ABUJA

1)         Full time Pharmacists

2)         Weekend Pharmacist (Alternate Weekend)

3)         Evening Locum Pharmacist

REQUIREMENTS

Ø 2 years’ Post NYSC work experience

Ø Community Pharmacy retail experience

Ø B.Pharm or Pharm.D

Ø Interested and qualified candidates to send their CVs to hr@nettpharmacy.com Or call 08074535920

The post Full Time, Evening Locum, Weekend Pharmacist Vacancies At Nett Pharmacy Abuja appeared first on Swank Pharm.

There is a new ray of hope in the fight against Africa’s most endemic killer, Malaria, as a new research discovers a pill that can make human blood poisonous to mosquitoes and even kill the blood-sucking insect.

The new discovery by a group of scientists indicates that the disease-carrying mosquitoes die after feeding on the blood of humans given super-strength doses of Ivermectin.

Ivermectin belongs to a class of drugs known as antihelmintics. It works by paralyzing and killing parasites.

When injected with super doses of the drug, your blood will not just repel but also becomes poisonous to mosquitoes for up to a month, the research suggests.

A team of British-led researchers split 139 volunteers from Kenya (which reports more than six million new cases of malaria each year) into three groups.

The malaria patients were randomly chosen to be given 600mcg/kg or 300mg/kg of ivermectin for three days or were given a placebo.

The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, reveals that both doses of ivermectin are poisonous to mosquitoes for up to 28 days.

It also shows 97 per cent of mosquitoes died two weeks after feeding on the blood of patients given the higher dose of ivermectin.

The scientists drawn from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KMRI) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDCP) fed the mosquitoes in cages using blood samples taken from the volunteers.

“The most exciting result is the fact that even one month after the subjects took ivermectin, their blood was still killing mosquitoes,” lead researcher at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Menno Smit told TechTimes.

The researchers believe that the 300mcg/kg dose offers the best hope due to adverse effect from higher doses.

This new finding could be a relief for Nigeria and Africa which contribute the highest global recorded cases of malaria.

It tends to work as a completely new type of anti-malarial drug that kills mosquitoes, as opposed to existing drugs that target the parasite.

Disease-carrying mosquitos kill more than 750,000 people a year, many of whom are children, global figures show

According to the 2016 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, malaria killed 429,000 and infected 212 million people in 2015 with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 90 per cent of the cases and 92 per cent of the deaths.

It noted that children under five years of age were particularly vulnerable, as an estimated 70 per cent of them died of the disease.

Source: Premium Times

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As people across the globe joins World Health Organisation to celebrate World Health Day on April 7, Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa (NNIA) commemorated the Day in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Health by training primary healthcare professionals in Abeokuta on Friday April 6, 2018.

With the 2018 year theme, “Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere,” NNIA in observance of the organisation’s vision which focuses on ensuring that all people can get quality health services, where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship embarked on the training of healthcare professionals to key into the mandate.

The one day training held at Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) house in Abeokuta by experts from NNIA witnessed various primary healthcare professionals from 110 Primary Health Care Professionals from Abeokuta North local government area of Ogun state who participated in the training on Malnutrition in the First Years of Life: Its Assessment and Management.

Giving a welcome address at the flag-off of the training, the NNIA representative, Dr. Omotayo Omoteso shed light on the objectives of the training. He said, “Global studies have shown that malnutrition is an underlying factor in 55 percent of all child deaths, with Nigeria largely affected by the scourge. Each year, about 1 million Nigerian children die and more than half of these deaths are traceable to malnutrition.”

According to him, this situation calls for urgent multi-stakeholder action. “Nestle Nutrition Institute Africa is therefore happy to collaborate with the Ogun State Government in its efforts to address malnutrition in the first 1000 days of life. This is in line with our commitment to bridge the gap between science and the practical application of nutrition to ensure a healthier, brighter future for children. We therefore welcome this opportunity to contribute through the development of the capabilities of Primary Health Care Professionals here in Ogun State.”

Addressing the press at the Ogun State Secretariat where the training took place, Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye said it is sad to note that millions of people across the globe suffer financial hardship in obtaining essential health services due to poverty.

