The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) would inaugurate Electronic Health Records (EHR) to improve quality of care and enhance monitoring and management of people living with HIV.

The institute is collaborating with Seam Health Innovations to enhance the success of the project.

The Director of Strategic Information of the Institute, Dr. Ahmad Aliyu, said EHR would be implemented in four health facilities in Kano, Nasarawa states and Federal Capital Territory.

He said the introduction of real time clinical documentation for patients would last one month beginning from Feb. 23.

He said the exercise would be conducted at National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD) in Idu, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Gwagwalada, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH)in Lafia and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano.

According to him, the project will lead to greater efficiency in handling patient information and reduce the errors in documentation and prescriptions given to patients.

The hospitals involved will receive laptops, printers and internet support to allow for the smooth transition from paper to electronic documentation, he said.

Aliyu expressed the hope that the support provided will motivate the healthcare providers to embrace global norm of electronic systems of documentation and record keeping.

He called on the authorities of the facilities to ensure optimal use of the support and provide adequate security for the equipment and maintain confidentiality of patients information.

The project is also expected to give health care workers easy access to patient information, increase their proficiency in monitoring and counseling patients and encourage evidence-based strategies that are tailored to the needs of patients, he said.

Aliyu quoted the Managing Partner Seam Health Innovations, Dr. Adetola Olateju, as saying that in preparation for the launch, an assessment of infrastructural gaps at each facility was done to ensure that all systems met the requirement.

Staff training, workflow dry runs are being carried out for a smooth transition to be possible.

The system also has security settings to ensure that only those authorized have access to patients information, he said.

He said IHVN first deployed Open Medical Records System (OMRS) an Electronic Medical Record System and e-mobile supportive supervision tool in 2012 at supported facilities to improve and strengthen patient management and monitoring. (NAN)

Source: NAN

(Xinhua/NAN)Kenya on Wednesday issued an alert on mouth and foot disease across the country to help curb its spread.

Obadiah Nyaga, the director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, urged Kenyans to report the outbreak of the contagious viral infection immediately to the nearest veterinary office for action.

The disease was detected in the country in 2017 where it spread into 26 counties and has continued to date, Nyaga said in a statement.

He directed all livestock traders to obtain a livestock permit from the local veterinary offices before moving the livestock.

Nyaga noted that the presence of the disease hinders local and international trade and movement of livestock.

The disease is characterised by sores and wounds in the mouth and feet causing salivation and lameness that results into heavy losses in milk production, body condition and death especially in young livestock.

The disease does not have a cure but sick livestock are managed through good feeding and care and treatment of wounds.

Nyaga however blamed the control of disease to uncontrolled livestock movements due to drought, cattle rustling and roadside grazing.

Very low vaccination converges has left majority of livestock susceptible to disease given that there is 60 million cattle, sheep and goats that require attention, he added.

He revealed that they are worried that some of the outbreaks are linked to an apparent new variant of serotype O that has not been detected in the country but is in circulation in neighbouring countries.

The current vaccine appears to be unproductive but we are upgrading the vaccine to match all serotypes in circulation, he added.

Nyaga said the government has in the meantime embarked on promoting production of vaccines that offer longer immunity like the recently launched oil based vaccines to ease logistics of vaccinations.

He said the government has also issued guidelines for control measures to be undertaken by the county governments in their efforts to effectively control the disease.

He directed farmers to disinfect contact materials and equipment and dispose infected carcasses or materials hygienically.

Source: NAN

Stakeholders in the health sector on Thursday listed insecurity of hospitals and medical workers as the major threat to healthcare delivery in the country.

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 country.

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 (NMA).

Dr Friday Omolei, the Chairman, National Committee on Security of Medical Doctors spoke on behalf of stakeholders at a joint news conference in Abuja.

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 Project.

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 infrastructure.

He said investment in upgrading hospital infrastructure, equipments and materials would be futile if workers were not sufficiently safe and secure to operate them.

He attributed series of attacks on health workers or patients on lack of emergency protocols in hospitals across the country.

Nigeria is experiencing a complex interplay of security challenges that include terrorism, militancy, kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, communal clashes, socio-economic and political tensions.

The time for all stakeholders to come together and invest in enhanced security of medical and health workers is now!

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 choice.

It is no longer news that security and safety protocols of most hospitals in Nigeria are also being breached by criminals.

The media have reported stories of new born babies being stolen from hospitals among others.

