Frontpage News (3256)
Coronavirus crisis: Nigerian pharmacists lament India’s ban on drug exportation
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Following the ban that Indian government placed on exportation of drugs and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients to Nigeria and other countries last Tuesday, pharmacists have blamed the problem on “the lack of affirmative action on the part of the Federal Government,” even as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has not directly addressed India’s action.
India, the world’s main supplier of generic drugs according to Reuters, had restricted the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients, as well as drugs made from them. The BBC reports that India gets almost 70 per cent of its active pharmaceutical ingredients from China
Coronavirus: Scientist wants FG to conduct research on virus’ adaptability in Nigeria
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A Medical Imaging Scientist, Mr Livinus Abonyi, has urged Federal Government to take proactive step of investigating and conducting research on if Coronavirus was a tropical and endemic disease that could thrive in Nigeria.
Abonyi, also a Lecturer in Medical Radiography Department, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos. He said that the government could achieve this through collaboration with the scientists, researchers, stakeholders and all other relevant authorities. Abonyi said that the research was expected to reveal whether Coronavirus was a tropical infectious disease that could thrive
COVID-19 threat to global fight against HIV,TB,malaria,others,says Global Fund
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AN international financing and partnership organization, Global Fund ,has expressed fear that the outbreak of Coronavirus across the world could impede global fight against HIV/AIDS,tuberculosis,malaria among other disease the world was focusing on eradication.
The organisation which even in the face of its fear,announced new guidance to enable countries strengthen individual response activities to the new coronavirus (COVID-19) by using existing grants in a swift, nimble and pragmatic way,insisted that COVID-19 could derail
World health professionals urge govts to prioritise support for healthcare workers
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The world’s health professionals have called on governments to support healthcare workers who are on the frontline to combat the novel coronavirus ravaging countries across the world.
The World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA), which represents 31 million healthcare professionals stands in solidarity with all healthcare workers across the globe who are on the front line in the fight to contain the current coronavirus epi. They note that all around the world, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, dentists,
Osinbajo charges laboratory scientists to deliver quality disease diagnosis
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Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has charged the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science, and the Nigerian Medical Laboratory scientists to ensure qualitative laboratory environment for effective disease diagnosis.
Osinbajo, who declared open the 2020 Congress of the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science (WAPCMLS), and induction/investiture of its fellows, in Lagos, noted the importance of accurate and reliable laboratory diagnosis in the prevention and control of diseases.
The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria has suspended its strike to compel the National Universities Commission to reverse its decision to make the acquisition of PhD mandatory for clinical lecturers for career progression in public universities.
The MDCAN on February 25 withdrew its services from Colleges of Medicine in public universities after the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum the doctors issued to the NUC to withdraw its circular. The President of the association, Prof. Kenneth Ozoilo, who announced the suspension of the strike at a press conference in Jos on Tuesday,
The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday finally declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and urged countries to take urgent and aggressive action to contain the spread. There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries while 4,291 people have lost their lives to the disease.
The Director General of the organisation, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who made the declaration said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold over the past two weeks and expressed concern about “alarming levels of inaction” in the fight against the spread of the disease.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has said that the apex bank is committed to fully intervene in the health sector following the outbreak of Coronavirus in Nigeria.
The apex bank made this known yesterday at a consultative round table with stakeholders in Abuja. Emefiele explained that the CBN had decided to support the government by helping to develop specialist hospitals across the country. He said the bank’s intervention would be in the areas of diagnosis and surgery, pointing out that this would reduce medical tourism.
The Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, has pleaded with the newly qualified medical doctors from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, to give back to the system that gives them the opportunity of training at a relatively minimal cost.
Speaking before administering the Hippocratic Oath on the 52 doctors, whose training commenced in the university in 2010, Sanusi, at the College of Health Sciences, LAUTECH, Osogbo campus, said the parents and guardians of the inductees had expended a huge amount on their training.
President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to workers in the health sector to show understanding with the administration in their demands, especially given the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak on the economy. He said his administration was bracing up for the challenges expected to follow the outbreak of the disease.
The President, who made the appeal on Tuesday when workers in the health sector the under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly Healthcare Professionals Associations (AHPA) paid him a courtesy call at the State House, Abuja, assured that government was looking into their issues with a view to resolving them.
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Institute Of Medical Research To Develop Vaccine For Coronavirus
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Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Sen Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora, on Monday, announced that the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has determined the genetic sequencing of coronavirus causing COVID-19. According to him, NIMR is the first research institute in Africa to record such feat which he said would help scientists in the country to develop the vaccine to combat the virus.
Mamora made the announcement at the 34th anniversary of Healthcare magazine, award presentations and innovation conference themed “improving health with innovations, technology and sustainable financing” held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos on Monday.
Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 12.20 per cent in February, up by 0.07 per cent from the 12.13 per cent recorded in January largely due to hike in prices of pharmaceutical products, air fares and foodstuff.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures inflation released yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that increases were recorded in all divisions that yielded the headline inflation. For instance, under core inflation, the highest increases were recorded in prices of pharmaceutical products, non-durable household goods, catering services, passenger transport by air, repair of furniture, maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment,
The Enugu State Ministry of Health on Monday said that the suspected coronavirus patient has been confirmed negative to the novel virus. A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ifeanyi Agujiobi, said that the suspect’s specimen sent to IRUA Specialist Hospital for investigation tested negative. 
The World Health Organization urged Middle Eastern governments Wednesday to be more forthcoming with information about new coronavirus infections in order to effectively combat the global pandemic.
“We can only control this disease if we have access to information that allows us to understand its dynamic in the region” Ahmed al-Mandhari, WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean director, told an online press conference from Cairo. “We have an opportunity to contain this pandemic in our region,” he added.
