an omega-3 fatty acid called ALA.Health benefits include lowering blood pressure and anti-inflammatory effects.

RAPESEED OIL

Rapeseed oil contains half the amount of fat found in olive oil, meaning it’s high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and has a healthy blend of omega-3, 6 and 9.

It can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease.Not only that, but rapeseed oil also has a ‘high smoke point’ so when used at high temperatures it still maintains its natural benefits.Rapeseed oil can be used to replace other fats like butter and cheese. Or used as a dipping oil.

AVOCADO

As if avocados couldn’t get any better, they are also classed as a healthy fat. Unlike many other fruits, avocados are packed with healthy fats rather than carbohydrates.‘Avocados are among the most nutritious foods you can eat,’ says Heather Thomas in her new book, The Avocado Cookbook.

‘Not only are they rich in protein and fibre but they are also a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamins A, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, E and K.

‘Because they are relatively high in fat, many weight-conscious people avoid them, but in fact they contain healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated vegetable fat.’

The main fatty acid found in avocados is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which is also the predominant fatty acid found in olive oil.They are particularly good for healthy skin, digestion and preventing anaemia.

‘Indeed, some studies have shown that eating avocados regularly may help to lower harmful cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of developing heart disease,’ said Ms Thomas.The oil can also be extracted from the fruit and be used for cooking or salad dressings.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Extra virgin olive oil is the queen of healthy fats and an essential component of the Mediterranean diet.Shown to have numerous healthy benefits, olive oil is definitely something you should include in your diet.

Extra virgin olive oil contains vitamins E and K and is packed with powerful antioxidants that can fight inflammation. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

You can swap your butter for olive oil and use it for frying, a dip for breads, or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even use it in your dessert.

FATTY FISH

Salmon, mackerel and herring – these types of fish are loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, high quality proteins and important nutrients.Studies show people who eat fish tend to be much healthier, with a lower risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and other common diseases.If fish isn’t really your thing, then try taking a fish oil supplement instead. Cod fish liver oil contains all of the omega-3s you need as well as vitamin D.

Mail Online

Novartis convenes the 15th Annual National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) Best Practice Sharing Workshop in Dakar, Senegal

Admin

14/07/2016

Malaria experts and African leaders challenged to maintain the momentum and win the race for malaria elimination
Novartis convenes the 15th Annual National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) Best Practice Sharing Workshop today in Dakar, Senegal

National Malaria Control Program best practice sharing workshop takes place in Senegal, which has made great strides in malaria control
Event brings together delegates from 33 African countries to accelerate malaria elimination efforts
Novartis Malaria Initiative celebrates treatment delivery milestone, with more than 800 million treatments distributed since 2001, including over 300 million dispersible pediatric treatments

**Awa Coll-Seck, Minister of Health of Senegal**

Novartis convenes the 15th Annual National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) Best Practice Sharing Workshop today in Dakar, Senegal. Over the next two days, leading malaria experts and African leaders will discuss how to take on the challenge to win the race for malaria elimination.

Representatives from academia, civil society, the donor community and the public sector from 33 African countries will share knowledge and best practices to help accelerate elimination efforts across the continent.

“I’m delighted that Senegal has been chosen to host this year’s NMCP Best Practice Sharing Workshop because it gives our colleagues across Africa the opportunity to see the pioneering work undertaken by community volunteers,” said Awa Coll-Seck, Minister of Health of Senegal. “The country has witnessed huge declines in malaria incidence and deaths over the past five years, thanks to extensive malaria control interventions. We are confident our country can achieve complete elimination by 2030, along with the rest of the African continent.”

While malaria deaths have declined by around 60% since 2000, with 6 million lives saved [1], major new challenges have surfaced, including growing resistance to frontline artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and insecticides [2]. Although preventable and treatable, malaria continues to kill a child every two minutes and threatens the lives of many more [3].

This year’s event will focus on key issues including efficacy and quality monitoring of existing therapies, the growing tide of resistance in Asia and its potential effect on African countries. Host country Senegal has already proven to be a leader in home-based malaria management through the use of rapid diagnostic tests administered by community volunteers, and lessons from this success will also be shared.

“Novartis is proud to convene this unique forum and bring together leading voices from across Africa to advance malaria elimination efforts,” said Dr. Harald Nusser, Global Head, Novartis Malaria Initiative and Novartis Access. “Despite the many advances in the fight against the disease, we know there is still a lot to be done if we want to achieve a malaria-free world. Bridging existing gaps in access to key interventions and introducing novel tools, including next-generation antimalarial drugs, will be crucial to achieving elimination.”

Delegates will also have the opportunity to meet community volunteers in a semi-rural area; attend public disease awareness sessions; hear from Global Fund representatives about the global replenishment drive to further mobilize efforts to end malaria; and hear plans for the Novartis SMS for Life 2.0 pilot – a project which uses mobile phones and online tools to improve access to malaria medicines and quality of care.

The NMCP workshop is happening as the Novartis Malaria Initiative celebrates a new treatment delivery milestone. Since 2001, Novartis has delivered more than 800 million treatments without profit, including over 300 million dispersible pediatric treatments developed in collaboration with the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), mostly to the public sector of malaria-endemic countries. Novartis recently announced an expanded partnership with MMV to further drive the development of KAF156, the first in a new class of dual-acting antimalarial compounds known as imidazolepiperazines (IZPs) that target the parasite at both the liver and blood stages of its reproductive cycle.

The NMCP Best Practice Sharing Workshop is co-chaired by Dr. Moustapha Cisse, Deputy NMCP Head in Senegal; Simone Kunene, Under Secretary of the Swaziland Ministry of Health and a former Head of the Swaziland NMCP; and Professor Zul Premji, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology at Aga Khan University.

About the Novartis Malaria Initiative

The Novartis Malaria Initiative (http://www.Malaria.Novartis.com) is committed to drive research, development and access to novel drugs to eliminate malaria. Operated by Sandoz, the Novartis generics and biosimilars division, the Novartis Malaria Initiative is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s largest access-to-medicine programs. Since 2001, the initiative has delivered more than 800 million treatments without profit, including over 300 million dispersible pediatric treatments, mostly to the public sector of malaria-endemic countries.

Novartis has a long heritage in antimalarial drug development. Coartem®, the first fixed-dose Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT), was launched in 1999. ACTs are the current standard of care in malaria treatment. Currently, there are two potential antimalarial therapies in Phase II clinical trials in the Novartis pipeline, KAE609 and KAF156. Both are new classes of compounds that treat malaria in different ways from current therapies, and could help combat growing resistance to existing artemisinin-based combination therapies.

In 2009, the Novartis Malaria Initiative spearheaded SMS for Life to manage stock-outs of malaria medicines in sub-Saharan countries. A new enhanced version of this award-winning program, called SMS for Life 2.0, uses tablet computers to track more stock items and more disease surveillance indicators. The platform will also be used to deliver high-quality training directly to health workers at their health facility.

Disclaimer

This press release contains expressed or implied forward-looking statements, including statements that can be identified by terminology such as “to accelerate,” “will,” “confident,” “continues to,” “potential,” “next-generation,” “to further drive,” “committed,” “pipeline,” “could,” “would,” or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Group regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such statements. These expectations could be affected by, among other things, risks and factors referred to in the Risk Factors section of Novartis AG’s current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update it in the future.

References
[1] Fact Sheet: World Malaria Report 2015. (2015, December 9). World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/malaria/media/world-malaria-report-2015/en/. Last accessed April 2016.
[2] Bansal, S. (2016, March 29). The Unrelenting Specter of Drug-Resistant Malaria. Medium. https://medium.com/the-development-set/the-unrelenting-specter-of-drug-resistant-malaria-da11f736c973#.3vjhqv4lg. Last accessed April 2016.
[3] World Health Organization, World Malaria Report 2015: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/200018/1/9789241565158_eng.pdf?ua=1. Last accessed January 2016.
Distributed by APO on behalf of Novartis International AG.

About Novartis
Novartis (https://www.Novartis.com) provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2015, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.4 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 8.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are available in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

SOURCE
Novartis International AG

Quitting smoking: Top tips to resist tobacco cravings.

Admin

12/07/2016

For most tobacco users, tobacco cravings or urges to smoke can be powerful. But you’re not at the mercy of these tobacco cravings. Each time you resist a tobacco craving, you’re one step closer to stopping smoking or other toba.cco use for good. But it can be difficult.

According to Mail Online, below are smart tips to quit smoking.

Try nicotine replacement therapy

Talk with your doctor about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help deal with cravings. The nicotine nasal spray and the nicotine inhaler are available by prescription, as are the stop-smoking medications bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix). However, some types of NRT, including patches, gum and lozenges are available over-the-counter (OTC).

After reviewing decades of research, the Food and Drug Administration recently announced that there’s no significant safety concerns associated with using more than one OTC NRT at the same time. So if you’re using nicotine replacement patches, gum or lozenges while trying to quit but you slip up and have a cigarette, you don’t need to stop using the NRT. Instead, keep using the NRT and keep trying to quit.

Avoid triggers

Urges for tobacco are likely to be strongest in the situations where you smoked or chewed tobacco most often, such as at parties or bars, in the car, or while watching television. Identify your trigger situations and have a plan in place to avoid them entirely or get through them without using tobacco. Don’t set yourself up for a smoking relapse. If you usually smoked while you talked on the phone, for instance, keep a pen and paper nearby to occupy yourself with doodling rather than smoking.

Delay

If you feel like you’re going to give in to your tobacco craving, tell yourself that you must first wait 10 more minutes and then do something to distract yourself for that period of time. This simple trick may be enough to derail your tobacco craving. Repeat as often as needed.

Chew on it

Give your mouth something to do to fight a tobacco craving. Chew on sugarless gum or hard candy, or munch on raw carrots, celery, nuts or sunflower seeds — something crunchy and satisfying.

Don’t have ‘just one’

You might be tempted to have just one cigarette to satisfy a tobacco craving. But don’t fool yourself into believing that you can stop at just one. More often than not, having just one leads to another— and you may end up using tobacco again.

Get physical

Physical activity can help distract you from tobacco cravings and reduce the intensity of cravings. Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity can make a tobacco craving go away. Get out for a walk or jog. If you’re stuck at home or the office, try squats, deep knee bends, pushups, running in place, or walking up and down a set of stairs. If physical activity doesn’t interest you, try prayer, needlework, woodwork or journaling. Or do chores for distraction, such as vacuuming or filing paperwork.

