ROTARY to perform lip surgeries on 100 children

A team of 17 medical workers from the US, Canada and Australia will arrive Nigeria on January 8 to perform free surgeries to correct cleft lip and palate in 100 children.

Nigerian doctors will join in the 12-day surgeries at General Hospital, Ilorin fom January 10 to 22, supported by the Mike Omotosho Foundation and the US-based Alliance for Smiles, and facilitated by twin Rotary International districts in Nigeria and the US and Kwara State government.

“There is an urgent need to invest in children with birth defects and reduce neonatal and under 5 mortality,” said Omotosho, governor of Rotary’s District 9125, in Abuja.

Orofacial cleft (OFC) results when face and lips do not form properly in babies during pregnancy, and are considered the most common malformations not the head and neck in babies.

Rotary has called for a registry to track birth defects, including clefts, across the country.

“The opportunity to provide free surgical care for OFC opens a new vista for public awareness, prevention and research. Surgery is an important and life-saving but largely unreachable component of the services required to treat children with orofacial clefts,” he said.

Rotary to perform lip surgeries on 100 children

A team of 17 medical workers from the US, Canada and Australia will arrive Nigeria on January 8 to perform free surgeries to correct cleft lip and palate in 100 children.

Nigerian doctors will join in the 12-day surgeries at General Hospital, Ilorin fom January 10 to 22, supported by the Mike Omotosho Foundation and the US-based Alliance for Smiles, and facilitated by twin Rotary International districts in Nigeria and the US and Kwara State government.

“There is an urgent need to invest in children with birth defects and reduce neonatal and under 5 mortality,” said Omotosho, governor of Rotary’s District 9125, in Abuja.

Orofacial cleft (OFC) results when face and lips do not form properly in babies during pregnancy, and are considered the most common malformations not the head and neck in babies.

Rotary has called for a registry to track birth defects, including clefts, across the country.

“The opportunity to provide free surgical care for OFC opens a new vista for public awareness, prevention and research. Surgery is an important and life-saving but largely unreachable component of the services required to treat children with orofacial clefts,” he said.

DID YOU KNOW - 9 OUT OF 10 CANCERS ARE DUE TO LIFESTYLE...?

Up to nine in 10 cancers are caused by environmental and external factors such as smoking, drinking, sun exposure and air pollution, a new scientific study has found.

Previous research suggested that random cell mutations played a significant role in the development of tumours, a finding dubbed the ‘bad luck hypothesis.

But scientists now believe that outside influences have a far greater impact, meaning many cancers may be more preventable than previously thought.

The finding is likely to prove controversial as it suggests that people could slash their risk of ever getting cancer if they just made lifestyle changes such as keeping out of the sun, exercising or cutting down on cigarettes.

One British statistician said that the results showed that between 70 and 90 per cent of cancers would not occur if we could ‘magic away’ all the external risk factors.

It follows on from a study published earlier this year which suggested that 65 per cent were inevitable and driven by random mistakes in cell division which are completely outside of our control.

GOOD NEWS: HIV Scourge in Cross River State drops by 0.5%..

The prevalent rate of HIV/AIDS in Cross River State has dropped by 0.5%, a Director of National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Marian Ezekwe has said.

Ezekwe stated this yesterday at the Presbyterian Primary School, Ikom during the commencement of a 4-Day medical and HIV testing and counseling outreach held simultaneously in Ikom and Edor towns,both of Ikom Local Government Area in the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State.

According to her, the state recorded a skyrocketed prevalent rate of 7.1% in 2010, but later recorded a nose dive from 7.1 to 6.6% in 2014, an indication that Cross River was doing its bid in the fight against the HIV/AIDS scourge in the state.

Ezekwe further attributed the reduction of the disease in the state ‘’to the high level of awareness and the desire by people to now come out publicly and receive treatment without fear of stigmatization and discrimination as more people are now more open and forthcoming to checking for the disease’’.
She added that the bill against stigmatization has already been passed into law by the Nigerian National Assembly as more positive developments are now being expected to be recorded in reducing the disease across the country.

