Daily Independent, 21 April 2015 FG links Ondo mysterious Deaths to contaminated Ogogoro
The death of the 18 people in Ondo State in a mysterious circumstance has been linked to the consumption of a local gin that was contaminated with poisonous material (methanol). The Minister of State for Health, Fedelis Nwankwo, disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday. He, however said that: “At this stage, the particular poisonous substance (Toxin) is being ascertained. The Results of these detailed investigations currently being conducted by Government and partners are still being awaited and will be made public as soon as possible.”
This Day, 23 April 2015 UN Officials seek continued Investment in Fight against Malaria
Although more investment and stronger coordination have helped the international community make significant inroads in the global fight against malaria, continued investment for malaria control and elimination targets remains essential for a post-2015 future. The declaration was made by top United Nations (UN) officials at an event held at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, which brought together senior organisation officials, diplomatic leaders and development experts, according to a release by the global body. The event – which comes ahead of this year’s commemoration of World Malaria Day, marked on April 25 – also spotlighted the $100 billion price tag required to eliminate the mosquito-borne disease by 2030.
HealthNewsNg, 21 April 2015 WHO launches Web Application to create Open Access to the WHO Global Medicines Safety Database
In order to help improve patient safety, increase transparency and encourage the reporting of adverse effects from medicinal products, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the VigiAccessTM on 17 April, 2015. VigiAccess is a new web application that will allow anyone to access information on reported cases of adverse events related to over 150 000 medicines and vaccines. More than ten million cases from over 120 countries are held in VigiBaseTM, the WHO database of suspected adverse reaction reports maintained by the Uppsala Monitoring Centre in Sweden.
news24 nigeria, 17 April 2015 NDLEA launches online Anti-Drug Abuse Counselling Service
Ahmadu Giade, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Thursday said the agency had launched an Online Anti-drug Abuse and Trafficking Counseling Service to rehabilitate addicts. This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) signed by Mitchel Ofoyeju, Head of Public Affairs of the agency. In the statement, Giade said about 21,634 persons had benefited from the NDLEA offline counseling services nationwide between 2010 and 2014.
Guardian, 20 April 215 Transforming Healthcare Delivery through Technology
According to experts, the containment of Ebola is one of the most noted public health crackdowns in the largest African country and this serves as a model for the rest of the world. Recognizing Nigeria’s successful response to Ebola, according to the health professionals, is an indication that with same commitments and adequate preparations, the clamour for functional health and innovation system is attainable. The Nigerian example was highlighted at a meeting organized by the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) – a pan African initiative hosted by the United Nations in Addis Ababa recently. The meeting focused on the role of technology in transforming health care delivery and Ebola research and development.
Leadership, 21 April 2015 Society seeks Shekarau’s Assistance for Pharmacy Doctoral Training in Nigeria
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has solicited the assistance of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, the Minister of Education, in getting approval for Pharmacy Doctoral Level training in Nigeria. The President of the society, Mr Olumide Akintayo, made the appeal when he visited the minister in Abuja on Tuesday. According to him, advanced training prepares pharmacists to assume patient care roles within the health care team in order to meet the increasing demands of health care delivery.
PR Newswire, 20 April 2015 Youth are Key to Tackling Noncommunicable Diseases in Africa
Establishing healthy behaviors among young Africans could help stem a looming regional epidemic of noncommunicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory conditions, according to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). In all North African countries except Sudan, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are already responsible for at least three-quarters of deaths. Based on current trends, the World Health Organization (WHO) projects that NCDs will become the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, surpassing AIDS and other conditions that predominate today.
Leadership, 22 April 2015 NAFDAC releases Guideline for Producers of Food and Drugs in Nasarawa
The National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday said it would release operational guidelines for food and drug producers in Nasarawa state. NAFDAC’s Coordinator in the state, Mr Micheal Attah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia that the agency was poised to sanitise the entire system.
Nigeria Health Watch, 21 April 2015 Who remembers the Presidential Summit on Universal Healthcare?
A little over a year ago, on the 7th of March 2014, top level officials in the Nigerian health sector were called together to attend what was called a “Presidential Summit on Universal Healthcare”. During the summit, we listened to several speeches and powerpoint presentations of wishes, hopes and aspirations on the concept of “universal health coverage” (UHC). At the end, the summit adopted “The 2014 Declaration”, a 23-point statement which recommends greater commitment of all tiers of government to improving UHC and the institution of mandatory health insurance.
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