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Jun142017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Depression: Speak Out To Prevent Suicide – Lagos CP

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, on Wednesday urged Nigerians to speak out on depression to prevent suicide. Owoseni spoke at the Ordinary Meeting and Scientific Conference organised by the Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba in Lagos. Theme of the conference is: “No Health without Mental Health, Break the Silence: Role of Pharmacology in Suicide Prevention.” He said: “Police is the first respondent in everything you can think of and it is the way people interact with us that sometimes make us suggest they need mental checkup. “There are so many things that can lead to suicide. “From our own point of view and looking at the trends of suicide lately, there is what we call depression which has not been accepted in A

Jun122017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

How Do I Know If My Baby Has Psoriasis?

It can be worrying for parents, especially when you see your child struggle with itching or discomfort. For some parents, they will think it was a food allergy when their 3-year-old child breaks out with red, hot patches all over his body. But then, when flaky scales and weeping rash start to appear on the little child's scalp, experts say the symptoms may be due to psoriasis. What is Psoriasis? Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease that causes raised, red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. In most cases, it is a long-term (non-contagious) condition that waxes and wanes over a lifetime. It typically affects the outside of the elbows, knees or scalp, skin, nails - though it can appear on any location. It is an autoimmune disorder. That means something in your child's immune system ...

Jun92017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Eating Red Onions Destroys Cancer Tumours

Latest Health News, NEWS

A new study has confirmed that eating red onion, a common, vegetable used in cooking around the world, may help to fight cancer. According to the study, which was presented at the ‘Food Research International’ forum, the tasty vegetable is full of powerful compounds that help to kill tumours. One type of the red onion known as anthocyanins, which was responsible for its dark colouring, were believed to be inhibiting the spread of the disease. A flavonoid called quercetin, one of the compounds, had the same effects by shrinking the size of cancerous masses, medical experts had affirmed. According to Canadian scientists, any type of onion, regardless of its colour, may help to destroy cancer. Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invad

May102017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Adelusi-Adeluyi Tasks Health Professionals to Work in Harmony

Latest Health News

Former Minister of Health and President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, has urged health professionals in the country to work in harmony to tackle issues for the good of the country.” Adelusi-Adeluyi, who lamented the current situation of the health sector, said: “the poor state of affairs is made even worse by the animosity, distrust and consequently, disharmony among different professionals in the health sector.” Adelusi-Adeluyi said that the most vital resource in the health sector was not the annual budgetary allocation from government, but the huge human resource endowment. It is only by building on its strengths which include its diversity, that the health sector can become truly primed to deliver optimal value to Nigeria. “Here is

Apr42017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Govt Health Facilities to Treat Meningitis Free

Latest Health News, NEWS

The Federal Government has directed all federal medical facilities and primary health care centres to treat cases of meningitis free of charge. Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole disclosed this in a statement saying that the outbreak of cerebral spinal meningitis since November 2016 had killed 328 persons. He said Nigerians especially residents of Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger, Zamfara and Jigawa states should seek early attention, when discomforted with symptoms of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM). He also urged them to avoid clogging together in unventilated and over-crowded rooms. He said the present outbreak would be nipped in the bud. He said the government was in discussion with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, E-health Africa and other international ...

Mar132017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Pfizer launches Nimenrix in Nigeria

Latest Health News

This year First West African Vaccine Summit organised by Pfizer seeks to find answers to the health burden poised by meningococcal and Pneumococcal diseases globally, medical experts in Nigeria have called for early diagnosis and vaccination in Paediatrics and adults, in order to reduce the morbidity and mortality rate attributable to these diseases. The medical practitioners who spoke at the summit said it was unacceptable to be losing a large percentage of the Nigerian population to preventable diseases like meningitis and Pneumonia, with the availability of effective Vaccines to prevent the attacks. Meningococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide with reported epidemics and outbreaks in different parts of the world. Despite the availability of antimic

Mar62017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Poor sleep habits increase weight gain for adults with genetic obesity risk

Latest Health News

Certain genes are associated with weight gain, making some people more susceptible to obesity. New research finds that for these individuals, abnormal sleep patterns can exacerbate the problem. The study found that people genetically predisposed to obesity whose sleep duration was too long or too short weighed more than those who slept for the recommended 7-9 hours each night. Daytime napping and shift work were also linked to a heavier weight for those at high genetic risk for obesity. The research findings were recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Obesity is now a major public health concern in the United States, affecting more than 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 6 children and adolescents. Studies have shown that obesity can run in f

Mar62017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

College Set to Boost Dental Healthcare

Latest Health News

Oyo State College of Health Sciences and Technology said it had included dental surgery technicians’ scheme into its programme to checkmate the dearth in this cadre of health workers for the primary healthcare level. The college’s acting Provost, Mr Siji Ganiyu made this disclosure during the institution’s 2016/2017 matriculation of 443 into its seven programmes in Ibadan. Ganiyu declared that many dental surgery technicians in government service were either retiring or retired and as such the need for their replacement. According to him, “it is part of the college’s effort to continually ensure it produces quality and adequate manpower for health care, especially at the primary healthcare level.” Ganiyu, however, urged the new entrants into the institution to be conversant

