Children across the globe in their developmental stages have been exposed to a variety of feeding patterns in recent times.
However, advertising and other forms of food and beverage marketing to children are extensive and primarily concern products with a high content of fat, sugar or salt.
Evidence shows that television advertising influences children’s food preferences, purchase requests and consumption patterns.
Furthermore, a wide range of techniques are used to market these products, reaching children in schools, nurseries, and supermarkets; through television and the Internet; and in many other settings.
In the light of this imminent danger, health experts have called for efforts to ensure that children everywhere are protected against the impact of such marketing and given the opportunity to grow and develop in an enabling food environment — one that fosters and encourages healthy dietary choices and promotes the maintenance of healthy weight.
In an interview with BusinessDay, Edimasan Temiye, chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos Chapter, disclosed that poor diet is one of the four common factors associated with the four main noncommunicable diseases (cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and chronic lung diseases), which are responsible for around 60 percent of all deaths globally.
Temiye, who is also a consultant Paediatrician at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, noted that according to recent statistics, more than nine million deaths are premature (people dying before reaching 60 years of age) and this could have been prevented through low-cost measures at the world's disposal today, including measures to stop tobacco use, reduce the harmful use of alcohol, and to promote healthy diets and physical activity.
He said: "Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes, today represent a leading threat to human health and socioeconomic development. However, encouraging healthy dietary choices for children and promoting the maintenance of a healthy weight is critical in preventing occasions of coming down with non-communicable diseases."
Alexandra Anga, consultant Paediatrician, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), disclosed that unhealthy diet is a key modifiable risk factor for NCDs. Anga stated that while deaths from NCDs primarily occur in adulthood, the risks associated with unhealthy diet begin in childhood and build up throughout life. She noted that obesity now ranks as the fifth leading risk for death globally.
According to Anga, “it is estimated that in 2010 more than 42 million children under the age of five years are overweight or obese, of which nearly 35 million are living in developing countries. Overweight during childhood and adolescence is associated not only with an increased risk of adult obesity and NCDs, but also with a number of immediate health-related problems, such as hypertension and insulin resistance. We must not lose consciousness of the fact that today’s food environment is quite different from that experienced by previous generations.
“Globally, an extensive variety of food and drink products are now available in most markets, offering palatability, convenience and novelty. But at the same time, the wide availability and heavy marketing of many of these products, and especially those with a high content of fat, sugar or salt, challenge efforts to eat healthily and maintain a healthy weight, particularly in children. Unless addressed, unhealthy diets, in conjunction with other risk factors, increase NCD prevalence in populations through raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, abnormal blood lipids and overweight/obesity.”
To safeguard the future of younger generations in Nigeria and across the globe, there is the need to identify the most suitable policy approach, given national circumstances, and develop new and/ or strengthen existing policies that aim at reducing the impact on children, of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt.
For Ala Alwan, assistant director-general, Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health, World Health Organisation, “there is the need to establish a system for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children.
“Also, active steps should be taken to establish intergovernmental collaboration in order to reduce the impact of cross-border marketing, not forgetting the co-operation of civil society, public and private stakeholders in implementing the set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children in order to reduce the impact of that marketing, while ensuring avoidance of potential conflicts of interest.”
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Nation’s polio eradication quest gets international boost
…As Bill Gate beams focus on Nigeria’s status
The nation’s status as one of the only four countries globally where the transmission of wild polio virus subsists, has over the years been a source of concern, not only to public health experts in the country, but to various international donor communities.
Only recently, Nigeria’s polio story took the centre stage at New York in the United States of America. This time, it wasn’t about the country’s failure to do something right, or how the rest of the world was leaving the country behind in its fight against the dreaded childhood killer disease; instead, it was to celebrate the remarkable achievement made by Nigeria as it strives to eradicate polio from circulating within its borders in 2011.
The event was the presentation of the 2011 Annual Lecture, entitled: "Polio Eradication, the power of vaccines: The Nigerian and Indian example" in New York, by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; a foundation which has devoted its resources towards combating polio.
Gates’ decision to bring Nigeria to the centre stage at the event beamed live via satellites and watched by millions of people across the globe, was his way of showing how impressed he was with Nigeria and the commitment of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), towards ensuring that polio joins small pox as another “once upon a time” affliction of the human kind.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Muhammad Ali Pate, executive director, NPHCDA, hinted that 50 million children between the age of zero and five years were reached with polio vaccination during the Integrated Measles and Polio Campaign; and 31 million children aged from nine to 59 months for measles. Pate noted that among the four endemic countries that haven’t been able to stop the transmission of the wild polio virus, Nigeria hasn’t reported any polio case in 2011.
“We have increased coverage for polio and routine immunisation by 70 to 90 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Nigeria can win the fight against childhood killer diseases as many other countries have done. We have the tools and the know-how. Combined with political will and leadership, Nigerian children can claim their right to grow up healthy," Pate said.
Speaking on the efficacy of vaccines in eradicating polio, he explained that “due to the global childhood immunisation campaign, polio has been reduced to 99 percent and is on the threshold of becoming only the second disease ever eradicated.”
Lending his view, Aminu Magashi, a public health expert, disclosed that polio eradication is one public health initiative in Nigeria that almost everybody knows about due to its wide coverage, repeated national and state immunisation days as well as the controversy it generated in the past.
Magashi stated that at the Expert Review Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication in Nigeria which held from the 4th to 5th October 2010, “the meeting observed some risks to completing the eradication, such as, those states that recorded wild polio virus in 2010; Borno (only proven WPV1 residual reservoir) and Kano & North West states (highest burden of WPV3).”
Explaining the disease, Magashi explained that poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children and is transmitted through contaminated food and water. He revealed that the virus multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system. The medical expert added that many infected people have no symptoms, but do excrete the virus in their faeces, hence, transmitting infection to others.
Taking a look at statistics, in 2009, there were 388 polio cases in the country. But by 2010, the number reduced to just 21(that is, 95 percent reduction). Going further, only two years ago, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution condemning Nigeria for its poor response to the polio threat despite the fact that the country was among the few in which new outbreaks of the disease was still being recorded.
While Nigeria’s fight against polio is aided by the momentum and exceptional attention from the international community such as the Rotary International, which has raised millions of dollars for polio vaccines and visionary partners, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, there is the need for national funding to enable the payment for vaccines, logistics, surveillance and community mobilisation required to reach every Nigerian child under five.
In Pate’s estimation, “In Nigeria, we have the vaccine technology and the knowledge to contribute to the worldwide mission to eliminate polio. Now, we need continued leadership to ensure our children are immunised. Polio eradication is a priority worthy of our investment. If Nigeria intensifies efforts, our nation can end polio transmission by mid-2011.
“I call on all leaders to support this campaign which we can all win. If we can eradicate polio, we prove that Nigerian leaders can deliver a historic milestone to all citizens. We must join together; act boldly and definitively, to show that Nigeria is serious about defeating polio once and for all.”
