Category: Health

Calabar is becoming more life threatening in every angle as the lives of her citizen has no spare. More than 2000 residents at Etim Ekpo Crescent, Ikot-Uruak, Calabar Municipal Area have been denied access to their houses due to a life threatening ravine that has eaten up almost the entire area of the surroundings.

When CrossRiverWatch reported the incident, our reporters found their to the environment, confirming with the residents who begged for a good Samaritan to give them aide through the government so they intervene to salvage their situations.

One of the resident said the only access they have now is through the house of one Mr. Etim who later barricaded his fence so not to grant access to his properties.

Speaking with the landlord, Mr. Etim said he blocked his fence so as to give the people the plight to stand up or call for aide to fix the dangered ravine.

A couple named Mr. and Mrs. Godwin Eze have been arrested by the Cross River State Police over selling babies for five (5) years now at the General Hospital, Mary Slessor Avenue, Calabar in Cross River State.

According to reports from the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Inyang Asibong, the couples have been and currently operating a shop within the Hospital premises since 2011 now and have been suspected once but covered up about the incident.

The suspects who sometimes deliver babies in an unknown and non-conducive environment are said to have and insider, probably a doctor, matron, or a nurse whom they pay to carry out their demonic act in the hospital. They sometimes lure pregnant girls/women who comes to buy things with them and even stand for them as a family member during delivery.

The commissioner and the police promise to reveal those insiders as time goes on, following a tip-off from the Medical Superintendent of the General Hospital which led to the arrest of the victims.

The couples were also at hand to buy a baby from a 17-year-old girl who said she has two (2) kids and she’s lost both her parent, whereas the man responsible for the children is not taking care of them. She added that she wanted to sell one so could use the money to fend for the other.

Mr. and Mrs. Eze has said to be selling children for N200,000 for male and N150,000 for female respectively. But thank God they’re in the police custody now.

By now you’ve heard that sugary foods drive insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. The more of the sweet stuff you swallow—whether it’s table sugar or organic honey—the more insulin your pancreas has to produce and release into your bloodstream in order to control your blood’s glucose levels. At some point, an overworked pancreas can become incapable of producing enough insulin to manage sugar loads in the blood, resulting in type-2 diabetes

But what happens if you replace sugar with artificial sweeteners? The American Diabetes Associationsays on its website that sugar substitutes are safe by FDA standards, and “may help curb your cravings for something sweet.” But other experts are dubious.

“The short answer is we don’t know what happens when you replace sugar with artificial sweeteners,” says Dr. Robert Lustig, an endocrinologist and sugar researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. “We have data nibbling around the edges, but we don’t have enough to make a hard determination for any specific sweetener.”

People who consume diet soda on a daily basis are 36% more likely to develop metabolic syndrome and 67% more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than people who don’t drink diet or regular soda, found a 2009 study. That may seem damning until you consider that overweight or obese people—the groups most at risk for type-2 diabetes—may be more likely to drink diet soda in an attempt to lose weight than their slimmer pals.

Newer evidence, though still far from conclusive, is more telling.

A 2014 study from Israel found that artificial sweeteners changed the microbiotic makeup of rodents’ guts in ways linked to metabolic disease. For another recent study, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis had obese people sip either water or a beverage sweetened with sucralose (Splenda) 10 minutes before they consumed real sugar. The researchers were looking to see how everyone’s insulin levels would react to the sugar hit after being primed with either the artificial sweetener or water.

“If the sweetener was harmless, you would expect the test to be the same in both cases,” Lustig says. But Dr. Yanina Pepino, first author of the Washington University in St. Louis study, says the study participants’ bodies released roughly 20% more insulin following the artificial sweetener pre-treatment.

“The body needed to secrete more insulin to handle the same amount of sugar, which suggests there was slight insulin resistance from the sucralose,” Pepino explains.

