Organisation Urges Government To Invest In Nursing, Midwifery Education

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April 5, 2022

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Well-being Foundation Africa, has stressed the need for governments and spirited Nigerians to focus on targeted investments in nursing and midwifery.

The Founder of the Organisation Mrs. Saraki, made the call at a workshop organised for nurses and midwives on Monday, in Abuja.

She said reductions in neonatal mortality had lagged behind those of maternal, infant and child mortality, due to less attention and investment.

Saraki said that the country had the knowledge and tools to prevent at least two-thirds of the deaths. She said the country must advocate strengthening and investing in professional care during labour, birth, and the first day and week of life.

She further said that governments needed to invest in front-line staff, and must invest in midwives.

According to her, her foundation is with a clear mission for structured philanthropy, full of optimism to collaborate with strategic partners.

Saraki said that the primary aim of the foundation was to find the best practical solutions to reach a national scale.

She said that Kwara had done a lot in the area of maternal health and midwifery health.

According to her, the state is uniquely innovated towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

She said that the World Health Organisation has recognised the state as a routine community of practice – a perinatal births and deaths audit.

The Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Morenike Afex-Okoh, in her remarks said that mental health was an integral part of health and wellbeing, as reflected in the definition of health.

Afex-Okoh sad that mental health included emotional psychological and social wellbeing.

According to her, it affects how a person thinks, feels, and acts, it also helps to determine how one handles issues related to others and makes choices.

She said that in Nigeria, there were about 250 psychiatrists available for a population of over 200 million people.

She said that the treatment gap in mental health in Nigeria was as high as 90 per cent and there were many reasons for it.

Afex-Okoh said that the country also needed to do a lot in the area of mental health.

Rivers Health Workers threaten Court action over Poor welfare, issue Ultimatum

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Cleopatra Okohai

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April 5, 2022

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The Rivers State branch of the National Association of Primary Healthcare workers has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government, warning that it would seek redress in court if the government fail to accede to its welfare demands.

The association disclosed this in a statement it issued over the weekend signed by its Chairman, Comrade Daniel Atiemie.

According to the statement made available to LN247, the workers are protesting the non-promotion, non-payment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure, and non-implementation of the minimum wage among other issues.

Comrade Atiemie in the statement urged the state government to address all issues or leave them with the option of resuming a pending suit before the National Industrial Court.

“The State Government’s refusal to transfer Primary Health Care Workers salaries to the state in utter disregard and breach of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board Law No.10, 2010. Being a law duly enacted by the Rivers State Government.

“These and other issues formed the basis of a lawsuit instituted by the Association at the National Industrial Court, against the Wike led Rivers State Government to press home our demands.

“The Rivers State Government upon four consecutive appearances applied for the settlement of the matter out of Court.

“We accepted and the chief among the terms of settlement is the transfer of the PHC workers’ salaries which is believed to take care of and address the other issues.

“The Government made an attempt which we view as a ploy to pacify the angry and already agitated health workers by conducting personnel audit and biometric exercise. As evidence, Staff ID cards were issued in bad faith and nothing happened again till now that we are making this report.

“It is, therefore, our firm and unanimous resolve to resume the said National Industrial Court Suit we have temporarily applied to discontinue as to press home our demands,” the statement read.

The association disclosed that the 21-day-ultimatum started on March 29, noting that it will expire on April 18.

Rwanda Set to Launch $350M Agriculture Financing Facility

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Elizabeth Williams

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April 5, 2022

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The Rwandan government is expected to start an agriculture facility with an initial investment of $350 million (about Rwf350 billion), Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente has said, indicating that it will help provide farmers loans at less than 10 per cent interest rate.

The Premier said that this is an initiative Rwanda is going to implement in partnership with the World Bank, indicating that it will start in the second half of this year.

He made the disclosure on Monday, April 4, while responding to MPs’ concern that loans to agriculture were being charged at high interest rates – of around 18 per cent per year, which is hurting the profitability of farmers.

It was during a session in which the Premier was presenting the government actions related to agriculture inputs to the plenary session of both Chambers of Parliament.

Ngirente said that the project will help address the issue.

Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente presents the government actions related to agriculture inputs to the plenary session of both Chambers of Parliament on April 4.

“This is a major agriculture facility we are going to have in Rwanda,” he said. “This project will have a component to ease lending to agriculture. We set a target to ensure that loans to agriculture get charged a single-digit interest rate so that farmers get affordable loans under that programme.”

Farmers have been pushing for the creation of an agricultural development bank, citing rigorous and prohibitive terms to access credit from commercial banks.

