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Apr172019 by PharmaTimesNo Comments
Nigeria May be Certified Polio-free in December

Nigeria May be Certified Polio-free in December

NEWS
Nigeria may be certified polio-free this December when it would have accomplished interruption of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) transmission for over three years. By July and August, the country would have gone through 36 months without reporting any case of WPV. The last cases were recorded in Borno State between July and August 2016. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), after three years of no incident of the virus on the African continent, official ‘certification’ of polio eradication would be conducted at the regional level. The global organisation, for the first time on September 25, 2015, delisted Nigeria from the polio-endemic list after interrupting transmission for 12 months beginning from July 24, 2014. Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care De
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Apr162019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
Older People Who Lift Weights Live Longer – Study

Older People Who Lift Weights Live Longer – Study

NEWS
A new study by Brazilian researchers has revealed that older people who lift weights in the gym live longer. The scientists who presented their finding at a congress of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), EuroPrevent 2019, in Portugal, tracked the muscle power of 4,000 people aged between 40 and 85 over the course of six years. The scientists, however, warned that older people should lift the weights quickly and in moderation, and that they must avoid heavy ones. The researchers urged doctors to start advising pensioners to take-up power training. Each participant in the study was assessed for how many times they could lift weights that were gradually getting heavier in the upright row position in a certain time frame. The upright row position involves ...
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Apr162019 by PharmaTimesNo Comments
Alere HIV Combo: New test holds promise for earlier detection of HIV

Alere HIV Combo: New test holds promise for earlier detection of HIV

NEWS
A test that can detect HIV infection within a week of infection, and earlier than previous generations of HIV tests has been evaluated by the federal government. The evaluation report of the test known as Alere HIV Combo Rapid Test Kit was released by the Federal Ministry of Health last Friday. The test kit is a fourth generation HIV point-of-care test that detects both free HIV 1-p24 antigen and HIV 1/2 antibodies in 20 minutes, according to its manufacturers, Abbott. “HIV-1 p24 antigen can appear up to 7.7 days before the appearance of antibodies and can help further reduce the window period. By detecting HIV infection earlier, the Alere HIV Combo enables increased case finding at a time when individuals are up to 10 times more likely to transmit HIV than individuals with establ
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Apr162019 by PharmaTimes2 Comments
Nigeria’s Birth Registration Increases by 29m

Nigeria’s Birth Registration Increases by 29m

NEWS
A birth registration programme implemented by the National Population Commission (NPC), with support from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has increased the number of children between the ages of zero and 17 years registered in Nigeria by about 29 million. An evaluation report launched on Monday for children under one year of age revealed that the programme increased by more than 100 percent the number of children registered from 3 million in 2012 to 11 million in 2016. UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Muhammed Fall, at the launch of the report said low rates of birth registration is a challenge in Nigeria. He analysed that in 2011, the birth registration rate was 41 percent, which means that three in every five children were not registered. “This lack of birth registra
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Apr152019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
New HIV Vaccine Could Expose Latent Virus, Kill It

New HIV Vaccine Could Expose Latent Virus, Kill It

NEWS
Antiretroviral therapy may soon be obsolete, as scientists have successfully used immune cells to kick the dormant form of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) out of its hiding place and destroy it. The findings may soon lead to an HIV vaccine. With the help of antiretroviral therapy, over half of these people now have a very low level of the virus. This means that they can no longer transmit it to other people. Antiretroviral therapy can keep HIV in check so well that the virus is near-undetectable in the blood. However, HIV continues to “live” in latent form, so people with it must keep taking the medications to prevent it from flaring up. Antiretroviral therapy can have a host of side effects. These may include gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular problems,
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Apr152019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
WHO Prequalifies Chewable Dewormer for Children

WHO Prequalifies Chewable Dewormer for Children

NEWS
The World Health Organisation has prequalified a chewable formulation of deworming medicine mebendazole, making it available to treat children as young as one. Vermox, trade name for the 500mg mebendazole tablets produced by the pharmaceutical firm Janssen, one of the companies of Johnson & Johnson, will be donated to the WHO, which manages and coordinates country requests for it. More than 1.4 billion doses of the drug have been donated since 2006, reaching an estimated 800 million worldwide. “The WHO prequalification of this easier-to-swallow formulation is a critical step in our efforts to help young children suffering from these devastating infections,” said Paul Stoffels, vice chairman of the executive committee and chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson. Th
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Apr152019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
A Nap a Day Keeps High Blood Pressure at Bay – Study

A Nap a Day Keeps High Blood Pressure at Bay – Study

NEWS
New research shows that people who took advantage of a midday snooze were more likely to have a noticeable drop in blood pressure compared with those who didn’t nap. It seems that napping may do more than just reboot our energy level and improve our mood. New research being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session found that people who took advantage of a midday snooze were more likely to have a noticeable drop in blood pressure compared with those who didn’t nap. “Midday sleep appears to lower blood pressure levels at the same magnitude as other lifestyle changes. For example, salt and alcohol reduction can bring blood pressure levels down by 3 to 5 mm Hg,” said Manolis Kallistratos, MD, cardiologist at the Asklepieion General Hospital i
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Apr152019 by PharmaTimes8 Comments
Healthcare: NMA Urges FG to Improve Infrastructure, Doctors’ Remuneration