Recall that the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which was launched globally in 1988, are hinged on the following pillars- interrupting transmission of the wild poliovirus as soon as possible, achieving certification of global polio eradication, contributing to health systems development and strengthening routine immunisation while improving surveillance for communicable diseases in a systematic way.
The nation’s status as one of the only four countries globally where the transmission of wild polio virus subsists, has over the years been a source of concern, not only to public health experts in the country, but to various international donor communities.
Only recently, Nigeria’s polio story took the centre stage at New York in the United States of America. This time, it wasn’t about the country’s failure to do something right, or how the rest of the world was leaving the country behind in its fight against the dreaded childhood killer disease; instead, it was to celebrate the remarkable achievement made by Nigeria as it strives to eradicate polio from circulating within its borders in 2011.
The event was the presentation of the 2011 Annual Lecture, entitled: "Polio Eradication, the power of vaccines: The Nigerian and Indian example" in New York, by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; a foundation which has devoted its resources towards combating polio.
Gates’ decision to bring Nigeria to the centre stage at the event beamed live via satellites and watched by millions of people across the globe, was his way of showing how impressed he was with Nigeria and the commitment of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), towards ensuring that polio joins small pox as another “once upon a time” affliction of the human kind.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Muhammad Ali Pate, executive director, NPHCDA, hinted that 50 million children between the age of zero and five years were reached with polio vaccination during the Integrated Measles and Polio Campaign; and 31 million children aged from nine to 59 months for measles. Pate noted that among the four endemic countries that haven’t been able to stop the transmission of the wild polio virus, Nigeria hasn’t reported any polio case in 2011.
“We have increased coverage for polio and routine immunisation by 70 to 90 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Nigeria can win the fight against childhood killer diseases as many other countries have done. We have the tools and the know-how. Combined with political will and leadership, Nigerian children can claim their right to grow up healthy," Pate said.
Speaking on the efficacy of vaccines in eradicating polio, he explained that “due to the global childhood immunisation campaign, polio has been reduced to 99 percent and is on the threshold of becoming only the second disease ever eradicated.”
Lending his view, Aminu Magashi, a public health expert, disclosed that polio eradication is one public health initiative in Nigeria that almost everybody knows about due to its wide coverage, repeated national and state immunisation days as well as the controversy it generated in the past.
Magashi stated that at the Expert Review Committee (ERC) on Polio Eradication in Nigeria which held from the 4th to 5th October 2010, “the meeting observed some risks to completing the eradication, such as, those states that recorded wild polio virus in 2010; Borno (only proven WPV1 residual reservoir) and Kano & North West states (highest burden of WPV3).”
Explaining the disease, Magashi explained that poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affects young children and is transmitted through contaminated food and water. He revealed that the virus multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system. The medical expert added that many infected people have no symptoms, but do excrete the virus in their faeces, hence, transmitting infection to others.
Taking a look at statistics, in 2009, there were 388 polio cases in the country. But by 2010, the number reduced to just 21(that is, 95 percent reduction). Going further, only two years ago, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution condemning Nigeria for its poor response to the polio threat despite the fact that the country was among the few in which new outbreaks of the disease was still being recorded.
While Nigeria’s fight against polio is aided by the momentum and exceptional attention from the international community such as the Rotary International, which has raised millions of dollars for polio vaccines and visionary partners, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, there is the need for national funding to enable the payment for vaccines, logistics, surveillance and community mobilisation required to reach every Nigerian child under five.
In Pate’s estimation, “In Nigeria, we have the vaccine technology and the knowledge to contribute to the worldwide mission to eliminate polio. Now, we need continued leadership to ensure our children are immunised. Polio eradication is a priority worthy of our investment. If Nigeria intensifies efforts, our nation can end polio transmission by mid-2011.
“I call on all leaders to support this campaign which we can all win. If we can eradicate polio, we prove that Nigerian leaders can deliver a historic milestone to all citizens. We must join together; act boldly and definitively, to show that Nigeria is serious about defeating polio once and for all.”
Recall that the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which was launched globally in 1988, are hinged on the following pillars- interrupting transmission of the wild poliovirus as soon as possible, achieving certification of global polio eradication, contributing to health systems development and strengthening routine immunisation while improving surveillance for communicable diseases in a systematic way.
HCG to partner FG, private sector on cancer management
Cancer is a global issue and is rapidly becoming a major health problem in developed and developing countries. However, with research on newer techniques in cancer management, which is now providing hope and new arenas to patients seeking cure, cancer hospitals and centres in India have become a medical hub for patients across the globe, including Nigeria.
This is why Nigerian patients prefer travelling to India for their healthcare needs. Interestingly, waiting lists for surgery get longer as people increasingly seek specialised and personal medical attention abroad.
Hence, in a bid to reduce the growing incidence of Nigerians travelling to India for the treatment of cancer, the HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG), South Asia's largest cancer care network, is set to partner the Federal Government and the private sector through developing innovative treatment methods, tailored at providing high quality, affordable and comprehensive cancer care to all segments of the society.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos recently, Dinesh Madhavan, director of marketing, HCG, revealed that cancer is a leading cause of death even as more than 70 percent of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Madhavan stated that recent indications suggest that cancer, globally, are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030. He pointed out that the most frequent types of cancer globally are cancer of the lungs, stomach, liver, colorectal, oesophagus and prostate with cancer of the breast and cervix.
In his words: “In Nigeria, cancer of the cervix and breast as well as cancer of the prostrate are the most common forms of cancer we in HCG treat in India. Lots of Nigerians who come for treatment in India come with advanced stages of cancer. HCG has contributed significantly to establish high quality Cancer Care centres in India. We (HCG) have our presence at Kampala, in Uganda and in Tanzania. We have partnered with the government in these countries to do extensive research and develop innovative treatment methods to provide the finest cancer care in a bid to make cancer a manageable health condition and improve the quality of life of patients.
“Our plan to partner with the government in Nigeria and the private sector is aimed at training the capacity of Nigerian oncologists in the area of cancer care and management. We are committed to creating an environment that fosters the professional and personal achievements of each person who crosses the threshold of our centre. And by sharing these achievements across the network, the achievements of each centre, each physician, and each hospital are further heightened. HCG has been defining the future of cancer care in India by designing, building and managing cancer centres with a steadfast vision. This we want to replicate in the country and improve the lives of the Nigerians,” Madhavan concluded.
Explaining a recent technology deployed for the treatment of cancer, Susheela Sridhar, Consultant Radiation Oncologist, HCG, revealed that Cyberknife is the world's first non-invasive whole body robotic radiosurgery system. Sridhar disclosed that CyberKnife offers patients new hope for the treatment of tumours and lesions, including ones that previously have been diagnosed as untreatable with the existing technology.
“CyberKnife uses state-of-the-art real-time image guidance to precisely target tumours anywhere in the body with pinpoint accuracy and delivers high doses of radiation. Some forms of radiosurgery require rigid head-frames that are screwed into the patient’s skull to minimise any movement. The CyberKnife System does not require such extreme procedures to keep patients in place, and instead, relies on sophisticated tracking software, allowing for a much more comfortable and non-invasive treatment,” Sridhar stated.
