TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Governing Council Chairman of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), Prof. Ahmed Tijjani Mora on Saturday hinted that his administration would reposition the council in order to address the challenges affecting pharmacy education, training and practice in the country.

Mora gave this hint after he wasn inaugurated as the PCN Chairman , saying, the new governing council would address challenges associated with internship placement of young pharmacists, foreign graduate orientation programme , functions of the governing council itself , examination of pharmacists after internship and the chaotic drug distribution chain among many others.

He further noted that, it was worrisome that many young pharmacists after induction and administration of oath of pharmacy do not find place for internship and continue to struggle and go round for months on end.

He, however, stated that, he has set up committees to look into the , challenges while adding that, “ We will address the problem so that by the time students are administered the oath ,they already know where they will be doing their internship.”

Mora who was former Registrar of the PCN between 2003 and 2012 called on all pharmacists in the country to join hands with the council in moving the profession forward.

He, therefore, enjoined dissenting voices to sheath their swords and embrace his inauguration as the will of God and the right choice by the government.

It would be recalled that, the Federal Government had earlier on Monday inaugurated the governing council of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).

Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja , Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire said the governing council of PCN was to provide guidance and direction for the efficient discharge of the functions of the council as stipulated in its enabling Act.

He said that, “The Governing Council is also to ensure that it aligns its functions with the vision of President Muhammad Buhari, GCFR, for the country on health as spelt out in the 2nd edition of the National Strategic Health Development Plan (2018 – 2020)”.

Ehanire further stated that, PCN was vital to the health care system as reflected in its function in the regulation of the training of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and the practice of the pharmacy profession.

He said key issues that should engage the attention of the new council include: standard of training, code and ethics of practice, proliferation of illegal premises, unsatisfactory distribution of medicines, and drug abuse.

Meanwhile, the Registrar of the PCN, Pharmacist , Elijah Mohammed, said the inauguration of the council was a welcome development and that the council hopes to work with the new governing council to move the profession forward.

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The proposed certification of Nigeria as a polio free country in August this year is gradually becoming a reality.

The indication was given by the Chairman of the African Regional Commission for Certification of Polio Eradication, ARCC, Prof Rose Leke, in a meeting with the Nigeria team led by the ED/CEO of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA and partners.

She said that, the commission, which is an organ of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has for the past years assessed the performance of the NPHCDA in polio eradication and the results have been quite impressive.

The Chairman said the commission has also assessed the documentation of the progress made so far as submitted by the NPHCDA and found that it tallies with the reality on ground, and therefore congratulated Nigeria on the feat.

According to her; “We went with you and saw the happenings in the fields all these years,” she said, adding that, “The ARCC has listened to your documentation, presentation and exhaustive responses to all those questions that were put… and we really want to congratulate and tell you that the documentation was accepted.”

The ARCC commended the NPHCDA for achieving the milestone after years of battling with the Wild Polio Virus.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director/CEO of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who was visibly elated by the development, said it was an amazing moment in history to have had the polio eradication documentation accepted by the ARCC.

He disclosed that the acceptance paves way for the country’s polio free status to be officially declared next month at a meeting of Ministers of Health in Africa.

He, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his support and foresight, saying “the leadership provided by Mr. President is mainly responsible for the rare achievement.”

He also commended traditional and religious leaders, partners, past presidents, ministers, ED/CEOs of NPHCDA/NPI, leaders in the public health space, the media, polio victims, parents and others for being the constant driving force and motivation behind the efforts of the frontline workers.

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Federal Government has approved a new Advisory for Food Businesses which spells out safe food practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health, gave the approval to the document which spells out the new advisory at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

He stated that , the purpose of the advisory is to bring up possible measures to guide what food establishments and food retail markets have to put in place to ensure the integrity of the food supply chain across the country.

According to Ehanire who agreed with the World Health Organization (WHO) that it is highly unlikely that people can contract COVID-19 from food and food packaging however said that because SARS COV-2 virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets that are too heavy to remain in air, they may however land on openly displayed foods at open markets (neighborhood open markets) to go on to affect persons who may not take much care before consuming such foods.

