Health
WHO announces outbreak of cholera in 23 countries
The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Friday, announced the outbreak of cholera in 23 countries, warning that 20 more countries sharing land borders with the affected countries are at risk.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated this during the bloc’s online media conference.
Ghebreyesus further said that a total of more than one billion people globally were at risk of cholera.
“Cholera spreads through contaminated water, so clean water is needed urgently wherever there is an acute outbreak, to prevent transmission,” he said.
According to him, WHO also strongly recommends countries at risk of cholera outbreaks scale up surveillance so cases can be identified and managed as quickly as possible.
The WHO boss noted that though there were effective vaccines for cholera, the supply, however, was very limited.
According to Ghebreyesus, the International Coordinating Group that manages the global cholera vaccine stockpile 2022 suspended the standard two-dose regimen, recommending instead a single-dose approach to extend the supply.
He, however, said in the medium-to-long-term, it remained important that global vaccine production was increased.
“In the meantime, we must rely on other measures to stop outbreaks and save lives,” he said.
According to him, over the past few weeks, there have been many reports of mammals, including minks, otters, foxes and sea lions, being infected with H5N1 avian influenza.
He noted that the H5N1 had spread widely in wild birds and poultry for 25 years, but the recent spillover to mammals needed to be monitored closely.
Ghebreyesus, however, disclosed that at the moment, WHO had assessed the risk to humans as low.
He said that since H5N1 first emerged in 1996, they had only seen rare and non-sustained transmission of H5N1 to and between humans.
“But we cannot assume that will remain the case, and we must prepare for any change in the status quo.
“As always, people are advised not to touch or collect dead or sick wild animals, but to report to local authorities.
“WHO is working with national authorities and partners to monitor the situation closely, and to study cases of H5N1 infection in humans when they occur,” he said.
WHO’s global laboratory network, the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, identifies and monitors strains of circulating influenza viruses, and provides advice to countries on their risk to human health and available treatment or control measures.
WHO recommends countries strengthen surveillance in settings where humans and farmed or wild animals interact.
“WHO is also continuing to engage with manufacturers to make sure that if needed, supplies of vaccines and antivirals would be available for global use.”
On the issue of breastfeeding, the WHO helmsman disclosed that new research had found that less than half of babies born globally, were being breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life.
Ghebreyesus noted that this was because women lacked the support they needed to breastfeed, with more than half a billion working-class women globally, lacking adequate maternity protections.
“Meanwhile, misleading formula milk marketing claims, undermine breastfeeding at every turn.
“Almost every country has signed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, which restricts the marketing of formula milk.
“However, regulations are largely unenforced,” he said.
Ghebreyesus called on governments and policymakers, to promote breastfeeding by ensuring all women had adequate maternity protections.
He recommended at least six months of maternity leave with full pay for nursing mothers, as well as time off for breastfeeding when they resumed work.
He also reiterated WHO’s call for governments to end the exploitative marketing of artificial milk, and increase health sector support for breastfeeding. (NAN)
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking Persons (NAPTIP) says it is proposing the establishment of a command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to tackle cases of Violence against Persons (VAP).
The Director-General of the agency, Mrs Binta-Adamu Bello, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the 2024 stakeholder’s coordination meeting on implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 and corresponding state laws.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was supported by Ford Foundation to commemorate the first day of the 2024 Global 16 Days of Activism, an annual campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.
The NAPTIP boss said that the establishment of the FCT command would further solidify the agency’s commitment toward eradicating social menace, especially with the issue of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the nation’s capital.
According to the NAPTIP boss, it is expected that the command will enhance quicker response to SGBV cases, improve coordination among stakeholders, provide specialised support services for survivors and strengthen investigation and prosecution.
She said that the command would serve as a model for other states and strengthen stakeholders’ collective efforts to eradicate SGBV within the FCT, while inviting the stakeholders’ input and expertise in facilitating the move.
She said “I have strong conviction that we will leave here with renewed vision toward eradicating the ills associated with violence against persons and in turn, make the country safer and more habitable.
“It is gratifying to note that this meeting is holding on the first day of the Global 16 Days of Activism, which is an annual campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.
“The theme for this year is “Towards Beijing +30: Unite to End Violence against Women and Girls”, which resonates with the 30th anniversary review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and platform for action.
“At this point, I must commend the efforts of Ford Foundation for graciously supporting this meeting under the project “Strengthening Government Approach in Preventing and Responding SGBV.”
She reiterated NAPTIP’s commitment to work with states, the mandate Secretary of the Women Affairs Secretariat of the FCT and Civil Society Organisations to implement laws that abhor
Violence against women and girls.
Mrs Tolulola Odugbesan, the acting Director, VAP Department, NAPTIP, said that the coordination meeting was an opportunity for stakeholders to connect, proffer guidance, reflect on concerns, review successes and identify gaps.
She added that the meeting was also to discuss challenges, assess the level and effectiveness of intervention efforts and proffer recommendations and far-reaching strategies associated with the implementation of the VAPP Act 2015.
The Plateau Government says it has concluded arrangements to organise free medical care for 200,000 residents.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Cletus Shukuk, made the disclosure on Monday in Jos at the official launch of “Project 10 Million; Know Your Number, Control Your Number.”
Shukuk explained that the free medical care was basically screening for hypertension and diabetes, which were non-communicable diseases.
The commissioner stated that the programme was a comprehensive intervention strategically in line with the national campaign of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum to combat the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases.
According to him, the project would provide immediate counselling and referral and would also link newly diagnosed patients to treatment facilities.
Shurkuk further said that the increased public awareness would be carried out on hypertension and diabetes.
“The project would support the creation of a hypertension and diabetes register and, in turn, improve data collection, which would enhance health care policies and planning.
“The screening will be conducted in the 17 local government areas and will be done in selected primary and secondary health care facilities.
“I wish to call on the people of the state to avail themselves for the screening exercise to enable them to know their blood pressure and blood sugar level status,” he advised.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Helen Mutfwang, the wife of the governor of Plateau, was made the ambassador of the “project 10 million.”
No fewer than 25 persons have died and several others hospitalised following the outbreak of Gastroenteritis also known as Cholera in three council areas in Sokoto North, Silame and Kware local government areas of the state.
The state commissioner for health Asabe Balarabe who disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto, said currently the state is treating 15 victims of the outbreak on active cases from Sokoto North, Silame and Kware local government areas.
According to her, the 15 active cases were diagnosed through laboratory tests based on culture and sensitivity and confirmed to be active cases of the outbreak.
She also disclosed that 1,160 people were said to have been affected by the outbreak and 25 of the victims have already succumbed to the disease.
According to her, the state rescue teams are working in collaboration with the state government to manage and forestall further spread of the dreaded disease.
She described the state government’s response to the outbreak as prompt and effective, adding that medication and drugs have already been purchased and distributed to 18 local government areas, as an intervention to curtail the continued spread of the disease.
NAPTIP to establish command in FCT to tackle violence, SGBV cases
Plateau to organise free medical care for 200,000 residents
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