Doctors and nurses are sometimes molested by angry people who lost their loved ones, he said.

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 compromised.

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 measures.

He decried that Primary Healthcare Centres were being shut down in zones affected by terrorism, insurgency and militancy.

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 areas.

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 indices.

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 healthcare.

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 Nigeria.

Source: NAN

Superstar Shakira has handed over more than 20 million euros ($24.6 million) to tax authorities in Spain, a report said Tuesday.

Shakira, who is a partner to Barcelona player, Gerard Pique had been accused of not paying taxes despite being a resident between 2011 and 2014.

Catalan daily El Periodico reported that the Colombian award-winning singer had paid the money to settle part of the debt claimed by Spains tax authorities, corresponding to what she allegedly owes for 2011.

The fiscal authorities filed an official complaint to prosecutors in Barcelona accusing her of not paying taxes, sparking an investigation, Jose Miguel Company, spokesman for the prosecutors office, told AFP.

The official complaint only covers the period from 2012 to 2014, however, as the timeframe to prosecute alleged tax offences in 2011 has expired.

In a relationship since 2011 with FC Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique, with whom she has two sons, the 41-year-old transferred her official residency to the Catalan city in 2015.

Until then, it was in the Bahamas.

But that doesnt match reality, with the children in school in Barcelona and her partner here, Company said, adding that prosecutors will decide in June whether to pursue the case.

Shakiras representatives, meanwhile, say that until 2014 she earned most of her money in international tours and didnt live more than six months a year in Spain a prerequisite to be an official tax-paying resident in the country.

With her mix of Latin and Arabic rhythms and rock influences, Shakira is one of the biggest acts from Latin America, scoring major global hits with songs such as Hips Dont Lie and Whenever, Wherever.

She has sold more than 60 million records

Source: NAN

Nigerian music sensation Ayo Balogun, aka Wizkid), will make his debut at popular Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival popular known as Coachella in Indio, California.

Coachella is one of the largest, most famous, and most profitable music festivals in the United States and all over the world.

The 2017 edition of the festival was attended by 250,000 people and grossed $114.6 million.

Wizkid who is one of Nigerias biggest exports, confirmed his participation tweeted on Tuesday, We taking the African culture to Coachella BTW and am bringing out everybody.

The Soco crooner will be performing along sides international acts such as The Weekend, Beyonc, and Eminem.

Others are Black Coffee, Jorja Smith, Migos, Cardi B, Jidenna, Tyler the Creator.

Meanwhile, `Daddy Yo, Wizkids 2017 hit song is part of the soundtrack for British-Nigerian actor John Boyegas new film, Pacific Rim Uprising.

Pacific Rim Uprising, is an upcoming American science fiction and action film set for release on March 23.

The film is co-produced by Boyega; written and directed by Steven DeKnight in his feature film directorial debut.

Source: NAN

By Emmanuel Afonne

The aviation industry is set to witness a re-branding with the introduction of Miss Aviation African Beauty Pageant.

Organiser of the pageant, Mr Ossai Ilome, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the pageant scheduled to hold in June, was designed to change the labour dynamics in the Aviation sector in favour of local content.

Ilome also said that the pageant would be used to create a platform to engage relevant stakeholders towards improving business environment for operators of airlines and also create a safe and serene environment for passengers.

According to him, government cannot solve the challenges in the aviation sector alone; hence, the introduction of the Miss Aviation African Pageant to help facilitate and create platform for the aviation transformation in Africa.

We need to identify gaps and requisite solution in the provision of adequate safety and security services to customers.

The pageant hopes to expose and expound policy gaps as it relates to providing business friendly environment for operators, Ilome said.

Co-founder of the pageant, Blessing Chijekwu, said that the maiden event would provide not less than three scholarships to African girls to attend aviation academy quarterly within Africa.

The event is also expected to champion African girls career empowerment by mentoring and networking professionals and encouraging professionals and encouraging students to focus on developing aviation sector careers.

Women are the continents greatest untapped resources and we are dedicating this pageant to ensure the increase number of women in decision making positions in the aviation industry, Chijekwu said.

She noted that the miss aviation pageant was socially designed to harness the potential of beauty queens in contributing to development of the aviation sector.

Chijekwu urged contestants wishing to participate in the beauty pageant to log on to: to register.

The Miss Aviation African Pageant logo was unveiled on Feb. 23 to kick start preparation for the grande finale scheduled to hold in Lagos in June.

Source: NAN

Mr Richard Branson has gone philosophical warning people against surrounding themselves with those that would impede their growth.

If you surround yourself with people who belittle your dreams or dont support you then it will be twice as hard to get your idea off the ground.

Life is also a lot more fun when youre all smiling.

Positivity breeds positivity and I like to surround myself with a team of people with can-do attitudes, he said.

Branson of Virgin Airlines articulated his thoughts in his book `.

The book espouses how purpose and profit combined, have the power to change the world.

He advised: Surround yourself with people who can bring out the best in your.

He also in his tweet emphasised his thoughts.

If you surround yourself with people who belittle your dreams or dont support you then it will be twice as hard to get your idea off the ground

Richard Branson (@richardbranson)

Aside the fortunes of the airlines, Virgins telecom has introduced a 4G band with no caps, throttling or hidden catches, Truly Unlimited is a mobile plan created exclusively for , broadband and landline customers.

It highlights the companys commitment to existing customers, demonstrating their ambition to go the extra mile for the most loyal customers.

Unlike most unlimited offerings, Virgin medias new plan is truly unlimited, giving you no need to worry about going over your limits. Users can enjoy unlimited texts, minutes and data for just 25 a month, without fearing a big bill. Plus, Virgin Media has just boosted its 4G speed to up to

Truly Unlimited is a step towards bringing Virgin Mobile and Virgin Medias services closer together to offer even more benefits to cable customers choosing Virgin Mobile services.

With ultrafast broadband from Virgin Media and top deals from Virgin Mobile, you can have fast speeds at your fingertips, whether youre at home or on the go and with Truly

Unlimited you dont need to worry that youre getting close to your data limit.

Virgin Mobile is giving our customers peace of mind by eliminating the fear of running out of data, Jeff Dodds, Managing Director at Virgin Mobile, said. Unlike our competitors, we wont enforce caps or throttle speeds; our Truly Unlimited customers will get what it says on the tin a truly unlimited service. Loyalty deserves to be rewarded and were going the extra mile to give our customers the best.

From fast 4G to huge data plans, our customers are always covered.

Source: NAN

World number two Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Mexican Open on Tuesday, cutting short his comeback from a hip injury when the problem flared up again.

My goal and hope was to play in this tournament. Unfortunately, in my last training session yesterday, I felt a sharp pain in my leg again, the 31-year-old Spanish star said hours before what was to have been his opening match of the ATP Tour event in Acapulco.

Nadal, favored to win the tournament, had been due to face fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.

I took all the appropriate steps to arrive at the tournament in form. I went to Cozumel first, to adapt (to the climate), he told reporters.

But yesterday, in my last training session before the tournament, during one movement I felt a sharp pain again in the same area where I had the problem in Australia.

Nadal limped out of the quarter-finals at the Australian Open on January 23. He has since lost his number one ranking to Roger Federer.

Nadal said doctors in Mexico warned him not to play for fear of aggravating the injury.

I still dont know what it is, because we dont know. It seems its not as bad as what I had at the Australian Open, he said.

Now, my main goal is to find out the extent of the injury.

This marks the fifth tournament in a row that Nadal has pulled out of or retired from the Australian Open, Brisbane, London, Paris and Acapulco.

Earlier in the week, the 16-time Grand Slam winner Nadal announced himself fully fit and said he was looking forward to competing again.

I took a couple of weeks of rest and worked hard on rehabilitation, he told reporters prior to pulling out. Last week, I started practicing hard again. I feel ready.

Nadal is expected to remain at least one more day in Acapulco to have more tests done.

Maybe it is a minor situation, but the reality is that there is liquid and until it goes down a bit and the relevant tests are done, it will not be possible to diagnose, he said.

While a victory this week would not have been good enough to overhaul Federer, it would leave Nadal primed to replace the Swiss star at Indian Wells or Miami next month.

The 2008 Olympic gold medal winner is known as the King of Clay and is considered the greatest clay-court player in the history of the sport.

But his success is not limited to clay. Nadal has won 10 French Open titles, three US Opens, two Wimbledons and one Australian Open.

Source: NAN

Russia was reinstated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday after the remaining tests of the countrys athletes at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics were all returned negative.

Russians competed as neutrals at the Games after the IOC suspended the countrys Olympic Committee (ROC) in December, saying it had found evidence of an unprecedented systematic manipulation of the anti-doping system.

