Nigerian Government Declares State Of Emergency On Childhood TB

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March 30, 2022

The Nigerian Government has declared a State of Emergency on childhood tuberculosis in the country on Tuesday.

This was disclosed in Abuja, by Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, the Coordinator, National Tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), at the bi-weekly meeting of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in the country.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease that is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that often affect the lungs.

Bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) as stating that “Nigeria has recorded a 50 per cent increase in TB notification from 138,591 TB cases in 2020 to 207,785 TB cases in 2021.”

“Also, about six per cent of all forms of notified TB cases in 2021 were children less than 15 years. TB is an important infectious disease of public health concern.”

“The effects of TB on children in terms of morbidity and mortality are more than that of adults and the ugly development may not be unconnected with the differences in characteristics and peculiarities of the disease in children.”

The world body added that “Tuberculosis in children is usually primary, paucibacillary, characterised by difficulties in diagnosis of both drug susceptible and resistant TB.”

“This is associated with poor uptake of preventive therapy for those with latent infection, contacts and people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), in most developing countries like Nigeria.”

The NTBLCP coordinator, therefore, said that the management of TB in children was characterised by difficulties due to both peculiarities of children and the disease.

“With detailed clinical assessment and examination of necessary specimen, in addition to strict adherence to the guidelines of the national TB control programme, more cases of TB in children can be prevented, diagnosed, treated and reported,” he added.

Chukwuma said that these disturbing statistics called for a change in narrative of the country’s child TB scourge, stressing the need for concerted response from stakeholders.

He said “we now have a National Steering Committee for Childhood TB, which will now be the central advisory body of the Programme.”

“It consists of representatives from donor partners in the programme and includes vast expertise in TB research, academia and staff of NTBLCP.”

The national coordinator said that the capacities of pediatricians and medical officers were being built in the country to improve early diagnosis and prompt treatment of childhood TB.

Chukwuma said that the programme was also collaborating with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to improve on BCG immunisation to primarily protect children from TB, Leprosy and even Buruli ulcer.

The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, said the agency was working to strengthen sub-national disease surveillance systems in the country.

He added that outbreak detection needed a system to successfully identify an epidemic at the earliest possible stage through complete and timely reported data.

Adetifa said that the agency’s priorities remained testing, testing and testing.

He added that “currently, we have increased Rapid Diagnosis Test (RDT ) due to an ongoing surge testing project in Ekiti, Sokoto, Kebbi, Abia, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Edo and Ondo states.”

Pfizer Nigeria Supports Free Breast Screening

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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March 30, 2022

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Pfizer Nigeria’s Country Manager and Cluster Lead, West Africa, Mr Olayinka Subair, on Monday said the company is committed to improving patients’ lives and reducing disparities in cancer care.

He made this known in a statement in Lagos, saying that the company showcased its dedication to health equity by supporting Medicaid Cancer Foundation and Leah Foundation to provide free breast cancer screening to women.

Subair explained that breast cancer screening was provided to women in Abuja, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi and Oyo states, as part of activities in commemoration of World Cancer Day.

He further said that, the screening provided by the foundations was to draw attention to the need for early detection toward saving lives.

He stressed that Pfizer’s legacy in breast cancer spans over two decades, with a strong foundation in research and development to ensure support for breast cancer patients.

Also, Mr Lanre Bello, Executive Director, Leah Foundation, said Pfizer’s intervention was life-saving, noting that most of the rural women had no prior knowledge of breast cancer.

Bello appealed to corporate organisations, religious bodies, trade unions, women associations and governments to collaborate to raise awareness, provide screenings and necessary interventions that would assist to reduce cancer disease burden.

Subair noted that bi-annual screening was recommended, especially for women in the rural locations.

Similarly, Ms Hadiza Arome, Senior Programme Manager, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, said the breast cancer awareness and free screening programme targeted persons who met age and medical eligibility guidelines, especially rural women.