Practice relaxation techniques

In the past, smoking may have been your way to deal with stress. Resisting a tobacco craving can itself be stressful. Take the edge off stress by practicing relaxation techniques. These include deep-breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, yoga, visualization, hypnosis and massage.

Call for reinforcements

Touch base with a family member, friend or support group member for moral support in your effort to resist a tobacco craving. Chat on the phone, go for a walk together or simply share a few laughs — or get together to commiserate about your cravings.

Go online for support

Join an online stop-smoking program. Or read a quitter’s blog and post encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be struggling with tobacco cravings. Learn from how others have handled their tobacco cravings.

Remind yourself of the benefits

Write down or say out loud the reasons you want to stop smoking and resist tobacco cravings. These might include feeling better, getting healthier, sparing your loved ones from secondhand smoke or saving money. And if you’re a closet smoker, you may save hours of time since you no longer have to spend time trying to conceal your habit.

Remember, trying something to beat the urge is always better than doing nothing. And each time you resist a tobacco craving, you’re one step closer to being totally tobacco-free.

Mail Online

Vitamins supplement in pregnancy does not boost health- Researchers

Admin

12/07/2016

Many mothers-to-be purchase expensive vitamin tablets in a bid to give their little bundle of joy the best start in life.

But they are wasting their money as there is no evidence they improve the baby’s health, a new study has warned. It also found that high levels of vitamin A could even harm the child.

Pregnant women are bombarded with adverts for vitamin and mineral supplements, but they should ignore the marketing hype, instead focusing on improving their diet, the researchers said.

The conclusions were published in a review of the available evidence published in the BMJ’s Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.

Dr James Cave, the journal’s editor, said: ‘We found no evidence to recommend that all pregnant women should take prenatal multi-nutrient supplements beyond the nationally advised folic acid and vitamin D supplements, generic versions of which can be purchased relatively inexpensively.

‘The primary focus should be on promoting a healthy diet and improving the use of folic acid supplements, which have a poor uptake, particularly among those from lower income families.

He continued: ‘For most women who are planning to become pregnant or who are pregnant, complex multivitamin and mineral preparations promoted for use during pregnancy are unlikely to be needed and are an unnecessary expense.

The review of studies on vitamins found only folic acid (pictured) and vitamin D supplements were necessary for pregnant women
Mail Online

The Internet of Things in Healthcare

Solomon Ojigbo

12/07/2016

In this video, Lynne Dunbrack, Research Vice President IDC Health Insights, explains the impact of IoT on healthcare and describes how IoT will change the way we run our medical systems in the future

source

JUTH workers embark on a sit-at-work strike

Admin

12/07/2016

Workers of the Jos University Teaching Hospital on Monday embarked on a sit-at-work strike to protest the non payment of their June salaries.

In a report filed in by the News Agency of Nigeria, it was gathered that the workers came to their working place but merely sat down and did not resume duties. The workers signed the attendance register at the hospital but were not attending to patients.

Mr Samfi Kesuwo, Secretary, Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), JUTH chapter, said that they embarked on the strike on Friday to press home their demand for payment of the June salaries.

“We just come to work and sit down doing nothing. We wonder why only 394 members of staff were paid, out of the 2094 workers. Although we are yet to be addressed by management over why we were not paid, rumours have it that it was a system failure from IPPIS. But it is amazing to us that the system recognised only Heads of Departments and the Chief Medical Director (CMD)’s loyalists and paid them. The burning question is, how did the system recognised the CMD’s loyalists and the heads of the departments?’’

He said that the workers would continue with the strike until their salaries were paid.

Reacting to the development, the CMD, Prof Edmund Banwat, attributed the non-payment of salaries of most of the workers to “an error from the IPPIS’’.

“An error occurred on the IPPIS platform in the course of the payment. The management of the IPPIS admitted that error and promised to rectify it immediately after the Sallah break, but the break was extended, leaving them with only Friday to carry out the rectification. Unfortunately, we woke up that Friday to find the gates and offices locked by the workers over the non-payment of salaries. IPPIS is in Abuja, but the workers are venting their anger on us here. There is nothing we can do outside pleading with the workers to just wait for IPPIS to rectify the issues,’’ he said.

Banwat said he just confirmed that the issues had been resolved while payment would soon begin.

“We expect many workers to get their alerts this afternoon. I already have that assurance from the IPPIS and the Central Bank of Nigeria,’’ he said.

Banwat dismissed the allegation that he selected those to be paid and those to be left out.

“We do not control IPPIS pay platform, it is not an internal issue. It was just an error which IPPIS has admitted and already correcting,’’ he said.

NAN

Revealed: How sucking of thumb and nail biting prevents allergies

Admin

11/07/2016

Good news to all parents, whose children are in the habits of thumb sucking and nailing biting, as the habits could be tagged “blessings in disguise”, with the latest research finding revealing that children who sucked their thumbs or bit their nails were more than a fifth less likely to have allergies as adults. And if they did both bad habits, the risk was slashed by more than a third.

The findings published on Mail Online disclosed that scientists believe these children ingested the bacteria living under their nails which strengthened their immune system, making them less susceptible to allergies.

This is known as the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ – and is also a possible explanation as to why allergies are commoner now than during Victorian era when sanitation was far worse.

But despite their findings, they would not want parents to actively encourage their children to thumb suck or bite nails as there can be other health risks.

They tend to be more susceptible to picking up tummy bugs and thumb sucking may pull the front teeth forward.And there is no evidence from this study that the habits reduce the risk of asthma or hayfever, one of the commonest allergies.

But the discovery may help allay parents’ fears if they are really struggling to wean children off the habits, according to the team from the University of Otaga in New Zealand.

Estimates show that around 50 per cent of children suck their thumbs or two fingers and another 30 per cent bite their nails.

Professor Bob Hancox looked at the records of 1,037 women and men who have been followed since they were children in the early 1990s as part of a major New Zealand health study.

All had undergone finger prick tests to check if they had any allergies aged 13, and again at 32.On average, 49 per cent had at least one allergy aged 13 or 32 but this was slashed to 38 per cent if they bit their nails or sucked thumbs.

If they did both, the risk of having an allergy was cut to just 31 cent, according to the findings published in the journal Pediatrics.

So, worry less as a parent over these habits, as they stand as a protection technique for your kids.

Frequent traffic noise increases your risk of heart attack-Researchers

Admin

11/07/2016

Although environmental noise has been identified as one of the major pollutants of the society years back, but has not been linked to sudden death. Recent findings have revealed that exposure to constant barrage of traffic noise raises the risk of a heart attack.

Those who live close to main roads or railway lines are most at risk, researchers’ discovered. According to the findings published on Mail Online, it was stated that constant stream of sounds from cars, trains or planes puts the body under stress, increasing the risk of a myocardial infarction (MI) – the medical name for a heart attack.

The researchers who examined information from state health insurers of over a million Germans over 40 living in Rhine-Main region of Germany, it showed that where they lived was matched precisely to road, rail, and traffic noise exposure measurements for 2005.

The report indicated that patients who died of heart attack up to 2014/2015, a statistically significant link was found between noise exposure and the risk of heart attack.

The results showed an association between noise from road, rail and air traffic, and heart attack. They found a lower risk linked to noise by aircraft – and said this can be explained by the fact that – unlike road and rail traffic noise – aircraft noise never remains continuously above 65 decibels.

Scientists say they found a correlation between noise exposure and the risk of heart attack due to the increase in ‘psychological and physiological stress’ on the body.

Professor Dr Andreas Seidler, of the Technical University Dresden said: ‘Traffic noise can trigger complex psychological and physiological stress reactions.

He added it activates the sympathetic nervous system – which controls the ‘fight or flight response’ raising blood pressure and pulse – which over time can damage the cardiovascular system.

It also activates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis – our central stress response system. He continued: ‘The World Health Organisation estimates that in the western part of Europe at least one million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost due to diseases induced by traffic noise.’

Thus, the import of this to our society is that those people living along city centres like Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Ibadan, etc, need to soundproof their apartments if possible if they want to live long, because frequent traffic noise could be deadly.

To before warned, is to before armed, beware!

Merck and University of Nairobi to Start Medical Oncology Fellowship Program

Admin

11/07/2016

Merck will sponsor nine medical doctors from Sub-Saharan African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa for a period of two years

Program aims to improve access to cancer care in Africa and increase number of oncologists on the continent

Paediatric and adult medical fellowship planned for African doctors in India

DARMSTADT, Germany, July 10, 2016/ — Merck (www.MerckGroup.com), a leading science and technology company, today announced to start the first Merck Africa Medical Oncology Fellowship Program for Sub-Saharan African countries in partnership with University of Nairobi, Kenya. The program will be conducted at University of Nairobi and is part of Merck’s efforts to improve access to cancer care and strengthen the healthcare system in emerging markets.

In a first step, Merck will sponsor nine medical doctors from Sub-Saharan African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa for a period of two years. The program will be extended to other African countries in the following year. Moreover, Merck will support another five African doctors to participate in a paediatric and adult medical fellowship program, which will be held annually at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India. This program will start in August this year.

“We are committed to improving patient’s access to healthcare all over the world”, said Rasha Kelej, who as Chief Social Officer of the healthcare business sector of Merck leads the implementation and coordination of activities, designed to have a positive impact on societies in developing countries. “In Africa, where the number of oncologists is very limited, this starts by building additional medical capacity. Our new program aims to increase the number of qualified oncologists across the continent. The scarcity of trained healthcare personnel capable of tackling prevention, early diagnosis and management of cancer is a bigger challenge in Africa than the lack of financial resources. Therefore we firmly believe that initiatives like ours are very helpful for Africa and also in a further step for more developing countries.”

Merck over the past years has significantly stepped up its activities on the African continent with an expected doubling of sales by 2020 (http://apo.af/Z7c14K). In addition to its cancer drug Erbitux, which made Merck is a pioneer in targeted cancer therapy, the company is also making fast progress in the field of immuno-oncology, aimed at mobilizing the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.

Prof. Isaac Kibwage, Principal of Colleges of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, said: “We believe that the only way to effectively prevent, detect and treat the rising number of cancer cases in Africa is through establishing public private partnerships between health ministries, academia, and industry in implementing successful programs such as the partnership with Merck. This fellowship program will not only target Kenyan doctors but doctors from Sub-Saharan African countries as well with the aim of improving the quality and accessibility of cancer care in the continent.”