He added that unlike some radiosurgery systems, which can only treat tumours in the head, the CyberKnife System has unlimited reach to treat a broad range of tumours throughout the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas, and kidney.
“The CyberKnife System can essentially ‘paint’ the tumour with radiation allowing it to precisely deliver treatment to the tumour alone, sparing surrounding healthy tissue. It is non-invasive and pain-less, treat inoperable tumours, significantly reduces treatment time to about 45-60 minutes, minimises side effects with little or no recovery time,” the consultant radiation oncologist concluded.
Taking a look at cancer management in Nigeria, it is worrisome to state that not all hospitals operate screening programmes for cervical cancer; they are poorly funded, unsystematic, and incomprehensive. However, problems of impeded access to health care, ignorance, poverty and a general lack of coordination of issues of health education complicate matters.
Though there are no definite figures, the number of active radiotherapy centres across the country is few. Worse still, Imaging facilities for staging patients with cancer, such as computerised tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), are difficult to come by, and when available, the cost of such studies are prohibitive – putting them out of reach of the average citizen.
Giving this initiative by HCG to develop experts in the management and care of
Nigerians suffering from this disease, it is believed that Nigerian clinicians would be at the winning side as would avail themselves of the latest technology deployed in the treatment of people with cancers and tumours.
For Wale Alabi, CEO, Global Resources and Project, “Factors likely to change the pattern and prevalence of cancer in Nigeria in the coming decades include- greater awareness of cancer and improved access to health care. In large parts of Africa, surgery and chemotherapy are usually reserved for those rich enough to seek specialised care abroad. In addition, diagnosis no longer has to be a death sentence, because one-third of cancers can be cured if detected early and treated properly.
“Admittedly, there is increasing awareness of modern palliative care and pain management in Nigeria, but we still need to build the capacity of our physicians which would in the long run improve medical tourism in the country.”
This is why Nigerian patients prefer travelling to India for their healthcare needs. Interestingly, waiting lists for surgery get longer as people increasingly seek specialised and personal medical attention abroad.
Hence, in a bid to reduce the growing incidence of Nigerians travelling to India for the treatment of cancer, the HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG), South Asia's largest cancer care network, is set to partner the Federal Government and the private sector through developing innovative treatment methods, tailored at providing high quality, affordable and comprehensive cancer care to all segments of the society.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos recently, Dinesh Madhavan, director of marketing, HCG, revealed that cancer is a leading cause of death even as more than 70 percent of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Madhavan stated that recent indications suggest that cancer, globally, are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030. He pointed out that the most frequent types of cancer globally are cancer of the lungs, stomach, liver, colorectal, oesophagus and prostate with cancer of the breast and cervix.
In his words: “In Nigeria, cancer of the cervix and breast as well as cancer of the prostrate are the most common forms of cancer we in HCG treat in India. Lots of Nigerians who come for treatment in India come with advanced stages of cancer. HCG has contributed significantly to establish high quality Cancer Care centres in India. We (HCG) have our presence at Kampala, in Uganda and in Tanzania. We have partnered with the government in these countries to do extensive research and develop innovative treatment methods to provide the finest cancer care in a bid to make cancer a manageable health condition and improve the quality of life of patients.
“Our plan to partner with the government in Nigeria and the private sector is aimed at training the capacity of Nigerian oncologists in the area of cancer care and management. We are committed to creating an environment that fosters the professional and personal achievements of each person who crosses the threshold of our centre. And by sharing these achievements across the network, the achievements of each centre, each physician, and each hospital are further heightened. HCG has been defining the future of cancer care in India by designing, building and managing cancer centres with a steadfast vision. This we want to replicate in the country and improve the lives of the Nigerians,” Madhavan concluded.
Explaining a recent technology deployed for the treatment of cancer, Susheela Sridhar, Consultant Radiation Oncologist, HCG, revealed that Cyberknife is the world's first non-invasive whole body robotic radiosurgery system. Sridhar disclosed that CyberKnife offers patients new hope for the treatment of tumours and lesions, including ones that previously have been diagnosed as untreatable with the existing technology.
“CyberKnife uses state-of-the-art real-time image guidance to precisely target tumours anywhere in the body with pinpoint accuracy and delivers high doses of radiation. Some forms of radiosurgery require rigid head-frames that are screwed into the patient’s skull to minimise any movement. The CyberKnife System does not require such extreme procedures to keep patients in place, and instead, relies on sophisticated tracking software, allowing for a much more comfortable and non-invasive treatment,” Sridhar stated.
He added that unlike some radiosurgery systems, which can only treat tumours in the head, the CyberKnife System has unlimited reach to treat a broad range of tumours throughout the body, including the prostate, lung, brain, spine, liver, pancreas, and kidney.
“The CyberKnife System can essentially ‘paint’ the tumour with radiation allowing it to precisely deliver treatment to the tumour alone, sparing surrounding healthy tissue. It is non-invasive and pain-less, treat inoperable tumours, significantly reduces treatment time to about 45-60 minutes, minimises side effects with little or no recovery time,” the consultant radiation oncologist concluded.
Taking a look at cancer management in Nigeria, it is worrisome to state that not all hospitals operate screening programmes for cervical cancer; they are poorly funded, unsystematic, and incomprehensive. However, problems of impeded access to health care, ignorance, poverty and a general lack of coordination of issues of health education complicate matters.
Though there are no definite figures, the number of active radiotherapy centres across the country is few. Worse still, Imaging facilities for staging patients with cancer, such as computerised tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), are difficult to come by, and when available, the cost of such studies are prohibitive – putting them out of reach of the average citizen.
Giving this initiative by HCG to develop experts in the management and care of
Nigerians suffering from this disease, it is believed that Nigerian clinicians would be at the winning side as would avail themselves of the latest technology deployed in the treatment of people with cancers and tumours.
For Wale Alabi, CEO, Global Resources and Project, “Factors likely to change the pattern and prevalence of cancer in Nigeria in the coming decades include- greater awareness of cancer and improved access to health care. In large parts of Africa, surgery and chemotherapy are usually reserved for those rich enough to seek specialised care abroad. In addition, diagnosis no longer has to be a death sentence, because one-third of cancers can be cured if detected early and treated properly.
“Admittedly, there is increasing awareness of modern palliative care and pain management in Nigeria, but we still need to build the capacity of our physicians which would in the long run improve medical tourism in the country.”
Promoting TB drug research in Nigeria
...As world marks day
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health problem which has confronted human existence. Little wonder about nine million new cases of TB emerge and close to two million people die from the disease yearly, with the highest number of deaths in the African region.
With nations across the globe not free from this health puzzle, the worrisome situation is that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, the largest number of new TB cases in 2008 occurred in the South-East Asia Region.
The estimated incidence rate in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of the South-East Asia Region with over 350 cases per 100 000 population.
As Nigeria join the rest of the world to mark World TB Day, a day set aside to raise awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB), the scope of the disease and how to prevent and cure it, health experts in the country have called for increased tuberculosis drug research activity in Nigeria which has been low in recent times.