While positing that the aim of the exercise was to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ending HIV/AIDS in the year 2030, the NACA Director said: “What we are having here is part of the 999 strategy because our theme for this year is ending AIDS in the year 2030 and the only way you can end AIDS is by knowing your status; what this means is that at least 90% of persons should know their status.”

On his part, Dr. Patrick Olisa, the coordinator of Friends Forever Society, the vendor organization that facilitated the programme in Ikom Local Government Area, said NACA with funding from SURE-P is tackling HIV/AIDS differently this time as the organization now maintains a holistic approach of also checking for other diseases that are perceived to come alongside with the contracting of HIV/AIDS.

According to him, “NACA has changed the plan, we check HIV holistically now multiple diseases, not as HIV alone; they have included other tests; they are checking for weight, height, blood pressure, sugar test, malaria and we have had talks about hygiene, Ebola, safe ante-natal health; and there has been free drugs supply.”

The exercise which is carried out in collaboration with the Cross River state ministry of Health attracted a huge turnout at both the Ikom and Edor centres.

Some of the Beneficiaries including Mrs. Felicia Okpata and Mrs. Akala Edith Christopher thanked the government for affording them the opportunity which they would not have had if they were to source for funds and go to hospital while further urging members of the public to take advantage of the opportunity ‘’because everything from the cards to testing and issuance of drugs are done free of charge.

FACT: MEN ARE BETTER AT FINDING THE WAY THAN WOMEN

A dose of testosterone can help women to navigate better, according to a report published in the journal Behavioral Brain Research. The research also highlights the different areas of the brain used by men and women in wayfinding tasks .

Men and women have different ways of navigating, according to the latest study.

Previous research has shown that in specific spatial tasks, men perform better than women. But it is not clear what role sex hormones play versus cultural conditioning and other factors.

Carl Pintzka, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Department of Neuroscience, and colleagues wanted to investigate whether there are any differences in brain activity when men and women orient themselves.

Using 3D goggles and a joystick, the participants had to orient themselves in a very large virtual maze while images of their brains were continuously recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Men solved 50 % more navigational tasks..(if you have watched the movie MAZE, you will agree with me..lol)

Before the scanning session, the 18 men and 18 women spent an hour learning the layout of the maze.In the scanner, they had 30 seconds to complete each of the 45 navigation tasks, such as "find the yellow car" from different starting points.

RESULT
The men solved 50% more of the tasks than the women.
The scans revealed that the men took shortcuts, oriented themselves more using cardinal directions and used a different part of the brain than the women, suggesting that women and men have different navigational strategies, with men using cardinal directions to a greater degree.

Pintzka concludes that "men's sense of direction was more effective. They quite simply got to their destination faster."

NO ALLOCATION FOR TUBERCULOSIS IN 2015 Budget- Health Minister..!!

Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, has raised the alarm over lack of adequate funding for the health sector, lamenting that the menace of Tuberculosis was not provided for in the 2015 Budget of the ministry.

Adewole, who spoke on Friday in Abuja during an interactive meeting with the House of Representatives Standing Committee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control, said the priority of his ministry will be primary healthcare and a quest for the health sector to be funded appropriately and promoting public health education.

“No budget for TB this year and yet HIV/AIDS is driving TB and TB is driving HIV/AIDS,” the minister said.

He also pointed out the need for legislation on the tiers of healthcare services of primary, secondary and tertiary, saying that the responsibility of each level should be spelt to enhance service delivery.

“I will plead with our legislators to look into this and specify who does what,” Adewole noted.

He told the lawmakers that the lack of National Health Agenda for the country is not helping matters, adding that Nigeria is two years behind the test and treat ideal for disease.

Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Davematics Ombugadu, told the minister and his entourage that the essence of the interactive session was to familiarise with one another ahead of the oversight visits of the committee

Nurses and Midwives of UCTH begin Indefinite Strike...

The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) yesterday began an indefinite strike.

The association, which comprises nurses and midwives, is protesting the alleged non-payment of three years arrears of their uniform allowance, four years arrears of training allowance and other allowances, promotions and the general conditions of the hospital, among others.

