In an open letter, former heads of state as well as leaders from civil society and business launch a petition call for more solidarity and a more coordinated approach to deal with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Expert advocates citizen-focused new health system for Nigeria
Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe has called for a new health system that is tailored to the needs of the ordinary man in the street
Why Nigerians defecate publicly
Special report on why improved public awareness is not enough to reduce public defecation in Nigeria
First aid tips to save accident victims
The first few minutes of a medical emergency are always critical, but nearly two thirds of us admit we wouldn’t know what to do
Study identifies risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria
A new study has identified risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria using the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey
Doctors call for Lassa fever treatment centers in south east Nigeria
The South East zonal caucus of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has enjoined the Nigerian government to establish health centres and facilities where Lassa fever patients could be treated and managed
Roles of humanitarian services in tackling healthcare inequality in developing countries
The World Humanitarian Day was recently held to celebrate men and women who on a regular basis expose themselves to various forms of danger in the course of assisting people who are under-served in terms of healthcare and social needs.Doctors' sack is in Nigeria's best interest - government
The Nigerian government has revealed that its decision to suspend the Residency Training Programme in the health sector
was done in the overall interest of all Nigerians.
Nigerian doctors stage nationwide protests over sack
Protesters free 29 Ebola patients in Liberia
Lawyers in Nigeria urged to postpone national conference over Ebola
Memories of error improve our learning speed, research reveals
President Jonathan Commissions N1 Billion Trauma Centre in Abuja
Presiden Goodluck Jonathan has commissioned a trauma centre considered to be world-class and conform to international standards and best practices. The centre was constructed and equipped at a cost of over nine hundred million naira.
Also, in an effort to arrest the high incidences of medical tourism, the Federal Government has said it would provide incentives that would motivate existing local health manpower and also encourage Nigerian health experts based abroad to return. The President stated this at the formal commissioning of the trauma centre at the National Hospital, Abuja.
The President, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said this would bring quality healthcare closer to more Nigerians and also reduce the depletion of scarce foreign exchange due to medical tourism.
To prove the seriousness of the government, Jonathan said: "We are modernising medical diagnostic and upgrading several tertiary healthcare facilities to meet the standards existing in those countries where Nigerians seek foreign medical treatment. We have also progressively improved healthcare financing and priority interventions."
He noted that the trauma centre has been appropriately equipped with modern facilities and that it is the first of its kind in the country.
The trauma centre, according to the President, is expected to provide the highest level of trauma management for severely injured patients in a timely and cost effective manner.
While lamenting that Ebola has claimed several lives in some West Africans countries including two deaths in Nigeria, Jonathan said his government was pained that the emergence of the disease in Nigeria was due to migratory transmission.
"It is important that we avoid panic and take the highest possible care in hygiene and contact, and by adhering to guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. We have put measures and facilities in place for detection and management, and are working in concert with the international community to stem its spread. We must remain at high alert," the President stressed.
Speaking, Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed that the centre has the capacity and capabilities to handle all trauma cases, including burns, fires, accidents, terrorism or other man-made disaster.
Source:Allafrica.com
Nurses chase suspected Ebola patient out of hospital in Lagos
Nigerian government sacks resident doctors
Ebola has a great potential of driving appropriate responses - Lawal
HealthNewsNG.com spoke to Lawal Kola Bakare,
Convener of Ebola Alert, on the prevention and control strategies for the
disease in Nigeria. He also spoke on at local and regional levels to curb the spread of the disease
2 million people to access eye healthcare services at new clinic in Mozambique
Healthcare Innovation Award winners influencing approaches to healthcare for children and newborns - GSK
While renewing call for applications, GSK and Save the Children have announced previous winners of the Health Innovation Awards are attracting
interest and support from national governments to help improve survival
rates of newborns and children under five in developing countries.
Ebola in Rwanda, medical student from Germany being tested
Rwanda's health ministry has announced a German student has been isolated and is being tested for Ebola virus disease. If the test is positive, the student would be the nation's first confirmed case of Ebola that is fast spreading across Africa.
Ebola vaccine should be ready for public use by next year - WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised hopes concerning the management of Ebola virus. It said an Ebola vaccine should be ready for public use by 2015.