In a recent interview with Folasade Ogunsola, head, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), he disclosed that Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which, most commonly, affects the lungs.
Ogunsola stated that though transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease, in healthy people, infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis often causes no symptoms, since the person's immune system acts to “wall off” the bacteria.
According to her, “TB drug resistance is an issue that threatens the success of directly observed treatment (DOTS), which is WHO-recommended treatment approach for detection and cure of TB. Recently, strains of TB resistant to major anti-TB drugs have emerged due to inadequate capability for diagnosis and treatment of TB.
“A dangerous form of drug-resistant TB, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), resists the treatment of, at least, isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful anti-TB drugs. The emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB occurs particularly in settings where many TB patients are also infected with HIV, and this poses serious threat to TB control. Also, poor-quality drugs or incomplete drug regimens also give resistant TB bacteria time to arise, multiply, and infect others,” Ogunsola added.
For his part, Aderemi Kehinde, Consultant Medical Microbiologist, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, revealed that Nigeria ranks 4th out of the 22 countries designated by the WHO with the highest burden of TB globally behind India, China and Indonesia.
Kehinde stated that TB research in Nigeria had not been active until recently, due to inadequate facilities arisen from poor funding as research activities were mainly carried by few individual researchers in academic environment.
In his words “TB drug research activity is low in Nigeria. This is as a result of low research funding. Majority of the funds come in form of individual grants from local research institutions, including universities. The recently awarded round 5 Global funds were used to scale-up DOTS expansion with very little funding left for research. Among the challenges include- equipment needed to carry out medical analysis which needs to be strengthened, requisite human capacity of physicians, researchers, lab scientists, nurses etc in TB drug research such as maintaining good clinical practice, good laboratory practice and ethics of research in human subjects among others.
Taking a look at the level of TB drug resistance activity in the country, it is noteworthy to state that the accessed funds from the round 5 Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria were used to equip two National reference laboratories (Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Lagos TB training school, Zaria), one zonal reference laboratory in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country and a nationwide external quality assurance (EQA) system.
This initiative has created awareness and interest among academics to do research on TB. University College Hospital, Ibadan, houses the Southwest TB reference laboratory. It serves six states with population of about 35 million.
Recognising the scale of the problem, global targets for reductions in the burden of disease (measured as incidence, prevalence and mortality) caused by TB have been set within the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and by the Stop TB Partnership. The target set within the MDGs is to halt and reverse the incidence of TB by 2015.
In addition, the MDGs included three other indicators for measurement of progress in TB control- prevalence and death rates, and the proportion of cases that are detected and cured in DOTS programmes with the Stop TB strategy aimed at dramatically reducing the global burden of TB by 2015 in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health problem which has confronted human existence. Little wonder about nine million new cases of TB emerge and close to two million people die from the disease yearly, with the highest number of deaths in the African region.
With nations across the globe not free from this health puzzle, the worrisome situation is that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, the largest number of new TB cases in 2008 occurred in the South-East Asia Region.
The estimated incidence rate in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of the South-East Asia Region with over 350 cases per 100 000 population.
As Nigeria join the rest of the world to mark World TB Day, a day set aside to raise awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB), the scope of the disease and how to prevent and cure it, health experts in the country have called for increased tuberculosis drug research activity in Nigeria which has been low in recent times.
In a recent interview with Folasade Ogunsola, head, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), he disclosed that Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which, most commonly, affects the lungs.
Ogunsola stated that though transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease, in healthy people, infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis often causes no symptoms, since the person's immune system acts to “wall off” the bacteria.
According to her, “TB drug resistance is an issue that threatens the success of directly observed treatment (DOTS), which is WHO-recommended treatment approach for detection and cure of TB. Recently, strains of TB resistant to major anti-TB drugs have emerged due to inadequate capability for diagnosis and treatment of TB.
“A dangerous form of drug-resistant TB, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), resists the treatment of, at least, isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful anti-TB drugs. The emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB occurs particularly in settings where many TB patients are also infected with HIV, and this poses serious threat to TB control. Also, poor-quality drugs or incomplete drug regimens also give resistant TB bacteria time to arise, multiply, and infect others,” Ogunsola added.
For his part, Aderemi Kehinde, Consultant Medical Microbiologist, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, revealed that Nigeria ranks 4th out of the 22 countries designated by the WHO with the highest burden of TB globally behind India, China and Indonesia.
Kehinde stated that TB research in Nigeria had not been active until recently, due to inadequate facilities arisen from poor funding as research activities were mainly carried by few individual researchers in academic environment.
In his words “TB drug research activity is low in Nigeria. This is as a result of low research funding. Majority of the funds come in form of individual grants from local research institutions, including universities. The recently awarded round 5 Global funds were used to scale-up DOTS expansion with very little funding left for research. Among the challenges include- equipment needed to carry out medical analysis which needs to be strengthened, requisite human capacity of physicians, researchers, lab scientists, nurses etc in TB drug research such as maintaining good clinical practice, good laboratory practice and ethics of research in human subjects among others.
Taking a look at the level of TB drug resistance activity in the country, it is noteworthy to state that the accessed funds from the round 5 Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria were used to equip two National reference laboratories (Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) Lagos TB training school, Zaria), one zonal reference laboratory in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country and a nationwide external quality assurance (EQA) system.
This initiative has created awareness and interest among academics to do research on TB. University College Hospital, Ibadan, houses the Southwest TB reference laboratory. It serves six states with population of about 35 million.
Recognising the scale of the problem, global targets for reductions in the burden of disease (measured as incidence, prevalence and mortality) caused by TB have been set within the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and by the Stop TB Partnership. The target set within the MDGs is to halt and reverse the incidence of TB by 2015.
In addition, the MDGs included three other indicators for measurement of progress in TB control- prevalence and death rates, and the proportion of cases that are detected and cured in DOTS programmes with the Stop TB strategy aimed at dramatically reducing the global burden of TB by 2015 in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Lagos climate conference seeks effective adaptation plan
Across the African continent, the landscape is changing in recent times. With the snowy caps of Mount Kilimanjaro melting and the shorelines of lakes Chad, Tanganyika and Victoria receding, these and many other changes have led to unreliable farming seasons and low water supplies – a serious problem for a continent almost entirely dependent on rain for its agriculture. There is now a growing increase in the incidence of disease, declining agricultural productivity, and a rising number of heat waves.
Globally, the rising impact of climate change which experts describe as the most deadly threat to human existence, have resulted in 373 natural disasters experienced in different parts of the world in 2010. This has however led to an economic loss of about $110 billion. Within the same period for the same reason, about 300,000 lives were lost while 207 million others were affected.
Driving this matter home, there is glaring evidence that climate change is not only happening but it's changing our lives. Declining rainfall in already desert-prone areas in northern Nigeria is causing increasing desertification, even as the former food basket in central Nigeria seem empty, and people in the coastal areas who used to depend on fishing have seen their livelihoods destroyed by sea-level rise.