The shortage of oncologists threatens cancer care in Africa. According to World Health Organization (WHO), by 2020 there are expected to be 16 million new cases of cancer every year, 70% of which will be in developing countries where governments are least prepared to address the growing cancer burden and where survival rates are often less than half those of more developed countries.

According to research done by Merck Kenya only has 13 oncologists, most of them based in Nairobi for a population of 47 million, which means one oncologist per 3.6 million people. For reference, in the UK there are around 13 oncologists per 1 million people. Moreover, in Ethiopia there are only four oncologists, all based in Addis Ababa for a population of around 100 million inhabitants.

Distributed by APO on behalf of Merck KGaA.

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About Merck

Merck (www.MerckGroup.com) is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of € 12.85 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

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Advanced rheumatoid arthritis medicine developed in Russia

Admin

11/07/2016

Biotechnological company BIOCAD has developed innovative medicine for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and other autoimmune diseases. According to scientists forecast, the new drug candidate (BCD-121) can increase the efficacy of treatment of RA up to 20% in comparison to currently available therapy regimens. BIOCAD has invested more than 155 mln. RUB., in very early development stages of BCD-121. As for today, there is no registered drug in the world with the same mechanism of action.

Modern medicines that are available for RA treatment are able to inhibit only one inflammatory protein or its receptor, for example tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or interleukin 17 (IL17) or receptor of interleukin 6 (IL6R). BIOCAD has developed the novel molecule, which can block two proteins simultaneously. BCD-121 is so called bispecific monoclonal antibody with superior functional properties and convenient subcutaneous form. According to BIOCAD’s Vice President of R&D and Business Development Roman Ivanov: «Bispecific antibodies have synergetic effects that are likely to result in higher efficacy in comparison to monospecific antibodies that are targeting only one protein».

Unfortunately, over the time one third of RA patients become resistant to monospecific drugs, which means that medicine blocking only one inflammatory protein, does not work anymore. According to scientists forecast, the novel molecule BCD-121 will be a solution for such resistant patients.

Only few other companies develop similar bispecific molecules. BCD-121 will enter the Phase I clinical trial already this year. The development program for the novel molecule will last until the year 2021 and a year after the new BIOCADs drug is expected to be on the market.

By Irina Kenyukhova

Phone +7 (812) 3804933, ext. 632

E-mail kenyukhova@biocad.ru

Four Facts about the Cocoa Bean – The Real Star on World Chocolate Day

Admin

08/07/2016

World Chocolate Day on July 7 marks the anniversary of the creation of chocolate more than 400 years ago. This year, celebrate your health by honoring the source of the goodness– the cocoa bean. While there are many myths and misconceptions about the health benefits of chocolate, the fact is the real good stuff is locked inside the cocoa bean.

Below are four facts about the cocoa bean that set the record straight about the real hero of Chocolate Day.

Cocoa Beans Contain the Real Good Stuff
Cocoa beans contain natural compounds called cocoa flavanols, a unique blend of plant-based nutrients unmatched by any other food on earth. These potent bioactives have been shown to support health by helping maintain the body’s pool of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide works with your body’s miles of blood vessels to help maintain the healthy flow of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to all parts of your body so you can be the best you inside and out.
Processing Cocoa Beans Can Destroy the Health Benefits
Fermenting, drying, and roasting cocoa beans is the traditional process used to make cocoa powder and chocolate. However, this conventional cocoa processing often destroys cocoa flavanols, doing away with the health benefits of these compounds. This is why gentle handling and processing of cocoa beans is critical to ensure preservation of the cocoa flavanols that support healthy blood flow.
Cocoa Beans Must Be Handled with Care
As a leader in cocoa research, the scientists at Mars, Incorporated developed and perfected the patented Cocoapro® process, which gently preserves cocoa flavanols in their purest form, from the freshest-quality cocoa beans available. Cocoa extract is the key ingredient in CocoaVia® cocoa extract supplement, which thanks to the Cocoapro® process, has the highest concentration of cocoa flavanols available in a cocoa extract supplement today.
There is a Way to Enjoy All the Benefits of Chocolate Without the Guilt
CocoaVia ® daily cocoa extract supplement delivers 375 mg of cocoa flavanols per serving – a level that that promotes healthy blood flow from head-to-toe†. To put this level of cocoa flavanols in perspective, it would take approximately four of the average dark chocolate bar (more than 700 calories) to get the same amount of cocoa flavanols found in one serving of a CocoaVia® supplement. CocoaVia® supplement comes in convenient capsules or in flavored powdered stick packs that can be added to a variety of delicious CocoaVia® supplement recipes.

For more information about CocoaVia® supplement, visit www.CocoaVia.com

†This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About Mars, Incorporated
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in Mclean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments, including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 72,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars Symbioscience brands: CocoaVia®.

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160126/326012LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/four-facts-about-the-cocoa-bean–the-real-star-on-world-chocolate-day-300294743.html

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated

PR Newswire
www.prnewswire.com

More: http://www.pharmiweb.com/pressreleases/pressrel.asp?ROW_ID=173120#.V3_CUDVTepp#ixzz4DpXcMd21

PREVAIL treatment trial for men with persistent Ebola viral RNA in semen opens in Liberia

Admin

08/07/2016

The Partnership for Research on Ebola Virus in Liberia (PREVAIL), a U.S.-Liberia joint Clinical Research Partnership, today announced the opening of PREVAIL IV, a treatment trial for men who have survived Ebola virus disease (EVD) but continue to have evidence of Ebola virus genetic material, RNA, in their semen. The trial is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Liberia and the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences. The six-month study will enroll 60 to 120 EVD survivors whose semen has evidence of Ebola virus RNA prior to their enrollment. Participants in the double-blind trial will receive either investigational drug GS-5734, manufactured by Gilead Sciences, Inc., or a placebo.

Liberia was one of the hardest hit countries during the Ebola epidemic of 2014-15. On June 9, the World Health Organization declared the end of the most recent outbreak in Liberia and the country entered a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to ensure that any new cases are quickly identified and contained. “We know that traces of Ebola virus can sometimes remain in a recovered person’s body and can initiate a new bout of illness in the survivor or be passed onto others, which could start a new chain of infection in the community,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “The goal of the PREVAIL IV trial is to see if the experimental drug can eliminate the traces of Ebola virus from semen in men who have survived Ebola infection. It is anticipated that this would decrease the risk of passing the virus to their sexual partners. If so, the drug would be another weapon in our arsenal against Ebola virus disease.”

Upon enrollment, volunteers in the new trial will receive the study drug (or placebo) once a day for five days and will provide multiple blood and semen samples during this period. All volunteers must have previously enrolled in the PREVAIL III Ebola Natural History study for survivors and their household and sexual contacts. Prior to enrollment, volunteers will be tested for normal kidney and liver function. Volunteers will be seen at the clinic 10 times in the first month and then once a month for the remaining five months. Volunteers will provide blood and semen samples throughout the trial period. Investigators will test the semen samples to see if Ebola viral RNA can continue to be detected. All volunteers will be counseled to use condoms during the course of the trial.

GS-5734 has previously been tested for safety in healthy men and women in the United States. In that study, no serious side effects of the experimental drug were detected, but some volunteers experienced a rise and then a fall in liver enzyme levels. This information has been incorporated into the new trial by the study investigators, who will be monitoring volunteers for kidney and liver function during the trial. In non-human primates infected experimentally with a lethal dose of Ebola virus, GS-5734 has been shown to reduce viremia and to improve survival.

The co-principal investigators of the PREVAIL IV trial are Dehkontee Gayedyu-Dennis, M.D., site physician at Duport Road PREVAIL site, Monrovia; Elizabeth Higgs, M.D., NIAID; and William A. Fischer II, M.D., of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Additional information about PREVAIL IV is available at ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT 02818582.

Participants for the Prevail IV study will be recruited from the PREVAIL III study of Ebola survivors and their close contacts which opened in June 2015. Prevail III aims to better understand the long-term consequences of Ebola virus disease, Ebola virus persistence and transmission risk to close contacts, and includes components that assess mental health, eye health and other issues in survivors. Additional details about PREVAIL III are available at ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT02431923.

NIAID conducts and supports research — at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide — to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health^®

How stretching reduces menopausal signs and depression

Temitope Obayendo

04/07/2016

Are you a woman of menopausal age or someone very close to you is? If your answer is in the affirmative, then here lies some tips to ease women of menopausal symptoms. Scientists have recently found that stretching for just 10 minutes a day can help ease the symptoms of menopause and depression.

Experts evaluated the impact of light exercise on middle-aged women, focusing on hot flashes and chills, mood and sleep disturbance and body aches.

Dr JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of The North American Menopause Society, in a Mail Online report said: ‘If women were to exercise with light walking 30 minutes daily and then stretch for 10 minutes, they might improve their health, menopausal symptoms, mood and cognition and, if stretching helps sleep, improve their sleep.’

To prove this, forty Japanese women, aged 40 to 61, took part in the study at the Physical Fitness Research Institute, Meji Yasuda Life Foundation of Health and Welfare in Tokyo.

Twenty of the women were randomly assigned to stretch 10 minutes a day, before bedtime for three weeks.

The other 20 were instructed to remain sedentary before bed.

Researchers led by Yuko Kai, evaluated the women’s menopausal symptoms using 10 questions about vasomotor symptoms, including hot flashes and chills.

And they also assessed psychological symptoms, including mood and sleep disturbances, as well as body aches.

They used a separate set of questions to evaluate the symptoms of depression.

At the start, the groups were generally similar.

More than half the participants were postmenopausal and nearly two-thirds had depression. Most of the women were not physically active.

On average, the stretching group stretched about five days per week.

Overall, the women in the stretching group had improved scores on both sets of questions after the three-week study period, compared to the group that didn’t stretch before bed.

The frequency of hot flashes wasn’t different in the two groups, however.

While stretching before bed isn’t a bad idea, Dr Pinkerton, said: ‘It is impossible to tell if the positive effect found from stretching on menopausal and depressive symptoms was due to the stretching, the increased movement, or not doing whatever they normally do during the 10 minutes before bed such as eat, smoke or drink.’

Dr Pinkerton said the results would have been more interesting if the comparison group had been assigned a task to do before bedtime, to see if it was the stretching itself that was helpful or just the fact of doing something before bed.

In most studies of methods for reducing hot flashes, the placebo group sees some improvement, too, she pointed out.

In this trial, the comparison group had no improvement at all, which means, she said, that it was not an adequate control group.

