Frontpage News (3259)
The federal government has initiated a planning process that will culminate in the transformation of the National Cancer Control Programme into a national agency.
The minister of health, Prof Isaac Adewole who said this in Abuja in the quest to fight cancer, said the planned agency which is expected to be named National Agency for Cancer Control will provide leadership and technical direction for cancer control in Nigeria.
‘It will be a multidisciplinary centre involving all healthcare personnel, basic and social scientists including public health experts.
The Enugu State Ministry of Health has commenced a sensitisation programme for health workers on the signs and symptoms of the Zika virus.
The Chief Surveillance Officer of the state, Dr Okechukwu Ossai, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday that the exercise was to get the health workers prepared on the virus.
Ossai, who is also the Director of Public Health in the state, noted that the ministry was not relenting in its efforts to keep surveillance on burning health issues.
Successful Advocacy Efforts - NNRA REGULATORY FEES SLASHED BY 80%
Written by Super UserThe Nigerian Nuclear Regulation Authority (NNRA) has reduced the Authorization Fees it charges for the regulation of ionization radiation practice in Nigeria which includes X-ray and other forms of Nuclear medicine by 80%.
This was contained in a detailed gazette released by the agency which approved the new fees payable for Authorization, Regulation, Licensing, Permits, and any other services related to these. See here to download detailed document
Nigeria Needs Over 100,000 Radiographers To Meet Medical Needs – RRBN
A total of over 100,000 radiographers are needed in the country if the health and medical needs of over 170 million Nigerians are to be met maximally. Investigations have revealed that the current number is inefficient. Also, to make the profession more attractive to Nigerians, especially undergraduates,
a 5-man committee has been set up to review the radiography curriculum and proffer solutions which will encourage Nigerian universities to adopt the course as only six universities offer it at undergraduate level.
This was revealed by Mr. Michael Sunday Okpaleke of the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) at the opening ceremony of the Post-Graduate Diploma in ultrasound course 2016/2017 session module 1 at the Asokoro District Hospital.
The World Health Organization says possible Zika vaccines are at least 18 months away from large-scale trials, the Associated Press reports.
WHO assistant director-general for health systems and innovation Marie-Paule Kieny says the U.N. health agency’s response is “proceeding very quickly” and 15 companies or groups have been identified as possible participants in the hunt for vaccines.
She told reporters in Geneva Friday that WHO also believes the link between the mosquito-borne virus and abnormally small heads in some newborn children is “more and more probable.”
Health experts have said the spread of HIV/AIDS from the present generation to the next generation in Nigeria can be cut down through adequate and proper budgeting that will finance the programme that will ensure and sustain the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of the ailment.
The health experts recently played host to the NACA/SURE-P media team at their respective hospitals in Taraba state.
The NACA/SURE-P team, after visiting 62 health facilities in the 16 local government areas of Taraba, became optimistic that HIV/AIDS can be controlled only if PMTCT is given due consideration by the affected persons and all the tiers of government.
Public health workers have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike beginning on Wednesday over alleged breach of agreements by the Federal Government.
The workers, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations, had earlier handed the government a 15-day ultimatum with effect from February 3 to accede to their 10-point demands or risk a nationwide strike.
Among their demands, the workers called for the heads of federal health institutions to be designated “Chief Executive Officers, against the present Chief Medical Directors.”
Following reactions to the current budget process, various groups under the auspices of Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PAFaH) gathered for a one-day meeting to discuss issues pertaining to the Healthcare aspects of the Budget with the view to advocate for a more transparent and efficient budgeting process.
The objective of the meeting was to collaborate with the government to identify gaps in the budget and budget process in order to improve the process and ensure a holistic, efficient and value-driven budget that can potentially address priority areas.
The meeting brought together various groups, civil society organizations, and associations within the Health sector to discuss various issues and come up with key priorities for the 2016 Health budget.


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The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on Thursday suspended its planned nationwide strike to press home improved working conditions. The union also gave the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum, effective from Feb. 18, to meet its demands.
Mr Biobellemoye Josiah, the National Chairman of the union, announced this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of JOHESU’s meeting with some government officials in Abuja.
Josiah said the union met with the Ministers of State for Health and Labour, respectively, as well as the Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.Others government representatives were the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health; and Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

DEATH OF 25 CHILDREN: Lagos confirms outbreak of killer disease in Lekki
The Lagos State Government yesterday confirmed the outbreak of a strange disease in Otodo-Gbame Community in Ikate, Lekki, alleged to have killed 25 children saying it has despatched a team of medical experts to unravel the mysterious disease.
Confirming this in a telephone chat with Vanguard in Lagos, the the spokesman for the State Ministry of Health, Mrs Adeola Salako, however said no further death has been recorded since Feb. 10, when the epidemiological investigation team led by epidemiologists from the state Ministry of Health commenced investigation.
Salako claimed that the ministry responded immediately news about the strange disease was received, adding that the team was despatched to the community on Feb. 10.
The Senator representing Lagos Central senatorial district and wife of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Tuesday said the current poor indexes in child and maternal health in the country is a challenge to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
She stated this at a three-day summit on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) in Abuja. She said: “When my husband was the governor, I worked on health-related issues on women and children.
Up till now, I’m still working with my non-governmental organisation, still advocating for youth, still advocating for the rights of women. Coincidentally, in my second senate, I have been appointed to chair the Committee on Women.