Healthcare: NMA Urges FG to Improve Infrastructure, Doctors’ Remuneration

NEWS
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), South South Zone, has advised the Federal Government to improve on the country’s health infrastructure, working conditions and remuneration of doctors to curb mass migration of Nigerian doctors to other countries. The Association stated this in a Communiqué released at the end of the South South Zonal Executive Council Meeting held in Delta state between April 5 and April 7. The Communique was signed and released on Sunday in Calabar by the Chairman, NMA South South Zone, Dr Agam Ayuk and its Secretary, Dr Ezoke Epoke of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. The association described as worrisome that most health facilities across the country were currently short of manpower and qualified skilled personnel, hence the need for th
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Apr122019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
Slug Slime May Be Better Than Stitches

Slug Slime May Be Better Than Stitches

NEWS
Slug slime could create stronger glue to prevent scarring and infection in surgery, suggest scientists. The defensive slime is produced by a common garden slug. The Dusky Arion slug, which can grow up to seven centimeters long can be found in gardens across Britain – but it also produces a slime that can be used to help wounds heal. Now two studies have revealed more about how this glue achieves its strong sticking power and flexibility, insights that could be used to create better medical adhesives. Undergraduate researcher Rebecca Falconer at Ithaca College in New York conducted the first study to explore possible medical uses of the slime. She said: “Typical sutures like staples and stitches often lead to scarring and create holes in the skin that could increase the
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Apr122019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
Supplement’s Intake Increases Risk of Cancer Death

Supplement’s Intake Increases Risk of Cancer Death

NEWS
Adequate intake of certain nutrients is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality when the nutrient source is foods, but not supplements, according to a new study. There was no association between dietary supplement use and a lower risk of death. In addition, excess calcium intake was linked to an increased risk of cancer death, which the researchers found was associated with supplemental doses of calcium exceeding 1,000 mg/day. The study was published on April 9 in Annals of Internal Medicine. “As potential benefits and harms of supplement use continue to be studied, some studies have found associations between excess nutrient intake and adverse outcomes, including increased risk of certain cancers,” said Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, associate professor at the Friedman Sc
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Apr122019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
Poorly Kept Animals Could Expose Consumers to Diseases – NAFDAC

Poorly Kept Animals Could Expose Consumers to Diseases – NAFDAC

NEWS
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, has said that long term exposure to low levels of contaminants in food obtained from animals that are poorly kept or fed with poor quality feeds exposes consumers to diseases. The agency declared that animals raised in confinement and fed defined feeds containing ingredients, ranging from rendered animal products and animal waste to antibiotics, could expose consumers to unacceptable risks from specific plant and animal disease agents as well as other food contaminants. This was made known on Thursday, at a one-day workshop for feed millers and farmers, tagged, ‘Risk Assessment in Feed Production,’ which was jointly organised by NAFDAC and the Nigeria Institute of Animal Science. In her opening remar
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Apr122019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
‘One in Four Health Care Facilities Lack Water’

‘One in Four Health Care Facilities Lack Water’

NEWS
The World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund have said one in four health care facilities around the world lacks basic water services. The organisations made this known in a new report,  ‘Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene,’  which showed that over two billion people were affected by the lack of basic water. The WHO/UNICEF report, also referred to as WASH, is the first comprehensive global assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene in health care facilities. The report revealed that one in five health care facilities had no sanitation service, which affected 1.5 billion people, just as many health centres lacked basic facilities for hand hygiene, safe segregation and disposal of health care waste.
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Apr122019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
LASG Repositions HEFAMAA For Efficiency

LASG Repositions HEFAMAA For Efficiency

NEWS
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, says the state government has inaugurated its plans to reposition the state Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency for quick and efficient service delivery to curb quackery and ensure quality health care delivery. A statement by the Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs Adeola Salako, said the commissioner spoke at a meeting with the management of HEFAMMA in Ikeja. He explained that the reorganisation of the agency became necessary to improve the quality and ease of access to services rendered by HEFAMMA. Idris stated that the leadership of the agency would be invigorated for optimal performance and the achievement of set goals, especially in its mandate to eliminate quackery...
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Apr112019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
UNILAG Medical Students Seek More Security

UNILAG Medical Students Seek More Security

NEWS
Students of the University of Lagos have urged the government and the varsity’s management to beef up security at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, which shares premises with the varsity’s College of Medicine. They made the call during a march they held at the weekend to protest the death of a fresh graduate of the college, Dr Stephen Urueye, who was attacked by hoodlums in front of LUTH gate, a day after his graduation. He did not survive the injuries. Over 800 students took part in the procession. The late Urueye, a graduate of Medicine, had taken part in the institution’s 51st Convocation last Wednesday and by Thursday, he was dead. CAMPUSLIFE learnt that Urueye was robbed and stabbed between 9pm and 9:45pm around Canal/Sickle Cell Foundation
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Apr112019 by PharmaTimes1 Comment
Only 40% of Nigerians patronise public hospitals, says physician

Only 40% of Nigerians patronise public hospitals, says physician

NEWS
A family Physician at the Nisa Premier Hospital,  Dr Joshua Ofoli has said that only 40 percent of Nigerians patronise public hospitals at the federal, state or local government levels. Dr Ofoli while presenting a paper titled, “Rationalising Public Hospital Governance and the Quality of Care” at the ICOHMA conference  in Abuja said,  73 percent of health facilities in Nigeria are public but are accessed by only 40 percent of Nigerians. “Despite serving as a critical provider of health services to the population, public hospitals are faced with several challenges that affect their ability to deliver quality healthcare to the population.” He said if properly put in shape, public hospital governance can serve as a tool to address structural changes and identify capable lea
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