Health
WMD: Get Tested, Sleep In ITBNs Against Malaria – RSG
The Rivers State Government has called on its citizenry to ensure they are tested, and also sleep in Insecticide Treated Bed-Nets (ITBNS) in order to prevent malaria.
Making the call on Monday, during an event marking the 2022 World Malaria Day (WMD), the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ndidi Chikaenele Utchay, specifically called on pregnant women to ensure that they adhere strictly to the call.
“We use this opportunity of the WMD commemmoration to implore the good people of Rivers State to ensure they get tested before commencing any antimalarial treatment, as well as sleep inside their ITBNS.
“We encourage every pregnant woman to attend Ante-Natal Care (ANC) and receive at least three doses of the Intermittent Preventive Therapy for Malaria before delivery”, she said.
Utchay stated that about 96percent of malaria deaths globally were in 29 countries, adding that six countries, including Nigeria, accounted for over half of all malaria deaths in 2020, “with Nigeria ranking the highest amongst these countries”.
Noting that the current prevalence of malaria in Rivers State is 11.3percent, which modestly ranks amongst the best five states in Nigeria, the State health boss accreditated the success recorded in the health sector to the State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
“Our resolve to achieve this target is by the intensified efforts of the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Barr. Nyesom Wike, in ensuring equity, assessibility, and availability of care-facilities to achieve these aims by repositioning the health sector for efficient care services”, she said.
In her goodwill message, the World Health Organisation (WHO) State Coordinator, Dr. Okafor Chinenye, noted that while Rivers State was closest to achieving WHO’s pre-elimination phase of 5percent positivity rate, the State still needs to be back on its elimination track.
Dr Chinenye, who was represented by WHO’s Information, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Focal Point in the State, MrAkuneto Reagan, said, “ going by the last national survey of 2018, Rivers State has the lowest malaria prevalence in the South-South Zone at 11%.
“This makes it the State that was the closest to the WHO threshold for malaria pre-elimination phase of 5percent slide positivity rate.
“However, it is the only State in the zone that did not see a decrease in its malaria prevalence between 2015 and 2018.
“Clearly, more still needs to be done to reverse the trend and put the State back on the malaria elemination track”, she said.
Aslo speaking, the Natural Ruler, Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa People, Edward 1, Perekule Xi, emphasised on commitment by key stakeholders in the goal of eliminating malaria.
Quoting the Director General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, he said, “with adequate investment, robust political commitment, and the right mix of strategies, we can make major strides against this complicated enemy”.
According to His Majesty, “such efforts as exhibited by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Company, and the United States President’s Initiative, which began the distribution of free mosquito-treated nets on Bonny Island a few months ago, aimed at making the Island Nigeria’s first malaria free zone, is commendable”.
The WMD is observed annually on the 25th of April globally, to raise awareness about malaria.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
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.
