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Malaria: Enugu Govt want residents to undergo medical test before treatment

Malaria: Enugu Govt want residents to undergo medical test before treatment

NAN-HG-1

Malaria

Enugu, April 25, 2017 (NAN) The Enugu State Government on Tuesday advised residents to go for medical test before starting the treatment of malaria fever.

The State Director of Public Health, Dr Okechukwu Ossai, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that several diseases were wrongly presented to be malaria fever.

“People must be sure they have malaria before taking medication by going for test because several diseases are usually presented as fever,’’ he said.

Ossai urged the people to always keep their environment clean in order to avoid malaria in their homes.

He said that the state ministry of health had been fighting malaria in all the 17 local government areas of the state.

“The state health ministry had been calling on residents to keep their environment clean by draining stagnant water in order to put malaria, a disease caused by anopheles mosquitoes, at bay.

“For many years now, the Enugu State health officials had been carrying out their duties in rural and urban areas so as to make sure that good hygiene is maintained by the citizens,’’ he said.

Ossai noted that malaria thrived in dirty environment.

According to him, cleaning the surroundings is non-negotiable to rid the state of the disease.

The director added that the health ministry had been providing long insecticide nets to expectant mothers and children in order to avoid mosquitoes and malaria in their homes.

He said that environmental sanitation was a good strategy, which must continue to be promoted to discourage mosquitoes from breeding.

Ossai explained that the state health ministry had gone into partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in making the state a malaria-free environment.

He advised residents to always sleep under the long insecticide net, adding that this will help prevent the disease in their surroundings. (NAN)

OJI/AJA/MST

Edited by Adeleye Ajayi/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

NMA canvasses free treatment for depression patients

NMA canvasses free treatment for depression patients

NAN-HG-9

Treatment

By AdulFatai Beki

Ilorin, April 7, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has canvassed free treatment by the three tiers of government for patients affected with depression to reduce cases of suicides among Nigerians.

The Chairman of NMA in Kwara, Dr Kunle Olawepo, made the call in a statement issued in llorin on Friday to commemorate the 2017 World Health Day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that April 7 is marked globally by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as World Health Day.

He noted that most Nigerians were currently suffering from depression and other related illnesses, which normally leads to suicide in many cases.

Olawepo added that the introduction of free medical treatment by government and organisations would save the lives of many Nigerians.

The chairman said that about 50 per cent cases of major depression still go untreated, adding that it is responsible for high rate of suicide in the country.

He advised Nigerians to eat regularly, relax, exercise, avoid alcohol and use drugs prescribed by health professionals.

The theme for this year’s event is “DEPRESSION: LET’S TALK!’’. (NAN)

BEKI /JPE/MST

Edited by Joseph Edeh/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Sokoto State Govt treats 10,000 CSM, malaria patients in 9 days – Commissioner

Sokoto State Govt treats 10,000 CSM, malaria patients in 9 days – Commissioner

NAN-HG-5

Treatment

By Bashir Rabe Mani

Sokoto, March 29,2017 (NAN) The Sokoto State Government says it has treated no fewer than 10,000 Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) and malaria patients from March 20 to date.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government declared a state of high alert on the health sector following the outbreak of an uncommon strain of CSM.

The State Health Commissioner, Dr Balarabe Kakale, disclosed this to NAN in Sokoto on Wednesday when he gave an update on the declaration.

Kakale stated that the patients were mostly treated in the seven worst hit local government areas of Rabah, Kebbe, Tureta, Gada, Dange/Shuni, Wamakko and Bodinga.

He said: “The patients were treated in the 23 local governments of the state, in General Hospitals and Primary Health Care Centres.

“They were treated of mixed cases of both meningitis and malaria, with some pockets of other minor ailments.

“The state government had since then deployed 15 medical teams across the state and they have been working with others deployed by the local governments.”

Kakale also said that the teams have ambulances, free drugs and vaccines, medical doctors, nurses and medical laboratory scientists, among others.

He further said that the Ministry of Health was collaborating with those of Education, Local Governments and Religious Affairs, to contain the situation.

“We are collaborating with the Ministry of Education and we have issued the standard operating procedures for schools.

“This is to prevent the various primary and secondary schools from getting afflicted with the meningitis epidemic.

“We are also collaborating with the Religious Affairs Ministry to prevent the myriad of Qur’anic and Islamiya Schools from same,” the commissioner said.

Kakale further stated that the state government has commenced massive immunisation of children and adults against meningitis.

He assured that the measure would be sustained until all the targeted number of children and adults were fully immunised.

Kakale expressed happiness that the situation has been brought under total control, with the mortalities going down across the state.

“We will not relent in our efforts to completely mitigate the epidemic,” the commissioner said.

NAN recalls that Kakale had on March 27 put the death toll caused by the meningitis epidemic at 23.

NAN however recalls that four more mortalities were confirmed on March 28 by the Chairman of Rabah Local Government Council.

The Supervisory Councillor for Health in the area, Alhaji Abubakar Gwaddodi, and the Officer in charge of the Rabah General Hospital, Mr Abubakar Bala, on Wednesday also confirmed two additional deaths. (NAN)

BRM/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Association demands subsidised treatment of eye ailments in Nigeria

Association demands reduced treatment of eye ailments in Nigeria

NAN-HG-6

Treatment

By Yashim Katurak

Abuja, March 14, 2017 (NAN) The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) on Tuesday called for subsidised cost of treating eye challenges in the country.

Dr Ozy Okonokhua, a member of the association in FCT, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Okonokhua was speaking on the sidelines of the celebration of the World Glaucoma Week (WGW) being commemorated on March 12 to 18, with the theme: “Beat Invisible Glaucoma’’.

He said that with the high cost of eye treatment in the country, the association resolved to provide free screening and treatment for persons in rural communities to reduce the financial burden on them.

Okonokhua said the intervention was becoming increasingly difficult to handle by the organisation, hence the need for the public, government and stakeholders’ support.

“What the association does from time to time is to conduct screening exercises in rural areas because this are the people who have little or no access to eye healthcare, so we take care to them at their community.

“In as far as glaucoma is concerned because of the cost implication; it is not what the association can do alone because glaucoma cannot be treated but rather managed throughout one’s life time.

“This means that there is need for follow-up, continues treatment and tests. One cannot say that he or she has treated glaucoma once and that is all.

“As an association we are not able to completely provide help to people on our own especially at the grassroots level, so we need all stakeholders to partner with us to achieve this,” Okonokhua said.

He said that the association would not relent in its efforts to create awareness and help in diagnosing the condition especially at the early stages to improve the chances of recovering.

The optometrician said the association was conducting free eye screening for all FCT residents at all eye clinics and government hospitals for one week.

“We are conducting free glaucoma screening at all eye clinics in the FCT from 10 a.m to 2 p.m throughout the World Glaucoma Week, which is holding from March 12 to 18.

“Some of the hospitals and clinics include Asokoro District Hospital; National Hospital; Garki Hospital; University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada; Rachael Eye Center, Garki, and State House medical centre, Asokoro.

“Others are Fortress eye hospital, Zone 1; Havillah eye hospital, Jabi; Modelcare hospital eye clinic, Garki; and the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, among others,” he added.

According to Okonokhua, the best way to protect one’s sight from glaucoma is to have the eyes tested.

NAN also reports that glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye diseases where vision is lost due to damage to the optic nerve.

Generally there are no symptoms or warning signs in the early stages of this eye condition.

The loss of sight is usually gradual and a considerable amount of side vision may be lost before there is an awareness of any problem. (NAN)

KRY/OIF/MST

Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola