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Experts seek Govts’ intervention on cardiac care in Nigeria

Health

Olasunbo Okoromi

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February 2, 2022

Experts seek Govts’ intervention on cardiac care in Nigeria

Experts in cardiac care have appealed to the Federal and State Governments to be more responsive to the demands of treating and managing Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) in Nigeria.

According to them, it will help to save more lives and reduce brain drain.

The experts made the appeal in while responding to newsmen on Monday in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels.

They include coronary heart disease (disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle) and cerebrovascular disease (disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain).

Others include peripheral arterial disease ( a disease of blood vessels supplying the arms and legs), rheumatic heart disease (damage to the heart muscle and heart valves from rheumatic fever,caused by streptococcal bacteria).

Congenital heart disease (birth defects that affect the normal development and functioning of the heart caused by malformations of the heart structure from birth) and deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the leg veins, which can dislodge and move to the heart and lungs).

W.H.O says CVDs account for 17.9 million deaths globally in 2019 and 85 per cent of these deaths are due to heart attack and stroke.

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) also noted that CVDs are issues of public health concern responsible for 11 per cent of more than two million non-communicable diseases deaths in Nigeria annually.

According to the ministry, CVDs is responsible for a high burden of morbidity and disability.

Risk factors for CVDs present in individuals include raised blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, high blood lipids, overweight and obesity.

Sometimes, surgical operations are required to treat CVDs, especially if other treatments fail or cannot be used.

These operations include coronary artery bypass; balloon angioplasty (where a small balloon-like device is threaded through an artery to open the blockage), valve repair and replacement, heart transplantation and artificial heart operations, among others.

On the development of heart surgery in Nigeria, Dr Bode Falase, a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Head, Cardiothoracic Division, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), said that 13 centres at present conduct heart surgeries in Nigeria.

According to him, the centres are at LASUTH, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife; University College Hospital, Ibadan; Reddington Hospital, Ikeja; and First Cardiology Consultants, Ikoyi, Lagos. Others are Tristate Heart and Vascular Centre, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun; Nizamiye Hospital, Abuja and Lagoon Hospitals, Lagos, among others.

According to Falase, 200 heart surgeries were carried out across the centres in 2021.

He noted that it was gratifying that the surgeries were done by local expertise in institutions conducting the surgeries, adding these would allow for skills transfer and eliminate patients’ waiting time.

Falase noted that although cardiac specialists and stakeholders were proud of the current surgical procedures, the number was low compared to the country’s disease burden.

According to him, Nigeria has the expertise and facilities but the cost of surgery is high for most patients.

Falase said that performing more surgeries would address the challenge of brain drain since many cardiac professionals were interested in staying in the country.

He, however, said many opted to travel outside Nigeria to train due to the low number of cardiac surgeries currently performed in the country. According to him, there are 75 cardiac surgeons registered in Nigeria while about 12 of them had left the country.

Falase also said noted that financing of surgery was a challenge that impeded patients from surgery, adding that a majority of the patients were indigent.

According to him, the cost of average valve replacement operation at LASUTH is N3.2 million while a regular `hole in the heart surgery’ ranges between N2.5 and N2.7 million.

The surgeon appealed to philanthropists and non-governmental organisations to assist in funding surgical interventions for cardiac patients in LASUTH, noting that the government alone could not do it.

Falase maintained that the success recorded in its heart surgery was driven by the competence of the cardiac surgical team, in collaboration with the cardiology unit, supported by the hospital’s management.

Also, Dr Setemi Olufemi, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at LASUTH, noted that prices of consumables which are mostly imported and single user based were responsible for the cost being charged for heart surgeries.

Olufemi expressed optimism that establishment of more cardiac centres would lead to more demand and assist to reduce cost of consumables utilised for heart surgeries in Nigeria.

Olufemi, who noted that diagnostic tests were fundamental to diagnosing and managing cardiac problems, however, said that currently, few diagnoses were carried out in Nigeria.

According to him, diagnosis of heart diseases are not guesswork but highly specialised diagnoses, with some done in a cardiac catheterisation laboratory (Cardiac Cath Lab)

Cardiac Cath Lab is a specialised area in the hospital where doctors perform minimally invasive tests and advanced cardiac procedures to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease.

He said that there were 10 functional Cardiac Cath labs in Nigeria, with the LASUTH Cath lab expected to start in a month.

Similarly, Dr Okechukwu Ogah, National President, Nigerian Cardiac Society, noted that the country’s advancement in heart surgery had been tremendous in the last few years.

Ogah, who is a Cardiologist at the University College Teaching Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said that the government should be interested in cardiac care through scaling of facilities at existing centres and establishment of new ones.

He called for increased investment in advanced training for cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and allied professionals associated with cardiac care.

He said that efforts should be made to subsidise cardiac care through development of an effective and sustainable health insurance system that would cater for treatment of most diseases.

Ogah also said that difficulties experienced during importation of health equipment should be reduced for the country to have a vibrant cardiac care programme.

He proposed the implementation of tax incentives to encourage more investment in cardiac care in addition to funding of research to advance cardiac services in Nigeria.

Research Shows Earth Has More Tree Species Than Envisaged

Environment

Angel Gimalo

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February 2, 2022

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There are 14% more tree species than previously thought, according to what researchers are calling the first “scientifically credible” estimate.

Of the 73,300 estimated species, the researchers predict there are 9,200 that are yet to be discovered.

But most rare species are in tropical forests, fast disappearing because of climate change and deforestation.

The study is based on a database of tens of millions of trees in more than 100,000 forest plots around the world.

The researchers used statistical techniques to predict the likely number of tree species, correcting for gaps in existing data.

