Health
Mortality: state govts urged to provide Family Planning commodities
By Lovina Anthony, Akwa-ibom
A non governmental organization known as ‘The Challenged initiative, TCI, on Friday has tasked state governments in the country to provide consumables and commodities of family planning for effective service delivery.
They insisted that the provision of such consumables and commodities of family planning, will stem the tide of maternal mortality as well as unwanted pregnancy in Nigeria.
The Director, The Challenged Initiative, TCI, Nigeria Hub, Taiwo Johnson who made the appeal in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital during a facility tour to Primary Health Centres in the area said that States should make available these commodities to meet the rising needs of women who want to access family planning services.
Johnson observed that women are coming out to access family planning which was aimed to be free adding that, with state governments support, demand would be matched with supply thereby reducing the incidents of maternal mortality by 30 percent.
The TCI Director said that Federal government only provides 13% of the commodities needed for family planning, so it behoves on states to develop plan of procuring these commodities and look for domestic funding to sustain it.
“TCI wants to know the high impact practices and high impact interventions that have been sustained in these facilities. TCI is government led and what this means is that we support government to implement some of these high impact practices and continue with them when we leave and we ensure they put it in their operational plan.
“We appreciate the fact that Akwa Ibom government provided the enabling environment but we are saying that every state should procure their commodities and consumables. Government should release funds to implement this.
“Every woman deserves a family planning and family planning is a low hanging fruit for maternal mortality. It allows women having children by choice and not by chance, we want when a woman walks into a facility she gets these services there without any charge.
“Federal government can only provide 13 Percent of the commodities needed for family planning so what this means is that every state has to develop its plan to procure family planning commodities and find domestic funding to drive it.
“Some states have started doing it and this is more reason Akwa Ibom State government should start doing it too. Donor funds partner is not sustainable, TCI has timeline, FHIS has ended. So after that what happens? So we won’t go back to the status quo, no more outreaches, In-reaches, project supervision community mobilization. I think Akwa Ibom should ensure that family planning reaches a state of self reliance.”
In their separate remarks, the officers in charge of Primary Health Centres, Ewet Offot and Ikot Ebido all in Uyo, Mrs Rose Okon and Mrs Enobong Umoren noted that many women are accessing family planning unlike before through community mobilization programme.
They regretted the inadequate supply of family planning commodities and consumables and thanked commended TCI for providing the ones used so far for women of reproductive age even as they urged the state government to complement the efforts of TCI by providing these facilities for betterment of the women.
From Yagana Ali, Yola
In an effort to prevent the spread of cholera outbreak in the state , the Adamawa state government has embarked on fumigation of homes, major drainages and refuge dumps in Yola and Jimeta towns to contain outbreak of cholera, mosquitoes and other pests in the state
The outbreak of cholera, had so far claimed over 12 lives, with 304 others hospitalised.
While Addressing the fumigators, on behalf of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Commissioner for Education, Dr Umar Garba-Pella, directed them to ensure house-to- house disinfectants of over 20 wards in the metropolis and extend the same to the 21 LGAs.
Pella said, the government had dedicated the September, monthly sanitation exercise to curb cholera adding, the fumigators should ensure desilting the drainages to facilitate the free flow of water to contain flooding.
He urged residents to support the exercise, adding that fumigation and other sprays would destroy dangerous insects like mosquitoes and their larvae as well as ensure a healthy environment.
Pella reiterated the government’s aim to ensure hygiene and a clean environment.
The Commissioner, at the closure of exercise, appreciated the level of compliance, at Shagari, Wuru-Hausa, upper luggere, Rumde, Doubele specialist hospital and others, where cholera patients were admitted.
One of the residents, Mr Shehu Aliyu, chairman Shagari Community Association, lauded the initiative, describing it as timely and beneficial to the people of the state.
“The reintroduction of the monthly sanitation is a good measure to tackle cholera, flood and malaria associated with this season. Aliyu added.
By, Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has appealed to stakeholders in the medicine sales value-chain to actively join the agency to checkmate substandard and falsified medicines.
The Director of NAFDAC in South-East, Mr Martins Iluyomade, made the plea in Enugu during a one-day NAFDAC Community Sensitisation on Substandard and Falsified Medicines in Nigeria.
Iluyomade said that the war against substandard and falsified medicines involves all stakeholders in the medicine supply and sales value-chain to ensure a holistic fight and assured verifiable results in the near future.
According to him, the culture of keeping silence should stop as medicine sales do not have profit gains implication only but it has many lives saving implications.
“All of us have a duty to protect everyone around us against substandard and falsified medicines as we have to think of taking critical stand against those that engage in the unwholesome practice.
“As I speak, I am sure someone is somewhere still faking medicines and such injurious medicines find their way into the drug markets and health facilities.