“Currently, about 800 million people, which constitute 12 per cent of the world’s population, spend at least 10 per cent of their household budget on health needs. Of this number, about 100 million suffer financial hardship because of out of pocket health expenditure and half of the world’s population is unable to obtain essential health services, due to poverty.” Ipaye stressed.

Dr. Ipaye said that the World Health Day 2018 celebration and intervention programme provided another opportunity for strengthening the health care system in Ogun State which was made possible by the partnership with stakeholders like Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa (NNIA) who supported the state’s efforts by delivering a capacity building training to primary Health Care Professionals (HCPs) on Friday.

Dr. Babatunde Ipaye also revealed some of the measures the state has put in place to improve maternal and child health. One of these according to him is a state funded social insurance scheme popularly called “Araya”. He disclosed that since its inception in 2014, the scheme has enrolled over 23,000 people. The commissioner expressed his appreciation to Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa (NNIA) for providing support towards the delivery of the health mandate of the administration. He also thanked the HCPs for making themselves available for the training and encouraged them not to keep the knowledge to themselves, but also to do well to transfer the same to their family members and colleagues who did not have the opportunity to participate in the training.

Meanwhile, Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa, NNIA is an institute that shares leading science-based information and education with Health Care Professionals. It was founded on the credo that good nutrition begins before birth, continues through the lifecycle and is nurtured by the knowledge and consumption of a nutritionally adequate and appropriate diet. It aims for a future across the African continent where individuals are nourished healthier and live longer lives.

Furthering the understanding of the science of nutrition of the HCPs is envisioned to go a long way in bridging the gap between the science of nutrition and its practical application. Right now, there are over 20,000 Health Care professionals who have registered and benefits on the Nestlé Nutrition Institute Africa’s website.

Source: Vanguard

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A woman died after being ’embalmed alive’ due to a medical blunder in a Russian hospital, her mother claims.

Ekaterina Fedyaeva’s mother accused medics of putting her daughter on a formalin drip, which includes formaldehyde, instead of saline.

Formaldehyde is used for embalming dead bodies

The 27-year-old had been in hospital in Ulyanovsk for routine surgery, but after being given the wrong drip, she suffered pains and convulsions for two days before falling into a coma.

Despite being flown to a top Moscow hospital, she died of multiple organ failure.

Her mother, Galina Baryshnikova, said: “Her legs were moving, she had convulsions, her whole body was shaking.

“I put socks on her, then a robe, then a blanket, but she was shivering to such an extent, I can’t even describe it.

“No doctor came to see her, although she was coming round from anaesthetic.”

The drip contained formaldehyde, which is meant for corpses for embalming.

Mrs. Baryshnikova added: “Now, I understand that formalin was simply eroding her body from inside.

“People who performed the surgery already knew that they infused something wrong. They needed to take some urgent measures – but they did nothing.”

Ekaterina was buried on April 7 and a criminal investigation has been opened into her death.

Source: Punch

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Edo State chapter of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria [PSN] on Thursdaypledged to support the State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency [NDLEA] in its war against drug abuse in the State.

The post Edo PSN Pledges To Support NDLEA In War Against Drug Abuse appeared first on Swank Pharm.

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NAFDAC Management said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday that its finding followed “a thorough investigation and analysis of some unsuspected plastic fish samples’’ in its laboratory.

The agency said, “the investigation was triggered by a report from a consumer in Abuja who claimed that he bought a fish which refused to cook when set on fire for several minutes.

“The suspected sample of the fish, after a thorough investigation, was confirmed to contain protein and fat which is normal to fish.

“The fish was, however, found to be unwholesome due to serious bacterial contamination, NAFDAC said.

“While encouraging Nigerians to watch carefully the kind of fish they buy, it is, however, important to stress that there is no plastic fish in Nigeria.’’

The management noted that a few weeks ago, there had been the circulation of suspected plastic fish in some parts of the world on the social media but stressed that no single case had been found in Nigeria, so far.

The agency urged Nigerians to “report any suspected unwholesome product, including fish to the nearest NAFDAC office for further investigation.’’

Source: Punch

The post No plastic fish in Nigeria, NAFDAC states appeared first on Swank Pharm.

Mrs. Bolanle Amupitan, Kogi Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, has urged Pharmacist to strive toward improving the quality of healthcare in the rural areas.

Amupitan spoke on Friday in Lokoja, when the Association of Lady Pharmacist of Nigeria, Kogi chapter, visited her office.

