Daily Times, 14 February 2015 FG unveils N1.1bn National Ambulance Service
In its bid to boost Maternal Child Healthcare (MCH) in the country, the federal government on Friday commissioned the N1.1 billion National Ambulance Service. The 100 ambulances to aid transportation of women and children to health facilities where they can access care. The chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (Rtd) made the disclosure during the launch of the National Ambulances Services at Kiyi PHC, Chibiri Kuje Area Council if Abuja.
Premium Times, 19 February 2015 NAFDAC partners Cuban Company on new Technology for Malaria Eradication
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has said it is set to partner with Labiofam, a Cuban-based pharmaceutical company, to promote the adoption of biotechnology for malaria eradication in Nigeria. NAFDAC’s Director-General, Paul Orhii, made the disclosure when he received a delegation from the company in Abuja on Monday. He said the adoption of biotechnology, which used biolarvicides in the eradication of malaria, could boost Federal Government’s planned malaria eradication programme.
The Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital is among 10 hospitals denied accreditation to train community health practitioners, the Community Health Practitioners Registration Board (CHPRB) said. The board has mandated the hospital’s training programme not to admit any student until “a revisit after the institution must have implemented the recommendations of the board.” The other institutions denied accreditation include School of Health Technology, Nguru, Yobe; Jos University Teaching Hospital, School of Health Technology in Idah, Kogi and in Keffi, Nasarawa; All Saints School of Health Technology, Obu-Otukpa, Benue; School of Health Technology, Oji, Enugu.
World Stage Group, 17 February 2015 Nigeria, US to build $10m Drugs Store in Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria and the United States of America on Tuesday flagged off the construction of a $10 million drugs store in Abuja. The project, the second in the country is expected to be completed in five months time. Minister of State and Supervising Minister for Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, who flagged off the constriction of the project otherwise known as “Ware House in a Box” explained that project would enhance drugs storage and supply in the country. He said the Federal Government provided land for the project “worth about N1.2 billion and also paid for the ground rent and the building plan approval fees to the tune of N19,129,932,42.”
The Sun, 20 February 2015 Patients suffer as Lagos Doctors’ Strike bites
As the warning strike embarked upon by Lagos State doctors under the umbrella of Medical Guild began yesterday, many patients who turned up at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja and the General Hospital in Ikorodu were sent back. Also, majority of the patients, who were denied treatment had to return home without medical attention. Investigations, however, revealed that only patients with emergency ailments were seen by doctors in Lagos State hospitals. Doctors in the state Government employment declared a three-day warning strike to pressurise the present administration to pay the doctors’ withheld salaries.
Premium Times, 19 February 2015 Cholera Outbreak: Six dead, eight hospitalized in Ebonyi
“We are advising people to maintain personal and environmental hygiene. When the first case was recorded, we instructed that the person should be buried immediately without burial ceremonies but the people did not obey the directive and it affected other victims. The people expose whatever they eat to flies and these flies will perch on them and transmit diseases such as this to them,” Mr. Achi said. He observed that most of the people do not have toilet facilities and defecate around their houses which make it easier for diseases to be transmitted to them.
This Day, 19 February 2015 ‘21 Million Nigerians have Psychiatric Disorder’
With the population of persons in Nigeria who needs psychiatric attention, it is worrisome that the country has a few neuropsychiatric hospitals and trained psychiatrists. The Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNH),Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Rahman Lawal in this interview with Martins Ifijeh talked about the need for state governments to set up neuropsychiatric hospitals in their various states, among other related issues.
News Security Beat, 19 February 2015 Emerging Priorities for Maternal Health in Nigeria: Surveying the Field
“Nigeria’s population is only two percent of the world population, but we contribute about 10 percent of the maternal mortality,” said Oladosu Ojengbede, professor and director of the University of Ibadan’s Center for Population and Reproductive Health. Despite efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5 – reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters compared to levels in 1990 and achieve universal access to reproductive health – Nigeria has seen only modest improvements to maternal health, said a panel of experts participating in a live videoconference in both Abuja and Washington, DC, on December 17. The simulcast event was preceded by a day-long policy workshop in Abuja with 40 participants from a wide array of stakeholders, including the ministry of health, development partners, NGOs, traditional leaders, health organizations, and the media.
Huffington Post, 11 February 2015 Champions for Change: Meet the Champions Series
Champions for Change (C4C) is pleased to launch our 'Meet the Champions' Series. This bi-monthly blog series highlights the work of 24 Nigerian leaders currently participating as C4C champions. C4C's Champions in Nigeria are working together to save the lives of mothers, children and young women through innovative advocacy and leadership development. Nigeria is Africa's largest economy, and yet tens of thousands of women and children die there each year due to lack of maternity care, preventable disease and poor health infrastructure, among other causes.This series brings a diversity of perspectives from around Nigeria to the table to discuss this critical moment in Nigeria's history and how Nigerians can work together to build a healthy future for all. Our series begins this week with an interactive discussion with Francesca Adeola Abiola and Ogechukwu Emeji of Action Health Inc., an NGO dedicated to promoting young people's health and development to ensure their successful transition to healthy and productive adulthood.
Nigeria Health Watch, 17 February 2015 Haija Fatima Muhammad - Working to improve the Lives of Women in Northern Nigeria
Last year, in December 2014 in London, we were privileged to hear from Hajia Fatima B Muhammad, a midwife and midwife educator with over 20 years working experience in Maternal and Child care in Northern Nigeria, as she gave a talk at TEDxEuston’s 2014 conference with the theme “Facing Forward”. In her talk, Fatima spoke on behalf of her sisters, her daughters, her nieces and her cousins in parts of Northern Nigeria, who don’t have access to healthcare. But, as she makes clear, it is not just access to healthcare that matters but the ability to negotiate their own destinies and fulfil their full potential as productive members of society.
EpiAFRIC is a health sector focused consulting group working to improve
population health through expert research and data analytics, project
design and evaluation, health communication, advocacy and training. Our
non-profit arm is Nigeria Health Watch.