Ebola: Nigeria recruiting volunteers, offers life insurance-included compensation packages
Crisis in NMA, president resigns
Ebola: Nigeria's NMA striking doctors call off strike
Ebola: Why we must embrace integrative medicine in Nigeria
Experimental Ebola drug to become more widely available
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it would
convene a meeting of medical ethics experts next week to consider the
implications of making experimental Ebola drugs more widely available.
Nigeria's illegal borders raise concerns over Ebola spread
There are fresh fears that porous
Nigerian land borders may thwart the Federal Government’s efforts to
check the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in the country.
REPORT: Do medical missions really help?
Medical missions have grown in relevance in Nigeria over the past 20
years. This is largely as a consequence of the failure of the health
system to serve the poor. In the conventional sense, medical missions
usually involve a group of physicians and other health workers
travelling to a foreign country for the purpose of undertaking a special
series of short term health interventions to improve the health and
health care of a specific population.
These are normally of short term duration and arranged around a health care facility. Although debate continues about the value of medical missions as a sustainable health improvement strategy, Pro Health International (PHI) offers a slightly different approach to medical missions. It seeks long term strategic partnerships and funding, intense preparation and significant post mission care. To find out more on about the benefits of these health missions to host communities, volunteers and society we decided to join Pro Health on their recent mission to Ehor, a town close to Benin City in Edo State. Here, Anja Choon gives a short summary of the mission and her experience as a PHI volunteer.
These are normally of short term duration and arranged around a health care facility. Although debate continues about the value of medical missions as a sustainable health improvement strategy, Pro Health International (PHI) offers a slightly different approach to medical missions. It seeks long term strategic partnerships and funding, intense preparation and significant post mission care. To find out more on about the benefits of these health missions to host communities, volunteers and society we decided to join Pro Health on their recent mission to Ehor, a town close to Benin City in Edo State. Here, Anja Choon gives a short summary of the mission and her experience as a PHI volunteer.
Pro Health International was founded by Dr. Iko Ibanga as a
Christian, non-profit voluntary health care organization 23 years ago.
Through mobilising volunteer doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other
health care workers as well as support staff, the organization provides
free health care during short medical missions. Services offered during
missions include medical consultations, dental services, eye
consultations, health promotion to increase awareness of important
diseases and their risk factors, minor surgeries and pharmacy services,
all free of charge to the clients. PHI’s focus is on helping the poor
and underprivileged in rural settings.
Originally starting with 3-4 medical missions a year, they now run 25-30 missions in a year in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Zambia, The Gambia, Mali, Niger, Burundi and Malawi. Over the years, they’ve carried out about 200 missions and reached many thousands of people.
Originally starting with 3-4 medical missions a year, they now run 25-30 missions in a year in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Zambia, The Gambia, Mali, Niger, Burundi and Malawi. Over the years, they’ve carried out about 200 missions and reached many thousands of people.
The TY Danjuma Foundation
provides funding for an average of three PHI missions every year,
including a mission to Ehor from 6 to 12 July 2014, which I joint on
behalf of Nigeria Health Watch. As I later found out, it was not the
first visit of PHI to this particular town.
Mobile platform helps users make informed health decisions
Mobile
phone is changing how people access health information in Nigeria. Mobile savvy
entrepreneurs and organizations are developing different applications and
services to improve the digital lifestyle of Nigerians while impacting their
health.
Initiative launched to improve access to HIV diagnostics
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Blood Test for Suicide May Come From Stress Gene Defect
Handshakes spread more germs than fist bumps, new study reveals
A new study conducted in UK said fist bumps spread far fewer germs than the traditional handshake, and even the high five.
Nigeria records another suspected case of Ebola virus infection
ILO and WHO partner to improve work in the health sector
India, Nigeria partner to reduce medical tourism
Ebola not in Nigeria, govt shuts down hospital
Viral hepatitis is a major global health issue - CDC
Viral hepatitis is a major global health issue affecting nearly 400 million people worldwide. In observance of World Hepatitis Day, July 28, learn more about three common types of viral hepatitis: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
Ebola in Nigeria: Good hand washing practices can protect you
As Nigeria recently investigated and confirmed a first case of Ebola in the city of Lagos state, there have been various action plans aimed at preventing further spread and containment of the deadly virus
This included screening all the passengers aboard the airplane that also transported the victim. Various emergency contact numbers have also been released by the Lagos state government to enable citizens report any suspected cases for immediate response and investigation.