In view of these realities, experts at the just concluded 3rd Lagos State Summit on Climate Change with the theme “Charting a roadmap for combating climate change in Nigeria”, have called for the need to create effective, effective adaptation activities, synergy between policy makers, scientists and other stakeholders in a bid to improve climate information for the socioeconomic development of the country as well as ensure environment sustainability.
Delivering his keynote address titled ‘Markets in Weather Risks and Natural Disasters’, Kenny Tang, founder and chief executive officer, Oxbridge Weather Capital, UK, described 2010 as a year of disasters, noting that “there is a steep rise in natural disasters”. Tang, who is also a global thought leader in the field of sustainable environment finance’, stressed that changing weather conditions which brings about climate change, comes with a lot of risks to government such that government “is the insurer of the last resort” in cases of disaster.
Tang who stated that disaster risks reduction is not optional and unless we act now, people will experience more disasters due to unplanned urbanization and environmental degradation, revealed that about US $4 trillion were lost in Gross Domestic Product due to weather risks in 2010
Lending his view, Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed that Nigeria’s developmental efforts must take cognizance of environmental sustainability, or it will amount to efforts in futility, noted that emerging indications point in the direction that current predications on climate change could be an underestimation of the actual potential calamity waiting to befall the world.
The Governor noted that it has become imperative for government at all levels to begin to implement recommendation packages arising from various international forums on climate change aimed at preventing further environmental damage and controlling devastating impact already being felt worldwide.
In his words “The approaching disasters, if sufficient care is not taken, will be more devastating than the first and second World wars combined. What we desperately need as global citizens is to retool our efforts and reinvent our strategies towards achieving the desired result. Ensuring environmental sustainability is a task that should be achieved before 2015 as entrenched in the Millennium Development Goals package as the seventh goal.”
Taking a close look at the issue of climate change, Nigeria’s development plan does not recognize the economical threat caused by the climate change. No doubt, all the main sectors of Nigeria’s economy will be impacted by climate change, but in particular agriculture. Infrastructure such as water, transport and power are also extremely susceptible and will result in knock on effects to other parts of the economy, especially wholesale and retail.
Going further, attaining the MDGs will also suffer as a result of climate change. In particular Goal 1 on hunger and poverty and Goal 7 on environmental sustainability will be affected in a major adverse way.
There is no gain saying that a lot needs to be done by the present government to place climate change high on the agenda of government. It is important to realise that the complex nature of climate change is beyond what government alone can handle. Hence, it calls for a public-private partnership in which the private sector actors and civil society partner together to address the various dimensions of climate change in the context of national sustainable development.
For Muiz Banire, Commissioner for the Environment, Lagos State, the magnitude of such loss in terms of lives, properties and the overall economy, can only be imagined and this ugly and imbalance scenario justifies Lagos’ foregrounding in responding to climate change challenge through awareness while unraveling the best mitigation and adaptation strategies.
In his words “That is why we must act fast as possible by exploring possible means to stop the rot in the environment. One of such advocacy is the launch of climate change clubs in Lagos schools in a bid to engage the younger generations in the worthy fight against global warming.”
“As a proactive government, we as a state have taken steps to address environmental problems. These include effective management of wastes, flood and coastal erosion. Our advocacy programmes include workshops, seminars, public lectures and media campaign on climate change, land reclamation, landscaping and beautification as well as campaign against desertification. We cannot ignore the vulnerability of the young ones to disasters as they have less capacity to respond to disasters. Hence the urgent need to train and teach them the rudiments of mitigative and adaptive measures is of paramount importance to the protection and preservation of our biodiversity.”
Since Nigeria doesn’t have the blueprint for addressing the climatic disasters ravaging the world, there is the need to reinvent strategies for better results which is indeed the main thrust for previous summit on climate change in Lagos state and beyond.
Globally, the rising impact of climate change which experts describe as the most deadly threat to human existence, have resulted in 373 natural disasters experienced in different parts of the world in 2010. This has however led to an economic loss of about $110 billion. Within the same period for the same reason, about 300,000 lives were lost while 207 million others were affected.
Driving this matter home, there is glaring evidence that climate change is not only happening but it's changing our lives. Declining rainfall in already desert-prone areas in northern Nigeria is causing increasing desertification, even as the former food basket in central Nigeria seem empty, and people in the coastal areas who used to depend on fishing have seen their livelihoods destroyed by sea-level rise.
In view of these realities, experts at the just concluded 3rd Lagos State Summit on Climate Change with the theme “Charting a roadmap for combating climate change in Nigeria”, have called for the need to create effective, effective adaptation activities, synergy between policy makers, scientists and other stakeholders in a bid to improve climate information for the socioeconomic development of the country as well as ensure environment sustainability.
Delivering his keynote address titled ‘Markets in Weather Risks and Natural Disasters’, Kenny Tang, founder and chief executive officer, Oxbridge Weather Capital, UK, described 2010 as a year of disasters, noting that “there is a steep rise in natural disasters”. Tang, who is also a global thought leader in the field of sustainable environment finance’, stressed that changing weather conditions which brings about climate change, comes with a lot of risks to government such that government “is the insurer of the last resort” in cases of disaster.
Tang who stated that disaster risks reduction is not optional and unless we act now, people will experience more disasters due to unplanned urbanization and environmental degradation, revealed that about US $4 trillion were lost in Gross Domestic Product due to weather risks in 2010
Lending his view, Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed that Nigeria’s developmental efforts must take cognizance of environmental sustainability, or it will amount to efforts in futility, noted that emerging indications point in the direction that current predications on climate change could be an underestimation of the actual potential calamity waiting to befall the world.
The Governor noted that it has become imperative for government at all levels to begin to implement recommendation packages arising from various international forums on climate change aimed at preventing further environmental damage and controlling devastating impact already being felt worldwide.
In his words “The approaching disasters, if sufficient care is not taken, will be more devastating than the first and second World wars combined. What we desperately need as global citizens is to retool our efforts and reinvent our strategies towards achieving the desired result. Ensuring environmental sustainability is a task that should be achieved before 2015 as entrenched in the Millennium Development Goals package as the seventh goal.”
Taking a close look at the issue of climate change, Nigeria’s development plan does not recognize the economical threat caused by the climate change. No doubt, all the main sectors of Nigeria’s economy will be impacted by climate change, but in particular agriculture. Infrastructure such as water, transport and power are also extremely susceptible and will result in knock on effects to other parts of the economy, especially wholesale and retail.
Going further, attaining the MDGs will also suffer as a result of climate change. In particular Goal 1 on hunger and poverty and Goal 7 on environmental sustainability will be affected in a major adverse way.
There is no gain saying that a lot needs to be done by the present government to place climate change high on the agenda of government. It is important to realise that the complex nature of climate change is beyond what government alone can handle. Hence, it calls for a public-private partnership in which the private sector actors and civil society partner together to address the various dimensions of climate change in the context of national sustainable development.
