Society seeks govt. support to prevent hearing loss
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by felicia imohimi11 the theme of the agm was manpower development for otorhinolaryngology practice in nigeria time for subspecialist training with hearing and speech rehabilitation in nigeria and emerging infections in otorhinolaryngology as sub theme1 the society made the call in a communique issued at the end of its annual general conference in abuja on thursday1 the communique was signed by prof. onyekwere nwaorgu the president of pan african federation of otorhinolaryngological societies pafos and immediate past president of orlson as well as prof. titus ibekwe immediate past secretary of orlson1 the society noted that such strategies should include hearing screening programmes and enforcement of legislation against noise pollution1 the society commended the federal government for constituting technical committee to produce the nigerian national strategic policy on ear and hearing care1 it however urged government to enforce legislation against avoidable risks of otorhinolaryngology orl diseases1 it further urged the populace to embrace the culture of early presentation of ear nose and throat ent cases to specialists to ensure good management1 the otorhinolaryngological society of nigeria orlson has solicited the support of government on strategies for the prevention of hearing loss early detection and other interventions1 it identified the conference as part of efforts by orlson to champion the cause of uplifting and advancing otorhinolaryngology practice in nigeria to compete favorably with global best practices1 the communique however urged government to support training and research and to establish more national ear care centres neccs at least one in each geopolitical zone1 it noted that government should encourage and establish suitable training programmes for the development of human resources in the field of ear and hearing care1 it is desirable that government funds researches to determine national prevalence of common orl diseases in nigeria1 government should support and fund cochlear implant surgery programmes and also encourage programmes that will improve availability and accessibility of diagnostic and adjunct therapeutic tools in the country1 the communique identified new leadership of orlson as prof. abubakar salisu president and dr aliyu kodiya as secretary1 the society assured of its commitment to ensure the production of highly specialised manpower for otorhinolaryngology practice in the country1

NGO tasks government, stakeholders on poverty eradication
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by felicia imohimi11 we realised that the only way to alleviate these problems and meet 2030 sdgs target is to create programmes to cater for the need of children and women adediran said1 mr adah shem executive director of the organisation made the plea during an awareness campaign on psycho-social maternal healthcare assistance programme pmh held in abuja on saturday1 the pmh programme is an initiative of the advocacy for support of community needs and development initiativesan ngo meant to provide indigent children with free access to primary healthcare academic grants food shelter and psycho-social counseling1 shem said that such collaborative measure was key in reducing poverty maternal and newborn deaths as well as achievement of the sustainable development goals by 20301 he suggested that challenges like lack of food lack of access to primary healthcare schools and social amenities and infrastructure development like potable water among others should be addressed1 shem said that ifchildren and women are empowered academically and with entrepreneurial skills they will be self reliant and this will reduce street hawking begging among others1 children need to be in school and that orphan needs proper care1 one of the key issues bedeviling development particularly in developing countries is project implementation be it from the start planning stage to the implementation and monitoring1 the advocacy for development health and environmental sustainability an ngo has urged the government and other policy makers to fulfil their promises to eradicate poverty1 we want to see transparency in management of funds and fulfilment of promises made during electioneering processes1 if we say we want to eradicate poverty we must be serious about it. stakeholders csos must join forces so that we can achieve results1 whatever any stakeholder is doing is geared toward sdgs so we are calling for more hands more people more actors to support in the actualisation of sdgs1 no one organisation can achieve it all and neither can government be able to drive it all. so everybody must be transparent responsible and accountable in whatever he or she is doing to enable us meet sdgs target by 2030 he said1 mr adedamola adediran president and founder of advocacy for support of community needs and development initiatives said the group would collaborate with other ngos institutions to improve the lives of the people and ensure better life for the vulnerable group1 according to him the objective of the pmh campaign was to chart a course to eradicate poverty1 the pmh was initiated because of inequality deprivation child poverty because women and children are most affected by poverty in the country1 so we must collaborate in the area of advocacy. we want accountability of the little resources we have1