A major prevention and protective strategy against the virus remains health consciousness, cleanliness and good hand washing practices.
HealthNewsNG.com got hold of this proper hand washing campaign by WHO and decided to share it for our readers.
It is important to adhere to this practices and please remember to pass on to others after reading. Using hand sanitizers is also highly encouraged. There are small sizes that can adequately fit into pockets and handbags.
Tension rises in Nigeria as first Ebola victim dies
Lagos state government releases emergency response numbers for Ebola disease
Nigerians hurriedly seeking information on Ebola virus
7 Exercises That Will Transform Your Body
Looking for some effective ways to transform your body? There are a few
great exercises that will help you to reach your fitness goal. These
exercises are easy but effective in strengthening your body along with
burning unwanted calories. However, sticking to these exercises is not
enough to transform your body, you should also eat healthy and get
enough sleep regularly. Don’t waste your precious time doing other
workouts, here are seven exercises that will help you transform your
body in no time.
Indian boy with 260 teeth had successful surgery to remove 232
In a ground breaking surgery, doctors in India have extracted 232 teeth from a young boy's mouth.
According to time.com website, "A boy in India endured a six-hour operation Monday to remove 232
teeth that grew as a result of a rare medical condition. Now, Ashik
Gavai, 17, has 28 teeth left—four fewer than most adult mouths.
The 17-year-old Gavai had been suffering from composite odontoma,
a condition in which a benign tumor forms in the mouth, causing
additional teeth to grow as well. In Gavai’s case, a molar tooth in his
lower jaw had grew hundreds of smaller teeth. Gavai’s doctors at J.J.
Hospital in Mumbai couldn’t initially remove the growth deep in Gawai’s
jaw with normal surgical tools, so they opted for a “basic chisel and
hammer” before more delicately removing teeth one-by-one. His doctors
called their operation a “world record,” and are planning to submit it
to Guinness World Records.
“I have never seen anything like it in all my years of practice,”
Sudanda Dhiware, head of the hospital’s dentistry department, told the
Washington Post. “We were so excited by it. And it was really fun for us to be able to extract them all, one by one.”
The condition doesn’t normally result in teeth as many as
Gavai’s — Dhiware said medical literature shows that a maximum of 37
teeth have been extracted in the past.
Gavai, who comes from a poor family of cotton growers hours outside
of Mumbai, had noticed swelling along his jaw months before his
operation. But local doctors were unable to fix his condition, and his
family didn’t have enough money to seek immediate, proper treatment.
Fearing that Gavai’s puffy cheek may have been cancer-related, his
family went to a state-run hospital, where they obtained funds through a
program offering financial support to poor patients.
Gavai is currently recovering from his grueling surgery, and his
doctors are hoping that the condition doesn’t reoccur—which it could, if
a bit of tumor, even microscopic, remains.
photo:bbc.com
photo:bbc.com
Possible First case of Ebola under investigation in Nigeria
HPV test outperforms Pap for predicting cervical cancer
Cross River to Partner NHIS on Healthcare Delivery
Cholera kills six in Kano State - Commissioner
A cholera outbreak in Kano State has killed six people and infected scores, the state health commissioner said Sunday, although the toll was placed at a higher figure by a local charity.
MTN, others partner NHIS on health insurance
Nigeria's major telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria has partnered Salt & Einstein MTS and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to drive the localization of insurance in the country through the mobile platform.
International AIDS Conference loses high profile delegates and researchers to plane crash
The 2014 International AIDS Conference slated to commence on the 20th of July has been thrown into a mourning state as a result of death of over 100 delegates and key researchers including a one-time president of the International AIDS Society in a plane crash. Their plane bound for Melbourne, the venue of the conference crashed in Ukraine.
According to businessweek website, "A Dutch scientist and a World Health Organization spokesman heading to an AIDS meeting in Melbourne were among 298 Malaysia Airlines passengers and crew
killed on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Many passengers on board Flight 17, which crashed over Ukraine, were en route to the 20th International AIDS Conference, Michel
Sidibe, executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS said on his Twitter page.