She commended the association for the love shown to orphans through various donations, especially the gifts of food items and other materials during its recent visit to the Lokoja Orphanage.

The commissioner expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the association in the areas of drug abuse, drug addiction, sex education and the rehabilitation of persons involved in drugs.

She advised the pharmacists to strengthen their programmes aimed at a better society for all, and expressed government’s readiness to support such efforts.

Speaking earlier, the chairperson of the association, Mrs. Saratu Alhassan, had thanked the Kogi Governor,

Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for appointing one of them as Permanent Secretary in the ministry, saying that the group was ready to collaborate with the government in all areas.

She appealed for support toward executing the association’s welfare programmes, urging all Nigerians to make sacrifices to make the country a better place for all.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Negedu Arome, thanked her colleagues for the visit, and assured them of her continued support in the execution of welfare programmes.

She promised to make the pharmacists proud, noting that women were well known for efficiency and keeping their words.

Source: PM News

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The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire on Monday, confirmed the gradual withdrawal of funding supports of some donor agencies in Nigeria.

Osagie stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja to commemorate the World Health Day, 2018, he said although they are working with all donor agencies but some like United States of America and Gavi Alliance, have gradually started pulling out their supports and the Federal government has concluded arrangement to take over the supply.

The theme of this year’s World Health Day is “Universal Health Coverage: everyone, everywhere”, while our slogan is “Health for All”.

According to the Minister of State, “We are still working with donor agencies , like the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund, (UNFPA), and we also work with Countries like United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom etc. There is no withdrawal of these donors.

” The only withdrawal is the withdrawal of Gavi Alliance who supply us with vaccines and who are withdrawing in phases and arrangement has been made to graduate withdrawal for Nigeria to take over. The support that Garvi organization was giving to us. Other wise the collaboration and working with other groups is intact.

“The United States that use to supply us with drugs and commodity for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is also stepping down gradually , we are also making arrangement to step in into that supply gap”.

On National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), low insurance coverage, he said government is moving to expand the coverage of those who earn an income to enrol in NHIS in their states and community.

He also reiterated the commitment of the federal government in revitalization of 10,000 Primary Heathcare Centers (PHC), which according to him is a primary item on the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“As you know Buhari, flagged off PHC center in Kushingora and another one in Keffi in Nassarawa state. So the project is ongoing and we have support from various organization including European Union.

” So we are very much engaged in revitalization of PHC and more than 50% of them are already on board, 9,585 Primary Health Care,one functional center in every political ward, Some may even have 2 or more and the platform is Universal Health Coverage” he said.

The Minister of State, stress, “This administration recognizes the importance of Universal Health Coverage in the National Health System, as part of the social protection architecture to ensure that Nigerian citizens get quality health service, when and where they need it, without suffering financial hardship. To this end, the Government is working to provide physical access to health care with the revitalisation of one functional PHC Center in every political ward to serve citizens, even when they do not immediately have money to pay.

“This helps to preserve our human capital and contributes to productivity and socioeconomic development, while supporting equity, especially among rural dwellers and the urban poor, leaving no one behind. School children, the elderly and childbearing women will thus
also enjoy healthcare access, without risk of financial ruin to their
families.

” The Government recognizes PHC Centers as the platform for UHC and is pursuing the rehabilitation of almost 10,000 PHC Centers in Nigeria between now and the end of 2019, the operational design of which shall be the Ward Health System (WHS). Nigeria joins the global call for UHC implementation”.

Source: Business Day News

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Prof Wale Tomori is the chairman, board of directors, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), a joint venture between May & Baker Nigeria Plc and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health to produce vaccines for the eradication of child killer diseases in the country. In this interview with ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, he explains why it will take three to four years for Nigeria to produce its own vaccines. Biovaccines production is very complex, when are you likely to produce your own vaccines? Vaccine production is a highly technical and complex technology which requires time to perfect. Usually a green field project will require five to eight years gestation period, but we cannot wait that long. We are engaging our experts and relevant government agencies to see how we can shorten this process without compromising quality. It is our hope that we can achieve production within the next three to four years. As a private and independent company, Biovaccines is not encumbered by any bureaucracy and so, we are confident that with the expected cooperation from government, the management of the company will move swiftly to achieve our goals in record time. A green field project, like you said requires five to eight years gestation period, and Biovaccines is assuring Nigerians that it can achieve local vaccine production in the next three to four years, how is that possible?

