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

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.

Blood Test for Suicide May Come From Stress Gene Defect


A gene tied to negative thoughts and impulses may lead to a blood test predicting suicide risk, according to researchers who said such a tool could help prevent a leading cause of death.

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.

Less sleep quickens brain aging - research reveals

The less older adults sleep, the faster their brains age, a new study has warned. The findings could have important implications for the rise of dementia among the elderly, researchers said. Past research has examined the impact of sleep duration on cognitive functions in older adults.

Nigeria to explore nuclear science for development - VP

Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has stated that Nigeria is venturing into the development of nuclear science in the country for rapid socio-economic development.

Nigeria to determine indigenous reference values for lab investigations

Nigeria is set to have its own localised and evidence-based laboratory 'normal values' to be acceptable in medical diagnosis of her population while using blood testing samples.

Childhood malnutrition linked to poor heart development

Inadequate nutrition before birth up to the age of 5 years might affect the development of the heart.

Nigerian doctors call for forensic investigation into Abuja bomb blast

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on the government to carry out a forensic investigation into the Abuja bomb blast incident. 

AstraZeneca boosts health research in Nigeria with new research grant



AstraZeneca Nigeria Research Grant, an initiative to facilitate research in both communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), has been launched. The grant follows closely on the recent successful launch of a similar venture in Kenya earlier this year.

Human Pappiloma Virus could be transmitted non sexually - new study

Common disinfectants do not kill human papillomavirus making non-sexual transmission of the virus possible, U.S. researchers say.

Scientists discover new drug target to help reduce cocaine addiction

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have discovered a new molecular mechanism that could alter reward circuits found in the brain of those addicted to cocaine.

Tomato-rich diet protects postmenopausal women from breast cancer

Scientists have announced that diet rich in tomato could help protect at-risk postmenopausal women from breast cancer. The study has been accepted for publication in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism published by The Endocrine Society.

Nigerian Medical Colleges To Bring Scientific Evidence To Herbal Medicine

Nigeria's health minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has announced that medical schools across Nigeria will soon be asked to incorporate herbal medicine into the curricula. Speaking in Abuja, the minister said the move is essential to enhance the standard of Nigeria's health sector.

University of Ibadan Holds Inaugural Lecture On Microbes

Nigeria's premier university, the University of Ibadan has announced that its eighth inaugural lecture holding this Thursday 30 May, 2013, will be focusing on microbes.

According to the university, the lecture will be delivered by  Prof. Bolanle A. Adeniyi of the department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology.

Prof. Adeniyi would be speaking on the title "Microbes; Culprits And Their Attackers On Natures Field" at the Trenchard Hall, University Of Ibadan by 5pm.

In a statement signed by the registrar of the university, Olujimi Iretola Olukoya MNIM, FPA, the university said the lecture will be chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, FAS and is open to the general public.

The lecturer holds a BSc and MSc from the University of Ilorin and a PhD from the University of Ibadan. She is a professor of pharmaceutical microbiology and has published extensively in the field. Some of her published works as highlighted by University of Ibadan's website are listed below.

