Health
RSG, Nestle Canvass Breastfeeding Policy
L-R: Board member, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Dr Bridget Okoeguale, Director-General, the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac), Dr Paul Orhii and Vice President, Global Health Impact Programmes (Ghip), Dr Patrick Lukulay, at a Stakeholders Forum to disseminate anti-malaria medicines quality monitoring report, in Abuja, yesterday
Nestle’ Nutrition in part
nership with the Rivers State Government has called on government at all levels and stakeholders to formulate policy(ies) that would enhance the practice of Breastfeeding among nursing mothers across the nation.
The call became imperative following the nutrition value of breast milk to the health and growth of infants in their first 1000 days of life amidst the challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers.
Speaking at the one day seminar on Breastfeeding and Work: Make It Work’ organised by Nestle ‘ Nutrition in collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Health to mark the 2015 World Breastfeeding Week, last Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Director, Public Health, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Wnanna Nyekwere remarked that with more women in the workforce,it has become necessary to highlight the essence of breastfeeding among nursing female staff as well as checking whether there are regulations or laws to support them in the face of female /children discrimination in most public places.
Nyekwere who noted that the benefits of breast milk for the baby has been proven doubts beyond expressed fears on the effectiveness of breastfeeding among these mothers as they battle with their work actions.
He said “the world population reveals that women outnumber the males in the paid workforce and they consist more of women of child bearing age.
Nyekwere maintained that government, corporate organizations, Non-governmental organizations (NGos) as well as such female policy arm’s including the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) should sue for such laws that would support and protect breastfeeding mothers for the well-being of the future Nigerians.
In her goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Minsitry of Women Affairs, Dr (Mrs) Justina Jumbo averred that the ministry had been protectors of the practice of breastfeeding among her female staff.
“The ministry has been spear teaching breastfeeding at the work place. This was what led to the establishment of a crèche at the state secretariat in 2013 where there are over 30 children at present and with a conducive atmosphere.”
Jumbo who noted with dismay the unfriendly attitude of most establishments towards their nursing female staff urged directors and heads of ministry and parastals across the states to shun such habits and permit their nursing female workers to breastfeed their babies for their good health and well being.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Field Operations Manager, Nestles’ Nutrition, Dr Toby Ilesanmi revealed that Nigeira has 17 per cent breastfeeding rate in Africa, describing it as the lowest.
Ilesanmi who that Nestle’ Nutrition was poised to contribute in building a solid foundation in the first 1000 days of life said however that the current challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers at their workplaces was a risk on the present and future health of the child adding that this had challenged the organisation fashion out ways to sustain breastfeeding even at the workplace.
Lady Godknows Ogbulu
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.