We are not the first vaccine manufacturer in the world, the vaccines that we have been using, others have been manufacturing it and there is no way we are going to work alone because we are working in partnership with other people. Those people we are partnering with us are already producing vaccines and so our partnership includes getting some of what they are producing and finishing up in Nigeria before we move on to producing our own vaccines here in Nigeria. So, that explains the three years first and then eight years later phase.

Leadership Nigeria Newspapers HEALTHFG Has Been Of Great Help To Production Of Vaccines – TomoriPublished 3 days ago on April 8, 2018 By ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH Prof Wale Tomori is the chairman, board of directors, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), a joint venture between May & Baker Nigeria Plc and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health to produce vaccines for the eradication of child killer diseases in the country. In this interview with ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, he explains why it will take three to four years for Nigeria to produce its own vaccines. Biovaccines production is very complex, when are you likely to produce your own vaccines? Vaccine production is a highly technical and complex technology which requires time to perfect. Usually a green field project will require five to eight years gestation period, but we cannot wait that long. We are engaging our experts and relevant government agencies to see how we can shorten this process without compromising quality. It is our hope that we can achieve production within the next three to four years. As a private and independent company, Biovaccines is not encumbered by any bureaucracy and so, we are confident that with the expected cooperation from government, the management of the company will move swiftly to achieve our goals in record time. A green field project, like you said requires five to eight years gestation period, and Biovaccines is assuring Nigerians that it can achieve local vaccine production in the next three to four years, how is that possible? We are not the first vaccine manufacturer in the world, the vaccines that we have been using, others have been manufacturing it and there is no way we are going to work alone because we are working in partnership with other people. Those people we are partnering with us are already producing vaccines and so our partnership includes getting some of what they are producing and finishing up in Nigeria before we move on to producing our own vaccines here in Nigeria. So, that explains the three years first and then eight years later phase. We already have a structure at Otta, Ogun state for the production of vaccines, but we cannot wait till eight years before producing vaccines for Nigerians since we already have partnership with people who are producing vaccines. So, in the next three years, we are going to work with our partners. We all know that vaccine production has so many stages. Some of the stages would be done in this country including the final stage and that account for the three to four years. What kind of vaccines will you be producing and for what category of people? We cannot work in isolation. We have to look at what is existing in the world, who is producing what vaccines, how soon are they producing it? Then we also have to find out what are our peculiar problems in the country that nobody is producing vaccines for. We are going to study our country and look at what others are not producing and then produce those vaccines, but most importantly, vaccines that would affect the lives of our children, become a priority for us.

Leadership Nigeria Newspapers HEALTHFG Has Been Of Great Help To Production Of Vaccines – TomoriPublished 3 days ago on April 8, 2018 By ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH Prof Wale Tomori is the chairman, board of directors, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), a joint venture between May & Baker Nigeria Plc and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health to produce vaccines for the eradication of child killer diseases in the country. In this interview with ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, he explains why it will take three to four years for Nigeria to produce its own vaccines. Biovaccines production is very complex, when are you likely to produce your own vaccines? Vaccine production is a highly technical and complex technology which requires time to perfect. Usually a green field project will require five to eight years gestation period, but we cannot wait that long. We are engaging our experts and relevant government agencies to see how we can shorten this process without compromising quality. It is our hope that we can achieve production within the next three to four years. As a private and independent company, Biovaccines is not encumbered by any bureaucracy and so, we are confident that with the expected cooperation from government, the management of the company will move swiftly to achieve our goals in record time. A green field project, like you said requires five to eight years gestation period, and Biovaccines is assuring Nigerians that it can achieve local vaccine production in the next three to four years, how is that possible? We are not the first vaccine manufacturer in the world, the vaccines that we have been using, others have been manufacturing it and there is no way we are going to work alone because we are working in partnership with other people. Those people we are partnering with us are already producing vaccines and so our partnership includes getting some of what they are producing and finishing up in Nigeria before we move on to producing our own vaccines here in Nigeria. So, that explains the three years first and then eight years later phase. We already have a structure at Otta, Ogun state for the production of vaccines, but we cannot wait till eight years before producing vaccines for Nigerians since we already have partnership with people who are producing vaccines. So, in the next three years, we are going to work with our partners. We all know that vaccine production has so many stages. Some of the stages would be done in this country including the final stage and that account for the three to four years. What kind of vaccines will you be producing and for what category of people? We cannot work in isolation. We have to look at what is existing in the world, who is producing what vaccines, how soon are they producing it? Then we also have to find out what are our peculiar problems in the country that nobody is producing vaccines for. We are going to study our country and look at what others are not producing and then produce those vaccines, but most importantly, vaccines that would affect the lives of our children, become a priority for us. What are the advantages for Nigeria producing its own vaccines? One of the advantages is that we will have health security and it is a national pride that we are producing our own vaccine. This is something we should all look forward to. It will also help provide employment for Nigerians and the issue of foreign exchange will no longer affect us because we will not be purchasing the vaccines again from foreign countries, since we are producing it locally. This is a win-win situation for everybody, for the government, for May and Baker and for Nigerians at large. How can this project be sustained? When we talk about sustainability, May and Baker has been doing business before anyone of us as board members was born and they have not folded up despite the economic situation in the country. If they can stand till now, I am very sure they can even do better in terms of the vaccine production. What are the challenges that the board has faced so far?