There were 108 AIDS meeting delegates on the flight, the Australian newspaper reported today, without citing anyone. "The International AIDS Society today expresses its sincere sadness," it said in a statement on the meeting's website. "At this incredibly sad and sensitive time, the IAS stands with our international family and sends condolences to the loved ones of those who have been lost to this tragedy."
Among those confirmed killed were Glenn Thomas, a Geneva-based spokesman for the WHO, said Rachel Baggaley, coordinator of the UN agency's HIV prevention program, who arrived in Melbourne earlier today. "We are in shock," Baggaley said over the telephone. "It's casting a shadow over the whole thing."
Joep Lange, head of global health at the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam, was also on board the flight, the UK's Daily Mail newspaper reported on its website. Lange was one of several European researchers on the flight and heading to the Melbourne conference, the report said.
Flight 17 crashed about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border in the main battleground of Ukraine's civil war.
Tobacco Bill Scales Second Reading in House of Representative
The Nigerian Federal House of Representatives yesterday passed into second reading a bill seeking to reduce the effect of tobacco smoking in Nigeria.
While going through the processes, the House engaged manufacturers in the tobacco industry, civil society groups, nongovernmental organisations, healthcare professionals etc. on the enactment of the bill which aims stop the sale and consumption of tobacco products among young people.
According to the House leader, Hon. Mulikat Akande Adeola, the bill titled: 'National Tobacco Control Bill 2014', is in tandem with the 2005 International Tobacco Control Convention to which Nigeria is a signatory.
He stated that about six million people die prematurely as a result of the harmful effect of tobacco. He also said if this was not checked, over N1 trillion would be spent on treating tobacco related diseases.
The public hearing on prohibition of the sale of tobacco to young people also featured ten different health related bills for deliberation.
The bills include:- Bill for an Act to provide free integrated Maternal Newborn and Child Health Care Programme for Women and Children in all government controlled medical facilities; a Bill for an Act to provide Medical Professional Indemnity; to establish the Medical Negligence Complaints Committee; an Act to enact the Tobacco Smoking (control) bill and to regulate the production; an Act to provide for compensation of victims of road accident and an Act to enact the Nigerian Mental Health bill.
Others are a bill for an Act to Amend the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Act; a bill for an Act to amend the Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act; a bill for an Act to establish the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science in Jos, Plateau State; a bill for an Act to establish the National Post Graduate College of Medical Laboratory Science and a bill for an Act to promote Voluntary Blood Donation for an adequate supply of safe blood, regulating blood banks.
Submittng its position on tobacco sale prohibition, the manufacturers, under the aegis of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other interest groups, stated that care should be taken to protect them as provided by the Article of Trade of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which Nigeria is signatory.
Segun Sotola of the Initiative for Public Policy Advocacy argued that: "The law, if passed, will totally violate the rights of the willing smoker. The law should protect the rights of both smokers and non-smokers. There are some levels within the industry that government needs to tap into.
"If you ban smoking, tobacco would still find its way illegally."
Segun Ajayi Kadri of MAN said: "We are in total support of the bill, and we want a bill that will take into account the rights of the producers, distributors, smokers and non-smokers alike. We are of the view that provision of incentives to the producers should also be amended." Hajiya Maryam Uwais of the Child Rights Protection Initiative noted that:
"The bill should amend clauses that encourage the designation of places where people can smoke such as school, stadia or parks, because it is not smokers alone who use these places. And their use of these places is not restricted to a particular period to pave way for smokers to smoke.
"We also want a change in the wordings regarding the use of displayed messages showing the health hazards of smoking. Clear and comprehensive pictures of the dangers of smoking are also strongly advised for people to be aware of the kind of choices they make while smoking."
While declaring the hearing open, the Speaker of the House, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who was represented by the House's Chief Whip, Hon. Ishaka Mohammed Bawa, described the hearing as an integral part of lawmaking which helps lawmakers to aggregate opinions with a view to arriving at credible conclusions that would shape the intents and spirits of the laws made.
"Public hearing for any bill is an integral part of legislative processes, and this is no exception. More so, a recent United Nations report has put Nigeria child and maternal mortality in the ratio of 549 in every 1000 cases," Tambuwal said.