The IOC reinstatement means athletes can compete under the Russian flag and wear a national team uniform, while the national anthem can be played at gold medal ceremonies.

It also means Russian officials can take part at IOC meetings.

On Sunday the IOC said Russia, which has repeatedly denied state involvement in doping, would be automatically readmitted if there were no more doping violations from the Games.

The final notification of all remaining test results from the Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) delegation has been received, the IOC said in a statement on Wednesday.

The IOC can confirm that all the remaining results are negative.

Therefore, as stated in the Executive Board decision of Feb. 25, the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee is automatically lifted with immediate effect.

The decision was announced earlier on Wednesday by ROC president Alexander Zhukov on state television.

The Russian Olympic Committee has had its rights fully restored, he said. Its a decision of the utmost importance for us.

A team of 168 Russians competed as part of a neutral Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) team in Pyeongchang but two of them failed drug tests.

Medal-winning curler Alexander Krushelnitsky and bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva.

They had all been required to prove they were clean before the Games.

Under the neutrality rules, the Russians were unable to wear national uniforms or have their anthem played at medal presentations.

However, on Sunday the mens ice hockey team sang the national anthem after winning gold.

Widespread doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games was exposed by an independent report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

WADA said in a statement on Wednesday that Russia remained non-compliant with its code.

This is because it has not yet met the necessary criteria of RUSADAs (Russian Anti-Doping Agencys) Roadmap to Compliance, following Russias proven systemic manipulation of the doping control process.

Russia also remains suspended from world athletics.

Forty-three Russian athletes were disqualified from the 2014 Sochi Winter Games and banned by the IOC.

This was after the Olympic body followed up the WADA investigation, although 28 of those had their results reinstated and bans overturned after appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Those 28, however, were not invited to Pyeongchang by the IOC.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN

Defending champions Plateau United FC of Jos vaulted to the top of Nigerian Professional Football League table on Wednesday, after defeating visiting Rangers International of Enugu 1-0.

The match at the New Stadium in Jos, was a rescheduled MatchDay 9 fixture of the NPFL.

The champions now have 18 points, one point more than Kano Pillars and Enyimba, who were tied atop with 17 points after 10 matches.

The champions jumped from their sixth position to the top, overtaking all the pretenders, from Yobe Desert Warriors, who were fifth, Rivers United 4th, Akwa United 3rd, Kano Pillars and Enyimba, both tied as number one.

The Champions can further separate themselves from the pack, if they win their tenth match, at a date to be announced later.

Chizoba Amafule gave Plateau United the lead in the83rd minute, when he headed in after a lob by Ingbede.Rangers keeper, Thomas was beaten to the far right for the lone goal that took the champions to the top of the table.

The first half was marked by the injury sustained in the 35th minute by Rangers forward Aguda, after a bad challengefrom Plateaus Golbe.

Aguda was taken out of the field.

Four minutes after,Plateau goalie Okiemute Odah stretched his full length to keep out Bright Silas attempt for Rangers, an effort that would have given the visitors the lead.

The first half of the match ended goalless as both sides failed to undo each other.

In the second half, the hosts mounted pressure on the visitors, such that the latter were made to seat deep in their own half of the field as they conceded free kick after free kick.

In the 65th minute, Plateau made two tactical substitutions, introducing Peter Eneji to replace Osanga, and Abdulwaheed replacing Omoniwari. To pile more pressure on the visitors, Ibe Johnson also replaced Ambrose in the 75th minute.

Two minutes after, the substitutions drew the result expected asChizoba Amaefule headed the champions in front.

Rangers made their own substitutions later on, but they were not so effective.

After the match, Rangers Chief Coach, Gbenga Ogunbote said that his side was unlucky to go home without at least a point.

We did all we could to get at least a point but lost it at the last minute. It is unfortunate but it is one of those things in football.

We will take the positives from the game and make amends where necessary,he said.

Kennedy Boboye, Plateau United Chief Coach, said that his side played against a very technical team and was happy that they got the three points.

Boboye said the three points were very important points to his side and would boost their morale as they travel to play on Tuesday in CAF Champions league.

Amafule the scorer of the goal that gave United the victory, thanked God for giving them the three points in the match.

He said the team was tired after the long journey from Cameroon, where they beat Eding Sports in CAF Champions League

He said the team would do their best when they travelled to Tunisia for another CAF Champions League match against Etoile du Sahel.

Source: NAN