For Muiz Banire, Commissioner for the Environment, Lagos State, the magnitude of such loss in terms of lives, properties and the overall economy, can only be imagined and this ugly and imbalance scenario justifies Lagos’ foregrounding in responding to climate change challenge through awareness while unraveling the best mitigation and adaptation strategies.
In his words “That is why we must act fast as possible by exploring possible means to stop the rot in the environment. One of such advocacy is the launch of climate change clubs in Lagos schools in a bid to engage the younger generations in the worthy fight against global warming.”
“As a proactive government, we as a state have taken steps to address environmental problems. These include effective management of wastes, flood and coastal erosion. Our advocacy programmes include workshops, seminars, public lectures and media campaign on climate change, land reclamation, landscaping and beautification as well as campaign against desertification. We cannot ignore the vulnerability of the young ones to disasters as they have less capacity to respond to disasters. Hence the urgent need to train and teach them the rudiments of mitigative and adaptive measures is of paramount importance to the protection and preservation of our biodiversity.”
Since Nigeria doesn’t have the blueprint for addressing the climatic disasters ravaging the world, there is the need to reinvent strategies for better results which is indeed the main thrust for previous summit on climate change in Lagos state and beyond.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Internet access in Nigeria; the hurdles truncating the process in Nigeria
In the wake of difficulty expressed by Nigerians who surf the internet various needs, Alexander Chiejina writes that investing in the extension of broadband infrastructure to criss-cross the country will go a long way at improving broadband internet services in Nigeria.
The computer age is one era that has been greeted with lots of inventions and display of human ingenuity which has revolutionised the global society, economy and technological systems. However, over the past century and a half, important technological developments have created a global environment which draws people across the globe closer and closer together.
The Internet, as an integrating force, has melded the technology of communications and computing to provide instant connectivity and global information services to all its users. This tool has no doubt made significant impact in the business world with applications such as e-commerce, online banking and e-payments, e-health, e-learning and e-government rapidly evolving. While some older people still struggle to embrace this emerging trend in ICT, most individuals across the globe can’t even imagine life without it.
However, as Nigeria continues in its quest to become one of the 20 leading economies by 2020, stakeholders in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector are concerned about the current level of internet connectivity and penetration in the country. This is backdrop of speedy broadband penetration which experts believe is critical in nation building.
While some school of thought are of the opinion that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecom industry regulator, is not doing enough to encourage providers of fibre optic backbones that have since landed their submarine cables at the country's shores, others believe that improving broadband penetration will go a long way at increasing internet access in the country.
Speaking recently to Lanre Ajayi, Immediate Past President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Ajayi revealed that last mile connectivity would make the difference as it will allow for broadband availability and penetration if operators are encouraged to take broadband to all nooks and crannies of the country. Ajayi noted that there is over 60 million telephone access and 20 million people have access for internet in Nigeria today which is a wide gap.
According to Ajayi, “The question to ask then is what about the people in the rural areas, are they not Nigerians? And how you will know that we are doing pretty well in the area of internet connection is when you compare the number of people who have access to internet to the number of people who have access to telephone services. We should not forget that the internet enables us to do more things than the telephone. Don’t forget that you can make phone calls on the internet, Voice over IP. How come that these people making calls on phones cannot have access to the internet. How can broadband accessibility be fast tracked in this circumstance?
“There are three segments to internet delivery: The international link, national backbone and the last mile. On the international link, we seem to be making some progress with the landing of Main One and the Glo 1. We now have three cables including the Sat 3 cables. Some others are still coming even as people have started foreseeing the possibility of gloat. The next one is the national backbone.
That is the fibre cable that will link all the major cities together. Some progress has been made but they are not good enough. I think that is where a whole lot of job is required to be done now. Then the last mile; this has to do with the connection between the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) institutions to homes and institutions. That one is the easiest part but we are having some challenges in that area. That area is better done by wireless spectrum. In doing this wireless technology, we require spectrum and our spectrum management,” he concluded.
Lending his view, Genevieve Anemelu, an IT expert at Zenith Bank, Lagos, stated that It is no more news that poor internet service is one of the major problem confronting Nigerian internet users (either for business or personal use). Anemelu stated that one can image when one have to wait several minutes to load a webpage.
According to Anemelu “If you use dial up services like GSM and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA networks), they have their problems. The situation is this-it is either the internet service speed is terribly slow or too expensive or a horrible combination of both. These service providers are busy trying to out-do each other with adverts and promos, instead of concentrating on their core areas – quality service delivery and ultimately customer satisfaction. A solution to improved internet access is by having a broadband internet access in the country.”
Taking a cursory look at moves made by IT firms at improving broadband penetration in the country, it will be recalled that it was until 2009 that the national fixed-line provider Nitel was the major gatekeeper for international bandwidth provision to Nigeria with its SAT-3 undersea cable, which it holds along with 35 other providers from around the world. In July 2009, damage to the cable caused massive disruption to Internet access across the country, with 70 percent of connections affected.
Going further, in September 2009, the Glo-1 cable, owned by Second National Operator and mobile market number two, Globacom, made land at Lagos, and started rolling out services at the end of 2009. The Main One cable, owned by Nigerian firm Main Street Technologies, which stretches from Portugal to Nigeria and Ghana arrived Nigeria in June 2010 and began operations in July 2010.
In October 2009, mobile market leader MTN announced that it was joining with ten other operators in the West African Cable Systems (WACS) cable project, connecting South Africa, Nigeria and the UK. It was set to commence operations in December 2010. France Telecom’s African Coast to Europe (ACE) cable will connect Nigeria to France when it starts operating in 2011.
With firms erecting structures for broadband platforms and as the number of people online in Nigeria continues to grow, International Telecom Union (ITU), the world telecom regulatory body had tasked Nigerian government to drive broadband penetration in the country, insisting that broadband is the digital right of every citizen. This is because there are unlimited opportunities on the internet for Nigerians to tap into.
For Emmanuel Ekuwem, Immediate Past President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Nigeria would achieve speedy development in 2011, if the country embrace broadband internet to its fullest. According to him, broadband internet access would enhance efforts at job creation, wealth creation and poverty alleviation.
“ICT will accelerate our meeting of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It will engender an overall national economic growth and development. We will all gladly experience an ICT-based increase in our GDP. Who will not be happy to see a creative explosion of a feeling of national rebirth and well-being among the citizens of Nigeria? All these good things can only be possible when we have a ubiquitous availability of broadband services in Nigeria,” Ekuwem disclosed.
FACTS
Internet Usage Statistics:
23,982,200 Internet users as of December/2009; 16.1% of the population, according to International Telecommunication Union -ITU
Latest Population Estimate:
149,229,090 population for 2009, according to Census Bureau
The computer age is one era that has been greeted with lots of inventions and display of human ingenuity which has revolutionised the global society, economy and technological systems. However, over the past century and a half, important technological developments have created a global environment which draws people across the globe closer and closer together.
The Internet, as an integrating force, has melded the technology of communications and computing to provide instant connectivity and global information services to all its users. This tool has no doubt made significant impact in the business world with applications such as e-commerce, online banking and e-payments, e-health, e-learning and e-government rapidly evolving. While some older people still struggle to embrace this emerging trend in ICT, most individuals across the globe can’t even imagine life without it.