UCTH’s NANNM Chairman, Sylvester Ugor, told our reporter that the association started the strike, following what he called the futile attempts to make the management address its demands, especially the payment of uniform allowance.

Members of the union, last week, gave the hospital management a seven-day ultimatum and, since Thursday, have been wearing mufti to work to protest the non-payment of their uniform allowance.

Ugor, whose executive council took over in March, said several negotiations with the hospital management had failed to yield any result.

The chairman said the association would continue the strike until the management settled the debts or made “reasonable commitment”. He urged the hospital management to do something about the situation.

Ugor said: “Want we want is for our money to be paid and we will get back to work. Our job is to save lives, and we are not happy being at home. It is our calling to save lives. If they settle our issues or show reasonable commitment, we would go back to work with immediate effect.

“When we assumed office in March, we presented 11 issues to the hospital’s management to address. It was during a courtesy visit. Surprisingly, nothing has been done. We have had several consultations and nothing happened.”

Authorities of the UCTH refused to comment on the matter.

WOW... The Dad with 54 Children..!

Declan Rooney, who has eight children of his own, insists he receives no money for his work in the UK.

Mr Rooney says he has fathered 17 boys and 14 girls since setting up his donor website last year. He claims another 15 women are pregnant by him. Brushing off criticism, he said: "Egg donors get treated like saints, sperm donors get treated like back alley, smutty boys - but I'm not doing a bad thing. "I'm not ashamed. I have helped women create families."

Mr Rooney, whose eight children were born to four different mothers, travels over 300 kilometres to meet women clients and says he charges only for his expenses.

His website says the service is on offer to lesbian couples, single women, bisexual women and heterosexual couples who cannot conceive themselves. He advertises on Facebook and through a mobile phone app. He claims his service has proved so popular that he even helped three women to conceive in a single 24-hour period.

"I've been inundated from the start," said the former web designer. "There were women who had been trying to have a baby for three or four years so it was very busy to begin with.

"I have helped people who have been to clinics where it's failed, and it has worked first time with me. There are more babies born in the UK by private donation than through private clinics."

Official guidelines for sperm donation state that legitimate donors should help create a maximum of ten families.

Mr Rooney claims to carry out health screening of all potential mothers as well as asking for proof of their income and benefits to ensure they can afford to look after a child.

He has claimed on his website that he is willing to help women either through artificial insemination or "naturally with no strings attached".

But he denies any suggestion that he has slept with women he is supposedly helping.

He told the Sunday Mirror: "I could have gone to bed with quite a few of my successes, but it's not about that. It's about helping other people."

His partner, with whom he has a three-year-old son, a two-year-old daughter and another daughter aged one, is supportive of his sperm donation service.

Experts have also raised fears that his children could grow up in the same area, raising the possibility that half-brothers and sisters might have children together...

What is the theme for World Aids Day 2015?

Celebrated every year on 1 December, World Aids Day 2015 calls for expanding antiretroviral therapy to all people living with HIV, the key to ending the AIDs epidemic within a generation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The day is also a way to demonstrate international solidarity for people living with HIV and to commemorate the spirit of those who have died battling the deadly disease.

Run by WHO as one of its global public health campaigns, World Aids Day was the first ever global health day. Currently in its 28th edition, it was observed for the first time in 1988.

The theme of World Aids Day 2015 is: GETTING TO ZERO; end Aids by 2030.
The theme complies with UNAIDS's fast-track strategy to end the Aids epidemic by 2030. The strategy aims at averting 21 million Aids-related deaths, 28 million new HIV infections and 5.9 million new infections among children by 2030.

"Ending the AIDS epidemic and leaving no one behind in the response will profoundly affect the lives of millions of people around the world, for generations to come," UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe said to mark World Aids Day.

According to a latest global report by UNAIDS, the number of people on life-saving antiretroviral drugs has doubled since 2010, while incidents of new cases have fallen by 35% since 2000. In June, about 15.8 million people out of a total of 37 million people living with HIV were taking the drugs.

"The Millennium Development Goal of reversing the HIV epidemic was reached ahead of the 2015 deadline - an incredible achievement that testifies to the power of national action and international solidarity," WHO director general Margaret Chan said.

EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES around the world...
Tens of thousands of individuals and community groups from across the globe take part in events to mark World Aids Day each year. The activities are also aimed at creating awareness about HIV, on how it is transmitted and how it is not.

The observances are also educated about social stigma against people living with HIV as well as for showing support to those who have the virus. A host of events are line up for the full week to mark World Aids Day around the world.

In the United States, the White House is hosting a World Aids Day event online. Watch the event live on 1 December from 1pm to 3.15pm ET (6pm to 8.15pm BST).

In Rivers State, Nigeria. The State Government has declared free voluntary counseling and testing in all the 23 local government of the state.

STOP THE DISCRIMINATION TODAY.. It could happen to anyone...

WORLD AIDS DAY: 10 facts about HIV/AIDS in 2015

Despite major advances, HIV/AIDS remains one of the world's most significant public health challenges, particularly in low and middle income countries, with new diagnoses every year and young women in sub-Saharan Africa seen as being particularly at risk.

World AIDS Day on December 1 is used to unite people in the fight against HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus first identified in 1984, to show their support for people living with HIV and commemorate those who have died. The member countries of the United Nations agreed in September in a new set of global goals to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Here are some facts about AIDS in 2015 with data from the World Health Organisation, the United Nations children's agency UNICEF, and UNAIDS:

1. Globally about 36.9 million people are living with HIV including 2.6 million children

2. An estimated two million were infected in 2014

3. An estimated 34 million people have died from HIV or AIDS, including 1.2 million in 2014

4. The number of adolescent deaths from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years

5. AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second among adolescents globally

6. In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls account for seven in 10 new infections among those aged 15-19

7. At start of 2015, 15 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy compared to one million in 2001

8. Despite widespread availability of HIV testing, only an estimated 51% of people with HIV know their status

9. The global response to HIV has averted 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million deaths since 2000

10. In 2015, Cuba was the first country declared to have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV

STOP THE DISCRIMINATION TODAY... It could happen to anyone....

BENUE STATE now ranked 9th in HIV/AIDs prevalence in Nigeria...

Mrs Eunice Ortom, wife of Benue State Governor, on Sunday, said that the state was now ranked ninth in the current HIV/AIDS prevalence rating in the country.

Ortom, who is also the Chairman, Board of Governors for Benue State Aids Control Agency (BENSACA), said this during the launch of the “Guinness World Record on HIV Test” in Markurdi.

NAN reports that the HIV/ AIDS prevalence rate by states in Nigeria was published by National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) after the 2013 National Aids Reproductive Health Survey.

It showed that Rivers with 15.2 per cent topped the new prevalence chart, as Taraba with 10.5 per cent is second, while Kaduna has 9.2 per cent to be on the third. Nasarawa, FCT, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto and Oyo are on the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth spots respectively on the prevalence rate chart.

She said Benue had over the years been rated highest in HIV and AIDS prevalence, adding that with such laudable HIV test event, it was indicative that the journey to achieving zero case was “just a mile away”. She also added that “Benue had the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Nigeria, but due to the dedicated and collaborative efforts of BENSACA and other partners, the state had been lifted to be the ninth in the country.

“Our focus over the years is to get to zero prevalence, which implies zero infections, zero HIV-related deaths and zero discrimination against persons with the virus.

The BENSACA chairman quoted a World Health Organisation (WHO) report which indicated that 7,000 persons were newly infected with the virus everyday in spite of the global adoption of getting to zero case.

She said AHF planned to break the Guinness World Record on HIV test by testing 10,000 persons and issuing results to all in eight hours, thereby ensuring that people got access to testing and counseling services as urgently as possible.

The governor’s wife said “the concept of testing 10,000 persons and producing results within eight hours is, therefore, not just an exercise for the purpose of breaking the Guinness World Record, but to send a strong message to the world.

“The message is that testing is the first step to prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS and everyone needs to know his or her status.”

In achieving zero prevalence, Mrs Ortom said, it was critical to target epidemic hot spots in mega cities to ensure equitable access to quality, cost effective HIV prevention and programmes, among others.

She said that the policy statement of UNAIDS and WHO noted that HIV testing must be anchored in a human right approach that paid due respect to ethical principles.

Ortom added that in developing counties like Nigeria, home-based HIV testing and counselling was an emerging approach toward addressing confidentiality issues.

According to her, HIV test must be confidential and must be accompanied by counselling for those who test positive with the informed consent of the person been tested.

Do you agree with this? Leave your comments below...

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY: 10 things you should know about Pneumonia...

Its yet another November 12th, Oh Yes! Its World Pneumonia Day. A day that provides an annual forum for the world to stand together and demand action in the fight against pneumonia. Hence, i have put together 10 things you need to know about Pneumonia.. Please continue reading..

1. The risk of pneumonia is not the same for everyone.
Anyone can contract pneumonia , but the risk is higher for young children, older adults, people who smoke cigarettes and people with chronic health conditions (like asthma, diabetes and HIV/AIDs).

2. Viruses are usually the culprit .
While bacteria is an important cause, most cases of pneumonia are actually caused by viruses like human rhinovirus , influenza or respiratory synctial virus (RSV). There are also many viruses that we don’t normally associate with pneumonia, like measles and chickenpox, that can be causative, as well as fungi and chemical exposures. Unfortunately, the only way to really know the cause of a pneumonia is to get a direct sputum sample, which is difficult.

3. The symptoms of pneumonia are not always fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Pneumonia can also cause chest pain, mimicking a heart condition, and it can cause people to cough up blood, mimicking other serious problems like a pulmonary embolism or pulmonary edema.

4. Pneumonia spans the age groups and acts differently in each one.
A pneumonia in a two-month old child looks very different than a pneumonia in a 16-year old. In fact, many times the only sign of pneumonia in an infant is an increased respiratory rate. Teenagers can often get a "walking pneumonia " that is generally mild enough that they may not even present to a doctor's office. For older adults, the only symptom of pneumonia may be fatigue or confusion.

5. This illness can normally be diagnosed based on history and physical exam alone.
With a good enough story, abnormal vital signs, or abnormal breath sounds, a clinician may be able to tell that you have pneumonia without doing any testingatall. However, a chest x-ray, blood work, and possibly a sputum sample or a nasal swab can help narrow in on the diagnosis and the specific cause.

6. Pneumonia is not always contracted by person-to-person spread.
It is true that it is most transmissible via decreased hand washing practices and close contact with someone who is coughing or sneezing — and thereby spreading his or her respiratory infection. However, pneumonia can also be contracted through aspiration (accidentally getting food or liquid into the respiratory tract), or through faulty cooling systems (like the recent Legionnaire's outbreak).

7. Contracting pneumonia in the hospital is different than contracting it during daily life.
In fact, when diagnosing a patient with pneumonia, clinicians have to specify whether it was acquired in the community (community-acquired pneumonia or CAP) or in a healthcare setting (hospital-acquired pneumonia or HAP). This is because the distinction drastically changes the potential bugs causing the infection and therefore also changes the treatment methods.

8. Vaccines can help prevent the contraction of pneumonia.
In fact, the CDC recommends that every person age 65 and older get vaccinated against pneumonia . People in this age group should should receive two pneumococcal vaccines to help protect against the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae . Children under age five automatically receive four doses of the pneumococcal (Prevnar) vaccine as part of the normal vaccination schedule. Getting a yearly influenza vaccine can also help prevent one of the most common causes of viral pneumonia.

9. Pneumonia can be prevented in certain situations by using an incentive spirometer.
Clinicians worry about pneumonia development when patients are in situations that limit their ability to breathe deeply due to pain or positioning, like during recovery from surgery or rib fractures. It may be more comfortable to breath shallowly, but this predisposes the lungs to infection. For this reason, clinicians prescribe incentive spirometers to encourage patients to take frequent deep breaths.

10. Pneumonia is a GLOBAL health problem.
According to the CDC , pneumonia is the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH younger than age 5 worldwide, killing nearly one million children per year. .

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS ARTICLE... Leave your comment below please....

LASUTH performs First Successful Kidney Transplant...

Yesterday, LASUTH(Lagos State University Teaching Hospital) joined the league of hospitals that offers kidney transplant services following a successful kidney transplant on a 56-year- old man in Lagos.

The life-saving procedure which took two and half hours was the first of its kind in the tertiary institution.

Speaking on the feat, the elated Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Wale Oke, said the successful kidney transplant was part of the state government’s promises to deliver excellent healthcare services to the people of Lagos State.

Oke revealed that prior to the surgery, several consultations were made to ensure that the patients were well selected to avoid complications after the exercise. “But thank God today, both the donor and recipient are in sound health,” he said.The Chief medical Director who assured Lagosians that the hospital would continue to bring such services in-country.

Speaking, leader of the transplant team, a Consultant Nephrologist, Dr. Jacob Awobusuyi, said the initiative was conceived three years ago. Awobusuyi explained that gaining the confidence of the patients was very tough but after the operation, they were both excited.

“Before the operation, both the 56-year-old recipient and the 26-year-old donor who was the patient’s nephew expressed concern. But after the operation they were both fine,” he said.

SAD: Girl Born Without a Face...!!

Khadija Khatoon Khadija, 21, from Kolkata, West Bengal, Eastern India, was born without a face and her mouth is a small slit on the left side of her face. When she was born, concerned doctors were baffled by her condition for months. Although it has never been confirmed, they believe she has a form of neurofibromatosis, a rare deformity that causes tumours to grow along nerves. Medics told Khadija and her family there was nothing they could do after extra skin continued to grow out of control.

“She was born at home but she didn’t open her eyes. She was born with thick heavy eyelids and she looked different to my other children at birth but we didn’t think anything of it until we realised she couldn’t open her eyes properly.” her mother Amina 50, said.

“When we took her to the hospital she was admitted for six months and they did lots of tests but doctors eventually told us there was nothing they could do. Because the doctors told us there was nothing they could do we never went back to them. And as Khadija got older she refused any help. Doctors told us when she was a baby that if she attempted surgery she could die, so we have lived with that fear. Now that Khadija is much older she has decided herself that she doesn’t want to have surgery. She doesn’t want to risk dying.”

Khadija said:
“I’m made this way and I accept it graciously. I do what I can. If this is how I’m meant to be then I live with it. It’s not a matter of coping, I just live as I am”She continued: “I don’t have any real friends but I have my family. My family is my only friend and I love them dearly. My parents are my world. I don’t talk to strangers. This is who I am and this is the life I live and I fill my days sitting and thinking, talking to my mother about life and going for walks near my home. I like drinking tea. I am happy in this life”

What do you think about Her Condition.. Leave your comments below...

BABY BORN WITH ONE EYE(CYCLOPIA)

The tragic infant is expected to only live a few days as a result of
suffering from the rare birth defect cyclopia.

The boy, whose family chose to release the image, was born at a
private hospital to an Egyptian mother in the town of El
Senbellawein, northern Egypt.

It is reported that doctors think the deformities could be the result
of medicines taken by the mother or from radiation exposure.

The infant has a full head of hair, large ears and other deformities
on his body says Dr Ahmed Badruddin, who is supervising the baby’s
condition.

Dr Ahmed Badruddin said due to the infant’s condition, he was only
expected to survive for short time...

In recent years there have been a number of reported cases of the
cyclopia occurring in humans and animals.

In 2012 a kitten was born with an eye in the centre of its head with
no developed nose.

And in 2006 a baby girl in India passed away one day after being
born as a result of the condition and her brain being fused into a
single hemisphere.

The condition occurs once in every 250 embryos but often sees the
pregnancy fail to last a full term.

Keep staying Healthy, Informed and Entertained...