Saying, openly displayed foods at open markets (neighborhood open markets) therefore, the Minister of Health stated are a source of concern for most people even though there is currently no evidence of transmission of SARS COV-2 virus associated with food in open markets.

The Health Minister , therefore , advised strongly that consumers are required to wash fruits and vegetables with potable water and ensure good personal and respiratory hygiene around open food items.

Ehanire said that to ensure food hygiene and prevent COVID-19 in food businesses, all well established food businesses are expected to have some form of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) in place, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to manage food safety hazards and risks.

The provision from these FSMSs laid down the foundation for ensuring safe foods at each stage of the food processing, manufacture and marketing chain. The idea, he said is the prevention of food contamination.
The newly approved ‘Advisory for Food Businesses on Safe Food Practices during COVID-19 Pandemic’ states the imperative for all food business operators to ensure that there are adequate measures in place to protect workers from contracting COVID-19 as well as strengthen food hygiene and sanitation, generally as well as embracing safe food handling practice.

The new advisory document further states the imperatives for the food business operators, retail stores and open markets to provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs); strengthen its personal hygiene procedures; make available NAFDAC registered hand sanitizer for consumers on their way in and out of the food premises; introduce and enforce physical distancing measures in the food establishments amongst others.

The Advisory for Food Businesses for Safe Food Practices during Covid-19 Pandemic also directs safe transport of food and food business environment. “Delivery staff should not leave the vehicle during delivery, where possible, and should observe all the precautionary measures provided in the advisory document.”

More so, in the food business environment, the new advisory stated that staff or food handlers who are unwell should, under no condition be at a food business premises. This is because when an infected person handles food, it is possible to introduce virus to the work surfaces such as counter tops, cash register, etc.

“However, if a staff is feeling unwell or showing symptoms of COVID-19, food managers should find a well-ventilated room or area for staff, if possible, the managers should immediately contact Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), through its toll free number 080097000010 or contact the respective State COVID-19 emergency numbers while they wait for proper advice, the document stated.

The new advisory also stated that the food manufacturers and retail markets are to liaise with relevant food regulatory agencies such as National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) for advice to ensure that food produced, marketed and sold are safe and wholesome for consumption.

A Copy of the ‘Advisory for Food Businesses on Safe Food Practices during COVID-19 Pandemic’ can be downloaded from Federal Ministry of Health Website: https://health.gov.ng/doc/Advisory-forFood-Practices-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic.pdf

Ibrahim Danbatta 

World Sickle Cell Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 in order to increase the awareness about the Sickle Cell Disease and its cure among the common public.  It was celebrated for the first time on 19th of June in 2009. 

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders, this means it’s inherited from both parents who are carriers. According to health experts, Healthy red blood cells are round, and they move through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. In someone who has SCD, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle”. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, they get stuck and clog the blood flow. People with sickle cell anaemia often experience Episodes of pain, swelling of hands and feet, frequent infections, Delayed growth or puberty, Vision problems among others.

It has been estimated that over 500, 000 are born every year with SCD, studies have also shown that 50% of SCD patients will die before the age of 5. However, this does not mean that SCD is a dead sentence, as long as they undergo regular check-ups with a doctor, take their medications regularly, prevent infections through hygienic practices such as hand washing and drink lots of water, people living with SCD can live as long as others or even longer than people living without SCD. Ashata Onikoyi- Laguda, is the oldest sickle cell patient in Nigeria who lived for 95 years.

SCD is inherited when a child receives two sickle cell genes—one from each parent. SCD is diagnosed with a simple blood test. It is most often found at birth during routine new-born screening tests at the hospital. Because children with SCD are at an increased risk of infection and other health problems, early diagnosis and treatment are important. 

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the only cure for SCD is bone marrow or stem cell transplant. In order to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle, eat.com, an online blog that specialises on nutrition maintained that, SCD patients, especially children, “must eat healthy meals which includes fruits, vegetables, grains, and also drink a lot of water with vitamin D supplements”.