However, as Nigeria continues in its quest to become one of the 20 leading economies by 2020, stakeholders in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector are concerned about the current level of internet connectivity and penetration in the country. This is backdrop of speedy broadband penetration which experts believe is critical in nation building.
While some school of thought are of the opinion that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecom industry regulator, is not doing enough to encourage providers of fibre optic backbones that have since landed their submarine cables at the country's shores, others believe that improving broadband penetration will go a long way at increasing internet access in the country.
Speaking recently to Lanre Ajayi, Immediate Past President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Ajayi revealed that last mile connectivity would make the difference as it will allow for broadband availability and penetration if operators are encouraged to take broadband to all nooks and crannies of the country. Ajayi noted that there is over 60 million telephone access and 20 million people have access for internet in Nigeria today which is a wide gap.
According to Ajayi, “The question to ask then is what about the people in the rural areas, are they not Nigerians? And how you will know that we are doing pretty well in the area of internet connection is when you compare the number of people who have access to internet to the number of people who have access to telephone services. We should not forget that the internet enables us to do more things than the telephone. Don’t forget that you can make phone calls on the internet, Voice over IP. How come that these people making calls on phones cannot have access to the internet. How can broadband accessibility be fast tracked in this circumstance?
“There are three segments to internet delivery: The international link, national backbone and the last mile. On the international link, we seem to be making some progress with the landing of Main One and the Glo 1. We now have three cables including the Sat 3 cables. Some others are still coming even as people have started foreseeing the possibility of gloat. The next one is the national backbone.
That is the fibre cable that will link all the major cities together. Some progress has been made but they are not good enough. I think that is where a whole lot of job is required to be done now. Then the last mile; this has to do with the connection between the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) institutions to homes and institutions. That one is the easiest part but we are having some challenges in that area. That area is better done by wireless spectrum. In doing this wireless technology, we require spectrum and our spectrum management,” he concluded.
Lending his view, Genevieve Anemelu, an IT expert at Zenith Bank, Lagos, stated that It is no more news that poor internet service is one of the major problem confronting Nigerian internet users (either for business or personal use). Anemelu stated that one can image when one have to wait several minutes to load a webpage.
According to Anemelu “If you use dial up services like GSM and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA networks), they have their problems. The situation is this-it is either the internet service speed is terribly slow or too expensive or a horrible combination of both. These service providers are busy trying to out-do each other with adverts and promos, instead of concentrating on their core areas – quality service delivery and ultimately customer satisfaction. A solution to improved internet access is by having a broadband internet access in the country.”
Taking a cursory look at moves made by IT firms at improving broadband penetration in the country, it will be recalled that it was until 2009 that the national fixed-line provider Nitel was the major gatekeeper for international bandwidth provision to Nigeria with its SAT-3 undersea cable, which it holds along with 35 other providers from around the world. In July 2009, damage to the cable caused massive disruption to Internet access across the country, with 70 percent of connections affected.
Going further, in September 2009, the Glo-1 cable, owned by Second National Operator and mobile market number two, Globacom, made land at Lagos, and started rolling out services at the end of 2009. The Main One cable, owned by Nigerian firm Main Street Technologies, which stretches from Portugal to Nigeria and Ghana arrived Nigeria in June 2010 and began operations in July 2010.
In October 2009, mobile market leader MTN announced that it was joining with ten other operators in the West African Cable Systems (WACS) cable project, connecting South Africa, Nigeria and the UK. It was set to commence operations in December 2010. France Telecom’s African Coast to Europe (ACE) cable will connect Nigeria to France when it starts operating in 2011.
With firms erecting structures for broadband platforms and as the number of people online in Nigeria continues to grow, International Telecom Union (ITU), the world telecom regulatory body had tasked Nigerian government to drive broadband penetration in the country, insisting that broadband is the digital right of every citizen. This is because there are unlimited opportunities on the internet for Nigerians to tap into.
For Emmanuel Ekuwem, Immediate Past President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Nigeria would achieve speedy development in 2011, if the country embrace broadband internet to its fullest. According to him, broadband internet access would enhance efforts at job creation, wealth creation and poverty alleviation.
“ICT will accelerate our meeting of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It will engender an overall national economic growth and development. We will all gladly experience an ICT-based increase in our GDP. Who will not be happy to see a creative explosion of a feeling of national rebirth and well-being among the citizens of Nigeria? All these good things can only be possible when we have a ubiquitous availability of broadband services in Nigeria,” Ekuwem disclosed.
FACTS
Internet Usage Statistics:
23,982,200 Internet users as of December/2009; 16.1% of the population, according to International Telecommunication Union -ITU
Latest Population Estimate:
149,229,090 population for 2009, according to Census Bureau
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Experts make case for cancer care and management in Nigeria
…as the World makes ‘World Cancer Day’
For two years, Yinka Craig, an ace broadcaster, battled to stay alive. But on September 23, 2008, Craig who made his mark with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), died at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America, where he was receiving treatment for cancer of the immune system.
For Sonny Okosun, one of Nigeria’s great musicians, his story isn’t different. He died May 24, 2008 aged 61, in the U.S after a prolonged battle with cancer. He had also gone to seek medical advice on his deteriorating health. Going further, Yusuf Jibo, former Zonal Director of NTA, who would have turned 55years of age today (February 4th, 2011), lost his live to colon cancer on the 2nd of December 2nd 2010.
Today, one could count prominent Nigerians who have been cut short by this hydra-headed monster. They include wife of former military president, Maryam Babangida, renowned activist and social crusader, Gani Fawehinmi, wife of Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole including indigent Nigerians to name but a few.
Presently, cancer has become one of the leading causes of death in the world,
especially in the developing countries. What is worrisome in a country like Nigeria with over 140 million people is that the detection of the killer disease is usually very late.
However, as the nation joins the rest of the world to mark World cancer day (every February 4th), calls have been made for a coordinated approach towards preparing a working document for national cancer research, and collaboration with stakeholders in cancer care and research, to facilitate national policy on cancer management in Nigeria.
Explaining the aetiology of the disease, Remi Ajekigbe, consultant radiotherapist and oncologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-araba, disclosed that cancer is an abnormal uncontrolled growth in the body that refuses to stop even when the initial trigger has been removed. The oncologist revealed that cancer can occur in any part of the body and spread to other areas as it is the only disease that spreads from the primary side of the body to the other part of the vital organs like the lungs, liver, kidney, heart and brain.
According to him “The spread of the disease to the adjacent and distant structures of the body is as a result of the excessive and progressive multiplication of cells. Don’t forget that the interaction between a person's genetic factors and three categories of external agents, including physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation; chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke; and biological carcinogens, such as infections from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites can give rise to the growth of cancer cells.”
For his part, Innocent Ujah, Director General of Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba Lagos stated that the current estimated 350,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed annually in Nigeria is far from the true cancer crisis in Nigeria.