For more conclusive results, Dr Pinkerton said: ‘This study needs to be replicated with larger, more diverse postmenopausal women with an active control group.’

In the meantime, she added, women should remember that, ‘being sedentary has been shown to be bad for (their) physical and mental health and to increase hot flashes. Being active every day has been shown to lessen severity of hot flashes, improve mood, coping ability and may decrease (their) risk of cognitive loss.’

Healthcare Technology Management Solutions

Solomon Ojigbo

01/07/2016

We are the largest independent provider of healthcare technology management solutions in North America, providing tailored solutions for Clinical Equipment Optimization, IT Integration, Capital Planning and more. Through our world class Technology & Innovation Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, we underscore our commitment to providing customers with deep technical expertise and insight-driven innovation.

Learn more at http://www.aramark.com/industries/healthcare/hospitals-healthcare-facilities/healthcare-technologies

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Pharmanews personality of the Month – Pharm Adeshina Opanubi

Admin

27/06/2016

Pharm Adeshina Opanubi, a former staff of Pfizer Nigeria, is lead consultant for Shyne & Chloe Company Limited. Born in Ikenne, Ogun State, Opanubi finished secondary education at Mayflower Secondary School in 1996. He gained admission to study Pharmacy the same year at the University of Lagos.

Shortly after getting a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in 2002, he bagged a master’s degree in Business Administration from Business School, Netherlands (Action Learning Campus in Lagos).

Opanubi’s first professional experience was in 2005 when he was appointed by Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals as pharmaceutical sales representative in charge of Ibadan, Oyo State. Three years later, he was promoted as customer relations manager (2008-2013) where he managed the company’s Friendly Pharmacy Loyalty programme.

Having had a rewarding career at Pfizer and in the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry, with responsibilities spanning 10 African countries, he quitt his job to go into the world of entrepreneurship.

For someone with background in retail management, sales, marketing and customer relations, it did not take long for Opanubi to find a niche. Shortly after leaving Pfizer, he set up a consulting firm, Shyne and Chloe, in 2013 to cater for the needs of the African Pharmaceutical Industry. Within the same year, he set up Nigeria’s first retail pharmacy business support network, PHARMALLIANCE, where he is the project catalyst. This network provides business support services to retail pharmacies in Nigeria.

As the lead consultant of Shyne and Chloe Company limited, Opnaubi runs capacity building workshops for retail pharmacists and their support staff across the country and also serves as a consultant to organisations seeking to access the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria. He is also a youth activist and advocate, which led to his appointment in 2009 as the national coordinator of the Young Pharmacists Forum. He is skilled in public speaking, solutions conceptualization and negotiation.

In response to the lack of business education among Nigerian pharmacists, he conceptualised and convened The Panel, an annual retail pharmacy business summit in 2009. In what some pharmacists agreed was landmark. The Panel is still being held annually for the past 5 years. He has also built Nigeria’s first online pharmaceutical directory and job portal www.rxevolution.com.ng.

His most cherished laurel is perhaps the Pfizer Global Innovation Award which he won in New York, United States in 2011. It was a unique award presented to him for conceptualising and successfully implementing the LUTH-PFIZER Electronic Pharmacy Project (first of its kind in Sub Saharan Africa).

A member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), the lead consultant is married with children.

10 habits to quit on your journey to extraordinary leadership

Lere Baale

27/06/2016

When you quit doing the wrong things, you make more room for the things that make you move up to extraordinary leadership happiness. So starting today…

Quit procrastinating on your goals.

Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it. Action and change are often resisted when they’re needed most. Get a hold of yourself and have discipline. Putting something off instantly makes it harder and scarier. What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow. And there’s nothing more stressful than the perpetual lingering of an unfinished task.

The secret to getting ahead is simply getting started. Starting, all by itself, is usually sufficient to build enough momentum to keep the ball rolling. So, forget about the finishing line and just concentrate on taking your first step. Say to yourself, “I choose to start this task with a small, imperfect step.” All those small steps will add up and you’ll actually get to see changes fairly quickly.

Quit blaming others and making excuses.

Stop blaming others for what you have or don’t have, or for what you feel or don’t feel. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility and perpetuate the problem. Stop giving your power away and start taking responsibility for your life. Blaming is just another sorry excuse, and making excuses is the first step towards failure; you and only you are responsible for your life’s choices and decisions.

Quit trying to avoid change.

If nothing ever changed there would be( no sunrise the next morning. Most of us are comfortable where we are, even though the whole universe is constantly changing around us. Learning to accept this is vital to our happiness and general success. Because only when we change do we grow, and begin to see a world we never knew was possible.

Remember also that however good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace it, and realise that change happens for a reason. It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end, it will be worth it.

As Henry Ford once stated, “Whether( you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” One of the major causes of why we fail is due to self-doubt and negative self-talk. The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. Listen to your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Over time, you will change the trajectory of your life.

Quit criticising others.

The negativity you bleed out toward others will gradually cripple your own leadership journey and happiness. When you truly feel comfortable with your own imperfections, you won’t feel threatened or offended by the imperfections you see in other people.

So, stop worrying about the flaws you see in everyone else, and focus on yourself. Let the constant growth and improvement in your own life keep you so busy that you have no time left to criticise others.

Quit trying to control the uncontrollable.

If you try to control everything, and then worry about the things you can’t control, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of frustration and misery which will adversely affect you on your journey to extraordinary leadership.

Some forces are out of your control, but you can control how you react to things. Everyone’s life has positive and negative aspects – whether you’re happy or not depends greatly on which aspects you focus on. The best thing you can do is to let go of what you can’t control, and invest your energy in the things you can – like your attitude.

Quit talking down to yourself.

Nothing will bring you down quicker than berating yourself. The mind is a superb instrument if used right; but when used incorrectly, it becomes very destructive. Be aware of your mental self-talk. We all talk silently to ourselves in our heads, but we aren’t always conscious of what we’re saying or how it’s affecting us.

Quit running from your problems and fears.

Trust me, if everyone threw their problems in a pile for you to see, you would grab yours back. Tackle your problems and fears swiftly; don’t run away from them. The best solution is to face them head-on, no matter how powerful they may seem.

Fears, in particularly, stop you from taking chances and making decisions. They keep you cornered to just the small space where you feel completely comfortable. But your life’s story is simply the culmination of many small, unique experiences, many of which require you to stretch your comfort zone. Letting your fears and worries control you is not ‘living’; it’s merely existing. Bottom line: Either you own your problems and fears, or they will ultimately own you.

Quit living in another time and place.

Some people spend their entire lives trying to live in another time and place. They lament about what has been, what they could have done, or what they might have become. However, the past is gone, and the future doesn’t exist. No matter how much time we spend thinking and lamenting about either, it doesn’t change anything.

One of life’s sharpest paradoxes is that our brightest future hinges on our ability to pay attention to what we’re doing right now, today. We need to live more in the moment. Living in the moment requires active, open, intentional awareness on the present. Don’t fantasise about being on vacation while at work, and don’t worry about the work piling up on your desk when you’re on vacation. Live for now. Notice the beauty unfolding around you.

Quit trying to be someone you’re not.

One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change for people to like you. Be yourself and the right people will love you, and you’ll love yourself more too.

Quit being ungrateful

Not all the pieces in the puzzle of life will seem to fit together at first, but in time you’ll realize they do, perfectly. So thank the things that didn’t work out, because they just made room for the things that will. And thank the ones who walked away from you, because they just made room for the ones who won’t.

No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Ugwuanyi, Yakasai, others task pharmacists on professional commitment – As ACPN holds 35th Annual National Conference in Enugu.

24/06/2016

Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has led stakeholders in the health care industry, including President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. (Alh) Ahmed Yakasai, to call on community pharmacists in the country to remain committed to quality health care delivery in the country.

The governor made the call while speaking at the opening ceremony of the 35th Annual National Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), tagged “Coal City 2016” and held at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, Enugu State recently.

Ugwuanyi, who was the guest of honour at the event, said he was delighted to host community pharmacists across the country for the first time in the state, adding that he was ready to work with the ACPN in improving the health care delivery system in the state.

35th ACPN Annual Conference — L-R, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, president, PSN; His Excellency, Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu State Governor; Pharm. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okoye, managing director/CEO, Juhel Nigeria Limited and Pharm. (Dr) Albert Kelong Alkali, national chairman, ACPN at the 35th Annual National Conference of ACPN in Enugu, Enugu State.

Acknowledging the vital role of community pharmacists, especially being the closest health care professionals to the people, the governor said this should spur them to be more dedicated and passionate about their chosen profession.

He further noted that the conference came at a time that the state government was intensifying efforts to rid the state of counterfeit medicines and improve the standard of health care delivery.

“As a government, we have indeed previously expressed our determination to transform Enugu State into a choice destination of medical treatment in Nigeria. And in pursuit of this vision, we have, among other things, commenced the construction of three new specialist hospitals to be located in the three senatorial zones of the state, while intensifying efforts towards the completion and commissioning of an ultra-modern diagnostic centre. We are also ensuring the continuous upgrading and strengthening of existing health facilities and institutions in the state,” he disclosed.

In his speech at the conference, PSN President, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, who noted that he was impressed with the level of organisation of the conference by the ACPN, said the association had indeed made a number of giant strides in recent years.

Extolling the crucial roles community pharmacists play in every society, Yakasai enjoined them to avail themselves of capacity development programmes in order to enhance their relevance as primary health care providers.

“Pharmacists are the third largest health professionals but community pharmacy is the gateway to health for the majority of care seekers all over the world,” he said.

Assuring ACPN of maximum support from the PSN and other relevant stakeholders, Yakasai said: “To meet the ever-changing needs of the public, the PSN is ready to continue to partner with ACPN and regulatory authorities like the PCN, NAFDAC and others to strengthen pharmacy practice, especially in the community. We are seeking the support of our colleagues to review the pharmacy laws to enable the PCN perform its regulatory function effectively by eradicating charlatans and illegal drug traders.

“We are liaising with the PCN to establish the satellite pharmacy concept with appropriate legal framework to deepen and widen the reach of community pharmacy in the under-served areas. Arrangement is also being worked out to provide four million dollar intervention fund that would be disbursed to aspiring and enterprising pharmacists, young and old, who are intending to establish and operate their own pharmacy.”

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was represented by Dr Christopher Amah, chief medical director (CMD), University of Enugu Teaching Hospital, said the theme of the conference, “Manpower Development in Community Pharmacy Practice – Adopting Global Best Practices”, was apt, considering the challenge facing the health care sector and the fact that it was coming at a time the country was making efforts to improve the sector.