Read more at Time.com

Police Secondary School, Akpabuyo on Wednesday 29th June, 2016 benefitted from from Wife of the Governor. Dr Linda Ayade Pet project “Hunt Malaria Initiative” of Mediatrix Development Foundation.

Her Excellency, Dr Linda Ayade duly represented by her Special Adviser, Mrs Rosemary Eneji said the essence of the visit is to identify with them and chart a new course for school health services which is one of the MDF objectives. such services according to her begins with establishment of Hunt Malaria clubs in schools which is the reason we came here. Our digital State Governor, Senator (prof) Ben Ayade will not relent until our children are healthy, we need you to support these initiatives and join hand with him to move the state forward.

Speaking earlier, Dr Betta Edu, Director General Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency said she came courtesy of a woman very passionate about the healthcare and well being of children in CRS.

According to her Malaria poses a huge burden to the society as 60℅ absenteeism in schools is as a result of the disease called malaria. Without these proactive measures undertaken by Her Excellency, Dr Linda Ayade to curtail the disease in schools, students will miss out from studies.

“Every child leaving in boarding house should be educated on how to prevent and treat malaria. Our aim is to ensure that all of you sleep under long lasting insecticide treated nets because ending malaria for good is our top priority said the DG.

Explaining the formation of the Hunt Malaria club to students, staff and management, Mr Jeff Adadame, P.A Health Initiative to Her Excellency said the club system will run in the school with quarterly competitions among many schools which he hopes Police boys will conquer the quest.

State Director of Community Health and Programme Manager, Roll back Malaria, Dr Iwara Iwara noted that in the Nigeria a child dies of malaria every second when the disease is actually preventable and that is why we are fully in support of the project as an agency as it will aid the battle against malaria in the state.

“I task you all to avoid self medication which will lead to resistance to treatment. Remember it is one child, one net and please ensure to sleep under it, said Dr Iwara.

Long lasting insecticides nets were distributed to all staff and boarding students as part of the hunt malaria club intervention in the schools.

See photos from the event/visitations below…

Credit: Prince Charles, Personal Assistant on Media at Department of Community and Primary Health Care, Governor’s Office. 

Obanliku people demanded for more health workers in their primary health centres during the one day town hall meeting on health and assessment of health facilities around the LGA’s.

The meeting was held at the Civic Centre of the Local Government with Dr Betta Edu Director General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency chairing the meeting.

Dr Edu said the essence of the exercise is to come and see with their eyes the progress and challenges encounter by health workers in the LGA. She assured the people of His Excellency, Prof Ben Ayade desire to provide quality accessible healthcare in Obanliku especially with the implementation of new policies that will help drive the process like Community Based Health Insurance Scheme. This scheme according to her will enable them access healthcare for a token no matter the ideal cost. The second policy is already implemented which is the establishment of one functional health center per ward policy of the Federal Government which the state has adopted. She said three Heath centers have already been commissioned, two of them in Ikom by Wife of the President, Her Excellency, Mrs Aisha Buhari and one in Bedia, Obudu while one is still undergoing work at Aningeje, Akamkpa. The last policy, Mobile Primary Health services will enable incapacitated persons in the state receive Health care at door steps of their house.

Finally she informed them of measures taken by the wife of the state governor, Dr Linda Ayade to cut down on maternal mortality which is becoming a serious issue in CRS today with increase death of pregnant women at TBA’s homes and prayer houses in CRS. She said such measures include community policing policy that will involve strict follow up to ensure pregnant women attend ANC and deliver at heath facilities.

Earlier speaking Representative of the Chairman, Hon. Apishie Mattias who is Legislative leader of the council reiterated their continuous support to the present administration, noting that Obanliku people are solidly behind his Excellency, Prof Ben Ayade as strives hard to change the course of health care in the state. Hon Mattias noted that Obanliku is a rural populated area that depends on farming as their major trade. He also informed the DG that they are 9 health centers with no personnel to man the facilities.

Mr Felix Ayang from Utanga Ward decried that they cannot depend on General hospital alone since it is not yet fully functional, but will be hoping for rehabilitations of health centers across the LGA.