Affordable loans would come in handy in helping farmers to purchase seeds and fertilisers, as well as employing irrigation technologies which are essential for increased productivity.

“Banks give loans to farmers at 18 per cent interest rate and above. There should be ways to grant affordable loans to farmers based on their needs such as through establishing an agriculture bank if need be,” said MP Anitha Mutesi said.

Ngirente said that the aforementioned facility will start as a public project helping farmers to get access to finance, but as they repay loans, the fund will become sustainable and ensure continuity of agriculture financing.

“This is a project we carefully planned so as to help farmers have access to low-cost interest rates because we know other constraints that affect the agriculture sector,” he said.

United Kingdom Launches £35m Programme to Support AfCFTA

By

Elizabeth Williams

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April 5, 2022

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The United Kingdom (UK) government has launched a £35 million programme to support negotiations and implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan disclosed this in a statement during the AfCFTA Secretariat Secretary-General, Wamkele Mene’s visits to London to discuss how the UK can continue its work as a strategic partner to the AfCFTA.

The AfCFTA Support Programme is meant to complement the UK’s broader partnership with the African Union as a multilateral institution to promote global values.

Through the AfCFTA Support Programme, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will provide up to £35 million to provide trade facilitation and trade policy support to the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Member States through TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), overseas Development Institute (ODI) and other regional partners.

The International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said that “As an independent free-trading nation, the UK strongly supports the AfCFTA – the largest free trade area in the world. We’re keen to see continued momentum in outstanding negotiations and in the practical implementation of the agreement on the ground. This new aid programme shows that trade is a force for good, and will lead to increased trade, investment, and prosperity for both Africa and the UK.”

Responding to the gesture, the Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat Wamkele Mene expressed gratitude to UK Government for the support.

“We are pleased to receive this support from the Government of the UK, as it ushers us into a partnership for strengthening cooperation related to customs and trade facilitation and trade policy across the African continent.

“This new AfCFTA support programme is, therefore, timely to facilitate the implementation of the AfCFTA, through supporting national implementation committees and regional economic communities

“In the last five years or so, we have seen the re-engineering of our Regional Economic Communities, to take into consideration the aspirations that are embedded in the AfCFTA instruments. We have also witnessed during this period the enthusiasm and the energy of our private sector to rise to the occasion and begin to exploit what is provided for in the Agreement.

“Our ambition now is to see commercially meaningful trading in ‘Made in the AfCFTA’ products taking place, across the length and breadth of our continent, to create jobs and economic opportunities for Africans, especially women and the youth. We want to make trade easier for the Africans, in particular, our women and young Africans who trade across our borders.”

According to UK’s Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford “Closer integration between African economies boosts growth across the continent creates opportunities and helps lift people out of poverty.

Brain Drain: Nigeria has 315,426 Doctor deficits – NMA

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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April 5, 2022

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The Nigerian Medical Association has revealed that the country has a deficit of 315,426 medical doctors to cater to the health needs of its 215, 266, 984 population.

This was revealed by the NMA President, Professor Innocent Ujah, during the association’s annual lecture with the theme: “brain drain and medical tourism: the twin evil in the health system in Nigeria.”

The NMA noted Nigeria’s ratio of one doctor to 5,000 patients (1:5,000), falls short of the World Health Organisation recommended ratio of doctors to patients in the country, which should be one doctor to 600 patients (1:600)

Using the latest United Nations population data for Nigeria, which is pegged at 215,063,351, the NMA revealed that there are actually 43,013 doctors available to attend to all Nigerians, leaving a huge deficit of 315,426 medical doctors.

This, the medical body attributed to a massive brain drain, adding that between 2016 to 2018, not less than 9,000 doctors left Nigeria for better work environments, safety and security in three countries – the United Kingdom (UK), Canada and the United States of America (USA).

Prof. Innocent Ujah said relevant stakeholders in the health sector, government and private sector must come up with lasting solutions to solve the problem.

“We all should know that human resources for health, which represents one of the six pillars of a strong and efficient health system, is very critical to the improvement of health quality for our health system. Unfortunately, Africa and our country, Nigeria are faced with a disturbing shortage of health workforce.

“According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), sub-Saharan Africa has about 3 percent of the world’s health workers while it J accounts for 24 percent of the global burden of disease. Nigeria has a doctor-to-population ratio of about 1: 4000-5000 which falls far short of the WHO recommended doctor-to-population ratio of 1:600. Nigeria is still grappling with disturbingly poor health indices.”

