Health
Expert Links VVF To Immature Reproductive System
Immature reproductive system has been associated to the rising cases of the Vessico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), a condition of tear between the birth canal and the rectum or bladder leaving the woman incontinent of urine or faeces or both.
A member, Old Girls Association, Government Girls Secondary School, Harbour Road, Port Harcourt, 1983 Set, Mrs Grace Mason Endeboh revealed this at a seminar organised by the Vision of Effective Education Advocacy Group, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in conjunction with the Community Secondary School, Kalio-Ama, Okrika, on the prevalence of teenage pregnancies and other vices in the institution.
Endeboh who is also the Deputy Director of Nursing Rivers State Hospital Management Board, noted with dismay the high rate of adolescent sex (premarital sex) among young girls and said this had contributed to the prevalent Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) among the girls as well as the VVF common with child birth in recent times.
Endeboh said “in course of my practice as a nurse, I have come across many cases of unwanted pregnancies of teenagers that resulted from premarital sex and the outcome most times is dangerous. Due to immature reproductive systems of these girls, some of them end up loosing the pregnancy, undergoes caesarian section (C/S) or they deliver normal and end up with VVF, the uncontrollable leaking of urine through the vagina.
“So many loose their lives out of criminal abortions which may end up in rupture of the uterus Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases (PIDs) and damage to the reproductive system and other associated organs”, she said.
According to her, young people are maturing early due to improved standard of living resulting in early onset of sexual activities and experimentation.
While noting that adolescents are among the most sexually active segment of the population, the nursing officer stressed the need for sex education in schools and homes saying “education on sex and problems associated with it should be made available to these adolescents to help them develop positive and healthy attitudes, values, goals and practices that will enable them express their sexual impulses and behaviour in a socially and ethically acceptable manner”.
Also speaking, the chairperson, The Vision of Effective Education Advocacy Group, Mrs Asikiye Promise said the seminar was aimed at checking the ill trends of teenage pregnancies, illicit adolescent love relationships, poor attitude to studies, inability to see the boundless opportunities education offers among others.
“Having seen this among the students, we felt a sure way of overcoming it was to organise this seminar to bridge the observed knowledge gap and believe strongly that it would enable them to avoid distractions from teenage relationship and its attendant consequences, take their studies seriously, make proper decisions and better choices as well as make them see education as a reliable means of empowerment and self-actualisation”, she said.
In her paper presentation, the founder and Coordinator, Young Minds’ International an NGO, Mrs Ibinabo Celestine Ogolo urged the students to shun distractions in the course of their studies in order to be great in the society.
Speaking on the topic ‘Think Great, Choose Right’ Ogolo said “a great life doesn’t happen by accident but as a result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts and hardwork towards what you want your life to be. It is using the 24 hours a day in a creative and thoughtful way and not using it to indulge in negative acts such as disobedience to elders, cultism, premarital sex, watching of pornographic pictures, abortions, negative peer influence, stealing, examination malpractice and many more”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Principal, CSS Kalio-Ama, Mr Daturo George noted that the institution established in 1980 had come a long way in impacting positively on the lives and people of Okrika in particular and the Nigerian nation in general through its learning and character moulding activities.
In his words, “this seminar for which we are gathered is aimed at sensitising and encouraging our children to discover, harness and actualise those inherent positive potential in them. This is important so that they can be useful to themselves and contribute meaningfully to the society”.
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.