“I want to assure you of my support towards any policy that you reach at this conference that will favour pharmacy profession in the country, and to also tell you that the ministry of health is ready to work with you and ensure that the environment is more conducive for the practitioners to operate,” Adewole said.

In his own contribution, registrar of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Pharm. N.A.E Mohammed, who equally commended the theme of the conference, assured that the PCN was working round the clock to ensure that the various challenges confronting the ACPN would soon come to an end.

“We are here to inform the association that there is never a cloud that the sun cannot shine on; therefore, the ACPN and the pharmacy profession shall definitely shine, no matter the challenges. We also wish to let you know that the drive towards the National Drug Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) is on course and that we have stepped up our game regarding task force activities in all the states of the federation in order to sanitise the drug environment,” Mohammed stated.

Also speaking at the event, chairman of the occasion, Pharm. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okoye, managing director, Juhel Nigeria Limited, noted that the conference was strategic as it came at a time the state government was recording great achievements in restructuring health care infrastructures in the state, adding that the presence of community pharmacists from all states of the federation would further encourage good pharmaceutical practice in the state.

Speaking earlier, National Chairman of ACPN, Dr Albert Kelong Alkali said that the theme of the conference, which had received commendation from all the stakeholders at the conference, was meticulously chosen to educate community pharmacists nationwide on the current best practices globally.

He noted that the conference offered good opportunity for community pharmacists who had been working since the beginning of the year to unwind and learn.

The highlights of the event were the unveiling of the redesigned green cross emblem for community pharmacists, and the presentation of the “Distinguished Public Service Award” to the wife of the governor, Mrs Monica Ugwuanyi, who is the founder of Ugo Touch of Life Foundation (U-TOLF), a pet project aimed at assisting people battling with ailments such as cervical cancer, hypertension, eye problem, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, among others.

The conference had in attendance several other personages from the health care sector and other walks of life, including Hon. Dennis Oguerinwa Amadi, member representing Udi/Ezeagu Federal Constituency of Enugu State; Dr Samuel Ngwu, Hon. Commissioner for Health, Enugu State; His Royal Highness, Igwe Dr. Julius N. Nnaji, Igwe of Nike, Enugu State; and Pharm. Layi Gobir, managing director, Smart Mark Limited, Lagos and keynote speaker.

Others were Rt. Rev. Dr Emmanuel Chukwuma, Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese; Pharm. Azubike Okwor, former president, PSN; Pharm. Deji Osinoiki, former national chairman, ACPN; Pharm. Olumide Akintayo, immediate past president, PSN; and Pharm. (Alh.) Olufemi Ismail Adebayo, immediate past national chairman, ACPN.

PSN, WAPCP urge pharmacists to invest more in herbal medicine

24/06/2016

Pharmacists in the country have been enjoined to take over control of herbal medicine from non-professionals and semi-literate practitioners.

Speaking at a two-day workshop jointly organised by the West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists (WAPCP) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) at the college’s secretariat in Yaba on 26 May, Prof. Mbang Femi-Oyewo, dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) said pharmacists cannot afford to have non-professionals dictating the pace when it comes to the issue of herbal medicine.

participants at the two-day workshop organised by PSN and WAPCP — A cross-section of participants at the two-day workshop. Front Row (L-R): Mr Rasaq Olasumbo of Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board; Prof (Mrs) Cecilia Igwilo, chairman, WAPCP’s Faculty of Drug Production and Quality Assurance; Prof. Wilson Erhun, WAPCP secretary general; Pharm Iyiola Gbolagade, national secretary, PSN, and Prof. Udoma Mendie, former dean, UNILAG’s Faculty of Pharmacy

“I am happy that Nigerians are beginning to look towards herbal medicine these days. Unfortunately, those who didn’t go to school are the ones controlling things. This is why we need to take over as professionals and do things the way they are supposed to be done. They must be well formulated, properly labelled, safe for use and quite affordable,” she noted.

When reminded how expensive herbal research and production can be, the dean remarked that while the observation is true, pharmacists know better than to despise the days of humble beginning.

“It has been done in many countries, especially China and India. They have equally discovered that there are some herbal products that are quite nutritional; hence the influx of what we know today as Nutri-ceuticals.

“I think the problem that often arises is that of safety measures and documentation. The truth is that herbs work in a subtle way. Some give instant relief while others take some time. But if it is obvious that you are not getting result, it is time to seek help from physicians,” she said.

Prof. (Mrs) Cecilia Igwilo, chairman, WAPCP’s Faculty of Drug Production and Quality Assurance, also affirmed that Nigeria had been using herbal products for quite a long time.

“It is a known fact that people in the rural and even some urban areas use a lot of herbal medicine. As expected, we have herbs for headache, stomach upset and several ailments.

“For instance, I use ‘efirin’ (basil plant) whenever I have a mild stomach upset. One important thing to note is that there are several benefits attached to the use of medicinal plants like bitter leaf, kola, garlic, ginger and the likes,” she hinted.

On the desired properties of a good herbal formulation, Dr Chuks Azubuike, a senior lecturer in the Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Lagos (UNILAG), stressed that such must be accepted, economical for large scale manufacture, chemically and physically packaged, preserved against microbial contamination, able to provide correct dose of drug and therapeutically correct.

In a related development, Prof. Udoma Mendie, former dean, UNILAG’s Faculty of Pharmacy harped on packaging and safety of herbal products, saying a good herbal product must have anti-counterfeiting features, Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) anti-tampering device and child-resistant packaging.

Congratulating participants at the workshop, Pharm Iyiola Gbolagade, PSN national secretary said he was certain that much knowledge had been received.

“I don’t want to agree with the perception that Nigerians have negative feeling towards herbal medicine. Everything you get from herbs is not necessarily fetish and it has nothing to do with witchcraft.

“I recall that the first thing our people do whenever a woman gives birth is to go and cut roots and leaves to be boiled for her. It has nothing to do with incantation or charms. It is as good as orthodox medicine,” he said.

The PSN secretary however observed that the only challenge that needs to be addressed is ensuring that herbal practitioners are producing and giving people the right formulations.

“That is where I believe we need to work on. For instance, as a community pharmacist, when people approach us with complaints about an ailment, we always want to find out whether they have taken a pain reliever like paracetamol or herbs before coming,” he said.

He berated self-styled herbal practitioners hawking suspicious contents they describe as herbs in little containers and selling especially to the public.

“What we want to ensure is that they are not just concocting all sorts of rubbish and giving to people. We are concerned about safety. That is why PSN is proudly collaborating with WAPCP.

“In Nigeria, the common denominator of what people do is money. That is why we are saying pharmacists, whom herbal medicine is supposed to be in their purview by virtue of our training, should take up the gauntlet and challenge the quacks,” he charged.

Expressing satisfaction with the two-day seminar, Prof. Wilson Erhun, WAPCP secretary general reported that research has shown that the use of herbal products is on the increase.

“People are having increased confidence in the use of herbal products. We seem to have a gap in terms of validation when it comes to safety and good quality. That demands empowerment.

“What the college is doing now is to try and empower pharmacists and herbal practitioners to be able to focus on these products so that they will be safer for consumption,” he emphasised.

Erhun also announced that WAPCP was reaching out to all the countries that are involved (as seen in an earlier presentation on Sierra Leone) which are at a disadvantaged position compared to Nigeria.

“We are trying to equip more of these countries. Herbal production is more of research and development. When you look at the likes of China and India, it is not as if their products are superior to ours,” he said.

The WAPCP secretary however conceded that funding is a challenge, adding that once there is no funding, research becomes a problem.

Also in attendance at the event were Prof Olukemi Odukoya, former dean of UNILAG Faculty of Pharmacy; Pharm. Wilson Ukachi, WAPCP administrative manager; Ibeji Ifeoma, WAPCP account officer; and Dare Kute, WAPCP administrative assistant.

Stevens-Johnson death: ACPN condemns attack on pharmacists

24/06/2016

–Says drug was sold by quack

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has condemned the attempt by some medical personnel to blame a pharmacist for the unfortunate incident that resulted in the death of 14-year-old Amina Ibrahim, in Dalla Local Government Council, Kano State, who suffered severe burns after allegedly taking two tablets of Co-trimaxole, a sulfa antibiotic.

ACPN Albert Alkali Kelong — Pharm. (Dr) Albert Kelong Alkali, national chairman, ACPN (right) and Pharm. Adeoye Afuye, national secretary, displaying the new Green Cross Pharmacy Emblem to the press.

The association noted during a press conference held at its national secretariat, Lagos, recently, that the said drug was purchased from an unregistered patent medicine store and was not sold by a pharmacist.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a form of toxic epidermal necrolysis, is a life-threatening skin condition, in which cell death causes the epidermis to separate from the dermis. The syndrome is thought to be a hypersensitivity complex that affects the skin and the mucous membranes. The most well-known causes are certain medications (such as aslamotrigine), but it can also be due to infections, or more rarely, cancers.

According to the national chairman of ACPN, Pharm. (Dr) Albert Kelong Alkali, the late Amina had taken the drug after complaining of catarrh, adding that she had returned to the store the following day with symptoms of a reaction which was perceived by the drug vendor as malaria and this prompted him to give her a sulfa-based anti-malaria which compounded the reaction resulting in the burning of her face and neck, which later degenerated into the Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Alkali, while urging Nigerians to patronise only registered pharmacies for their drug needs, condemned the action of the patent medicine store owner, saying he had no right to have stocked such drugs and should not have handled the reaction as it had gone beyond his scope.

“Patent medicine vendors are only stop-gaps where there is no pharmacy. Therefore, the emphasis now is that government must empower regulatory agencies like the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to be able to do their work effectively.

“Also, I will advise that any matter relating to drug reactions which are deeply unpredictable should be referred to the appropriate experts on drugs, which are pharmacists. I also need to emphasise that drugs are poisons; when taken appropriately, there will not be problem, but when you take them inappropriately, you can be harmed. So, the case was purely drug mismanagement.”, Alkali said

Asked why it took so long for the association to issue a statement on the incident, the number one community pharmacist in the country said the incident happened at a time all community pharmacists and stakeholders in the industry were in Enugu for the 35th Annual National Conference of the ACPN, making it difficult to react immediately.

He added, however, that following a thorough investigation that revealed that the incident did not happen in a pharmacy and that the culprit was not a pharmacist, the association found it expedient to inform the nation that the allegation was false and that health professionals should be careful in their utterances, especially when it affects other professionals.