Leadership Nigeria Newspapers HEALTHFG Has Been Of Great Help To Production Of Vaccines – TomoriPublished 3 days ago on April 8, 2018 By ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH Prof Wale Tomori is the chairman, board of directors, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), a joint venture between May & Baker Nigeria Plc and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health to produce vaccines for the eradication of child killer diseases in the country. In this interview with ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, he explains why it will take three to four years for Nigeria to produce its own vaccines. Biovaccines production is very complex, when are you likely to produce your own vaccines? Vaccine production is a highly technical and complex technology which requires time to perfect. Usually a green field project will require five to eight years gestation period, but we cannot wait that long. We are engaging our experts and relevant government agencies to see how we can shorten this process without compromising quality. It is our hope that we can achieve production within the next three to four years. As a private and independent company, Biovaccines is not encumbered by any bureaucracy and so, we are confident that with the expected cooperation from government, the management of the company will move swiftly to achieve our goals in record time. A green field project, like you said requires five to eight years gestation period, and Biovaccines is assuring Nigerians that it can achieve local vaccine production in the next three to four years, how is that possible? We are not the first vaccine manufacturer in the world, the vaccines that we have been using, others have been manufacturing it and there is no way we are going to work alone because we are working in partnership with other people. Those people we are partnering with us are already producing vaccines and so our partnership includes getting some of what they are producing and finishing up in Nigeria before we move on to producing our own vaccines here in Nigeria. So, that explains the three years first and then eight years later phase. We already have a structure at Otta, Ogun state for the production of vaccines, but we cannot wait till eight years before producing vaccines for Nigerians since we already have partnership with people who are producing vaccines. So, in the next three years, we are going to work with our partners. We all know that vaccine production has so many stages. Some of the stages would be done in this country including the final stage and that account for the three to four years. What kind of vaccines will you be producing and for what category of people? We cannot work in isolation. We have to look at what is existing in the world, who is producing what vaccines, how soon are they producing it? Then we also have to find out what are our peculiar problems in the country that nobody is producing vaccines for. We are going to study our country and look at what others are not producing and then produce those vaccines, but most importantly, vaccines that would affect the lives of our children, become a priority for us. What are the advantages for Nigeria producing its own vaccines? One of the advantages is that we will have health security and it is a national pride that we are producing our own vaccine. This is something we should all look forward to. It will also help provide employment for Nigerians and the issue of foreign exchange will no longer affect us because we will not be purchasing the vaccines again from foreign countries, since we are producing it locally. This is a win-win situation for everybody, for the government, for May and Baker and for Nigerians at large. How can this project be sustained? When we talk about sustainability, May and Baker has been doing business before anyone of us as board members was born and they have not folded up despite the economic situation in the country. If they can stand till now, I am very sure they can even do better in terms of the vaccine production. What are the challenges that the board has faced so far? The challenges that we face also lead to the problem of why it has taken Nigeria so long to produce her own vaccine. Let us be frank with each other, in this country, we have a problem and that is the issue of good governance. If you remove good governance from anything you are doing, you cannot achieve anything and that is why Africa is the way it is. The fact that we are begging the world to solve our problems for us, is an issue of good governance. If you have good governance, then we are talking about accountability, integrity and sustainability and then we won’t be where we are today. The production of vaccines would have started long ago, but because of changing of government, it has stunted the progress. So part of our challenges is our challenge as a nation and as individuals and it affects everything we do, not just vaccine production. Is the present administration in support of this project?

Leadership Nigeria Newspapers HEALTHFG Has Been Of Great Help To Production Of Vaccines – TomoriPublished 3 days ago on April 8, 2018 By ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH Prof Wale Tomori is the chairman, board of directors, Biovaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL), a joint venture between May & Baker Nigeria Plc and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health to produce vaccines for the eradication of child killer diseases in the country. In this interview with ODIRI UCHENUNU-IBEH, he explains why it will take three to four years for Nigeria to produce its own vaccines. Biovaccines production is very complex, when are you likely to produce your own vaccines? Vaccine production is a highly technical and complex technology which requires time to perfect. Usually a green field project will require five to eight years gestation period, but we cannot wait that long. We are engaging our experts and relevant government agencies to see how we can shorten this process without compromising quality. It is our hope that we can achieve production within the next three to four years. As a private and independent company, Biovaccines is not encumbered by any bureaucracy and so, we are confident that with the expected cooperation from government, the management of the company will move swiftly to achieve our goals in record time. A green field project, like you said requires five to eight years gestation period, and Biovaccines is assuring Nigerians that it can achieve local vaccine production in the next three to four years, how is that possible? We are not the first vaccine manufacturer in the world, the vaccines that we have been using, others have been manufacturing it and there is no way we are going to work alone because we are working in partnership with other people. Those people we are partnering with us are already producing vaccines and so our partnership includes getting some of what they are producing and finishing up in Nigeria before we move on to producing our own vaccines here in Nigeria. So, that explains the three years first and then eight years later phase. We already have a structure at Otta, Ogun state for the production of vaccines, but we cannot wait till eight years before producing vaccines for Nigerians since we already have partnership with people who are producing vaccines. So, in the next three years, we are going to work with our partners. We all know that vaccine production has so many stages. Some of the stages would be done in this country including the final stage and that account for the three to four years. What kind of vaccines will you be producing and for what category of people? We cannot work in isolation. We have to look at what is existing in the world, who is producing what vaccines, how soon are they producing it? Then we also have to find out what are our peculiar problems in the country that nobody is producing vaccines for. We are going to study our country and look at what others are not producing and then produce those vaccines, but most importantly, vaccines that would affect the lives of our children, become a priority for us. What are the advantages for Nigeria producing its own vaccines? One of the advantages is that we will have health security and it is a national pride that we are producing our own vaccine. This is something we should all look forward to. It will also help provide employment for Nigerians and the issue of foreign exchange will no longer affect us because we will not be purchasing the vaccines again from foreign countries, since we are producing it locally. This is a win-win situation for everybody, for the government, for May and Baker and for Nigerians at large. How can this project be sustained? When we talk about sustainability, May and Baker has been doing business before anyone of us as board members was born and they have not folded up despite the economic situation in the country. If they can stand till now, I am very sure they can even do better in terms of the vaccine production. What are the challenges that the board has faced so far? The challenges that we face also lead to the problem of why it has taken Nigeria so long to produce her own vaccine. Let us be frank with each other, in this country, we have a problem and that is the issue of good governance. If you remove good governance from anything you are doing, you cannot achieve anything and that is why Africa is the way it is. The fact that we are begging the world to solve our problems for us, is an issue of good governance. If you have good governance, then we are talking about accountability, integrity and sustainability and then we won’t be where we are today. The production of vaccines would have started long ago, but because of changing of government, it has stunted the progress. So part of our challenges is our challenge as a nation and as individuals and it affects everything we do, not just vaccine production. Is the present administration in support of this project? Yes, we have gotten the commitment of the present government. We have gotten 100 percent corporation from this government. We have been on this vaccine production for years, but as soon as this government came in, we took it back to them and in less than two years, they gave the go ahead. This is something we have not been able to do for the past 10 years but here we are today. This government has shown extreme commitment to working with us. I am quite happy that the government is choosing its own members; it did not follow the old pattern of selecting people who are not in the field. The government came up with the right choice of stakeholders in the health sector. So, with this present administration, we were able to address some of the challenges we would have faced in the future. This has really helped us to ensure that we don’t fail just as the old vaccine production failed. The federal government has been of great help to the production of the vaccines, the building we are using was given to us by the government and so many ways that the federal government is contributing to ensure that we succeed. More importantly, we have that commitment from the government that whatever the Biovaccine produces will be purchased by them. What is your advice to some Nigerians who are in hurry to see the country producing its own vaccine?

As a board, we want to assure Nigerians that we are not taking this assignment lightly and will do everything to deliver their expectations. However, we shall take calculated steps to ensure we get everything right. This means that we are not only working to give Nigerians locally produced vaccines of the highest quality and that these are done in a sustainable manner. We have resolved that no product of Biovaccines will harm Nigerians. This is the sacred creed of the board members, to which all workers will subscribe from the chief executive to the gatekeeper.

In a bid to ensure we get things right the first time, I wish to inform you that we are working with our foreign technical team comprising of international experts in vaccines and biological technology to develop and implement a robust business plan. I want Nigerians to know that something different is coming out of the country, but we must learn to be patient, if we rush into this vaccine without putting things in the proper perception, we may fail. We need to learn to wait patiently and do things the right way and that is why we want to ensure that this time, we succeed.

Source: Leadership News .

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The Management of Fertility and Assisted Reproduction Workshop, an international symposium, jointly organised by the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) and the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health(AFRH) is billed to hold from 17-19 May 2018, in Lagos, Nigeria.

The venue for the workshop is Radisson Blu, Ikeja GRA, and Lagos.

Being the first workshop of its kind in Africa, endorsed by the International Federation of Fertility Societies, it will introduce and complement a comprehensive training package for all medical practitioners.

The workshop is organised for the benefit of medical practitioners interested in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology, which include but not limited to, clinicians, embryologists, pharmacists, researchers, nurses, counsellors, and students.

Registration rates for the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) and the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH) IFFS-AFRH 2018 Workshop are listed below. Workshop registration will be available online and payment is accepted with a debit card. Early Registration is advised.

For More Information

Visit: http://www.afrhnigeria.org/view.html#!/IFFS2018 or IFFS Website: www.iffs-reproduction.org

Source: Pharma News

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The top management of World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Policy Group (GPG) will hold a week-long meeting in Nigeria for the first time starting from April 10 to 12, 2018.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclosed this in statement yesterday by the Director of Media and Public Relations, Ministry of Health, Mrs. Boade Akinola.

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) yesterday confirmed eight new cases of Lassa fever and three deaths in six states, within one week.

The post Lassa Fever kills Three, Affects Eight New Persons in Six States appeared first on Swank Pharm.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said Nigeria took yellow fever for granted and this caused the recent outbreak which affected several states in the country.

Adewole, however, revealed that the government was targeting 25 million children for immunisation before the end of the year.

The minister said this at the Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy regional kick-off meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

He noted that prior to the outbreak of the disease in 2017, the last case of yellow fever was recorded in 1996 which made everyone relax.

Adewole said, “The last outbreak of yellow fever in Nigeria was in 1996 and I think we all went to sleep because we thought it was over. But when it is over, it is not over. We need to continue preventive vaccination.

“And I think where we went wrong was really to go to sleep and avoid regular routine immunisation in order to protect our people against yellow fever and therefore it is not a surprise that we had the first outbreak in Nigeria in September 2017 when the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control was notified of a confirmed case in a seven-year-old female in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

“For your information, we actually introduced yellow fever as part of our routine immunisation since 2004 but for us to be effective, we need to immunise practically everybody and this is a huge challenge for Nigeria.”

The minister said between September 2017 and March 2018, Nigeria had recorded 1, 640 suspected cases.

He said 115 of them were confirmed in the Nigerian laboratory but only 41 were confirmed at the regional centre laboratory of the WHO in Senegal.

Adewole, however, said there was the need for the WHO to open a lab in Nigeria so that cases could easily be confirmed in Nigeria.