Continuing, he said, “Available records show that between 2016 and 2018, Nigeria lost over 9,000 Medical Doctors to the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America. The loss left Nigeria with only 4.7 per cent of its specialists to service the healthcare needs of the most populous black nation in the world. This does not paint the country in a good light at all.

“Another issue that poses a great challenge to our health system is the problem of medical tourism. Nigerians are said to spend over USD 1 billion annually on medical tourism according to a Price Waterhouse Cooper’s report in 2016. This represents a significant capital flight from the country which further weakens our economy with great consequences, such as reduced funding/investment in the health sector, widening infrastructural deficits and the growing distrust in the Nigerian health system by the Nigerian public.”

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the federal government has already put in place a health reform committee to reverse and combat brain.

According to him, “The health system cannot be what it should be without fixing the political system. We are not here trying to point accusing fingers. What we are here to do is to find pragmatic solutions that will get us to where we want to go.”

Epilepsy in elderly individuals could be signs of degenerative diseases, stroke –Neurologist

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Cleopatra Okohai

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April 4, 2022

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A professor of Internal Medicine and Neurology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Ikenna Onwuekwe says recurrent epilepsy in adults could be signs of degenerative diseases, stroke or tumour.

He advised that an elderly individual, who has been experiencing epilepsy, should be taken to a physician for thorough medical examination, so that the root cause can be diagnosed and treated.

According to Mayo Clinic, an online health portal, epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations and sometimes loss of awareness.

It noted that anyone can develop epilepsy, adding that it affects males and females of all races, ethnic backgrounds and ages.

Mayo Clinic explained that epilepsy has no identifiable cause in about half the people with the condition.

It noted that however, in the other half, the condition may be traced to various factors that include genetic influence, head trauma, brain abnormalities and infections like meningitis, HIV, viral encephalitis and some parasitic infections. Others are prenatal injury (before birth) and developmental disorders such as autism.

For degenerative disease, a medical information portal explained that it is a type of medical condition that causes a tissue or organ to deteriorate over time.

It noted that there are quite a number of degenerative diseases and many of them are associated with aging or could get worse during the aging process.

“Degenerative diseases are classified into three main groups: cardiovascular, neoplastic, and nervous system. The most common cardiovascular diseases are hypertension, coronary disease, and myocardial infarction. Neoplastic diseases include tumours and cancer. Diseases that affect the nervous system include Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

“Degenerative diseases are caused by a wide variety of factors. Some are a direct result of normal wear and tear of the body, while others are perpetuated by poor health or an unhealthy lifestyle,” the site stated.

Prof. Onwuekwe, who is the Founder and Inaugural President of International League Against Epilepsy, Nigeria Chapter, clarified that seizures are different from epilepsy, noting that isolated seizures can occur from multiple causes and are not repetitive in nature, while epilepsy is repeated seizures that occur at least twice in the absence of fever.

Mexico Suspends Gasoline Subsidy To Stop US Drivers From Buying Cheap Fuel

By

faith Jegede

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April 4, 2022

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Mexico, which has been subsidizing gasoline to soften price spikes, said on Saturday that the policy would not apply in the U.S. border region this week, citing shortages as more Americans drive south to fill their tanks.

The suspension of the subsidy from April 2-8 covers cities in the border states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora and Baja California, including Tijuana, one of the world’s busiest border crossings.

Mexico’s finance ministry said in a statement that there was a gasoline shortage in the area “from an imbalance between supply and demand.”

“In the United States, gasoline prices are higher than in Mexico, and citizens of that country across the border to stock up,” the finance ministry said.

As fuel prices have spiked after Russia invaded Ukraine, more people living in the United States are driving across the border into Mexico in search of lower gas prices.

Mexico’s subsidy has been championed by the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has long promised to insulate consumers from sharp price hikes at the pump.

Deputy Finance Minister Gabriel Yorio In an interview said Mexico planned to use the extra revenue from higher oil prices to subsidize domestic gasoline and diesel prices.

Russia’s Neighbors Close Up Borders

By

faith Jegede

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April 4, 2022

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Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have decided to close their land borders with Russia and Belarus, Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayyem said.

Nayyem noted that Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will completely close the roads for trucks belonging to Russia and Belarus in the next 48-72 hours, thus completely isolating Russia.

“Last week, we officially appealed for the closure of any highways for Russia and Belarus. Our appeal was immediately responded to. We are waiting for the final result,” the Ukrainian minister added.

It should be noted that after the war in Ukraine, the European Union closed its airspace to Russian aircraft. However, Russian transportation is carried out by land.