Speaking further, Alkali said in order to distinguish licensed pharmacists from charlatans, all registered members of the ACPN across the country must have the original pharmacy emblem with the Rx sign and erect it at their premises.

According to him, the Green Cross pharmacy emblem is a patented professional sign of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and placed under the ACPN, with the power of attorney to manage since 1976.

He added that the sign is a mark of identifying registered and pharmacist-owned premises since 1976.

Alkali, while emphasising that the association will not recognize any illegal emblem, disclosed that the Green Cross emblem is not new, as it had been in use since 1976.

“We are only trying to rebrand and repackage it and to let people know that the emblem is our symbol and, as such, it is compulsory that every member should have one and erect it at their premises. The symbol shows members of the public where quality medicines and excellent pharmaceutical care and services are provided.

“It is of paramount importance to inform people that in line with the value of the emblem, the ACPN has restructured it and it is more aesthetically packaged. The emblem carries the serial number of PSN and any emblem different from the one from ACPN is regarded as fake, if mounted in any premises, and it shall be pulled down with a fine.

“The general public should take note that registered pharmacies can only be recognised by the presence of the Green Cross emblem and this should always be a reference for Nigerians when procuring pharmaceutical services and products,” Alkali said.

On the criteria for getting the emblem, the ACPN boss said the emblem is meant for pharmacist-owned premises that are registered with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), and that it is the responsibility of the association to verify membership before issuing out the emblem to any interested pharmacy.

We have given our members enough time to get this emblem and by the time the period elapses, we will think of the right punishment to be meted out to defaulters,” he said.

While appreciating the pressmen in attendance, the Director of Information Centre (DIC) for the ACPN, Pharm. Bukola Folorunsho urged them to help sensitise the public more on the danger of drug abuse and misuse, as well as the need to source their drugs from the right source.

She also urged them to work with the DIC in the area of information verification, saying only the centre can provide accurate information about the activities of the association to the public.

Other national officers at the press briefing were Pharm. Adeoye Afuye, national secretary, ACPN; and Pharm. Lawrence Ekhator, national assistant secretary, ACPN.

UNILAG Pharmacy Alumni urges pharmacists to assist faculty

23/06/2016

– As faculty inducts 92 graduands

Pharmacy Alumni of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has made a clarion plea to members and well-meaning pharmacists across the country to come to the rescue of students in its faculty.

Addressing a gathering of parents, distinguished pharmacists and guests at the induction/oath-taking ceremony of 92 Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) graduands which held recently at UNILAG main auditorium, Dr Arinola Joda, secretary of the Alumni, announced that the faculty needed all the help it could get.

“We know that the government cannot do it all alone, hence our continual plea for assistance,” she said. “For the record, UNILAG Faculty of Pharmacy is doing exploits and not lazy. We are always up and doing. We are only sensitising you because we know that one or two pharmacist(s) out there can just decide to donate all to us.”

Among other things, the alumni appealed for extra precision balance, faculty generator and a bus.

Joda also used the occasion to assuage the after-school fear often nurtured by new pharmacy graduates, assuring the new inductees that the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm.) has set up a platform to mentor young pharmacists like them.

“Let me reiterate, once again, that the role of a mentor is not to give you money or capital to start a venture but to develop you. It is however the mentee’s responsibility to identify who is good for him.

“It is pertinent to also warn that you cannot choose somebody in hospital pharmacy to be your mentor while you are planning to go into community pharmacy,” she said.

While rallying support for the faculty alumni, Pharm Olufunsho Okunowo, chief executive officer of Royal Priesthood Laboratory advised the new graduands to have representation in the alumni.

“This is necessary because a river that forgets its source will always struggle to remain relevant,” he cautioned.

In an apparent show of solidarity to the alumni’s appeal, three pharmaceutical companies indicated interest in meeting some of the faculty’s demands.

While Pharm. Steve Okonkwo, a PSN Fellow and managing director of Altinez Pharmaceuticals pledged N500,000 on behalf of the company, Pharm Olufunsho Okunowo announced that his firm, Royal Priesthood Laboratory, was willing to donate one analytical balance to the faculty.

The last donor, Pharm Ernest Okafor, chief executive officer of Nemitt Pharmaceuticals Limited also promised the alumni a sum of N100,000.

2nd Law: The more you learn, the more you improve

Admin

23/06/2016

He who learns but does not think is lost!

He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger. – Confucius

John Maxwell said, ‘’if you want to lead, you must learn. If you want to continue to lead, you must continue to learn.’’ You cannot be a good leader in your industry or profession without the attitude of learning or personal development.

We all want to be leaders in our various professions. This is natural. People desire to be at the top in what they do. Athletes in the Olympics want to triumph in their areas. They want the gold medals in order to be celebrated. Students read and stay awake in the night because they want to prepare ahead of their examinations. It is when the student reads and prepares, that he can sail through during appraisals.

Business executives and professionals attend various capacity building training events in order to be awake and up-to-date in the happenings of their industries. It is no longer news that we are in a competitive world and the more you equip yourself, the more you fit into this challenging arena.

Right attitude

My favourite Nigerian writing icon and international award winning author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, gave a remarkable advice to her graduating seniors at Johns Hopkins University on 18 May, 2016, when the institution honoured her with an honorary degree. She said, “…embrace ignorance. Say those words, ‘‘I don’t know’’ because by embracing ignorance, you open up the possibility of knowledge.’’

This is a great mindset for learning. When you accept within you the need to seek knowledge, the environment to develop learning as an attitude is developed. You cannot seek knowledge when you have not developed the attitude to learn. You must first see the need to learn; you must accept that you don’t know before creating an environment for learning. Learning is an attitude of individuals who desire to get better in life’s journey. The more you learn the better you become.

I see learning as an attitude. I see learning as a way of life. The man, who likes learning, will always want to learn, unlearn and relearn. Show me the man who embraces learning and self-development and I will show you the man who is designed to succeed. When you learn, you improve in all you do. Learning develops capacity.

Learning as preparation

The man who fails to learn is a true definition of the man who plans to fail. Failure is almost automatic and inevitable when one fails to learn. Learning is one of the greatest forms of preparation whether in sales profession or any other life endeavour.

The journey to success requires high level of preparation. You must be prepared as a sales professional, as a student, as a business owner or in whatever you do. I am a living witness to this fact. I have mentored a lot of professionals who rose from operatives to managerial positions because they embraced an attitude of learning, as well as personal and career development.

You lose nothing when you learn. In fact, you gain everything. Attitude of learning develops the mind and everything you will become emanates from the mind. Learn something new every day. You cannot perform beyond your capacity. This is not just logical, it is also practical. People give only what they have. No one gives what he doesn’t have. You can take this to the bank!

The salesman’s secret

Today’s competitive and advanced world is waiting for people who are proficient in what they do. A salesman who displays expertise in his job is likely going to be on top of his game. Buyers would naturally flock around the salesman who knows more and speaks more about his product. Buyers buy from smart salesmen!

A salesman’s proficiency in product knowledge and market information is a function of the salesman’s ability in seeking information that will enable him advance in these areas. A salesman who has more market and product information in a given environment and under the same circumstance would have miles of advantages more than his less-informed competitors. Buyers buy from virtuosos. People buy from salesmen who have shown reasonable level of dependability.

Developing capacity is one of the ways that ensures trust in what you do. The more you increase in knowledge and ability, the more you attract people to your side. Build capacity today.

How do you handle criticism?

Ifeanyi Atueyi

23/06/2016

Criticism can be an encouragement to make one perform better. Each time I write an article, I give it to my editors to go through and point out any areas of improvement. In this way, we obtain a more acceptable version as iron sharpens iron. A crucial aspect of our editorial work in Pharmanews involves searching for errors in manuscripts and correcting them. This process is constructive and aimed at building up.

Criticism is a form of counselling. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” You must welcome the opinions and advice of people who sincerely wish you well and desire your progress. They are your encouragers.

I vividly remember how I went to Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi (popularly called Juli) when I was about to start Pharmanews in 1979. I presented my vision and plans to him and we shared the ideas concerning the house colour, frequency, target audience, circulation and so on. With that encouragement I boldly started working on the maiden edition, which was published in May.

I believe that someone who wants to venture into any form of business should seek the counsel of the people they trust. Many businesses have failed because the owners obtained wrong advice from untrustworthy people. What advice do you expect from a person without integrity and doing crooked and corrupt business? He can offer only what he has.

Sometimes certain criticisms come with the intention of discouraging and preventing you from moving ahead. This form of criticism can be quite damaging. You need the wisdom of God to identify sources of such negative criticisms. This is because they could come from your close relations and friends who pretend to love you. But their hearts are full of envy, bitterness and wickedness. Ask God for the spirit of discernment.

The workplace is full of colleagues who may be envious of your progress and promotion. Be vigilant. They are waiting for the opportunity to pull you down. Their comments on your performance may be just clandestine destructive criticisms. Their prayer and hope is that you will hit the rocks one day. Therefore, wisdom demands that you dine with them with the proverbial long spoon.

When the maiden edition of Pharmanews eventually got published in May 1979, many colleagues hailed and received it with excitement. But some openly criticised the idea and vehemently opposed it. The attack from some close quarters was so harsh and scathing that I had to withdraw from certain professional activities and just coast along while concentrating on my life purpose.

I literally converted all the ranting and harangue to potential and kinetic energy for my work. I so concentrated on my work that I became deaf to distractions. I was able to classify people around me as friends and unfriendly friends, without bitterness to anyone. I was not bitter because I was convinced that they did not know what they were doing. They were ignorant of what God had asked me to do, and listening to them meant disobeying God.

My friend, count it all joy when you are criticised, even negatively. See negative critics as people kicking you from your back with the intention of making you fall. Thank God that you are in front and they are behind you.

Thank God that there is cause for criticism. If you don’t want to be criticised, do nothing and be nobody. Aristotle said, “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” If you are afraid of criticism then you are afraid of accomplishing anything.

Do you know that sticks and stones are only thrown at only fruit-bearing trees? If you see children throwing stones at a mango tree, there must be mangoes on the tree. If you are not trying to accomplish something significant, nobody will criticise you.

Don’t give your precious time to negative opinions. Those who criticise successful people are failures themselves. They are not interested in solving problems and never offer better solutions. Their desire is to cause you distraction and make you fail in your endeavour. Don’t argue with them because you can never win; instead you fall into their trap. It is better to ignore them and concentrate on your assignment. Spend your time and energy on your task. When you eventually succeed they will join you in your time of glory.