  1. Lajubutu, B.A. (1994). Antibacterial activity of diosquinone isolated from Diospyros tricolor. Planta Medica. Vol. 60: 477-478
  2. Lajubutu, B.A., Pinney, R. J., Roberts, M. F.,  Odelola, H. A. . and Oso, B. A. (1995). Antibacterial activity of diosquinone and plumbagin from the Root of Diospyros mespiliformis (Hostch) [Ebenaceae]. Phytotherapy Research. Vol. 9: 346-350.
  3. Adeniyi, B. A., Fong, H.H.S.,  Pezzuto, J.M. . Luyengi, L.  and Odelola, H.A. (2000). Antibacterial activity of diospyrin, isodiospyrin, and bisisodiospyrin from Diospyros piscatorial (Gurke) [Ebenaceae]. Phytotherapy Research .Vol 14 :112-117.http://pharm.ui.edu.ng/sites/default/files/Antibacterial activity of methanolic extract of Garcinia kola_0.pdf">Read Abstract
  4. Adeniyi, B. A., Robert, M. F. , Chai, H. and Fong, H.S.S. (2003). In-vitro cytotoxicity of diosquinone, a naphthoquinone epoxide. Phytotherapy Research. Vol. 17: 282-284. Read Abstract
  5. Adeniyi, B. A., Grooves, M. J. and Gangadharam, P. R. J. (2004). In-vitro anti-mycobacterial activities of three species of Cola plant extracts (Sterculiaceae). Phytotherapy Research (18): 414-418. 
  6. Adeniyi,B. A.  and Anyiam, F. M.  (2004). In-vitro Anti-Helicobacter pylori potential of methanol extract of Allium ascalonicum Linn. (Liliaceae) leaf: Susceptibility and effect on urease activity. Phythotherapy Research. Vol. 18: 358-361.Read Abstract
  7. Mahady, G. B., Bhamarapravati, S., Adeniyi, B. A., Doyle, B. J., Locklear, T. D.  Slover C. and Pendland, S. L. (2006). Traditional Thai medicines inhibit Helicobacter pylori in-vitro and in-vivo: support for ethno medical use. Ethnobotany Research and Applications (4): 159-165.
  8. Soge, O.O.  Adeniyi, B. A. and Roberts, M. C. (2006). New antibiotic resistance genes associated with CTX-M plasmids from uropathogenic Nigerian Klebsiella pneumoniae. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (58): 1048-1053.
  9. Adeniyi, B. A., Lawal, T. O.,and Mahady, G. B. (2009). In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to extracts of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus torelliana.Pharmaceutical Biology 47(1):99–102
  10. Gaus,K., Huang,Y., Israel, D. A., Pendland, S. L., Adeniyi, B. A., and Mahady, G. B. (2009). Standardized ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract reduces bacterial load and suppresses acute and chronic inflammation in Mongolian gerbils infected with cagA+ Helicobacter pylori. Pharmaceutical Biology ; 47(1): 92-98.
  11. Ayeni, F. A., Adeniyi, B. A., Ogunbanwo, S. T, Tabasco, R., Paarup T., Peláez C., Requena T. (2009). Inhibition of uropathogens by lactic acid bacteria isolated from dairy foods and cow's intestine in western Nigeria. Archives of Microbiology. Vol. 191:639-648.
  12. Lawal, T. O., Adeniyi, B. A., Wan, B. Franzblau, S. G. and Mahady, G.B. (2010). In-vitro susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv to extracts of Uvaria afzelli Scott Elliot   and Tetracera alnifolia Willd. African Journal of Biomedical Research. Accepted
  13. Ayeni, F. A., Adeniyi, B. A., Ogunbanwo, S. T., Nader-Macias M. E. and Ruas-Madiedo, P. (2011).  Survival of Weissella confusa and Lactobacillus paracasei strains in fermented milks under cold storage and after freeze-drying. Milk Science 66 (1) 61-64.

n-3 Fatty Acids Have No Effect On Cardiovascular Diseases, New Study Shows

A major setback has hit cardiovascular disease treatment and management with the discovery that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have no beneficial effect on individuals who have history of myocardial infarction or heart failure.

In the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, The Risk and Prevention Study Collaborative Group concluded that daily treatment with n-3 fatty acids has no effect on the outcomes of cardiovascular diseases.

"In a large general-practice cohort of patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, daily treatment with n−3 fatty acids did not reduce cardiovascular mortality and morbidity," the researchers stated.

In the Società Prodotti Antibiotici-funded research conducted in Italy, researchers recruited 12,513 participants out of which 6244 were randomly assigned to n−3 fatty acids and 6269 to placebo.

" With a median of 5 years of follow-up, the primary end point occurred in 1478 of 12,505 patients included in the analysis (11.8%), of whom 733 of 6239 (11.7%) had received n−3 fatty acids and 745 of 6266 (11.9%) had received placebo (adjusted hazard ratio with n−3 fatty acids, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 1.08; P=0.58). The same null results were observed for all the secondary end points," they said in the paper.

Prior to this study, n-3 fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids were believed to have health benefits in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In Nigeria, several adverts are aired claiming that products containing n-3 fatty acids are heart-friendly. But with this, it is expected that relevant bodies including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Consumer Protection Council (CPC) will ensure that adverts aired in Nigeria reflect this study report that n-3 fatty acids don't have any effect on cardiovascular diseases.

HealthNewsNG has cotacted NAFDAC and CPC for comments.