HealthNewsNG.com

Prevention and control of Ebola virus disease

11:12 disease, Ebola virus, feature, Health Tips, infection, outbreak, Tips, virus 4 comments

Nigerian government yesterday raised red alert on the Ebola virus disease outbreak that has been reported in several countries in the West African sub-region. While the alert stated that there has not been any reported case of the disease in Nigeria, it is necessary that you become informed on how to prevent and control the disease.

Nigerian government issues red alert on Ebola virus

00:30 disease, Ebola virus, Federal Ministry of Health, Guinea, infection, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone 1 comment

Nigerian government has issued a red alert on Ebola virus, the causative agent of Ebola hemorrhagic fever. In the alert, Nigeria's federal ministry of health is urging individuals with high fever, headache, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and bleeding to report to the health authorities, especially individuals who had traveled to Guinea, Sierra Leone and/or Liberia.

Marriage improves health, lowers risk of heart diseases - new study

13:21 heart, heart attack, heart failure, heart research, marriage, New York University, NYU Langone Medical Center, research 1 comment

A new nationwide study by researchers at New York University has revealed that having a spouse can improve your health. It said marriage lowers your risk of heart disease by five percent.

LASUTH health workers call off strike, resume Monday

13:05 health workers, Lagos, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, strike No comments

Striking health workers at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) have called off the strike action they embarked upon to press home their demands.

For perfect skin, these 10 foods are highly recommended

12:00 diet, Health Tips, nutrition, nutrition advocacy, skin, Tips 1 comment

The quest for the perfect skin cuts across all ages. While lots of currently used products are not void of side effects, nutrition provides clinically tested options that don't have any side effects apart from those that are allergic to them. Check the list of foods that could give you perfect skin below.

[CME] Roles of STD detection and treatment in HIV prevention

11:00 CDC, diagnosis, diseases, HIV, HIV/AIDS, infection, prevention, sexually transmitted diseases, STD, treatment 15 comments

Testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be an effective tool in preventing the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. An understanding of the relationship between STDs and HIV infection can help in the development of effective HIV prevention programs for persons with high-risk sexual behaviors.

What is the link between STDs and HIV infection?

Individuals who are infected with STDs are at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV infection if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact. In addition, if an HIV-infected individual is also infected with another STD, that person is more likely to transmit HIV through sexual contact than other HIV-infected persons (Wasserheit, 1992).

here is substantial biological evidence demonstrating that the presence of other STDs increases the likelihood of both transmitting and acquiring HIV.

Increased susceptibility. STDs appear to increase susceptibility to HIV infection by two mechanisms. Genital ulcers (e.g., syphilis, herpes, or chancroid) result in breaks in the genital tract lining or skin. These breaks create a portal of entry for HIV. Additionally, inflammation resulting from genital ulcers or non-ulcerative STDs (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis) increase the concentration of cells in genital secretions that can serve as targets for HIV (e.g., CD4+ cells).

- Increased infectiousness. STDs also appear to increase the risk of an HIV-infected person transmitting the virus to his or her sex partners. Studies have shown that HIV-infected individuals who are also infected with other STDs are particularly likely to shed HIV in their genital secretions. For example, men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV are more than twice as likely to have HIV in their genital secretions than are those who are infected only with HIV. Moreover, the median concentration of HIV in semen is as much as 10 times higher in men who are infected with both gonorrhea and HIV than in men infected only with HIV. The higher the concentration of HIV in semen or genital fluids, the more likely it is that HIV will be transmitted to a sex partner.
How can STD treatment slow the spread of HIV infection?

Evidence from intervention studies indicates that detecting and treating STDs may reduce HIV transmission.
- STD treatment reduces an individual's ability to transmit HIV. Studies have shown that treating STDs in HIV-infected individuals decreases both the amount of HIV in genital secretions and how frequently HIV is found in those secretions (Fleming, Wasserheit, 1999).
- Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious. It is critical that all individuals, especially those with herpes, know whether they are infected with HIV and, if uninfected with HIV, take measures to protect themselves from infection with HIV.
- Among individuals with both herpes and HIV, trials are underway studying if treatment of the genital herpes helps prevent HIV transmission to partners.
What are the implications for HIV prevention?

Strong STD prevention, testing, and treatment can play a vital role in comprehensive programs to prevent sexual transmission of HIV. Furthermore, STD trends can offer important insights into where the HIV epidemic may grow, making STD surveillance data helpful in forecasting where HIV rates are likely to increase. Better linkages are needed between HIV and STD prevention efforts nationwide in order to control both epidemics.

In the context of persistently high prevalence of STDs in many parts of the United States and with emerging evidence that the U.S. HIV epidemic increasingly is affecting populations with the highest rates of curable STDs, the CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS and STD Prevention (CHAC) recommended the following:
- Early detection and treatment of curable STDs should become a major, explicit component of comprehensive HIV prevention programs at national, state, and local levels;
- In areas where STDs that facilitate HIV transmission are prevalent, screening and treatment programs should be expanded;
- HIV testing should always be recommended for individuals who are diagnosed with or suspected to have an STD.
- HIV and STD prevention programs in the United States, together with private and public sector partners, should take joint responsibility for implementing these strategies.
CHAC also notes that early detection and treatment of STDs should be only one component of a comprehensive HIV prevention program, which also must include a range of social, behavioral, and biomedical interventions.