Speaking at an inaugural meeting of the national Cancer Research Network (CRN) in Lagos last week, the DG stated that a large number of cancers are not detected as majority of Nigerians are poor and live in rural areas far removed from health facilities.
Ujah also noted that the attitude of Nigerians who deny the possibility of them having cancer because of faith and believe system also leaves large cases undetected until it becomes full blown adding that with inadequate research, the problem is even more complicated.
In his words, "Nigeria contributes almost negligible portion to the global body of literature on cancers and most of these are hospital based, perhaps representing the tip of the iceberg as we know that majority of Nigerians live in rural areas, largely poor, far from health facilities and unable to access the facilities. Cancer awareness efforts and screening methods to enhance early detection do not seem to have had much impact on the nation.”
Ujah explained that of the two cancers devastating women in Nigeria (cancers of the breast and the cervix), one has good prognosis if detected early while the other can be prevented but they continue to cost untold hardships and deaths" because of dearth of facilities and other constraints.
Taking a look at the cancer management in Nigeria, the problems of impeded access to health care, ignorance, poverty and a general lack of coordination of issues of health education complicate matters. Worse still, imaging facilities for staging patients with cancer, such as computerized tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are difficult to come by, and when available the cost of such studies put them out of reach of the average citizen.
Even of more concern is fact that clinical services for cancer are grossly inadequate and poorly distributed. Only a few centers have functioning radiotherapy equipment. Radiologic services are generally available, but access is seriously limited by high cost. The same argument of high cost applies to chemotherapy. While pathology services are generally available, the scope of services is limited.
Giving the obvious reality, it is obvious that health authorities in the country need to seek ways to facilitate training and re-training of all cadres of health care workers in cancer care and management he said.
For Ujah “there is the need to coordinate cancer research in the country, collaborate with all stakeholders in cancer care and research, facilitate national policy on cancer management based on research findings and conduct trainings and capacity development in cancer care and research. This is because research findings will in the long run influence national policy, processes and procedures on prevention, treatment and control of common cancers in Nigeria."
For Akin Osibogun, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, “education to help people recognize early signs of cancer and seek prompt medical attention for symptoms, which might include: lumps, sores, persistent indigestion, persistent coughing, and bleeding from the body's orifices is essential. Also, screening programmes to identify early cancer or pre-cancer before signs are recognizable, including mammography for breast cancer, and cytology (a "pap smear") for cervical cancer will further reduce the incidence of cancer related deaths in the country.”
For two years, Yinka Craig, an ace broadcaster, battled to stay alive. But on September 23, 2008, Craig who made his mark with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), died at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America, where he was receiving treatment for cancer of the immune system.
For Sonny Okosun, one of Nigeria’s great musicians, his story isn’t different. He died May 24, 2008 aged 61, in the U.S after a prolonged battle with cancer. He had also gone to seek medical advice on his deteriorating health. Going further, Yusuf Jibo, former Zonal Director of NTA, who would have turned 55years of age today (February 4th, 2011), lost his live to colon cancer on the 2nd of December 2nd 2010.
Today, one could count prominent Nigerians who have been cut short by this hydra-headed monster. They include wife of former military president, Maryam Babangida, renowned activist and social crusader, Gani Fawehinmi, wife of Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole including indigent Nigerians to name but a few.
Presently, cancer has become one of the leading causes of death in the world,
especially in the developing countries. What is worrisome in a country like Nigeria with over 140 million people is that the detection of the killer disease is usually very late.
However, as the nation joins the rest of the world to mark World cancer day (every February 4th), calls have been made for a coordinated approach towards preparing a working document for national cancer research, and collaboration with stakeholders in cancer care and research, to facilitate national policy on cancer management in Nigeria.
Explaining the aetiology of the disease, Remi Ajekigbe, consultant radiotherapist and oncologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-araba, disclosed that cancer is an abnormal uncontrolled growth in the body that refuses to stop even when the initial trigger has been removed. The oncologist revealed that cancer can occur in any part of the body and spread to other areas as it is the only disease that spreads from the primary side of the body to the other part of the vital organs like the lungs, liver, kidney, heart and brain.
According to him “The spread of the disease to the adjacent and distant structures of the body is as a result of the excessive and progressive multiplication of cells. Don’t forget that the interaction between a person's genetic factors and three categories of external agents, including physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiation; chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, components of tobacco smoke; and biological carcinogens, such as infections from certain viruses, bacteria or parasites can give rise to the growth of cancer cells.”
For his part, Innocent Ujah, Director General of Nigerian Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba Lagos stated that the current estimated 350,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed annually in Nigeria is far from the true cancer crisis in Nigeria.
Speaking at an inaugural meeting of the national Cancer Research Network (CRN) in Lagos last week, the DG stated that a large number of cancers are not detected as majority of Nigerians are poor and live in rural areas far removed from health facilities.
Ujah also noted that the attitude of Nigerians who deny the possibility of them having cancer because of faith and believe system also leaves large cases undetected until it becomes full blown adding that with inadequate research, the problem is even more complicated.
In his words, "Nigeria contributes almost negligible portion to the global body of literature on cancers and most of these are hospital based, perhaps representing the tip of the iceberg as we know that majority of Nigerians live in rural areas, largely poor, far from health facilities and unable to access the facilities. Cancer awareness efforts and screening methods to enhance early detection do not seem to have had much impact on the nation.”
Ujah explained that of the two cancers devastating women in Nigeria (cancers of the breast and the cervix), one has good prognosis if detected early while the other can be prevented but they continue to cost untold hardships and deaths" because of dearth of facilities and other constraints.
Taking a look at the cancer management in Nigeria, the problems of impeded access to health care, ignorance, poverty and a general lack of coordination of issues of health education complicate matters. Worse still, imaging facilities for staging patients with cancer, such as computerized tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are difficult to come by, and when available the cost of such studies put them out of reach of the average citizen.
Even of more concern is fact that clinical services for cancer are grossly inadequate and poorly distributed. Only a few centers have functioning radiotherapy equipment. Radiologic services are generally available, but access is seriously limited by high cost. The same argument of high cost applies to chemotherapy. While pathology services are generally available, the scope of services is limited.
Giving the obvious reality, it is obvious that health authorities in the country need to seek ways to facilitate training and re-training of all cadres of health care workers in cancer care and management he said.
For Ujah “there is the need to coordinate cancer research in the country, collaborate with all stakeholders in cancer care and research, facilitate national policy on cancer management based on research findings and conduct trainings and capacity development in cancer care and research. This is because research findings will in the long run influence national policy, processes and procedures on prevention, treatment and control of common cancers in Nigeria."
For Akin Osibogun, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, “education to help people recognize early signs of cancer and seek prompt medical attention for symptoms, which might include: lumps, sores, persistent indigestion, persistent coughing, and bleeding from the body's orifices is essential. Also, screening programmes to identify early cancer or pre-cancer before signs are recognizable, including mammography for breast cancer, and cytology (a "pap smear") for cervical cancer will further reduce the incidence of cancer related deaths in the country.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)