Controversial Cable Car Project In Madagascar Gets Environmental Permit

By

Angel Gimalo

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April 4, 2022

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In Madagascar, the cable car project in the capital Antananarivo has obtained a permit from the National Office for the Environment (ONE).

The infrastructure, which should relieve congestion in the archipelago’s main city, has provoked controversy among local residents and environmentalists.

Madagascar will soon have two cable car lines linking five districts of the city of Antananarivo.

The cable car project in the Malagasy capital, supported by the Secretary of State for New Towns and Housing, has just obtained an environmental permit from the National Office for the Environment (ONE).

According to the Malagasy authorities, this permit will allow technical and geotechnical studies to continue and work to begin.

However, some local residents point to the risk of landslides in the capital during the rainy season. For some environmentalists, this project is less important than the power cuts and the risk of flooding, which is caused by the dilapidated dykes, the lack of drainage channels, anarchic development and poor waste management.

All these concerns call into question the objective of this cable car.

Decongestion of Tananarive
Thanks to 78 pylons that will be erected in Antananarivo, the infrastructure financed by a 152-million-euro loan from France should reduce traffic jams.

The first line, called the “Red Line”, will have 4 stations and 19 pylons. It is 9.21 km long and will link Anosy and Ambatobe in 30 minutes.

The second line, called “Yellow Line”, will connect Anosy and Ambanidia in 10 minutes over a distance of 2.60 km. In total, the cable car should carry 40,000 passengers per day.

The work, which will start by June 2022, will be carried out by the French companies Colas (a subsidiary of the Bouygues group) and Poma, a specialist in cable transport.

These two companies will also be responsible for laying out the final route of the lines in April.

According to the Malagasy government, the project will be operational before the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG), which the country will host in 2023.

“By respecting the specifications that we have granted, there is no risk in relation to the project. We have put in place safeguards with regard to heritage, culture, and the stability of the land in the upper town where there are risks of landslides and instability.

There are going to be a lot of changes in relation to the pylons, whether it’s from the point of view of heritage constraints or geotechnical and land constraints. The developers have accepted all the conditions.

Concerning the noise perceptible at the level of the pylons and stations, the promoter has already provided solutions to control it by placing absorbers all around the sources of noise,” says ONE Director-General Rija Rakotoson.

According to the Malagasy Secretary of State in charge of New Towns and Housing, surveys are underway wherever the pylons will be erected to determine the characteristics of the soil.

“There will be no expropriation because for the stations, for example, the pylons will be placed on land belonging to the State,” says Léa Ravoavinorosoa.

For the mayor of this city of more than 3 million inhabitants, Naina Andriantsitohaina, the Antananarivo cable car “is motivated by the government’s desire to provide a green and efficient solution to our fellow citizens who suffer the economic and health consequences of traffic jams every day

French Winemakers Light Candles To Warm Grapevines

By

Angel Gimalo

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April 4, 2022

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French vintners are lighting candles to thaw their grapevines to save them from a late frost following a winter warm spell, a temperature swing that is threatening fruit crops in multiple countries.

Ice-coated vines stretched across hillsides around Chablis as the Burgundy region woke Monday to temperatures of minus 5 C (23 F).

Fruit growers are worried that the frost will kill off large numbers of early buds, which appeared in March as temperatures rose above 20 C (68 F), and disrupt the whole growing season.

The frost is particularly frustrating after a similar phenomenon hit French vineyards last year, leading to some 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in losses.

Before dawn Monday, row upon row of candles flickered beneath the frosty vines in Chablis. As the sun rose, it illuminated the ice crystals gripping the vines.

Some vintners tried to warm the vines with electrical lines, or sprayed the buds with water to protect them from frost. The water creates a thin layer of ice that ensures the blossom’s temperature remains around freezing point but does not dip much lower.

Chablis vintner Daniel Defaix, whose vineyard has been producing wine for 400 years and lived through a multitude of climate disasters, calls what’s happening now “a very, very serious frost.”

He noted temperatures are dropping a few degrees lower than last year, down to minus 7 C in places, and have reached warmer hilltop plots as well as those in the cooler valleys.

He placed paraffin candles on the soil or set up special irrigation systems to protect about five hectares of his most valuable grand cru and premier cru grapes, but had to leave the remaining 25 hectares to face the forces of nature.

At a cost of 10 euros per candle — and 600 candles per hectare — it was too costly to invest in saving the rest of the grapes.

A wine grower checks the plant in a vineyard of the Jura region, central France, early Monday April 4, 2022 in Le Vernois. Plunging April temperatures around France are threatening vineyards and other important crops.