Frontpage News (3256)
Tuberculosis: Global progress hampered due to COVID-19 pandemic
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A new report has shown that global targets for prevention and treatment of Tuberculosis (TB) will likely be missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world. The 2020 global report on TB released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), on Thursday, indicates that disruptions in services caused by the pandemic have led to further setbacks in progress already made against the disease.
According to the report, global TB deaths could increase by around 0.2–0.4 million in 2020 alone, if health services are disrupted to the extent that the number of identified TB cases falls by 25–50 per cent over three months.
Doctors Say Gunshot Cases May Worsen Nigeria’s ‘Overstretched’ Healthcare System
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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on federal and state governments to ensure smooth movement and safety of doctors and other health workers during this period especially as many states are declaring 24 hours curfew.
NARD said its members are ready to offer expert management of injured Nigerians where necessary in all the State and federal Tertiary Health facilities across the country. The president of the association, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi expressed concern over the increasing unrest in the country and called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly to speak to Nigerians and address the legitimate demands of the protesters.
1,031 Nigeria doctors exposed to Coronavirus — NMA President
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President of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Prof Innocent Ujah on Monday disclosed that no fewer than 1,031 doctors in Nigeria have been exposed to coronavirus in the country while 16 mortality cases were recorded as of 8th October 2020, putting the mortality rate at 4.98 per cent. The NMA president also decried the underfunding of the health sector in the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos to announce the NMA 2020 Physicians’ Week with the theme ‘’Strategy for health system recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria” and sub-theme: “Dental caries:
The World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for Africa located in Brazzaville, Congo, says there are over 1.6 million confirmed Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Africa. The UN health agency gave the update in its regional official Twitter account @WHOAFRO.
WHO stated on its dashboard that there were over 1.6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on the continent, with more than 1.3 million recoveries and 40,000 deaths cumulatively. South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya are countries with highest number of reported cases.
Nigeria recorded two more deaths from the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, according to official figures.A total of 1,127 deaths have now been recorded thus far in Africa’s most populous country.
The country’s infectious disease outfit, NCDC, also reported 138 new infections on Thursday. Nigeria has continued to record daily cases below 300 for more than three months. The new cases bring the total number of infections in the country to 61, 805.
A professor of psychiatry at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Lateef Sheikh, has urged the Federal Government to set up a mental health department at the Federal Ministry of Health.
Sheik, at a virtual summit on mental health, said the department would help to regulate and coordinate all levels of mental health care in the country. He also called for the immediate signing of the Mental Health Bill into law, adding that it was unfortunate that mental health gets less than three per cent of the federal health budget annually.
Commonwealth Medical Association condemns killing of protesters in Nigeria
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The Commonwealth Medical Association (CMA) has condemned the killing of defenseless civilian protesters on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at the Lekki Peninsula Toll Plaza in Lagos State.
President of CMA and former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Osahon Enabulele, in a statement, yesterday, described the shooting of #ENDSARS protesters against police brutality, as unfortunate.
Minister orders federal teaching hospitals to treat ‘casualties of civil unrest’ who can’t pay
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The Minister of Health, Dr. Ehanire Osagie, has directed all Federal Government-owned teaching hospitals across the country to treat casualties of ongoing #ENDSARS protests, and not to reject them if they are unable to pay out-of-pocket.
The minister spoke on Wednesday via a Press release signed by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, A.M. Abdullahi. It may be recalled that on Saturday, October 3, 2020, a video started trending on social media showing a SARS Police officer shoot a young Nigerian in front of Wetland Hotel, Ughelli, Delta State.
Ogun needs 150 health workers to address shortfall, says Abiodun
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The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said the State needs additional 150 health workers in the junior cadre to reduce the acute shortage of manpower in the state-owned hospitals.
The governor disclosed this while speaking to journalists at the National Physicians’ week of the NMA in Abeokuta, the state capital. Abiodun said he has given approval to all state-owned hospitals to commence the recruitment of 20 consultant doctors as a way of addressing manpower shortage.
EU-UNICEF To Build, Equip 100 PHCs In Adamawa, Bauchi, Kebbi
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In its resolve to improve the health of citizens with a particular focus on women and children health, UNICEF and the EU have embarked on the construction and equipping of over 100 PHCs in Adamawa, Bauchi and Kebbi States.
The disclosure was made by Dr Zighe Icunoamlak, Health Specialist, UNICEF Field Office, Bauchi, saying that the project is under the UNICEF/EU collaboration which is aimed at reducing infant morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the three benefitting states.
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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has announced 201 fresh Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, with one death recorded in 12 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the last 24 hours.
The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Wednesday. The health agency said that the new cases had brought the nation’s confirmed COVID-19 infections to 58,848.
Experts have called on the federal government and other stakeholders to invest more prevention of HIV infection interventions, while advocating for supportive policy and programmes.
They made the call at a media roundtable organised by AVAC Fellow 2020 in partnership with the Journalists Alliance for AIDS, JAAIDS, on the role of media in HIV prevention advocacy with the theme: “Advocating for supportive policy and programmes for effective HIV prevention interventions”.
IMPLEMENT 15% BUDGETARY ALLOCATION TO HEALTH, NMA TASKS FG
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Irked by the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s health system, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has called for immediate implementation of the annual 15 percent budget allocation to the health sector agreed in 2001 by African heads of state in Abuja.
President of the NMA, Professor Innocent Ujah who made the call during NMA Physician’s Week in Lagos, regretted that 18 years after the Abuja Declaration, the Nigerian government has failed to implement the agreement despite huge challenges in the health sector.
CANCER: Don’t wait till you have maggots in your breasts — COPE
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It was testimonies galore among breast cancer survivors when Care Organisation Public Enlightenment, COPE, recently marked its 25th anniversary with a call for more investment in cancer care in Nigeria.
For the survivors, there was joy they survived despite untold hardship occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. They maintained that although many of them are alive, other Nigerians died as a result of the pandemic and the challenges of accessing care in a country where there are no comprehensive cancer care centres.