Mr Michael Okokoh, the supervisor of health Obanliku pleaded for the cottage hospital built and equipped by one of their illustrious son to become operational with staff drafted in for full take off. The DG promised to channel his complaint to the Hon. Commissioner of health, Dr Inyang Asibong which is passionate about changing the status quo in the health sector. She shares the same vision of the administration and will bring help in no time.

The meeting was well attended by opinion leaders and Royal father of Obanliku, HRH Ikanshui Joseph and PHC Coordinator of the LGA, Mr Joseph Omagu.

The meeting was followed by a needs assessment tour of PHC facilities in the LGA, which the DG noted poor staffing and poor conditions. She promised them that something will be done soon to revitalise healthcare in their LGA.

In recent months, there have been an upsurge in the number of women dying at traditional birth attendant homes and prayer houses. Furthermore, at the end of MDGs in 2015, Nigeria as a country did not significantly  reduce maternal mortality but rather there was a marginal increase. CRS still have over 50% of its women delivering with unskilled birth attendants

One of the key goals of the health sector in Cross River State led the Hon. Com. For Health Dr. Inyang Asibong is to see that maternal mortality and morbidity is reduced to the barest minimum through the increase in skilled birth attendance. In pursuance to this, Director General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu earlier on today flagged-off the committee meeting on development of guidelines for traditional birth attendant operation in Cross River State.

The meeting which was facilitated and hosted by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) had in attendance, Mrs Bassey Duke, TBA President in Cross River State and serveral other TBAs from north, central and southern senetorial district, Dr Kenneth Ehouzou, Head of UNFPA CRS, Dr Ikpeme, Head of E.U SIGN CRS, Dr Rajesh Kapse, Director of PHC, Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, Mrs Yemisi Pius, State Program Manager of Pathfinders International and Dr. Ana and Dr Iwara which are Directors from CRSPHCDA and other members of CRSPHCDA which are members of the TBA Survellance team.

Speaking, Dr Betta Edu said Nigeria and CRS is far from the ideal picture seen in many other countries as it concerns the reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity. She noted that the present administration of Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade and his dear wife Dr Linda Ayade working with the health team are determined to reduce maternal mortality in the state and create an enabling environment for pregnant women to deliver safely at health facilities instead of traditional birth attendant houses or prayer houses.

“A critical gap has been identified, a week does not go by without report of death of our women in the TBA homes. Unless immediate steps are taken to regulate the activities of TBAs in the state, we can not make any meaningful progress in reducing matetnal mortality”.

This is the reason why our development partners are collaborating with the agency to streamline the activities of TBA’s in the state and present them with a guideline that will checkmate their excesses.

This guidelines as identified by the erudite and energetic DG, will reflect the community policing innovative intervention of the Her Excelleny Dr. Linda Ayade targeted at reducing Maternal Mortality, it will involve creating community champion from TBAs that adhered to the guidelines. The referral process will have reward and incentives for TBA’s with the highest referral. She tasked the TBA’s to work for the success of the project which will improve the image of the state . She said the committee which includes TBA’s representatives will come up with an acceptable guidelines that will guide their operations henceforth.

Earlier speaking, Kenneth Ehouzou, Head of UNFPA CRS and the chief host said UNFPA under Dr Rati N. as country head is very happy to partner with CRS to streamline the activities of TBA’s with the development of guidelines and  code of conduct to guide TBA’s across the state. He assured the DG that as “developmental partners they will continue to provide available resources to support the work of the state Governor, Prof Ben Ayade in reducing maternal mortality in Cross River.

Reacting, TBA president in the state, Deaconess Bassey Duke, said she was happy with this development and she is ready to follow the team even to churches to stop women from delivering with unskilled birth attendants. However, she said age limitation should not be part of the guidelines because most of them were chosen by God to do the work and are still capable beyond 60 years of age.