GSK and Save the Children offer $1 million award for healthcare innovations in developing countries that reduce child deaths
GSK and Save the Children has announced the launch of their second annual $1 million Healthcare Innovation Award at the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health meeting in South Africa. The award was established to identify and reward innovations in healthcare that have proven successful in reducing child deaths in developing countries.
From the 27 June – 25 August, organisations from across the developing world can nominate examples of innovative healthcare approaches they have discovered or implemented. These approaches must have resulted in tangible improvements to under-5 child survival rates, be sustainable and have the potential to be scaled-up and replicated. This year, special interest and attention will be given to work that aims to increase the quality of, or access to, healthcare for newborns.
Last year the top prize was awarded to Friends of Sick Children (FOSC), Malawi, for their 'bubble' Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) kit, which demonstrates the impact of simple, low-cost innovations. The 'bubble' helps babies that are in respiratory distress, often caused by acute infections like pneumonia, by keeping their lungs inflated so they can breathe more easily. A similar version is already commonly used in developed countries where they cost at least $6,000 each. This innovative low-cost 'bubble' CPAP adaptation can be produced for approximately $400.
FOSC was granted an award of $400,000, which along with backing from the Ministry of Health in Malawi, will enable them and their partners to share this life-saving technology with teaching hospitals in Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa.
Co-chaired by Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GSK, and Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children, a judging panel, made up of experts from the fields of public health, science and academia, will award part of the overall funds to the best healthcare innovation to support further progress. The remaining funds will be made available for runners-up awards as directed by the judging panel.
The award also aims to provide a platform for winning organisations to showcase their innovations and share information with others interested in improving healthcare for children in some of the world's poorest countries.
Sir Andrew Witty, CEO, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK
Sir Andrew Witty, CEO, GSK said: "We are committed to working in partnership with other organisations and our work with Save the Children is a great example of how we can use our scientific expertise and reach to help improve health outcomes for people around the world. As a direct result of this award last year's winners have already had a tremendous impact and we want to continue to support them as they develop innovations that can be scaled-up and replicated to help reduce child deaths in the world's poorest countries."
Justin Forsyth, Chief Executive, Save the Children said: "We know that in order to bring life-saving healthcare to the hardest to reach children, ambitious new ideas and approaches are needed. Last year's Healthcare Innovation Award found new innovations that are saving children's lives and can be replicated to help reach even more children. This year, we look forward to discovering more pioneering solutions that will make a bigger impact for the world's most vulnerable children."
While good progress has been made in recent years, every year 6.2 million children worldwide still die before their fifth birthday. Often these children are in the most remote and marginalised communities. The GSK and Save the Children Healthcare Innovation Award aims to discover and encourage replication of the best and most innovative examples of healthcare to have the biggest impact for vulnerable children.
The Healthcare Innovation Award was announced following the launch of GSK and Save the Children's ambitious new partnership in May 2013, which aims to save the lives of 1 million children in some of the world's most vulnerable communities. One of the most unique aspects of the partnership is the focus on working together to maximise innovations to tackle under-5 child mortality. For example, Save the Children is involved in helping GSK to research and develop child-friendly medicines, with a seat on a new paediatric R&D board to accelerate progress on innovative life-saving interventions for under-fives, and to identify ways to ensure the widest possible access in the developing world.
Recognising that innovation can take many shapes and forms, the criteria for the Healthcare Innovation Award are broad and can include approaches that focus on any aspect of healthcare, including science, nutrition, research, education or partnership working.
Further details on the judging process and criteria can be found online at http://myg.sk/HealthcareInnovationAward. Entries close on 25th August at 11:59pm (GMT). Winners will be announced in December 2014.
WHO, ITU launch mDiabetes initiative in Senegal
Novartis launches new high quality antimalarial formulation of Coartem for Africa
Novartis has announced today the launch of a new high quality antimalarial formulation of Coartem® 80/480 (artemether/lumefantrine 80 mg/480 mg), for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in adults and older children who weigh above 35kg.
The drug has been registered by the Pharmacy and poisons board in Kenya and has already been launched in Nigeria and Angola. Kenya is the 3rd country in Africa to launch Coartem 80/480. Other countries that have registered Coartem 80/480 include Uganda and Ghana.
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