Nigeria Today, 01 March 2017 Hope dims for cancer patients as radiotherapy machines break down nationwide
The constant neglect of the Nigerian health sector has again been brought to the fore as none of the eight radiotherapy machines meant to treat over 100,000 cancer patients yearly in the country is functional. While highly placed individuals including President Muhammadu Buhari can afford to travel abroad to seek medical care, the vast majority of Nigerian cancer patients, about 80,000 who can not afford to, die each year due to pitiful attention paid to the health sector. “The radiotherapy machine at the hospital broke down as a result of overuse, and currently it is the only functioning machine in the country, but it broke down last week,” Francis Durosinmi-Etti, chairman, National Consultative Committee on Cancer Control in Nigeria (NCCCN), says. Durosinmi-Etti further says that there are many patients who have been booked for treatment, but they are disappointed because the machine had broken down, as there is a list of about hundreds of patients that have been scheduled for treat, awaiting treatment. “Cancer does not wait for anyone,” he says. Experts say Nigeria has competent doctors and technicians, but inadequate resources have always been the bane of the sector. Health practitioners are miffed over the Federal Government’s decision to allocate N252.87 billion to recurrent and N51 billion for the health sector in the 2017 budget, saying it will limit access to millions of Nigerians, especially the poor and vulnerable who depend on government-funded primary healthcare facilities.
Premium Times, 01 March 2017 How Twitter posts may have cost Nigeria’s former minister top position in Global Fund
In July 2015, Muhammad Pate, a former Nigerian junior Health Minister, shared an article on Twitter that might have now cost him the top position at Global Fund. Mr. Pate had been among the finalists alongside two candidates for the Executive Director position of the Geneva-based financing institution. But on Monday, the day the Board convened to review the finalists recommended by its Nominations Committee, it announced it was starting a fresh recruitment process for a new candidate. “The Board is committed to a process that adheres to the highest possible standards, and is fair, transparent, merit-based, and conducted with due diligence and professionalism,” said Norbert Hauser, the Chair of the Board. Due to issues encountered in the recruitment process, the Board felt they were unable to bring the process to conclusion, Global Fund said in a statement issued by Seth Faison. Since its establishment in 2002, Global Fund, an initiative that aims at combating AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria had committed over $30 billion dollars in the fight, with a huge chunk of the money coming from the United States. The current Director of the fund, Mark Dybul, is expected to step down at the end of May, when his tenure ends.
New Mail, 02 March 2017 Dangote Foundation spends N200m to rehabilitate Kano Specialist Hospital
To complement its N7 billion Surgical and Diagnostic Centre (SDC) currently under construction, the Dangote Foundation has concluded the renovations of some sections of the Murtala Muhammed Specialists’ Hospital, Kano which gulped over N200 million. The 900 bed capacity hospital, reputed for highest number of in-patients in sub-Saharan Africa has been lacking facilities that may detract from the new SDC being built by the Foundation, hence the decision to carry out the construction and renovation of the auxiliary facilities. The Foundation handed over to the hospital management a renovated maternity ward, two ultra-modern maternity laboratories, upgraded water supply system Eclampsia ward, theatre and improved sanitary environment befitting of a specialist hospital. President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote who was represented by his daughter, Hajiya Fatima Dangote, explained that the provision of the health care facilities was in line with the focus of the Foundation to contribute to improved health care service delivery in Nigeria as well as nutrition on the African continent. He stated that his Foundation has mandate to intervene in the critical areas such as health, education and human development which was why the Foundation has also embarked on some poverty alleviation programmes targeted at women at the grassroots.
Vanguard, 02 March 2017 Nationwide strike: Health workers extend ultimatum by 7 days
Following the expiration of its 30-day strike ultimatum two days ago, health workers under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP, yesterday extended its strike notice by seven days. In a press statement signed by its National General Secretary, Comrade O.A Obisesan and made available to Vanguard, the union announced 6th of March, 2017 as the new date for the commencement of the nationwide strike. Obisesan explained that the extension was based on the request made by the representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and Head of Service, Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission during a meeting in Abuja, where Federal Ministry of Health was conspicuously absent, for the union to shift ground on the strike since a high level body was already meeting on the matters in contention. Continuing, he said; “We unanimously agreed that the strike ultimatum be shifted by one week to enable the government communicate and implement the outcome of the meeting to the union with a view to averting the industrial action. “All members are hereby put on notice to withdraw their services with effect from 12:01am on 6th March, 2017 until otherwise instructed.”
Guardian, 02 March 2017 Nigeria rolls out strategies to boost maternal, child health
The Federal Government through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has rolled out four new strategies to boost polio eradication drive, strengthen routine immunization and ensure revitalization of primary health care centres in the country. To this end, the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has signed an agreement with the European Union for a €70 million grant targeted at improving maternal, newborn and child health, strengthening Nigeria’s health system and supporting ongoing efforts to eradicate polio. According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) website, fifty million euro of the grant aims to ensure that by 2020, Adamawa, Bauchi and Kebbi states of Nigeria have functional primary health care centres, providing round-the-clock services to three million children under the age of five years as well as to almost a million pregnant women and lactating mothers. Executive Director and Chief Executive of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, yesterday, while receiving the new World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Alemu Wondi, outlined a four-point agenda of his administration.