Source: CDC

Philips to establish Research & Innovation Hub in Africa

10:00 Africa, innovation, Kenya, Philips, research No comments

Royal Philips today announced the establishment of its Africa Innovation Hub in Nairobi, Kenya, which underlines the company’s commitment to invest in Africa. The Philips Africa Innovation Hub will work both on the creation of new inventions, as well as bringing these inventions to the market.

Orange launches first healthcare hotline in Cameroon

09:00 Cameroon, healthcare, healthcare hotline, hotline, My Healthline, Orange No comments

Orange Cameroon is launching a preventive medical service in collaboration with the country's Ministry for Health, allowing remote medical advice in real time

- The solution, developed by Orange Healthcare will be released in April 2014

Orange aims to expand My Healthline to other sub-Saharan African countries and extend the scope beyond sexual health, all built on a common Orange Healthcare platform.

My Healthline, a simple and reliable service from a professional medical team

Orange Cameroon customers will be able to access personalised advice on contraception, HIV / AIDS, sexuality and STDs from specialists by texting 929 between 8.00 am and 10.00 pm on any day of the week.

In less than one hour, the service will provide them with reliable medical information at minimal cost (XOF 200 per text message, i.e. EUR 0.25).

Orange will anonymise all questions, then transmit them to a medical service consisting of Cameroonian nurses and doctors. After analysis, the answer produced by the healthcare professionals will be sent back to the customer by Orange.

My Healthline provides quick, easy access by text, which allows anonymity and confidentiality. The service is to be provided in French, English and Pidgin (the main local dialect in Cameroon).

A service meeting Cameroonians' requirements

With two doctors per 10,000 inhabitants (against 33 in France (1)) and half the population living in rural areas (2), access to medical facilities is currently very difficult in Cameroon.

As Orange Cameroon has 6,500,000 customers, My Healthline will be able to reach a large proportion of the population.

Orange Healthcare has collaborated closely with the Corporate Social Responsibility Department of Orange Cameroon and the Cameroonian Ministry for Health to achieve the best possible fit between the service and local needs. The subjects covered are themes often considered sensitive, or even taboo, on which people need reliable, non-judgmental information.

In this way, My Healthline will help to improve preventive medicine throughout the country in partnership with medical professionals.

Food shortage imminent across Nigeria - NEC

08:59 agriculture, famine, food, Namadi Sambo, Nigeria, security No comments

Nigeria's National Economic Council (NEC) has revealed that food shortage is imminent across the country. The council said the shortage is as a result of mercenary attacks in 17 states of the federation.

Nigeria's premier teaching hospital to perform 11 awake open-heart surgeries

08:00 heart, open heart surgery, UCH Ibadan, University College Hospital 2 comments

Nigeria's premier teaching hospital, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has announced it will be performing 11 open-heart surgeries in April.

New report prescribes recommendations to US Congress to restore US leadership in global health

07:59 Capitol Hill, Global Health Technologies, HIV/AIDS, malaria, meningitis, tuberculosis, US Congress No comments

The ceasefire in budget battles on Capitol Hill is good news for global health, but is the budget deal made by policymakers enough to handle the surplus of diseases in need of US investments and leadership? That’s one question that will be answered in a new report to be released at a briefing on Capitol Hill.

Nigerians have high threshold for pain - US doctor

13:39 anesthesia, Dr. Herbert Oye, Nigeria, Nigerians, pain, study No comments

"People [in Nigeria] had such rudimentary (or basic) medical equipment, but they were still able to provide services,” West Virginia Vascular Institute’s Dr. Herbert Oye said. “They didn’t have general anesthesia. Most of the things they did there, they did with local anesthesia.

Health companies in Nigeria urged to get listed on stock exchange

13:31 business, health companies, healthcare, Nigeria, Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, Oscar Onyema 2 comments

Health companies in Nigeria have been advised to become listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) in order to raise funds from Nigeria's capital market. The call was made the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema.

AMP lauds Nigeria’s new last mile model for distribution of health commodities

07:00 alliance for malaria prevention, diseases, infection, malaria, Nigeria, USAID 2 comments

The Alliance for Malaria Prevention (AMP) has recognized the USAID DELIVER PROJECT in Nigeria and its partners with an award for their work initiating and implementing the Direct Delivery and Information Capture (DDIC) model.

NGO partners Nigerian Teaching Hospital for International workshop

23:07 HIFA, HIFA2015, leadership workshop, nurse, nursing 5 comments

Nursing Service Department (NAUTH) Nnewi, in Collaboration with Blue Torch Home Care Limited and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives is organizing a 4 Day International Leadership Training Workshop with the theme, Leadership in Nursing - Creating the Environment for Quality Nursing Care.

