Health
RSG Harps On Family Planning As SFH Unveils Injectables For Women
The Society for Family Planning Health(SFH) has unveiled a self injection family planning scheme in conjunction with the State Primary Health Board.
Described as the Disc(Delivery Innovation in Self Care) programme, it offers women with the ability to control their reproductive choice by practicing self injection method to forestall unwanted pregnancy for at least three months.
The new method is painless compared with the old method ad women can inject themselves.
To help propagate the the innovation, the Rivers State Government has emphasised the need for families to embrace the family planning scheme to minimise the number of children they carter for, stressing that an effective family planning strengthens the economy and promote good healthy living in the family.
The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Management Board ,Dr Kinikanwo Green, stated that (DISC ) will help women and improve family planning across board.
Kinikanwo who represented the state government at the event, commended the SFH for training and retraining of staff of the state Ministry of Health and the Health Management Board on the new innovations in the family planning method , adding that the importance of family planning in the society can not be over emphasised.
He averred that the state government as a critical stakeholder will ensure that the family planning consumables are made free of charge in the 344 public healthcare centres across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.
According to him,the Disc programme showcased the new innovations that are applicable and offered women to control their reproductive choice by practicing self injection method to forestall unwanted pregnancy for three months.
“So if you inject yourself after three months it keeps pregnancy away thus, a good family planning method.
“Family planning help you to size your family according to your pocket, especially during this harsh economic situation.
“It help you in terms of the health of the child, and of course, the society at large.
“Family planning is a good intervention as it help to promote good health to children and also enhance the health of the mother and .
“We will ensure that these consumables are taken to the various Local Government Areas of the state,”he stated.
The State Executive Secretary of Primary Health Care Management Board opined that the state government will continue to engage the Society for Family Health in the state , stressing that within the 21 months of the programme implementation in the state ,they have been able to raise the awareness index of the state from 1.2 to 1.20 percent.
Also speaking,the Deputy team lead ,Disc project society for Family Health ,
Mopelola Raji said that they have been in the State for the past 21 months to showcased what they have learned.
Raji said that Self injection was designed to designed particularly for women to make them feel empowered and to boost their efficiency in the society.
“ The self injection was showcased to give women voice for them to have control over their sexual reproductive health choice.
“ When we enter Rivers State in 2022 the self injection were at 2.0 percent but as at data the state is around 59 percent” she stated.
Akujobi Amadi
Health
‘How Micro RNA Research Won Nobel Prize’
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.”
Health
WHO Begins Regulation On Antibiotic Waste
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.”
Health
Kebbi Harmonises Doctors’ Salaries To Curb Brain Drain
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.