Health
Cancer: NSE Set For 2016, 5km ‘eRace’
The Nigerian Stock Ex
change NSE in collaboration with the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) is set to host the 3rd edition of the NSE Corporate Challenge tagged “eRace Cancer”, scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2016, at the Muri-Okunola Park, Adeyemo Alakija Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State.
The NSE Corporate Challenge is an annual, highly competitive and fun-filled 5-kilometre walk, run and jog competition designed to raise awareness and funds for the purchase of 37 Mobile Cancer Centers (MCCs), each valued at $613,000 each.
According to Mr. Bola Adeeko, Head, Corporate Services Division of The Exchange, “The Exchange, working with CECP, has been at the forefront of cancer awareness and advocacy for the provision of screening and treatment facilities. We are using the NSE Corporate Challenge platform to raise funds to win the race to erase cancer. This deliberate intervention is imperative because of the statistics of life claimed by cancer and the fact that one third of these cancers are actually treatable”.
“Using our access to a vast network of employees and clients of our listed companies, dealing members and other stakeholders, we believe we can work together in scaling up access to cancer screening services for early detection of cancer and provision of treatment and palliative care services to diagnosed patients”.
Speaking on the imperative of quick intervention to stem the growing numbers of deaths by cancer, the National Coordinator of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), Dr. Abia Nzelu, noted that. over 100,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer yearly, and about 80,000 die (10 deaths every hour) with a dismal survival rate of 1 :5. He said, “situation is worse for some type of cancers. For example, the survival rate for certain blood cancers in Nigeria is 1 :20 whilst at the Tata Cancer Centre in the Indian City of Mumbai, survivorship is 99: 1 00 for the same condition. This poor survival rate in Nigeria is mainly due to inadequate infrastructure for cancer care and lack of well-organized system of prevention.”
He continued “the global cancer epidemic is huge and is set to rise. Data from WHO shows that, 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely (aged 30 to 69 years). Urgent action needs to be taken to raise awareness about the disease and to develop practical strategies to address the increasing cancer burden.
Also speaking, Olumide Orojimi, Head, Corporate Communications at the NSE said, “Through our efforts and with support from the capital market ecosystem, we have secured funds to purchase two mobile cancer centre units. We are posied to do more in 2016 by reaching out to like-minded organization and individuals in public and private sectors for support. At the 2016 race, we expect to have over 900 participants which will include several c-level and senior executives”.
“As at today, we have received sponsorship commitments from Unity Bank, Diamond Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Lafarge Africa, Guinness, FCMB, Channels Television, AIT, Silverbird Television, Nigeria Info FM, Business Day; Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and CNBC Africa to mention a few” , Orojimi stated.
The race is open to dealing members firms, listed and nonlisted firms and registration can be done at WWW.nse.com.ng.
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.