World Tuberculosis Day 2014: Lancet provides free access to quality resources

12:02 Lancet, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, TB, World tuberculosis day, WorldTBDay No comments

As the world joins today to mark the World Tuberculosis Day 2014, concerted efforts are being made by various governments and agencies to combat the disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria but most commonly Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Poll links skin bleaching to search for beauty and attractiveness

16:34 beauty, cosmetics, NOIPolls, polls, press release, skin, skin bleaching No comments

Latest snap poll results released by NOIPolls have revealed that 64% of Nigerians are of the opinion that skin bleaching has become highly predominant in the country, especially amongst Nigerian females (97%).

Expert raises concern over cardiovascular disease awareness in Nigeria

16:14 blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart, heart attack, heart failure, Lagos No comments

Dr Olushola Osho, a Lagos-based cardiologist has expressed concerns over the lack of awareness on cardiovascular problems among Nigerians.

NACA launches HIV/AIDS photo competition

15:48 AIDS, competition, HIV/AIDS, NACA 2 comments

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS in Nigeria (NACA) has flagged off the first NACA HIV/AIDS photo competition with the theme: "Get tested, know your HIV status"

[Vox Pop] Nigerians speak on new vaginal gel that protects against HIV

10:07 HIV, HIV/AIDS, raltegravir, research, Science Journal, vox pop No comments

Last week, researchers in USA developed a new vaginal gel that could help to protect women from HIV even if applied three hours after sex.

Nigeria and Pakistan have the world's worst records on infant deaths - report

15:58 infant, infant mortality. maternal mortality, report, Save the Children, study, survey No comments

A report by Save the Children revealed that Nigeria and Pakistan have the world's worst records in infant deaths. The report said about one million newborn babies die annually within 24 hours.

NAFDAC warns against high consumption of energy drinks

15:32 drug abuse, energy drinks, NAFDAC, pharmaceuticals, public health No comments

The regulatory agency in charge of foods and drugs control in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has enjoined Nigerians to be cautious when taking energy drinks because of associated health risks.

One psychiatrist attends to one million Nigerians - health ministry

10:21 Federal Ministry of Health, mental health, Mental Health Action Committee, Psychiatry No comments

Nigeria's federal ministry of health has disclosed that one psychiatrist is attending to one million Nigerians.

World Sleep Day is a worldwide wake up call - Peju Adebayo

09:30 events, insomnia, mouka, Peju Adebayo, sleep, special report, world sleep day No comments

Today, March 14 2014, is the World Sleep Day, a day that is set aside to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep. The day is also celebrated with the goal of drawing the attention of the society to the burden of sleep problems.

Focus on Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage

09:02 Dr. Joseph Ana, events, NMA, presidential summit, summit, Universal Health Coverage No comments

This week, Nigeria's president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) hosted the first Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) - the first-of-its-kind in Africa. HealthNewsNG.com exclusively spoke to Dr. Joseph Ana, Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association National Committee on Clinical Governance and Research, on the summit and its outcomes. He also spoke on what impacts the summit would have on the Nigerian health sector.

Research4Life Programs Training-of-Trainer Workshop

10:00 agora, hinari, itoca, oare, University of Ibadan, workshop 1 comment

This is an announcement for Research4Life Programs Training-of-Trainer Workshop

Mouka Celebrates Fourth World Sleep Day Series

08:00 mouka, world sleep day No comments

In line with its thought leadership trend on promoting good sleep, leading mattress manufacturer, Mouka Limited, will join the rest of the world to celebrate World Sleep Day, an annual event which comes up this year on March 14^this aimed to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep and to draw society’s attention to the burden of sleep problems.

WHO opens public consultation on draft sugars guideline

07:30 blood sugar, diabetes, draft guideline, WHO 1 comment

The WHO has announced it's plans to launch a public consultation on its draft guideline on sugars intake. According to the organization, when finalized, the guideline will provide countries with recommendations on limiting the consumption of sugars to reduce public health problems like obesity and dental caries (commonly referred to as tooth decay).

Nigerian Nurse announced as HIFA2015 Country Representative of the year 2013

00:30 Ekezie Ralueke Oluchukwu, health information for all by 2015, HIFA2015 No comments

The HIFA2015 (Health Information for All by 2015) campaign was launched in Mombasa, Kenya in October of 2006, at the 10^th Congress of the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa.

2014 International Women's Day: Health should be a priority

00:30 international women's day, IWD No comments

As the international community joined voices today the 8^th of March, 2014 to celebrate the international women’s day, it is very important to use the opportunity to continue lending voice to the numerous challenges faced by women the world over.

Health workers in Kaduna state embark on indefinite strike

14:49 health workers, JOHESU, kaduna, strike No comments

Members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) in Kaduna state northern Nigeria have embarked on an indefinite strike as a result of the failure of the state government to implement the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) agreement it signed two years ago with the union.