Mar62017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Ebonyi Loses $7m World Bank Intervention Fund on HIV

Latest Health News

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has expressed sadness over the state’s inability to access the $7milliom World Bank intervention fund on HIV before its expiration period. The governor made the disclosure in Abakaliki, the state capital at the weekend, when he received the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, African region, Mr. Rigid Benmosud. Umahi said it was unpleasant that the state could not access the fund, adding that having such money would have played a significant role in curbing the HIV, AIDS’ menace in the state. The governor, who presented the consolidated performance of World Bank-assisted programme in the state, explained that the assistance had contributed immensely to the development efforts. Umahi announced the approval of additional

Feb82017 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

PACFaH 2017 Health Budget Monitor Media Challenge

Latest Health News, NEWS

Are you passionate about Nigeria’s Health Sector? Are you a Journalist, Radio/Television Reporter or Presenter, Social Media blogger? We, the members of the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) Project of Nigeria, NGO coalition invite you to join the on-going conversation on the 2017 annual health budget. Lend your voice to the conversation by publishing and/or broadcasting factual, evidence based, analytical stories on the health budget as a whole and/or the budgets for nutrition, routine immunization, family planning and for pneumonia/diarrhoea. To participate in this media challenge, please submit evidence that your story has been published, aired and/or broadcasted to our facebook page, web.facebook.com/PACFAH/ or twitter, twitter.com/PACFaH_Nig. In ad

Dec262016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

‘Govt should increase budget for vaccines’

Interviews, Latest Health News

Dr Chizoba Wonodi is the Country Director, Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) What is your assessment of vaccine availability in the country? Right now it is really good because there has been no stock out of routine vaccines in the last two years or so. But there will be funding gaps coming up, beginning from 2017 when the funding from GAVI will start to decline. We need to have our plans in place. We need to know how we are going to replace the money that is leaving from GAVI. We need to know how we are going to fund the additions of new vaccine that are going into the programs. Do you see government increasing funding for vaccines using the revenue from the country? I think that is even the best thing to do because if you consider the altern

Dec232016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Research finds 1% Basic Health Fund can’t cover women, children

Latest Health News, NEWS

New research has concluded the Basic Health Care Provision Fund at its current level of financing will not assure universal health coverage for pregnant women and children. The fund, built into the National Health Act, stipulates at least 1% of consolidated revenue be set aside to pay for a package of basic health. But researchers at the Health Policy Research Group (HPRG) based in University of Nigeria examined the Fund’s feasibility using six scenarios providing basic minimum of care in test states of Imo, Kaduna and Niger, and concluded the Fund would need to be increased at least fourfold to make a difference. “What we discovered is that in reality, the money is actually too small,” said Dr Felix Obi, a researcher with HPRG. “If we focus only on 1%, we might not be a

Dec212016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

‘Doggy’ Style During Sex Causes Cancer and Stroke

Latest Health News

South Africa’s Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, has said ‘doggy’ style during sex is the major cause of cancer and stroke. He said after three years of arduous research, he found out that the high pumping of blood during sex, when one is standing or kneeling overloads the veins in the legs which ultimately causes stroke. He told The Insider, “On cancer – one of the main causes of cancer is stress, fatigue and tiredness. “The most energy consuming and stressful sexual position for men is doggy; hence the connection is more than clear. “Look, I am only giving you guys a snippet, but we will be posting the results of the full research on the Ministry website.” He added that he is in talks with Home Affairs Minister, Malusi Gigaba to craft a legislation that will seek to outl

Dec212016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

Nurse, Mortician Die of Lassa Fever in Ogun

Latest Health News, NEWS

‎A mortician identified only as Okusaga, and a nurse, Omobolanle Adesuyi, have died of Lassa fever at Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The deceased persons are believed to have contracted the deadly virus from a Lebanese patient who later died. The hospital cancelled a planned Christmas carol scheduled for Tuesday in honour of the dead. The acting medical director of the hospital, Kehinde Hunyinbo said the deaths were being investigated. “It is true and we have commenced investigation into it, having contacted the Ministry of Health,” he said. The state commissioner for health, Babatunde Ipaye, called for calm, saying the government had always been proactive on issues relating to public health. He said the ministry in collaboration with federal authorities would q

Dec62016 by PharmaTimesNo Comments

‘Dialysis Patients may walk their way to Better Health’

Latest Health News

A new study has found that improved mental and physical health may just be steps away for people on kidney dialysis. A simple programme that includes a few minutes of walking a day appears to benefit these patients, a team of Italian researchers concluded. According to the study authors, prior research has shown that exercise has a positive impact on dialysis patients. The study was published December 1 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. In the new study, researchers led by Dr. Carmine Zoccali wanted to see if that was true for even simple activities, such as walking. Zoccali is from the Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Center in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Their research included 296 dialysis patients who were randomly assigned to eit...