News Agency of Nigeria, 28 February 2017 NHIS seeks N32bn for health insurance
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has requested the sum of N32 billion for its activities in the 2017 fiscal year. Executive Secretary of the scheme, Prof. Usman Yusuf, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a budget defense session held by the House of Representatives Committee on Health. Yusuf said the amount was targeted at providing health insurance for five million Nigerians in the hinter land. He said in 2016, the scheme was restricted to total envelope of N129 million out of which only N54 million was released to the agency. Yusuf said of the amount released, N53 million was spent across the six geo-political zones on pregnant women and children below the age of five, putting the 2016 budget performance at 99.9 per cent. The scribe said the Internationally Generated Revenue in 2016 was N58.8 million and that N17.9 million, reflecting 25 per cent, was paid into the federation account. He said the organisation, however, was projecting N64 billion in 2017. “In 2017, we are asking for N32 billion; currently, only four million Nigerians out of the 180 million are covered by the scheme. “I have an aggressive progression to cover 10 million Nigerians but we are reducing it to five million Nigerians basically pregnant women and children under the age of five because of the economic situation.
PM News, 27 February 2017 Lagos begins 100 days of free healthcare services in 57 councils
The Lagos State Government will on March 1, 2017 embark on free Medical Mission to provide free healthcare services to residents of Lagos across the 20 Local Governments and 57 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs. State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, who disclosed this on Monday at a news conference in Alausa, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria said that the free healthcare, under the Lagos State Medical Mission, would commence on March 1 and end on June 8, 2017. He said the programme over the years had helped to complement health service delivery in the state, aside helping government to take healthcare to the grassroots and undeserved areas of Lagos State, by addressing pressing health issues of the rural communities in the state. “These Missions provide primary care services that take healthcare to the doorsteps of its citizens at no cost to the people. Although Medical Missions are short-term interventions, it is geared towards the strategic development plan of ensuring Universal Health Coverage. “These medical missions are significant because it will enable this administration to provide healthcare services to all who come irrespective of their age, gender, socio-economic status and affiliations,” he said.
Vanguard, 28 February 2017 Reprieve for outpatients as LUTH procures new laboratory equipment
The Management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, has procured an ultramodern laboratory equipment to ease difficulties faced by outpatients at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency department as well as ensure results of medical tests are obtained almost immediately. Prior to the commissioning of the new laboratory, patients walked long distances from the Outpatient Department (OPD) to get to the laboratory. The new lab, situated right inside the OPD building, is equipped with a new Architect C-4000 machine. The representative of the supplier, Abbot Diagnostic Company, Mr. Clement Mark, during the commissioning in Lagos, said the machine has the capacity to give 800 tests per hour- 400 pictometric test and 400 electrolyte tests. “This cuts across all parameters, which includes liver function tests, kidney function test, glucose profile and much other analysis.” Further, he explained that the machine is equipped with a Processing Module (PM), with a System Monitor that is connected to a System Control Unit, which works by feeding a unit in the machine called Analyser with samples. He added that a system called probes picks the sample, mixes the sample with the reagent in another compartment of the machine, allows it to incubate for a while and the result displays on the monitor and then printed out for the doctors’ use.
Pulse Ng, 01 March 2017 Lassa Fever: Borno govt confirms new case in Jere LGA
The Borno Government on Wednesday said it has recorded a new case of Lassa Fever after a 32-year-old woman tested positive to the disease. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Haruna Mishelia, made the disclosure at a news conference in Maiduguri. Mishelia explained that the woman, from Zabarmari in Jere Local Government Area of the state, developed some symptoms of the disease after taking ill. He said the state’s Ministry of Health had taken precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease. He explained that “Lassa Fever was first discovered in Borno in 1969 in Lassa village in Askira Uba Local Government Area. “But since then, no single case was reported until now.” Mishelia said the ministry had quarantined all the people who had contact with the woman. He said "We are embarking on mass fumigation in the entire area to kill rats that might carry the disease. “We are also placing all those who came into contact with the woman lately on surveillance.” Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness of between two and 21 days transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.
Nigeria Health Watch, 01 March 2017 Evaluating the impact of health programmes in Nigeria to build evidence for policy
Health policy is almost always driven by conventional wisdom. This week’s Thought Leadership piece comes from Emily Elizabeth Crawford, the World Bank’s Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) Nigeria Field Coordinator, who writes about how the use of impact evaluations can help develop better evidence for decision makers in the health sector using examples from evaluations conducted in Nigeria. An earlier version of this article appeared on the World Bank blog. The majority of the photos in the blog have been used with permission from EpiAFRIC,a public health consultancy based in Abuja, which conducts impact evaluations of health programmes. “Giving midwives monetary incentives based on their attendance is effective in reducing midwife attrition, keeping more of them on the job, and increasing the delivery of babies in healthcare centres. Non-monetary incentives, however, did not have any effect, either by themselves or when provided alongside monetary incentives.”
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.