The findings suggest more must be done to protect the incredible life forms needed for food, timber and medicine and to fight climate change by sucking carbon dioxide from the air.

Lead researcher Dr Peter Reich, of the University of Minnesota in St Paul, said the findings highlighted the vulnerability of global forest biodiversity.

“This is in the tropics and subtropics of South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania and those are places where we discovered hotspots of known and unknown rare species.

UK Plants Now Flowers A Month Earlier – Study

Environment

Angel Gimalo

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February 2, 2022

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Climate change is causing UK plants to flower almost a month earlier on average, according to a study.

Just as autumn leaf fall is being delayed by warmer weather, flowers are appearing earlier on trees and shrubs.

But while some might welcome these untimely blooms, scientists are warning of the risks.

They say if the trend continues, there are knock-on effects for birds, insects and whole ecosystems.

Ecological mismatch may kick in, which would have a dramatic effect “on the functioning and productivity” of nature and farming, said lead researcher, Prof Ulf Buntgen of the University of Cambridge.

Global warming is causing spring to arrive early and autumn to come late in many places, and not all plants and animals are adapting at the same rate.

Scientists warn that if species get out of sync with each other, this could have disastrous consequences – a concept known as ecological mismatch.

Pollen, nectar, seeds and fruits of plants are important food resources for insects, birds and other wildlife. And if flowers appear too early they can be hit by frost, damaging the harvest of fruit trees.

Members Of British Parliament Seek Overhaul To Tackle Financial Scammers

Money

Angel Gimalo

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February 2, 2022

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Members Of British Parliament Seek Overhaul To Tackle Financial Scammers

The strategy to tackle fraud and other economic crime should be overhauled to prevent scammers acting with “impunity”, according to MPs.

Ministers should consider creating a new government department and a new law enforcement agency to get to grips with the issue, the Treasury Committee said.

The committee called for mandatory refunds in push-payment fraud cases.

This is when victims transfer money to fraudsters, thinking they are from official organisations.

Among a string of recommendations, MPs also said the government should consider whether to make big technology companies liable to pay compensation when people are tricked by con-artists using their platforms. Ministers should also legislate against online fraud adverts, they said.

“For too long, pernicious scammers have acted with impunity, ripping off innocent consumers with fraudulent online adverts, impersonation scams and dodgy crypto investments,” said Mel Stride, who chairs the committee.

“Unfortunately, fraud has soared during the pandemic and, as MPs, we’ve heard heart-breaking stories of individuals who have fallen victim to these criminals and lost large sums of money.

“While the government have made some progress in this area, we’re today calling on them to push harder and act faster on the growing fraud epidemic.”

The committee said there was a “bewildering” number of agencies responsible for fighting economic crime and fraud.

“The government must consider why economic crime seems not to be a priority for law enforcement, and how it can ensure it becomes one,” its report said.

After having £25,000 stolen by fraudsters when she was recovering from a stroke, 74-year-old Janet from Essex was told the police would not investigate her case.

Agency Partners UNIABUJA To Establish Center Of Excellence

Education

Rhoda Onuzulike

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February 2, 2022

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Agency Partners UNIABUJA To Establish Center Of Excellence

The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and the University of Abuja has agreed to establish a Centre of Excellence in Reverse Engineering and Innovation that will lead to the creation of indigenous engineering designs capacity and manufacturing to meet the challenges of improving the nation’s local industries. The Center when established is expected to help Nigeria conserve foreign exchange spending resulting from her dependence on importation and to cut down capital flights while creating employment opportunities thus raising the standard of living of the general population.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah presented the request to Executive Vice Chairman/CE, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna on tuesday in Abuja, when he led the University management team on a courtesy visit to NASENI Headquarters where he disclosed that the visit was aimed at renewing the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations which were signed in 2014.

According to the VC, the proposed center will also provide manufacturing value-added processes that would lead to employment generation, thus raising the standard of living. “It will lead to the much-desired university-industry linkages which hopefully would revolutionize industrial development of Nigeria,” he said.

As contained in the proposal by the University, NASENI staff would easily work with the university as joint research staff on many fronts as the center of Excellence would be located within the University campus to be managed through collaborative efforts by the two organizations. “It will focus amongst others on furnace manufacturing, energy and power equipment, miscellaneous components and devices and systems, and many more”

Also, The Chief of Transformation and Innovation Center of the Nigerian Army, Major General C. Ofoche led another delegation on behalf of the Nigeria Chief of Army Staff Lt.General Farouk Yahaya on a courtesy visit to NASENI to revive all existing working collaborations between the Agency and the Nigerian Army especially in specific areas of innovation, research, and development (R&Ds).

He said with R&Ds, Nigeria could begin the manufacturing of machines and spare parts using its indigenous resources (human and material resources) as the nation could no longer continue to consume imported finished products, adding that, it is wasteful and lack of diligent exploration citizen’s creative minds and innovation which had kept Nigeria where it is today.

“Until we started producing all the critical machines and spare parts which Nigeria needs up to 80%, we will not meet up with global standard and trends or competitiveness. We need to be competitive in everything we do.”

He, however, commended NASENI’s efforts in promoting the development of science, technology and innovation in Nigeria, adding that, collaborating with the Agency would enable the two parties to nurture the nation’s vast natural resources. “R&D is the way to go and with Army applications, we can defeat the bad people and make Nigeria better” he stressed.

In his response, the EVC/CE of NASENI said the Agency was ready to work with the University of Abuja in establishing the Center of Excellence in reverse engineering and innovation. He said such a move was within the mandate of the Agency, even as he assured both the Army and the VC, Uniabuja of the readiness of the Agency to work with them in promoting the importance of R&Ds in the development of the nation’s economy.