Dale Carnegie said, “Any fool can criticise, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” Critics may frustrate and destroy you if you are not walking with the Spirit, obeying and pleasing God. But as long as you are on the right path, critics may gather in one direction against you but they will scatter in seven directions. The plans they are hatching against you will never succeed because you are fulfilling your purpose and serving God.

NAIP laments declining number of production pharmacists

23/06/2016

The Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigeria (NAIP) has expressed concern over the dwindling number of production pharmacists in the country.

In a chat with Pharmanews during the recent Purple Tie Luncheon, held by University of Lagos (UNILAG) Pharmacy Alumni, Pharm Gbenga Falabi, chairman of the association, said he was worried that the trend, if not properly checked, could soon cause several local pharmaceutical companies to close down.

“If you look at the number of production pharmacists that we have today, it is not enough to go round the country.

“They can even be counted by just calculating the number of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Nigeria. Mind you, not all these companies have production pharmacists anyway,” he said.

While lamenting that some colleagues had ended up in the banking, telecommunications, and oil sectors, which they perceived as being more lucrative, Falabi encouraged young pharmacists to chart a new course that would make the profession proud, especially in the area of industrial pharmacy.

The NAIP boss further disclosed that, as way of checking the decline in the population of production pharmacists in the country, the association had concluded arrangements to conduct enlightenment tour round pharmacy schools with a view to addressing final year students on benefits associated with industrial pharmacy.

“Of course, we know some pharmacy graduates are not interested in such field. That is why we are taking the campaign to them. It is quite necessary that young pharmacists should begin to pride themselves in the profession,” he stressed.

In a separate interview, Dr Lolu Ojo, immediate past chairman of NAIP, concurred with his successor.

He noted that the industry had indeed suffered a human resource deficit in the past few years, adding that the keynote speaker at the last NAIP national conference alluded to the fact that the best brains in the practice were no longer attracted to the industry.

“This has opened the industry to the near take over by ‘mercenaries’. Industrial pharmacy is the most lucrative aspect of the profession. What is happening now is a cultural shift to the left and it is temporary,” he reassured.

Ojo further stated that he was convinced that, with the right kind of leadership particularly at the regulatory level, industrial pharmacy would get back to the position of quality service and professionalism that had always characterised the profession.

On what could be done to make industrial pharmacy more appealing to young pharmacists, the former NAIP chairman hinted that the solution is multidimensional.

“The industry is too fragmented and we need to have semblance of orderliness before sanity can prevail. The orientation of the young ones needs to change to determine what they want.

“If they are humble and patient enough, they can acquire the necessary skills and competencies that will be required in future if they choose to be industrial pharmacy entrepreneurs,” he said.

When prodded to give the recent statistics of industrial pharmacists presently working in the country, Ojo remarked that the number could be up to 1500 or more.”

Contributing to the discussion, the managing director of Merit Healthcare Limited opined that pharmacy schools were trying their best under a very difficult environment.

“I however think the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the regulatory bodies need to do more in terms of control, advocacy, education and funding,” he said.

The Association of Industrial Pharmacists of Nigerian, (NAIP), is a technical arm of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, and the professional body of all pharmacists in the industrial sector in Nigeria having over 300 companies as corporate members.

NAIP’s uniqueness derives from its technical functions and diverse membership cutting across the manufacturing, marketing, distribution, consulting and publishing segments of the industry.

Capacity to contract: Transactions of lunatics

Dozie David

23/06/2016

Clara is a young lady who resides with her family in the same estate as D-Line Pharmacy & Stores in Port Harcourt. Being a community pharmacy, the members of Clara’s family are regular customers of Pharmacist Donald and his staff. It is well known that Clara has suffered from a psychiatric condition and has been admitted to a hospital for this cause in the past.

Early one morning, Clara walks into the pharmacy and requests for some antimalarial medication. She meets Pharmacist Donald on duty and informs him that she has a fever. She also complains of intense fatigue. After selecting the antimalarial drug of her choice and two bottles of orange juice, she pays for them. Pharmacist Donald adds a can of energy drink, as a gift, to help with the fatigue.

Later that afternoon, Clara returns to D-Line Pharmacy with the goods she had purchased in the morning. This time, she claims that she is not suffering from a fever and proceeds to demand for a refund of the payment she has made. Pharmacist Donald is shocked at this development and refuses to refund the money paid. Instead, he insists that she will now have to pay for the energy drink he gave her, which apparently she did not return with.

Considering the subject of capacity to contract, what would be the legal position of these two parties?

As previously stated, a contract is an agreement which is binding at law. However, even when all the ingredients of a valid contract are present, it may not be enforceable against certain categories of people like infants, lunatics, drunkards and the illiterate.

The issues to be considered in this case are:

The meaning of lunacy or mental disorder.
The legal position of contracts made by lunatics.
The intention of the seller to enter into legal relations.

First of all, it is important to properly define a lunatic or mentally disordered person, according to the law. In the Mental Health Act, U.K. 1959, the term “mental disorder” is very loosely expressed. Under the Act, mental disorder is defined as “any disorder or disability of mind.”

The concept of mental disorder, as defined by the Act, does not necessarily correspond to medical categories. However, mental disorder is thought by most psychiatrists to cover schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, major depression, bipolar disorder and other similar illnesses, learning disability and personality disorders.

Concerning business transactions, contracts involving a lunatic or a person with mental disorder can be divided into two types: contracts for necessaries and contracts for other things. In the case of contracts for necessaries, the person with mental disorder is bound like everyone else. Section 2 of the Sale of Goods Act 1893 provides that where necessaries are sold and delivered to a person “who by reason of mental incapacity or drunkenness is incompetent to contract, he must pay a reasonable price therefore.” The case of Chapple v. Cooper has helped to define necessaries as “those without which an individual cannot reasonably exist.”

For cases involving contracts for other things, the guiding rules were laid down in the case of Brown v. Jodrell and further established by Melton v. Camrout. Where goods are not necessary goods, the mentally disordered person is also bound by his contracts, unless he can show that: 1) owing to his mental condition, he did not understand what he was doing; and 2) the other party was aware of his incapacity.

In the case of Clara and D-Line Pharmacy & Stores, three separate sets of items were received by the buyer proceeding from the transaction. The first is the antimalarial medication. The second consists of the bottles of orange juice. The third is a can of energy drink offered by the seller.

The first set, by definition, would be classified as necessaries, being medication required for the existence of the individual involved. Going by the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act, necessary goods sold are to be paid for (as long as the price is reasonable) regardless of the incapacitation of the buyer.

The second set of goods, however, would be governed by different rules. The transaction for the bottles of juice, not being necessaries, would not be as strict. In this case, the buyer, a mentally disordered person, can be released from her obligation to pay for the goods if she can prove that: 1) she did not know what she was doing at the time of purchase; and 2) the seller was aware of her medical condition.

The third category of goods consists of the energy drink which was freely given by Pharmacist Donald on conclusion of the sales. This introduces the issue of the intention of the seller to enter into legal relations. In the Rhodes Case of 1889, it was declared that the obligation of the buyer (mentally incapacitated) would not arise unless it was the intention of the person supplying the goods that he should be repaid. In other words, he must not have intended to play the role of benefactor but that of creditor.

In the light of the foregoing, Clara is bound by her contract for the purchase of antimalarial drugs (being necessaries). The contract for the sale of orange juice is valid but voidable at her option, if she can satisfy the required conditions. And she is under no obligation to pay for the energy drink, being a gift freely received.

Principles and cases are from Sagay: Nigerian Law of Contract.

Learning to be strategic

Lolu Ojo

23/06/2016

This article is motivated by the outcome of a recent and deep interaction between me and one of my mentees. He is not a pharmacist and he does not have the grounding of a typical salesman. He is an accountant by training and he spent the whole of his youth working as an auditor.

By providence, however, he found himself as the sole driver of sales in his organisation early this year after some level of training in and exposure to pharmaceutical salesmanship and management. He proved himself almost immediately, surpassing the records of those (supposedly with the right qualification and experience) who had been entrusted with the same assignment in the past. His major strengths are: commitment, dedication, loyalty, drive and integrity. He goes the proverbial ‘extra mile’ to deliver results and he is extremely passionate about his work.

However, I noticed that he often carried out his tasks all alone; so I continuously advised him to be strategic to get more output per unit of input. At the last meeting, I asked if he knew what it meant to be strategic and the answer provided indicated a gap in knowledge. We searched the internet together and got some materials that provided, in simple language, the definition of being strategic.

I found the product of our simple and unplanned exercise so fascinating that I called a meeting of the managers in my company to discuss the topic: Learning to be Strategic. The lessons learnt went beyond being excellent at delivering results in an organisation, to doing things better at personal, family and relationship levels.

Explanation

To be strategic means that you do not react immediately and equally to everything. We do not live in a world where 1+1 will always equal 2. In Nigeria, so many things have changed fundamentally in the past 12 months and we are all living witnesses to the consequences of these changes. It is the nature of our world. Nothing is static. The assumptions are changing by the minute and to remain afloat, we have to anticipate the happenings before they occur and have a contingency plan on how to handle each case.

The cause of low sales in one region may be entirely different from that of other regions; therefore, the sales manager’s reaction cannot be the same for all regions. At home, it is important to understand what makes your partner (or children or neighbour) to behave the way they do and then devise a means to handle each person and each situation appropriately, rather than a spontaneous reaction which tends to create further mistrust and division.

To be strategic requires being holistic in your approach. Your emphasis or concern should be on the complete system (that is the overall, big picture) rather than the individual parts. And this comes with a sound knowledge and understanding of the business. This aspect is very important for people in sales who are always thinking about volume without a consideration for cost and the impact of their activities on the image of the company and the brand that they are promoting.

Without business understanding, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to deliver results on a consistent basis. It is, therefore, very important for each individual in an organisation to know how his activities, results (or lack of it) impact on the total company.

Time-factor

To be strategic means consciously deciding how you want to invest your time and doing what you have planned to do. Time is one of the most important resources we have as individuals and organisations. It is always there waiting to be used or, as some do, misused. It waits for no one, being permanently and rigidly on auto-run. It is, therefore, up to you (and the managers of an organisation) to decide on how to use it.

It is better and more purposeful to decide, in advance, how you want to use your time. By so doing, you will be able to eliminate time wasters, get more results per unit of time and live a better life.

