Health
Killer Ogogoro: Another Cause Of Impaired Vision
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute (left), speaking during the opening ceremony to mark the World Sickle Cell Day in Abuja on Friday. With him is the Head/Director, Department of Public Health,Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Bridget Okoeguale
The old aphorism,
“what a man takes in makes him” is indeed playing out its relevance in recent times. With the passage of time and evolvement of scientific, technological, economic and health reformations, it has become imperative that there be a conscious effort in checking human consumption especially of foods and drinks, the very essentials that keep the life alive.
With the recent killer menaces being traced to the intake of certain food items, it is evident that our living is determined by the things we consume as against the usual sayings of the intemperate consumers, particularly of drinks “its my life”
About II months ago, when the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was at its rampage, beyond the bodily contact (which if it were mainly, many of us in this part of the world would have been victims), the consumption of such stuffs as bats, bush meat, monkeys and chimpanzees were the agents of contraction. The case was easily contained maybe because we are not fond of the habit of such consumptions, an attempt which I doubt could be easily attained in this case of local gin alias ‘kaikai’ or ‘Ogogoro’ menace if the cause is not tackled from the root.
“Even from creation, this drink has been with us. It is the traditional drink for every positive achievement and celebrations-marriage, birthdays and others. It didn’t kill since that time, is it now that it will begin to kill”… were the words of a kaikai dealer (name withheld) at one of the motor parks in Port Harcourt. And so many, shared in this view. But then, if they are consuming this Ogogoro and yet are alive, have they ever considered the adverse effect of that consumption?
We are already used to the ‘push me, I push you’ nature of the local gin and the other forms of it as well as the unusual exhibitions by their consumers. But that it is now an agent of sudden death is yet to be contained with, not to talk of it as a means of acute blindness.
It was shocking when medical experts attributed the intake of local gin even at the shortterm to sudden blindness and a whole number of cases of impaired vision.
The Director, Public Health, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Nyekwere N.V. revealed to The Tide during an exclusive interview in his office in Port Harcourt, Monday, that of the 80 victims of the menace in the state, 70 died leaving 10 blind.
Nyekwere explained that the consumption of the local gin affects the optic nerve, a vital organ of the sight. According to him, about 80 persons across five local governments of the state namely Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Bonny, Gokana and Ahoada-West have died of it. Out of this 80, 70 died and 10 survived but with varying degree of visual impairment like blindness and near blindness.
Explaining the sudden change in reaction of the age-long drink, Nyekwere noted that the production of the local gin had been adulterated and contaminated with methanol, a chemical that is injurious to the human system.
“The methanol is just like the ethanol which is used in the production of most alcoholic beverages. They look alike but their metabolisms and by-products are different. While the by-product of ethanol is carbohydrate, that of methanol is formic acid which is dangerous to the body. The intake of such through the local gin causes symptoms of acute stomach upset, dizziness and others and the consumers, if they survive suffer blindness,” he said.
A specialist in General Medicine, Dr. Mathew Ela, affirmed that alcohol in whatever form was bad and affects vital organs of the human body including the sight organs.
Ela, who noted that the local gin is very highly concentrated and seemed slow in causing damage to the system said however, that its recent contamination with chemicals has resulted to the ‘quick action’ status it now acquires.
He said: “like it has been discovered, the production of today’s local gin is contaminated with certain chemicals like the ethanol and methanol which are not meant for the human system. These are laboratory and industrial chemicals yet are brought into the human system and the result should be nothing less than what we are experiencing”.
A surgeon, in one of the state’s health centres who pleaded anonymity also decried the act of using the methanol chemical for the production of alcohol stating that the human system of the consumers would be in serious danger of severe impairment.
“Investigations have revealed that the local gin is not produced in the natural way. Chemicals that are harmful to the human body have been introduced into it and this chemical especially the methanol has the ability of combating ordinary water to alcohol and people are taking it. Ofcourse, it affects not just the eye but virtually all parts of the body,” he said.
Undoubtedly, one of the most common health challenges in recent times is impaired vision ranging from glaucoma, cataract to others even as children are seen with medicated glasses to aid their vision.
According to an optician, Dr Sofiri Wilcox, eye problems are very common now. It is no longer associated with age because even children and new born suffer it. This could be traced to the drinks made from these chemicals and consumed by the mothers and children themselves.
Indeed, the chemical components of human food intakes can no longer be disassociated with the varied and various health challenges faced in recent times. Outside the medical world, could it be the religious signs of the times? Whatever it is, health and religion are always hand-in-gloves as most religions then and now preach intake of natural foods and drinks (vegetarianism)
Again, it is high time we take another look at our consumption habits and as a matter of necessity to life-saving attitude, abstain from such food and drink intakes that would jeopardise our lives and leave us vulnerable to every and any kind of wind of health challenge.
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.