Clean Foundation harps on benefit of proper waste disposal
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by felicia imohimi11 a book titled tom and his hand washing friends promoting personal hygiene and authored by chikezie was also unveiled at the event1 miss ijeoma chikezie the president and founder of the organisation gave the advice in a sideline interview with the news agency of nigeria nan at the maiden edition of its national health advancement conference nahac in abuja1 chikezie a 25-year-old medical laboratory scientist and miss united nations world habitat recipient identified environmental cleanliness as the responsibility of all and sundry not restricted to the government1 the lab scientist who decried the rate of inappropriate waste disposal and poor hygiene practices by the populace however urged them to desist warning that it is dangerous to our health environment been our habits1 our environment is our habitat if you keep it clean you are keeping yourself clean and healthy let us help the government by keeping our environment clean and make their job easier1 environmental cleanliness is everybodys responsibility it does not end with the government it also behoves on every one of us to keep our environment clean she said1 chikezie said the conference was informed based on her passion for environmental health hygiene and cleanliness1 help keep clean foundation has advised nigerians against inappropriate disposal of municipal waste describing it as hazardous to health1 chikezie who identified some of the hazards to include flood and tremors attributed them to unhealthy practices like inappropriate waste disposal and open defecation among others1 she decried the number of lives and property lost yearly across the country outbreak of infectious diseases due to i dont care attitude1 according to her the conference will discuss and proffer solutions or ways in which individuals and governments can help solve this numerous environmental problems1 the mission of our organisation is to improve clean water adequate sanitation and hygiene in rural communities and schools to protect and defend childs right and privileges1 our vision is also to sustainably empower women and vulnerable children through quality education and care to break the circle of poverty hunger diseases illiteracy and maternalchild mortality chikezie said1 highlight of the event include presentation of awards to dr mike omotosho the founder omotosho foundation mr ibrahim jibril the minister of environment and wife of the senate president mrs toyin saraki among others1 she explained that the theme environmental health re-awakening national awareness on environmental hazards and safety was aimed at addressing numerous environmental challenges or hazards facing the country1

Stakeholders want family planning, others in info platforms
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by felicia imohimi11 when developed the strategic plan will be leveraged upon by development partners and donors in strengthening the regulatory capacity of pcn and ensure cps and ppmvs provide quality fp and other phc information and services1 the stakeholders made the call at the inaugural meeting for the development of pcn fp and other primary health care phc strategic plan in collaboration with the psn-pacfah@scale in abuja1 the stakeholders included the federal ministry of health fmoh pharmacists council of nigeria pcn national agency for food and drug administration and control nafdac and pharmaceutical society of nigeria psn-partnership for advocacy in child and family health @scale project pacfah@scale1 others are community pharmacists and ppmvs society for family healthintegrate project among others1 they identified such platforms to include the national health management information system nhmis and the national family planning dashboard noting that community pharmacies and patent medicines shops were solution to achieving universal health coverage1 giving an overview of the strategic plan dr edwin akpotor programme manager psn-pacfah@scale said the plan would itemise what the council intended doing in repositioning cps and ppmvs in providing extended services1 akpotor said the three years strategic plan which would commence from 2019 to 2021 was meant for fp service delivery adding that for nigeria to achieve universal health coverage uhc there was need to include private sector healthcare provision1 stakeholders in health sector have urged the federal government to include family planning fp and other primary healthcare services provided by community pharmacists cps and patent and proprietary medicines vendors ppmvs in information platforms1 he emphasised that with the current task shifting and task sharing tsts policy of the government more services would be given to cps and ppmvs1 akpotor said the federal government at the july 2017 london fp2020 summit made a commitment to expand the fp services that community-based health practitioners such as cps ppmvs among others can provide1 through this commitment the government believes the current fp unmet need can be bridged while increasing access to critical fp information and services especially in hard-to-reach environment and ultimately achieving the countrys modern contraceptive prevalence rate goal mcpr1 in supporting the government to achieve this commitment and others the psn-pacfah@scale project is supporting pcn to develop a strategic plan blue print on re-positioning and strengthening the fp and other phc services provided by cps and ppmvs1 through the plan the council needs to have a plan on how to operationalise the tsts monitor ensure supportive supervision of this group to provide accurate exact services they are met to do he said1 akpotor identified some of the task of the council to include demand creation and generation creating awareness ensuring that the practitioners provide the relevant information and services1 according to him such measures will enable them to give right information to their clients or make a referral to the appropriate quarters when the need arise1 according to the 2013 national demographic and health survey ndhs 60 per cent of nigerians patronise or obtain their services and other phc services from private sector which is the cps and ppmvs1

