Features
Saving Babies From HIV Through PMTCT
As part of efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially to unborn babies, the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA) instituted a special programme for expectant mothers, tagged Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT).
The programme ensures that pregnant mothers, who are diagnosed with HIV, as so managed to deliver their babies free from the disease.
Officials explain that under the programme, expectant mothers receive free treatment, after a CD4 and WHO staging tests have been conducted on them, to determine their viral loads, so as to enable an appropriate anti-retroviral management.
Prof. John ldoko, the Director-General of NACA, says that women’s participation in the PMTCT programme is improving, as over 23 per cent of mothers infected with HIV had keyed into it.
“Our coverage has improved. By December 2009, we had only 11 per -cent coverage, but that more than doubled to 23 per cent in 2010.
“This shows that we are making some progress. We need to do more, so as to be able to hit a 60 per-cent level,” Idoko says.
Medical experts say that the drugs, Zidovudine and Nevirapine, are usually administered on expectant mothers from their 28th week of pregnancy up till the time of labour, while in some instances; referrals are made for the triple therapy called HAART.
The experts add that babies delivered by such mothers undergo treatment with Zidovudine and Nevirapine syrups within six and 72 hours after birth, while the need for any extended treatment depends on the adequacy of treatment received by the mothers before the delivery.
Such management, they note, reduces the risks of passing on HIV from mother to child during delivery.
According to Idoko, it is government’s expectation that more expectant mothers who are HIV positive will key into the PMTCT, which is available in government and private hospitals across the country.
He says that faith-based organisations will be involved in a renewed sensitisation campaign that will be initiated soon, so as to boost pregnant women’s participation in PMTCT.
The director-general discloses that as at date, about 23,000 children had been placed on antiretroviral drugs under PMTCT, out of the over 100,000 children who required treatment.
On his part, Prof. Barnabas Mandong, Plateau State’s Commissioner for Health, advises that mothers diagnosed with HIV should breast-feed their babies for at least the first three months, so as to give them a head start in life.
Such an act, he says, poses no danger whatsoever to the newly born babies by reason of research findings recorded the world over.
“Breast milk not only provides all the nutrients a baby needs; mothers through it also pass on antibodies, which help to protect the little ones from diseases as diarrhea and pneumonia,” Mandong stresses.
He explains further that the treatment of pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants with triple anti-retroviral drugs drastically cuts down transmission of HI V to babies during pregnancy and delivery.
“In one study, a combination of anti-retroviral drug therapy given to pregnant and breast-feeding women in Botswana kept all but one per cent from contracting the infection during the first six months of breast-feeding,” the commissloner reveals.
Some women, who had benefited from the PMTCT, applaud the scheme and advise other expectant mothers to embrace the programme, so as to safeguard the nation’s future.
They confirm that the programme helps expectant mothers to give birth to HIV -negative children.
Mrs Comfort Musa, petty trader and mother of three, says that two out of her three children were born HIV-free, having assessed PMTCT drugs during her pregnancies.
She recalls that before the PMTCT took off, HIV – infected mothers experienced a lot of troubles with neighbours, mothers-in-law and friends, who variously advised them not to breastfeed their babies.
“The inability to breastfeed babies was a ready sign for people to identify HIV -positive mothers. “I did not breast feed my first child but he was still positive, as my status was only known after I had delivered the child.
“People who visited me after delivery tried to find out why I was not breastfeeding the child; I continued to lie until I could not lie again.
“I told them I had a breast disease and was advised by the doctor not to breast feed my baby but my mother-in-law did not believe me,” Comfort recalls.
She says that after her first child, PMTCT made it possible for her to breastfeed her other babies for six months, adding that this confused her mother-in-law, friends and neighbours, who had wondered at her earlier claim.
Hajiya Fati Usman, a housewife, who lost her first husband five years ago to AIDS, says that her last child was HIV-negative because she went through PMTCT.
Usman recalls that she was only two months’ pregnant when her husband died and was afterwards confirmed to be HIV -positive.
“It was after his death that I learnt his first wife had died of AIDS. I was advised by the family doctor to attend PMTCT programme to enable me have HIV-free baby.
“The first wife was sick when I married him. She died fourteen months later. After I had my first baby, my husband fell sick and died seven months later.
“Being just two months pregnant when he died, I was advised to go for HIV test, which I did, and I was confirmed positive. Immediately, I started the PMTCT for my baby to be born HIV free,” she says.
She commends the Federal Government for initiating the programme and advises pregnant HIV positive women to avail themselves of the opportunity to bear HIV -free babies.
Health analysts say that aside from the PMTCT, specially directed at expectant mothers, other measures put in place by the Federal Government over the years to combat HIV appear to be paying off.
For the first time since 1986 when the first case of HIV/AIDS was confirmed in a Lagos hospital, records show that there had been a steady decline in the prevalence of HIV in the country.
A report by UNAIDS in 2010 listed Nigeria as one of the 33 countries in the world, and the 22nd in Africa, where the HIV incidence had declined by more than 25 per cent between 2001 and 2009.
The report attributed the decline to HIV prevention efforts.
According to the report, data from ante-natal care centres in Nigeria show a decline in HIV infections in the rural and urban areas, as well as a decrease in the number of people who are exposed to sex by the age of 15.
While it puts HIV prevalence in Nigeria at 3.6 per cent, it also reveals that about 26 per cent of males and 24 per cent of females are aware of HIV prevention methods.
It further says that about 20 per cent of males and five per cent of females engage in high-risk sex, while about 70 per cent of males and 30 per cent of females use condom.
However, officials point out that the Round Nine of global funding for HIV, through which Nigeria will access about 320 million dollars in the next five years, represents a significant boost to the fight against HIV I AIDS in Nigeria.
An additional three million dollars, they add, had also been released to the country, to boost the PMTCT.
In a related development, the World Bank has also recently offered a credit of 225 million dollars to Nigeria for four years, with which to fill funding gaps, identified as the bane of the national response to the scourge of HIV.
Notwithstanding the UN General Assembly’s Special Session Country Progress Report, which says that HIV situation in Nigeria had improved due to greater attention by government, Idoko says that much needs to be done.
He notes that the number of adults and children, who received anti-retroviral drugs in the country stood at 400,000, although the target for 2011 is 850,000.
President Goodluck Jonathan, on his part, reiterates the need to scale up the fight against HIV/AIDS, regardless of the gains recorded so far.
He gives the assurance that his administration will create a special budget to enable all ministries to join the fight but he, nonetheless, urges Nigerians, who have yet to know their HIV status, to go for HIV tests.
Jonathan reiterates that there is an urgent need to scale up universal access to comprehensive prevention, treatment, care and support to the fight against HIV/AIDS before 2015.
“Statistics have shown that only 14 per cent of Nigerians have ever been tested for HIV. “Ideally, everybody needs to know his or her HIV status, so as to take appropriate measures on whichever way the report goes,” he says.
While many analysts applaud the PMTCT initiative, they, however, call on all expectant mothers to avail themselves of the opportunities offered by the programme to know their HIV status and ensure their delivery of HIV – free babies.
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
King Onunwor
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku
