NAN Archive

Loading

NAN Archive

Tag outbreak

  • Mar, Wed, 2020
Health

Coronavirus: BSPHMN tour media establishments in Bauchi

Collaboration
Amina Ahmed
Bauchi, March 18,2020 (NAN) Some journalists in Bauchi have called for the intensification of collaboration by stakeholders as a proactive measure in tackling the increasing threat of coronavirus in the country.

The journalists, under the aegis of Bauchi State Public Health Media Network (BSPHMN), made the call in Bauchi on Wednesday when they toured media establishments in the state.

They, in particular, solicited for the cooperation of heads of media organizations in the onerous task of enlightening the people on the scope of the threat, as well as the recommended practice to reduce such threat.

In her remarks, Miss Elizabeth Carr, Focal Person of DevCom, a non-governmental organisation in Bauchi, explained that BSPHMN was inaugurated few weeks ago as a result of a training conducted for journalists on public health issues by the NGO.

She said that the crop of journalists were drawn from Print and Broadcast media organizations working in the state, who had volunteered to reach out and educate the teeming populace in the state on issues relating to public health.

Carr, herself a journalist with the state-owned television station, called for the cooperation of heads of media establishments in the discharge of the all-important responsibility.

In her speech, Chairperson of BSPHMN, Mrs Bulak Afsa, promised that apart from issues bordering on coronavirus, journalists would ensure that information on neglected tropical diseases were disseminated.

Afsa, who is also the Chairperson of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in the state, called for dedication in the discharge of such all-important social responsibility.

In their separate responses, heads of media establishments in the state pledged to cooperate with the journalists by rendering the necessary support in the service of humanity.

Malam Abdullahi Salihu, Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bauchi Zonal office, said that journalists should gear up in sensitizing people considering the monumental threat posed by coronavirus.

He pledged the support of NAN Bauchi zonal in ensuring the realization of the objectives of BSPHMN in the state.

On his part, the Managing Director of Bauchi State Television (BATV), Alhaji Ibrahim Shall, promised to provide airtime for the dissemination of health and health-related issues.

Similarly, the Acting Managing Director of Bauchi State Radio Cooperation (BRC), Alhaji Sirajo Ma’aji, said the station would engage all its 13 Community Radio Stations across the state in sensitizing people to appreciate and embrace recommended hygiene practices.

Ma’aji, who was represented by a senior management staff of the station, said as journalists, the need for continues campaigns through the conventional media on hand washing and personal hygiene, could not be over-emphasised.

In their separate remarks, General Managers ,Radio Nigeria Globe Fm and Albarka Radio, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi and Alhaji Dauda Ciroma, said their stations had dedicated programmes and recently introduced round-table media chat with experts and Media practitioners as part of effort to educate members of the public on various health issues.(NAN)

AE/ASH

Health

Asokoro Hospital dismisses Lassa fever outbreak

Asokoro Hospital dismisses Lassa fever outbreak
By Ummul Idris
Lassa fever
Abuja, Feb. 28, 2019 (NAN) Dr Afiomah Uche, the Medical Director of Asokoro District Hospital, FCT, has dismissed speculations of suspected cases of Lassa fever in the hospital, describing the rumour as “baseless, unfounded and dangerous’’.
Uche said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the message currently going round on social media was an old untrue message of over a year ago.
It therefore called on the public not to panic as the Federal Capital Territory Public Health Department had put adequate measures in place to manage such challenges.
The national response of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is also in place to checkmate such outbreak of the fever, the statement added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most residents of Abuja had been in panic mood since they got information on social media suggesting an outbreak of Lassa fever in Asokoro hospital.
The message purportedly emanated from one Dr Bewaji whose other identity could not be verified.
The message read: “Please there is suspected case of Lassa fever in Asokoro District Hospital now, nobody should come to the accident and emergency unit of the hospital.’’
According to the trending message, the “disease is deadly, we lost two nurses and a doctor already, it is serious; please don’t go near anyone with fever.
“Don’t go near any hospital premises for now, Lassa fever is real and killing people fast, please pass it round’’.
The hospital however called on the residents to discountenance such message and visit the hospital when the need arises. (NAN)
UMD/FF/MST
Edited by Fela Fashoro/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Medical expert advocates standard precautions against disease outbreak

Medical expert advocates standard precautions against disease outbreak

By Usman Aliyu
Diseases
Ilorin, Dec. 13, 2018 (NAN) Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, Director of Public Health, Kwara Ministry of Health, has identified Lassa and Yellow fevers as form of the Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (VHF) presently ravaging the country.

Fakayode made the remark while delivering a paper on Thursday in Ilorin at the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Kwara chapter of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN).

The theme of the paper is: “Common Viral Haemorrhagic Disease: Approach to Management and Prevention”.

According to him, over 300,000 cases of Lassa fever are recorded in the country yearly resulting in 500 deaths.

The director explained that outbreak of diseases was mostly caused by lack of personal hygiene among patients and even health workers.

“Dead bodies management is also important because they can also constitute a problem. There is a need for burial management committee to ensure that infected bodies are properly managed and supervised by medical practitioners.