Nigerian emerges vice-chairman Intl Advisory Board of AmericanAcademy
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by felicia imohimi11 iab strengthens and enhances informationexchange among all ent societies and the aaohnsf. it also supports the general good of patientsspecialty and the medical profession he explained1 the news agency of nigerianan reports that ibekwewas elected at the ongoing world congress of the aaohnsf in georgia atlanta and he becomes the first nigerian to be elected into iab since the inception of the academy 122 years ago1 nan also reports that ibekwe who is currently the head of department otorhinolaryngology ent head and neck university of abuja and university of abuja teaching hospital member-board of the university college hospital uchibadan is also a member of the governing board of the academy1 otorhinolaryngology is a surgical sub-specialty within medicine that deals with conditions of the ear nose and throat ent and related structures of the head and neck1 speaking in a telephoneinterview with nan he stated that nigeria is being represented for the first time at the american academy of otorhinolaryngology head and neck foundation aaohnsf board of directors since its inception 122 years ago1 prof. titus ibekwe the national secretary of the otorhinolaryngological society of nigeria has been electedvice-chairman of the international advisory board iab of the american academy of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery foundation aaohnsf1 the election according to him featured more than 70 member countries of the association1 the ent surgeon explained that the board serves as an avenue of communication between aaohnsf membership and international otolaryngology-head and neck surgery organisationssocieties worldwide1 ibekwe noted that this would further and solidify a shared global commitment to excellence demonstrated by the members of the specialty1 according to him the board also makes recommendations regarding the programmes and policies of the aaohnsf that foster a global otolaryngology communication and promote the highest standards in clinical care through communications education research and collaboration1 this is the first time a black african is elected into the board of the academy. so it is a great honour and accolade for the country and africa he said1

World Sight Day: School of Blind begs for adequate funding
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by felicia imohimi11 though we still lack a lot of facilities in the school but the school has really helped us she said1 mrs regina dung head teacher of the school made the appeal in jabi on thursday during a road walk organised by the nigerian optometric association noa in commemoration of the 2018 world sight day with the theme universal eyecare1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the world sight day is commemorated globally every second thursday of october1 the day was set aside by international communities to draw attention of governments and other stakeholders to the challenges facing the populace in respect to eye care1 the head teacher expressed displeasure that the school was poorly funded considering expectations to be met as well as the enormous challenges of the pupils1 on some of the challenges impeding quality academic performance in the school dung said they include lack of teaching aid inadequate funding and lack of conducive learning environment1 a book for the regular child goes for n50 while a brail paper for the visually impaired child goes for n35001 the environment is not conducive for the visually impaired people to move around independently so we solicit for government to come to our aid to improve their learning skills and well-being1 the management of school of the blind jabi fct on has solicited the support of government for improved funding to ensure academic excellence of the visually impaired pupils1 also 80 per cent of the visually impaired pupils are from poor socio-economic background and cannot afford the cost of these aids1 ordinary n5000 would have prevented majority of them from going blind but due to poor financial status of their parents they find themselves in this condition the head teacher said1 speaking on behalf of the pupils of the school blessing okon a visually impaired commended noa for counting them worthy to participate in the commemoration1 she however noted some of their challenges to include inadequate computers lack of brail machines and typewriters1 according to her if these machines are available in the school it will go a long way to aid their writing skills and capability1 when i got blind some years ago i thought all hope of schooling was gone1 i never knew that being handicapped does not deter anyone from forging ahead academically1 so if government is allocating one million naira to regular schools it should allocate three million to visually impaired schools this will enhance academic performance1

World Sight Day: Optometrists want eye treatment equipment produced locally
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by felicia imohimi11 the theme of the 2018 world sight day is universal eye-care and the days call for action is eye-care everywhere1 the president of the association dr ozy okonokhua made the plea in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan ahead of the of the observance of world sight day on every october 111 okonokhua further explained that local production of drugs and preparations would further reduce the current rate of blindness and vision impairment in the country1 reduction in tariff on importation of ophthalmic equipment and engagement of local players in the producing ophthalmic drugs and preparations are also part of remedies in ensuring availability accessibility to quality affordable eye care by majority of the populace he said1 okonokhua attributed the present burden of blindness in the country to high cost of ophthalmic equipment and drugs high cost of living and lack of access to eye-care in the rural areas among others1 nigerian optometric association noa on wednesday in abuja solicited the local production of ophthalmic drugs and equipment eye medications to make eye care services accessible to more people1 eye-care is not isolated from the general issues affecting healthcare in the country and on the global scene1 most of the people who should access healthcare are not able to do so because of location and finance he said1 he said that the observance of world sight day is an avenue for eye-care providers to enlighten the public on measures to adopt in order to reduce the prevalence of blindness1 okonokhua therefore urged governments to collaborate with non-governmental organisations in preventing blindness1 he observed that if the government reduced the tariff on imported ophthalmic equipment and drugs eye care services would be more affordable to large number of nigerians1