He said, “This is one of the issues we want to raise. If we confirmed 115 in Nigeria and only 41 in Dakar, the challenge might be the problem of transportation and that is why we are clamouring for a regional lab in Nigeria because the remaining 71 cases could have been true cases but the transportation could have altered the ability to confirm in Dakar.”

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The University of Ibadan (UI) on Sunday closed its medical school, directing students to vacate hostels by noon on the same day.

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The Federal Government has said no fewer than 21 million people will be vaccinated against yellow fever across the country by the end of 2018 with support from World Health Organisation (WHO), Gavi – the Vaccine Aliliance, UNICEF and other health partners.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated this while speaking at the launch of the Eliminate Yellow Fever (EYE) strategy in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to him, following the current outbreak of yellow fever in September last year, the high number of suspected cases, confirmed cases, and deaths recorded necessitated the campaign for mass vaccination against the

He said; “Eliminating yellow fever is a matter of life and death for us. The last outbreak was in 1996 and we thought it was over and went to sleep. However, we had a fresh outbreak in September 2017, when the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) was informed of the first case which started in Ifelodun LGA of Kwara state.

“Since then, we have recorded about 1,640 suspected cases; over 115 confirmed in Nigeria and 41 in the regional lab in Dakar, Senegal, and no fewer than 49 deaths. We have also successfully vaccinated over 14,591 people in Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Nasarawa states. Our target is to cover 21 million Nigerians by the end of this year.”

Also speaking, the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Gbebreyesus, said 27 African countries are at high-risk of the disease with an average of 60,000 deaths every year. He said the EYE strategy was an innovative plan to vaccinate nearly one billion people across Africa by 2026 with countries rolling-out the road map at sub-continental levels.

“The world is facing an increased risk of yellow fever outbreaks and Africa is particularly vulnerable. However, with one injection, we can protect a person for life against this dangerous pathogen. This unpredecented commitment by countries will ensure that by 2026 Africa is free of yellow fever epidemics,” he said.

Meanwhile, UNICEF said it will make yellow fever vaccines available, advocate for greater political commitment and provide support in vaccinating children through routine immunization as well as during outbreaks of the disease.

The UNICEF Chief of Health, Stefan Peterson, said: “Today, the threat of yellow fever looms larger than ever before, especially for thousands of children across Africa. Given that almost half of the people to be vaccinated are children under 15 years of age, this campaign is critical to saving children’s lives, and would go a long way toward stamping out this disease.”

Source: Vanguard  News

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Scores of Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to subsidise healthcare services in the health sector.

Those who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the issue in Abuja decried the outrageous amounts being demanded by both public and private health facilities.

They urged for both private and public hospitals to allow unfettered access to healthcare services by citizens.

Mr Sunday Davies, an Abuja based businessman, said that accessing health facilities was now a burden to the people, adding that the humongous bills being handed down to patients was getting scary.

According to him, one needs to think twice before seeking medical help in any health facility in the country now because of high charges.

Davies therefore called on the federal government to heavily subsidise the healthcare services  as done in the oil sector, adding that this is the only way the citizenry could benefit from the government.

Mr Abubakar Kabiru, an Abuja based legal practitioner, said it was ridiculous that Nigerians had to pay heavily to access healthcare, adding that this service should be the right of every Nigerian.

He noted that in developed countries, irrespective of social status, every citizen has the privilege and the right to good health; hence, the federal government must prioritise the health sector to be made accessible to the people.

Mrs Boma Azuwata, a civil servant, lamented the fate of pregnant women in the country, adding that it is regrettable that poor pregnant women had to suffer untold hardship to access affordable health facility.

According to her, the rate at which pregnant women die daily in the country because of ridiculous bills is disturbing and the government must do enough to stop this menace.

Meanwhile, Professor Mike Ogirima, President of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), has also appealed to the government to subsidise the healthcare  services in order to allow all Nigerians access to health facilities.

He noted that irrespective of status and money the citizenry should be allowed to access health facilities without any hindrance.

Ogirima said that in an ideal society, healthcare services should be prioritised and given the needed attention by the government.

“A situation where accessing health facilities would be the exclusive right of the rich was unacceptable,’’ said the NMA president.

Source: NAN

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Mr Ali Bakau, the Chairman of  Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in Kwara, says the body will soon commence operation of Mega Drug Distribution Centres (MDDCs) across the country.

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