“We should stand against substandard and falsified medicines and report to NAFDAC anyone selling or distributing chalks and other unwholesome substances
as medicines,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Collins Ogedegbe, State Coordinator of NAFDAC in Enugu State, said that the sensitisation involved all stakeholders as NAFDAC believe that “it is necessary to engage in continuous dialogue to ensure no link in the medicine supply and sales value-chain is left behind.”
“We want to work with everybody as a team and ensure there will be no hiding place for any unwholesome practice within the medicine supply and sales value-chain in Enugu State,” Ogedegbe said.
Speaking, Mr Oliver Ezemba, Chairman of National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Ogbete Main Market (Unit A) Enugu, lauded NAFDAC as well as Bill and Melida Gates Foundation for the sensitisation and enlightenment of NAPPMED members and other stakeholders.
Ezemba noted that it was gratifying that all members of NAPPMED had closed all shops to come and learn as well as ensure they follow due regulations and be more careful as they conduct their medicine sales businesses.
“NAPPMED has been partnering in an active manner with NAFDAC and other agencies or bodies involved in medicine value-chain supply and sales all these years.
“With today’s interface and sensitisation, we will fashion out ways to work closely and by doing that checkmate all forms of substandard and falsified medicines sales and outlets.
“I sincerely believe that when we collectively do this, we will be safe-guiding the lives of everybody around us,” he said.
Those that attended the sensitisation included: community pharmacists, representative of traditional rulers and community leaders as well as the media.
By Uchenna Okah, Abakaliki
No fewer than 100 media practitioners in Ebonyi State benefited from the state council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) free medical outreach.
The free medical services were organized by the council in collaboration with the Medical Women Association of Nigeria in the state.
The outreach was part of the activities lined up by NUJ to mark this year’s press week with the theme “The Media Admits Economic Uncertainty”.
The free medical outreach centered on health talks, blood and sugar screening, hepatitis, oral care and treatment among others.
Over 30 journalists who have teeth-related problems were treated by a team of Dentists and counseled after the treatment.
Speaking during the medical outreach, the state Chairman of the union, Samson Nwafor said he included the outreach in the 2024 press week events because of the importance of health checks in the lives of the journalists because of the nature of journalism which makes the practitioners too busy to care for their health.
He opined that the free medical services will go a long way in keeping the journalists fit for their duties.
A former Chairman of the union, Comrade Tony Nwizi, described the medical outreach as timely in view of the pressure journalists encounter in their duties which affects their health.
The President of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria in the state, Dr. Lilian Nwobashi urged journalists to always go for medical checks to save them from health issues.
From, Ajiya Ayuba Bauchi
The chairman of Bogoro local government area of Bauchi State, Surveyor Yakubu Lawi Sumi on Wednesday said that they have recorded a low birth rate as a result of family planning forced on women by some health personnel in the state.
Sumi made this known in an exclusive interview with The Nations News Nigeria correspondent in Bauchi, however warned both government and private health personnel to stop providing family planning for women without the approval of their husband.
He said that if it continues, it will definitely affect the local government and the future generations, describing the act as bad.
According to the council chairman, fixing family planning by some health personnel to women is causing the local government to record a low birth rate.
Sumi added, “You can see a woman of only ten years in marriage but she will stop giving birth just like that, which is not proper”.
Surveyor Lawi Sumi explained that it is very wrong for any health personnel to give family planning without the agreement of the husband and the wife.
He assured that they will continue to create awareness to the communities and all the 13 Ward that formed the local government about the issue of family planning.
He urged health workers in the local government, traditional, religious leaders, women and youth groups to play a critical role by sensitizing the people about available health care services in their areas.
The chairman further warned that anybody found guilty of fixing family planning to any woman without the approval of her husband will definitely face the wrath of the law.
From Ajiya Ayuba, Bauchi
The chairman of Bogoro local government area of Bauchi State, survey Yakubu Lawi Sumi on Tuesday applauded governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir, United Nations children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for boasting of the health sector in the area.
Sumi made this known during a meeting with the local government taskforce on immunization for the month of September OBR3 2024 Campaign held at the council conference hall of the LGA.
He urged the primary health care workers, traditional and religious leaders to play a critical role by sensitizing the people about available health care services in the local government.
According to the chairman, Sumi said it is a serious offence for private health facilities to carry out family planning service without government approval.
He said that his administration will do everything possible to address some of the challenges facing health facilities across the local government.
He also expressed concern about the low birth rate in the local government, adding that it will affect the future of LGA and the generations to come.
In his part, Mr. Godwin Hakuri who is the the Director Primary Health Care of the local government expressed his appreciation to the chairman for welcoming them assured to work with them for the development of the local government.
He said that there are health care services initiated by the World Bank in collaboration with the world Bank to assist communities to minimize financial stress.
According to him, 13 politicians per ward have received four million three hundred thousand naira to run their health facilities.
The Director Primary Health Care, Mr. Godwin Hakuri appealed to the local government Chairman for support toward improving immunization coverage across the 13 Ward that formed Bogoro.