Council inducts 45 foreign trained laboratory scientists
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by felicia imohimi11 she further appreciated their parents for investing in their academic pursuit in order for them to actualise their dreams and aspirations. nan2 mr tosan erhabor acting registrar of the council while inducting the professionals in abuja said the graduands were inducted having scaled through the seven months pre-qualification training and examination2 erhabor who described the induction as third in the series noted that no fewer than 179 foreign trained scientists have so far been inducted by the council since the commencement of the pre-qualification training programme and examination2 while congratulating the inductees for their success erhabor described them as the future of the profession2 he however urged them to brace up for the challenges ahead in order to move the profession to an enviable height2 in spite of how profound or robust your training or the pedigree of your training or sophistication of training apparatus mlscn still owed it a duty to ensure you went through the process of adaptation and integration as part of prerequisite for licensure2 act 11 2003 section 4a empowers the council to determine from time to time the standard of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become medical laboratory scientists medical laboratory technicians and medical laboratory assistants2 the medical laboratory science council of nigeria mlscn has inducted 45 foreign graduates of medical laboratory science2 erhabor tasked the inductees of ideal teamwork efficiency dedication due process among other elements that would ensure international best practices2 he reminded them that the council had zero tolerance to all forms of professional misconducts adding that such could bring disrepute to the profession and cherished families2 erhabor said the profession needs your services at every level of healthcare delivery and you must profitably harness your full potentials as young scientists2 it is expected of you to bring ideal teamwork efficiency dedication adherence to due process respect for self and others and other elements of international best practices as you have imbibed in the course of your training overseas2 if you are unable to make a difference through exemplary conduct you would be contributing to the sad narrative of those who failed to live up to their full potentials2 one of the inductees oyinloye olayemi who spoke on behalf of the inductees thanked the almighty god and the council for deeming them fit for the induction2 section 4 empowers it to assess evaluate and register foreign graduates of medical laboratory science erhabor noted2

Council inducts 45 foreign trained laboratory scientists
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by felicia imohimi11 she further appreciated their parents for investing in their academic pursuit in order for them to actualise their dreams and aspirations. nan2 mr tosan erhabor acting registrar of the council while inducting the professionals in abuja said the graduands were inducted having scaled through the seven months pre-qualification training and examination2 erhabor who described the induction as third in the series noted that no fewer than 179 foreign trained scientists have so far been inducted by the council since the commencement of the pre-qualification training programme and examination2 while congratulating the inductees for their success erhabor described them as the future of the profession2 he however urged them to brace up for the challenges ahead in order to move the profession to an enviable height2 in spite of how profound or robust your training or the pedigree of your training or sophistication of training apparatus mlscn still owed it a duty to ensure you went through the process of adaptation and integration as part of prerequisite for licensure2 act 11 2003 section 4a empowers the council to determine from time to time the standard of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become medical laboratory scientists medical laboratory technicians and medical laboratory assistants2 the medical laboratory science council of nigeria mlscn has inducted 45 foreign graduates of medical laboratory science2 erhabor tasked the inductees of ideal teamwork efficiency dedication due process among other elements that would ensure international best practices2 he reminded them that the council had zero tolerance to all forms of professional misconducts adding that such could bring disrepute to the profession and cherished families2 erhabor said the profession needs your services at every level of healthcare delivery and you must profitably harness your full potentials as young scientists2 it is expected of you to bring ideal teamwork efficiency dedication adherence to due process respect for self and others and other elements of international best practices as you have imbibed in the course of your training overseas2 if you are unable to make a difference through exemplary conduct you would be contributing to the sad narrative of those who failed to live up to their full potentials2 one of the inductees oyinloye olayemi who spoke on behalf of the inductees thanked the almighty god and the council for deeming them fit for the induction2 section 4 empowers it to assess evaluate and register foreign graduates of medical laboratory science erhabor noted2