The execution ability is also important here. You have to be resolute in your determination to do what you have planned to do and one major tool is to avoid procrastination, distractions and remaining focussed. If anyone fails to do this, such person will be left wondering, all the time: what have I done with my time? It is not enough for the work to be good; it has to be timely.

Anticipating change

To be strategic means conceiving, leading, and implementing necessary changes and transformation. The notion that change is certain appears to be the only thing in the world that never changes.

To remain in ‘good health’ as an individual or as an organisation, it is important to anticipate the change that will, of necessity, occur in the system and the environment of business and personal lives. It means that you do not rest on your oars, as you have to be scanning the environment permanently for scent of the changes that will occur now or later.

We are in serious economic crisis in Nigeria today because our leaders failed to anticipate that a day like this was coming. If they did, they would have saved the money they squandered on frivolities and preserved the real sector for economic growth.

Your children will not and cannot live the life you lived, no matter the length and frequency of your sermons. The entire space has changed. They have access to information in minutes than you ever had in all your years. Good parenting will, therefore, mean that you know about this fundamental shift and have a plan to handle it.

Understanding investments and risks

Being strategic means that you understand investments, impacts, outcomes, costs, risks and consequences. A lot of people rush into things without a deep understanding of what they set out to do. There is nothing like a ‘free lunch’ because there is always a price tag. It is important to think deeply before you commit yourself or your organisation to a venture, agreement or transaction.

Risk-taking is associated with returns but you have to understand the cost, consequences and impact of the risk that you are about to take. In some cases, it is good to prepare risk cushions in advance of your actions.

Being strategic means assessing the need for, and building support systems. As good as you are or your organisation is, you cannot last forever. It is important that you carefully design and build support systems, as this will help in achieving predictable success on long-term projects and goals.

Being strategic means evolving your role to meet the changing business needs and always considering what adds the most value, not just working hard. It is always important to ask the question persistently about what value you are adding to the system. If you have been good before, are you still good now? What will the company miss if you are no longer there?

References:

http://www.leadershipmutt.com/2010/09/that-strategy-thing-part-1-thinking-strategically.html: Accessed on Friday, 17thJune, 2016
http://www.profitguide.com/manage-grow/strategy-operations/what-does-it-really-mean-to-think-strategically-45900: Accessed on Saturday, 18thJune, 2016

Applications of nanotechnology in drug delivery and design – Part 1

Solomon Ojigbo

23/06/2016

Arthur C. Clarke was the first, in 1956, to write on the nanotechnology concept, in a short story called “The Next Tenants”. This is considered to be the first work of fiction broadly describing what is today known as nanotechnology. Today, the application of nanotechnology is gaining prominence in the pharmaceutical and health care industries as it offers some exciting possibilities that were only imagined decades ago. For example, Nanosensors have been developed to monitor inflammatory diseases by checking the level of nitric oxide in the bloodstream, using carbon nanotubes embedded in a gel that can be injected under the skin.

Nanotechnology is the study, design, synthesis, manipulation, and application of functional materials at nanometer scale, where one nanometer equals to a billionth of a meter. Imagine the largest nano base material which has a size of 100nm is about half the size of smallest cellular form in existence – the bacteria called mycoplasma which has a diameter of 200nm. Many functional nanomaterials, also called nanoparticles (NPs), having the size of macromolecules such as DNA and proteins, have been developed.

Nanoparticles have unique mechanical, optical, magnetic, electrical and biochemical properties, making them suitable in drug delivery systems, diagnostics & monitoring techniques, bio-sensing (biosensors), blood purification, cell repair and tissue engineering. This emerging field of medicine, commonly called nanomedicine, is attracting great interest from researchers as it has opened up new vistas in chemotherapy, providing the possibility of delivering and targeting pharmaceutical, therapeutical and diagnostic agents to cancer cells.

Drug delivery

Nanoparticles have been successfully used as drug delivery materials because of their high drug-carrying capacity and stability in the blood stream. The surface of nanoparticles are usually coated with ligands to enhance their affinity towards specific cells and co-polymers and to protect them from immune cells. The self-controlling system of drug releasing helps to reduce the plasma fluctuation and minimises the side effects.

Nanoparticles used in drug delivery include polymers in drug delivery system (DDS) such as polymeric miscelles, polymeric NPs, polymeric drug conjugates, dendrimers, nano crystals and lipid-based NPs like liposomes and solid lipids nanoparticles. These types of nano particles are organic based, whereas inorganic based nanoparticles include silica base materials such as Xerogels and mesoporous silica NPs, and Metal NPs such as gold, silver, iron, platinum, quantum dots.

Mode of application

Nanoparticles can be incorporated, encapsulated, conjugated, or absorbed with drugs, using different techniques such as electrospinning technique (electrospunnanofibres), nano-precipitation technique, emulsification based methods, layer by layer synthesis, non-covalent complexation and conjugation to polymeric carrier via liable linkers.

The resulting formulation constitutes a drug delivery systems which have the ability to recognise and deliver the active drug to the target cell by receptor mediated endocytosis. The localised therapeutic activity ensures reduced toxic side effects, provide improved therapeutic index, reduced drug dosage, and ultimately reduces the cost of drugs. These merits have led to the more precise and improved treatments of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes among others.

References

Wanigasekara J and Witharana C. (2016) “Applications of Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and Design – An Insight” Current Trends in Biotechnology and Pharmacy Vol. 10 (1) 78-91
Earl Boysen of Hawk’s Perch Technical Writing, LLC. “Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery” http://www.understandingnano.com/nanotechnology-drug-delivery.html
Wikipedia “Nanomedicine”
https://commonfund.nih.gov/nanomedicine/overview.aspx
http://www.associates-degree-in-nursing.org/nanomedicine/

Poor manpower development killing community pharmacy

23/06/2016

For Nigerian pharmacists to be easily distinguished from patent medicine vendors, while operating in accordance with global best practices, more attention must be paid to manpower development, says eminent pharmacist and astute entrepreneur, Pharm. (Alh.) Yakubu Layi Gobir.

Pharm. Gobir, an Havard Business School graduate, said this while delivering a keynote address on the topic, ‘Manpower Development in Community Pharmacy Practice – Adopting Global Best Practices’, at the opening ceremony of the 35th Annual National Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), held recently at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, Enugu State.

Gobir, who is the managing director of Smart Mark Limited, Lagos, and founder of Invivo Pharmacy, urged community pharmacists to start looking beyond their confines, so as to grow the profession in line with global standards, adding that it is their collective responsibility to ensure an enduring, respectable, professional and impactful delivery of pharmaceutical services in the community setting.

He further stated that manpower development in community pharmacy practice is not limited to pharmacists alone but to all staff involved in the running of a pharmacy.

“Adopting global best practices in community pharmacy practice is the path to promoting the impact of our profession on national health development goals, and in adopting it, mediocre practices will have to be identified and reformed,” Gobir said.

Gobir, a celebrated entrepreneur, who, in 2003 started Forward Stores, which now has over 65 out lets in Nigeria and Ghana, however lamented that there is a huge shortage of pharmacists in the country.

“The United Kingdom, a developed country with a population of 64 million people and a successful national health system has 2,500 Boots Stores alone. There are 47,391 registered pharmacists, with about 38,867 in England. On the other hand, South Africa with a population of 53 million has 13,474 registered pharmacists – 8,134 females and 5,134 males.

“But in Nigeria, as at 2014, there were 2,705 registered pharmacies, with a vast majority of them in Lagos State, and in 2015, the number grew to 3,426 with the majority still in Lagos,” the Smart Mark boss said.

He further noted that manpower development is a process rather than just a passive activity, saying it involves planning, implementation and results.

He added that for manpower to be effective within an organisation, it must be deliberately planned and included in the overall programme for the staff, adding that such plan must be implemented and the results from the human resource training must be measurable.

According to him, the three major ways that training of manpower in an organisation can be implemented are through formal training, which includes skill acquisition programmes, skill development programmes and formal training towards manpower development; on-the-job training, through which manpower skills and competencies can be developed by experience on the job; as well as professional training, in which an organisation encourages and sponsors professional training and continuing education programme for its staff.

Speaking on the challenges of manpower development in community pharmacy, Gobir disclosed that most community pharmacists misplace their priorities by paying the most attention to physical and capital resources rather than investing in the human resources, which according to him, ultimately harness the other factors of business into maximising profit yields.

“Other challenges facing manpower development include: lack of incentives and rewards to personal development; passive competition, or better still, absence of active competition among pharmacists; wrong attitude of being complacent with just offering products and making sales, while leaving out important gaps on community pharmacy services and pharmaceutical care that is impactful to the customers; and lack of vision-driven pharmacies,” he said.

He however expressed delight that major improvements are beginning to manifest in pharmacy practice generally and in the attitudes of pharmacists in the country.

According to him, “there seems to be paradigm shift towards global best practices as a number of community pharmacists are beginning to develop skills and competencies in offering patient care services along with quality product delivery.”

The veteran entrepreneur, who returned to pharmacy practice in 2014, also encouraged community pharmacists to be more service-oriented by investing more in their workforce training in order to increase productivity and quality service delivery.

“In addition, community pharmacy owners should build their businesses with global-standard vision at heart; they should see themselves as mirrors of the profession to the public eye; incentives and rewards, no matter how little, should be introduced to personnel that undergo any form of skill development, while bodies such as the PSN and PCN should intensify discussions towards making policies to regulate and ensure manpower development and continued training within community pharmacy practice in Nigeria,” he concluded.

References

National Institute of Health (n.d) Causes of Obesity. Accessed 24th June, 2016. Available at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/page/causes.aspx

The Atlantic (2014). Two-Thirds of Obese People Now Live in Developing Countries. Accessed: 23 June, 2016. Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/05/two-thirds-of-the-worlds-obese-people-now-live-in-developing-countries/371834/

Trans,M. 2014. Obesity soars to alarming levels in developing countries. Accessed 30th June, 2016. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jan/03/obesity-soars-alarming-levels-developing-countries;

World Health Organization. 2015. Obesity and overweight. Accessed 5th July, 2016. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

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National Institute of Health (n.d) Causes of Obesity. Accessed 24^th June, 2016. Available at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/page/causes.aspx

Trans,M. 2014. Obesity soars to alarming levels in developing countries. Accessed 30^th June, 2016. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jan/03/obesity-soars-alarming-levels-developing-countries;

World Health Organization. 2015. Obesity and overweight. Accessed 5^th July, 2016. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/