“We are happy for this meeting, we give our sincere gratitude to CRSG for not trying to eliminate us all, but rather checkmating our activities and giving us new roles in the communities. We appreciate the DG of State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr Betta Edu and UNFPA for their support. We will work towards the success of these process said, Mrs Egbodor Victoria, TBA woman from Wanihem Ward, Yala LGA.

The committee is expected to come out with the final draft of the guidelines for immediate implementation in the couple of days.

From Prince Charles, Personal Assistant on Media at Department of Primary Health Care Development

The Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency in partnership with Pathfinder International recently completed first phase of training for 50 PHC CHEWS in CRS.

Both bodies are driven by the conviction that all people , regardless of where they live, have the right to decide whether and when to have children, to exist free from fear and stigma , and to lead the lives they choose.

Since 1957 , Pathfinder have partnered with local governments , communities , and health systems in developing countries to remove barriers to critical sexual and reproductive health services. Together, they expand access to contraception, promote healthy pregnancies, save women’s lives, and stop the spread on new HIV infections, wherever the need is most urgent. Their work ensures millions of women, men, and young people are able to choose their own paths forward.

As part of the effort to achieved these goal in Cross River State, 22 and 28 Community Health Extensive Workers were trained at Calabar and Ogoja simultaneously on Emergency obsentric and new born care under the “Saving Mother Giving Life” initiative of the organization.

Speaking, the Director General of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu commended the effort of Pathfinders for the successful training of CHEWs which will ensure quality maternal health services are delivered in PHC.

She also eulogized the effort of the State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade and his wife Dr Linda Ayade for their rapid response in area of Maternal mortality in the state, recounting that the delivery kits donated by wife of Governor to various primary health facilities have encouraged more women to come to the PHC and have services of skilled birth attendants, thus reducing maternal mortality in the state.

She said the training was very effective as CHEWs have improved their delivery skills and are more knowledgeable on new born care. According to her this exercise was geared towards  reducing maternal and new born mortality and morbidity, she urged all trainees to focus on achieving this set goals to improve maternal health indices in CRS.

Earlier Speaking, Pathfinders International representative, Dr Femi Pius in his remarks noted that before the training CHEWS were not equip to handle some of this intervention. She said the training will enable them to be fully capacitated  to handle artistic vagina delivery with the use of vacuum extraction, manual removal of placenta and retain products, new born resuscitation and uterotonics, she noted that the aim is to Establish a network of health providers and referral process offering affordable antenatal care, emergency obstetric care and family planning services to women.

This partnership also seeks to Strengthen the capacity and linkages between rural private and public sector health providers to offer high quality maternal health care aimed at preventing and treating Post Partum Haemorrhage, as well as Improve community awareness regarding risk factors during pregnancy , how to access maternal health services , and how to access emergency transportation .

Challenges observed by the organization at PHC’s level were lack of drugs in the facilities despite  the free medical care at the PHC’s which is making women consider Traditional Birth Attendants for deliveries.

Mrs Sally Enyim pathfinder focal person in CRSPHDA used the medium to encourage the CHEWS to put up good attitude while relating with patients.

Cross River State health Sector under the leadership of the commissioner For Health Dr Inyang Asibong is working to reduce maternal mortality. We encourage every woman to deliver with skilled birth attendants at health facilities.

From Prince Charles, Personal Assistant on Media at Department of Community and Primary Health Care. 

National President of the Association, Mohammed Askira, made the announcement during a press conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Saturday, June 25.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Mr Askira, however, appealed to the government to implement agreements reached with the association before July the 14th.

While stating that it’s decision is borne out of the need of alleviating the plight of Nigerians, who have been unable to access medical services during the period of the industrial action, he said official duties for the doctors will begin from Monday, June 27.

The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) had given a list of demands to the Federal Government which include payment of members’ salaries till date and appropriate placement of members in both states and federal tertiary hospitals across the nation.

Others were the reversal of sacked members in some hospitals as well as appropriate funding of residency training programme.

 Culled from Channelstv.com