Medical association tasks govt on disease surveillance
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by felicia imohimi11 abonyi urged members to educate and enlighten stakeholders on the need for peaceful coexistence and the inherent benefits of ranching to livestock farmers1 dr godwin abonyi president of the association made the appeal in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan at the ongoing associations annual summit in abuja on friday1 he however decried the rate of outbreak of zoonotic diseases such as lassa fever monkey pox brucellosis rabies and avian influenza blaming it on poor surveillance system1 he noted that about 75 per cent of emerging and infectious diseases originated from animals adding that beefing up surveillance and public health services delivery among others would assist in reducing the burden and associated deaths1 nan reports that zoonotic diseases are transmitted from animals to humans through various means1 he identified some of the means to include through consumption of contaminated food and water exposure to pathogens during preparation processing or by direct contact with infected animals or humans1 in order to forestall the outbreak of diseases in the country the nigeria veterinary medical association nvma has urged government at all levels to beef up veterinary extension services surveillance and public health service delivery1 the recent increase in the number of outbreaks of some zoonotic disease such as lassa fever and monkey pox among others are becoming increasingly worrisome1 government at all levels should beef up veterinary extension surveillance and public health service delivery to forestall these menace from becoming endemic in nigeriaabonyi said1 similarly abonyi urged government to facilitate the transition from nomadism to ranching to improve animal husbandry and put an end to farmersherdsmen clashes and associated death toll1 according to him as a matter of urgency federal and states governments should put necessary machinery and intervention in place in livestock industry1 these he noted would further safeguard lives and properties arising from herdsmenfarmers clashes and also improve food production and livestock yield1 the president who described the menace as worrisome urged members of the association to put in their best professionally to salvage the situation1

Insecurity of health workers worries stakeholders
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by felicia imohimi11 other stakeholders present at the meeting are health officers registration board of nigeria medical and health workers union radiographers association of nigeria medical laboratory scientists of nigeria and radiographers registration board of nigeria1 they urged governments and private sector to invest in enhanced security for medical and health workers to curb the spate of kidnappings killings of health workers in the country1 the health stakeholders include nursing and midwifery council of nigeria pharmacists council of nigeria pcn national association of nigerian nurses and midwives nannm and nigerian medical association nma1 dr friday omolei the chairman national committee on security of medical doctors spoke on behalf of stakeholders at a joint news conference in abuja1 the news conference was organised by ethic resource centre nigeria an ngo in collaboration with security agencies and the health workers on the implementation of the medics security joint action project1 omolei said the devastating consequences of insecurity of hospitals and medical workers posed a threat to healthcare services and called for investment of upgrading of hospital infrastructure1 he said investment in upgrading hospital infrastructure equipments and materials would be futile if workers were not sufficiently safe and secure to operate them1 he attributed series of attacks on health workers or patients on lack of emergency protocols in hospitals across the country1 nigeria is experiencing a complex interplay of security challenges that include terrorism militancy kidnapping cultism armed robbery communal clashes socio-economic and political tensions1 the time for all stakeholders to come together and invest in enhanced security of medical and health workers is now1 stakeholders in the health sector on thursday listed insecurity of hospitals and medical workers as the major threat to healthcare delivery in the country1 it is no longer news that security and safety protocols of most hospitals in nigeria are also being breached by criminals1 the media have reported stories of new born babies being stolen from hospitals among others1 doctors and nurses are sometimes molested by angry people who lost their loved ones he said1 omolei reaffirmed that chief medical directors doctors on missions pharmacists dentists nurses primary health workers had been kidnapped and sometimes killed in recent past while vaccination programmes were compromised1 he further recalled instances were medical and health workers and doctors on call abandoned their duty posts in hospitals to protest on the street requesting governments to respond to the crisis and take proactive measures1 he decried that primary healthcare centres were being shut down in zones affected by terrorism insurgency and militancy1 omolei who described the menace as trending in the sector said the security challenge had made access to healthcare harder as medical workers and their families often time relocate from insurgency and kidnap prone communities to safer areas1 he said that due to the devastating consequences of thechallenge pregnant women do not receive required medical care thereby worsening maternal neonatal under five mortality ratios and other healthcare indices1 according to him there is urgent need for all stakeholders to join forces and prioritise investment on the security and safety of health workers to ensure quality and efficient healthcare1 stakeholders must find time and resources to install preventive initiatives. huge amount of money is spent when medical workers are kidnapped. it makes sense to make necessary investments to stop the trend of medical workers being target of choice1