“Even in death, body is still highly risky in term of infection,” he warned.

The medical practitioner warned against public transportation of any suspected VHF patient, noting that such action is risky and could aid the viral infectious diseases.

Fakayode, however, claimed that the standard precautions against a disease outbreak in the country is for health workers to see blood and body fluid of patients as potential source of infection.

In his presentation on “Management of Head and Neck Cancer in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects”, Dr Biodun Sulaiman stated that head and neck cancer rate in the country was rising gradually from what it was used to be in the past.

He said that about 500,000 cases of the cancer were being recorded worldwide yearly from the previous cases of 100,000.

He, however, identified insufficient manpower, lack of modern equipment and political will as challenges facing management of the disease in Nigeria.

Sulaiman, who is a consultant Otorhinolaryngologist and Director, Research and Training, University of Ilorin, sought improvement in budgetary provision for cancer treatment and advocacy on stakeholders to be committed financially to the course.

Speaking on “Global Scourge of Antimicrobial Resistance: Current Approach to Surveillance and Management”, Dr Sherifat Sulaiman warned against purchase of antibiotic drugs without prescription.

Sulaiman noted that some sets of bacteria, fungi and parasites had formed resistant to some antibiotic drugs, the situation she blamed on indiscriminate take-in of antibiotic drugs.

The medical expert, who warned her colleagues to be cautious in the prescription of antibiotic drugs without laboratory confirmation, said studies had found malaria parasites resistant to Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) in some countries.

She called for the development of new antibiotic drugs, saying that bacteria, fungi and parasites had all formed resistant to one antibiotic or the other. (NAN)
AUO/JEO/MST
Edited by Janefrances Oraka/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Cholera outbreak claims 13 lives in Yobe

Cholera outbreak claims 13 lives in Yobe
By Mohammed Mamman
Cholera
Gashua (Yobe), April 4, 2018 (NAN) A cholera outbreak in Gashua, Yobe, has claimed 13 lives out of 160 cases reported in the last six days, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A source at the Gashua General Hospital told NAN that five deaths were first recorded while eight lives were later lost to the disease.
The source said that the victims were brought in from Sabon Gari, Katuzu, Zango, Lawan Musa and Sarkin Hausawa, which were among the areas worst affected by the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the State Government has despatched a Rapid Response Team to contain the outbreak and spread of the disease.
Alhaji Mohammed Bukar, the General Manager, Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), confirmed that the response team has embarked on chlorinating water reservoirs and disinfecting toilet facilities in the area.
He said aqua tablets were also distributed to households while promotion of personal hygiene had been intensified to curtail spread of the disease.
Bukar attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene, adding “we collected water samples from various sources, and using the bacteriological test kit, we discovered some private boreholes with contaminated water”.
He said shallow boreholes managed by private individuals are prone to contamination.
“There is the need to pass the water law in good time to check the excesses of some private boreholes who abuse due process and put the lives of the people at risk,” the general manager said.
According to Bukar, water samples from five boreholes in Gashua which tested positive have been shut down while more samples have been taken for advance laboratory analysis.
He said communities in neighbouring Karasuwa and Yusufari Local Government Areas have been disinfected and provided with aqua tablets to check possible spread.
Similarly, the Senate Leader, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has provided fluids and drugs to the Gashua general hospital for treatment of victims at the hospital.
Alhaji Habu Kaku, aide to the leader of the Senate, told NAN that the donation of the drugs and fluids was to complement government efforts in the treatment of the victims.
“This is a first phase intervention to arrest the unexpected outbreak and to compliment the efforts of the state government in curtailing the menace,” Kaku said. (NAN)
MM/CEO/MST
Edited by Chidi Opara/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Adamawa Govt confirms 2 cases of CSM

Adamawa Govt confirms 2 cases of CSM 

NAN-HG-8

CSM

by Muhammad Adam

Yola, April 11, 2017 (NAN) The Adamawa Government has confirmed recording two cases of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Song and Yola South Local Government Areas.

Dr Fatima Atiku, the state Commissioner for Health, said this on Tuesday in a statement made available to newsmen in Yola.

Atiku however said that quick response teams had been deployed to the affected areas to curtail the spread of the disease.

“Recently, to my dismay, Adamawa State also the recorded two cases in week 13 from Song and Yola South Local Government Areas, respectively.

“While that of song was confirmed to be Stereotype “C”, the one in Yola South is Stereotype “A”,’’ Atiku said.

The commissioner noted that no death has resulted from any of the two cases even though they were with different strains.

Atiku said government had since ensured isolation and prompt treatment of the two diagnosed cases in the Specialist Hospital Yola and the Song Cottage Hospital.

According to her, the state government was collaborating with other relevant partners including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

She said that drugs and supplies had been supplied for the management of the cases.

“Active surveillance teams were also mounted in all the 21 local government areas especially in those affected communities,’’ said the commissioner. (NAN) AMA/OSA

Edited by Shittu Obassa/Muhammad Suleiman Tola