Nigeria is said to be one of the countries with the highest number of people suffering from SCD in the world. Therefore, it is important to embark on a rigorous awareness campaign that is aimed at educating and enlightening people about SCD. This has to be done both at the federal and state government level. NGOs and religious bodies also have an important role to play in ensuring people know their genotype before marriage. This campaign must be taken into all the nooks and crannies of the country, especially the rural area.

Governments at all levels must establish and ensure compliance of laws that will enforce testing and genotype compatibility before marriage. The Anambra state government is at the forefront of this, the parliament has passed a bill making genotype testing compulsory before testing; it states that no religious body or registry must join a couple without genotype testing.  Therefore, other states must follow suite.

Ibrahim Danbatta writes from Kaduna

[email protected]

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Federal Government said strigent measures are in place to mitigate the fatality rate from COVID-19 even as new confirmed cases increases.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire made this known at the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 daily briefing on Thursday in Abuja, saying, the increasing number of cases should be a warning that fatalities will increase too; but there are measures we can take, to limit case fatality rate.

He satated that, since majority of fatalities are over 50 years of age, or have preexisting ailments like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, kidney disease, HIV, etc, this group of citizens has to be specially protected.

According to him; ‘This protection begins with limiting their exposure to risks of Covid-19 infection by urging stay at home, except there is urgent and dire need to go out.

“To wear a face mask or a covering at any time, once outside the house, or when inside the house with persons who may have been exposed.

“To observe all other non pharmaceutical advisory, like frequent hand washing, social distancing, respiratory hygiene, sanitizer use among many others”.

Ehanire also emphasized that going to places where there can be a crowd, like market or also places of worship carries risk of increased exposure. While stressing that being in a closed room increases the risk of exposure to infection in proportion to the number of people and the length of time spent with them, because the likelihood of presence of a positive person increases with the number and infection with time of exposure.

The minister buttresed that, all persons in the vulnerable group who test positive should go to a treatment center immediately, in their own best interest. A vulnerable person is not among those who should risk staying at home, because complications can arise easily and suddenly or at an odd hour of the day or night when there will be no immediate help available.

Ehanire added that, any person who tested positive and opted to stay home or elsewhere should move to a treatment center at the first sign of fever or shortness or breath. A delay can be fatal because the disease progression can be unpredictable and faster than imagined.

He said that , with these important measures, we could mitigate the fatality rate. The novel coronavirus is still among us and is infecting people daily, including prominent members of the society. Friends and family have an increasingly important role to play in helping to guide compliance with this advisory. Till it goes away, whenever that is, we must take extreme precaution when going to public places.

He stated that , the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) yesterday announced 587 new confirmed covid-19 cases, increasing the total tally to 17,735. We have treated and discharged 5,967 persons and 469 persons have sadly been lost to the disease.

According to him, “I also had the honour yesterday, of joining Mr. President at the China-Africa Extraordinary Summit on Solidarity Against the COVID-19 pandemic, where the desirability of sharing knowledge from research and experience was emphasized, as PTF Chair has reported. This is of value to us because China has considerable experience with covid19.

“Earlier yesterday, I signed a bilateral agreement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on cooperation in the area of public health and medical sciences. The agreement is to start cooperation between both countries in these areas: Exchanging experience in public health and health sciences; and Facilitation of visits by scientists and Exchanging information in research.

“On Monday, 15th June, 2020, I inaugurated the governing council of the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria, where the Council was charged to refocus aspects of the profession to meet up with the realities of today as the Covid-19 Pandemic has brought medicine security to the fore front”, he further stated.

The Minister , however, updated the case management guidelines with reviewed changes like discharge criteria and medication used for the treatment of cases. Our treatment centers will be getting an advisory to test applicability of a drug recently repurposed and found effective for treatment of COVID-19

The engagement of States and support for them in management of covid19 will continue to increase with increased capacity building. The Ministry of Health will also be prioritizing the procurement of oxygen generators alongside ventilators as our experience so far shows that oxygen supplementation is in high demand in treatment, he stated.