Major health stories in the news last week

President Muhammadu Buhari last week reiterated his government’s commitment to financing immunisation programme in Nigeria.

On the international scene, the World Health Organisation released two major global health reports on cholera outbreak and tobacco use.

Here are some of the major stories in the news during the week.

Nigeria will finance its immunisation obligations – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to financing its immunisation and vaccination obligations.

This is in a bid to ensure that children aged zero to five continually have access to the routine jabs that immunize them against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Mr Buhari, in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES by the State House on Tuesday, said the government would also honour its financial commitment to the international vaccine body, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).

The statement said Mr Buhari spoke while receiving members of GAVI in the State House, Abuja.

Rotary International to vaccinate 10,000 girls against cervical cancer

Concerned by the high rate of cervical cancer in the country, Rotary International, District 9110 will support states across Nigeria to vaccinate about ten thousand girls against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

The vaccination will be done as a pilot project. HPV vaccines are usually given to girls aged nine to 13 to protect them against cervical cancer.

The district governor, Rotary International District of 9110, Jide Akeredolu, said cervical cancer is unique cancer in the sense that a proper vaccination with the right vaccines against the virus will prevent the girls from having it in their lifetime, unlike other cancers that do not have vaccines.

FG appoints new Chief Medical Official for Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano

The federal government has approved the appointment of Abba Sheshe as the new Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano.

The new CMD’s appointment is for a term of four year and effective from December 6.

Congratulating Mr Sheshe on his appointment, the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, reminded him of the enormous responsibilities of his office and tasked him to ensure the hospital is people-centered.

Kidney Diseases: Borno governor directs centre to offer free dialysis

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, on Tuesday directed the state’s newly established kidney centre to offer free dialysis to patients.

The governor also wants the state health experts and science educationists to carry out research on why kidney failures have been on the rise in the state of late.

Mr Zulum, a professor, gave this directive when he visited the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital where the new kidney centre was set up early this year by his predecessor, Kashim Shettima, who is now a senator.

UNICEF provides free drugs to HIV positive pregnant women in Bauchi

UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday said it initiated HIV screening of every pregnant woman who attended ante-natal in all 323 main Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) in Bauchi State and placed those confirmed positive on antiretroviral drugs.

The chief of Field Office, UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi Field Office, Bhanu Pathak, said in a press conference on the activities of the organisation that the project was to actively prevent HIV transmission from mother to child.

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He said UNICEF also provides free ante-natal care, postnatal care and hospital deliveries in all the main PHCs in the state.

Fewer people using tobacco worldwide – WHO

Fewer people are using tobacco worldwide as a new report shows a steady decline in the number of males using the product.

The Report on Tobacco Use released by the World Health Organisation on Thursday shows a decline in the use of tobacco products globally.

The WHO report covers the use of cigarettes, pipes, cigars, waterpipes, smokeless tobacco products (like bidis, cheroots and kretek) and heated tobacco products. Electronic cigarettes are not covered in the report.

The drop in the number is hinged on the decline in the number of males using tobacco.

Nearly half of Kano children require nutritional diets –Committee

A member of the Kano Emirate Council Committee on Health Development (KECCHD), Dayyabu Muhammad, has said about 48 per cent of children in Kano State requires nutritional food.

Mr Muhammad said this in a town hall meeting on comprehensive dietary diversity project organised by KECCHD and UNICEF. He said the meeting was to sensitise community leaders and women on the importance of diet diversity.

According to him, a survey conducted by the UNICEF also revealed that 41.3 per cent of children, especially from six months to two years old in Sumaila and 38.1 in Bichi local government areas are lacking dietary foods.

FDA approved fish oil drug for cardiovascular disease

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved a drug derived from fish oil as adjuvant therapy for people at risk of experiencing cardiovascular events.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the United States.

For this reason, it is important to try to prevent poor cardiovascular outcomes in people at risk. As such, the FDA in a statement said that they had approved the use of a new drug as an adjuvant therapy to help prevent cardiovascular disease in adults with triglyceride levels of 150 milligrams per deciliter or higher, which count as elevated levels.