Arome said this would ensure that all women screened by the foundation received appropriate and timely follow-up, diagnosis and treatment.

She noted that screening the target populations through regional public education efforts would also assist in reducing morbidity and mortality from the disease.

Kwara State Collaborates With NPF On Imbibing Good Hygiene

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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March 30, 2022

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The Kwara State Government has reiterated its readiness to strengthen the existing cordial relationship with the Nigerian Police Force with a view to imbibing the art of good hygiene, and adhering to environmental laws for the benefits of the citizenry.

The State Commissioner, Ministry of Environment, Abosede Olaitan Buraimoh stated this during a courtesy visit to the Kwara Police Command Headquarters, Ilorin.

While appreciating the efforts of the Command in enforcing law and order, Buraimoh sought for more support for the Ministry to keep the environment clean and encourage practices that promote and preserve health.

She explained that the mutual cooperation with the Security Outfits and the development Partners would guarantee effective service delivery of the Ministry.

The Commissioner noted that a clean environment will enable good hygiene of the residents as well as prevent any outbreak of epidemics.

Buraimoh solicited the Force’s assistance on every Environmental Sanitation Day for the Environmental Officials to discharge their duties effectively without fear while asking for deployment of more armed personnel for the exercise.

Responding, the Commissioner of Police, Emienbo Tuesday Assayamo promised to support the Ministry with everything at his disposal, hence, expressing satisfaction that the State has an energetic and committed person as the Commissioner for Environment.

He said the Force and the Ministry will work together to ensure the State is free from dirt and the dwellers are law abiding, promising to render all the backup needed by the Ministry at all time.

The Police Commissioner promised to work with the Ministry to evacuate those trading on road setbacks for traffic logjams to reduce on roads in Ilorin, the state capital.

Also speaking, a member of the Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Taskforce, Colonel Kayode Umar thanked the Commissioner of Police for his gesture and support at all time.

He charged the Force to intensify its efforts as they are both working for the safety and good hygiene of Kwarans.

NGO Donates Wheelchairs To 75 PLWDs in Jigawa State

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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March 30, 2022

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The Beautiful Gate Handicapped People Center in Jos, donated 75 wheelchairs to Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), in Balbadu community, Birni Kudu Local Government Area (LGA) of Jigawa State on Sunday.

This was disclosed by the Media Officer of the organisation, Sandra Yilgwan, in a statement in Jos on Monday.

According to Yilgwan, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre, Mr Ayuba Gufwan, who presented the items, said that the gesture was aimed at cushioning the hardship of the community’s PLWDs.

Gufwan noted, it is the third time the organisation will be donating wheelchairs to the community; and that he derives joy in touching lives, particularly PLWDs.

He further advised the beneficiaries to put the wheelchairs to good use, saying that it would enable the younger ones among them to attend school with ease.

Gufwan called on Parents of children with disabilities to cater for them, and ensure they attended school or learn a skill in order to be useful members of the society.

Alhaji Usman Lamido, leader of the community, thanked the donor for the gesture, and prayed God to bless him in all ramifications.

NFF Apologises To Government, Nigerians For World Cup Failure

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Emenike Agu

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March 30, 2022

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The Nigeria Football Federation has tendered unreserved apology to the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria for the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify for this year’s FIFA World Cup finals holding in Qatar.

NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi regretted that the team failed to qualify despite the enormous support of Government and the good people of Nigeria who turned out in throngs to fill up the 60,491 –capacity Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja for the clash with Ghana’s Black Stars on Tuesday.

“There was nothing the team needed that was lacking. The Government provided necessary support; the NFF put all logistics in place with the active support of the Sports Ministry and; Nigerians turned out en masse to support the team. The truth is that we left nothing to chance. It is sad that things turned out the way they did.

“Sport is about winning and losing. Nobody wants to lose but sometimes it happens that way. We are quite sad that despite playing a draw in Kumasi, the Super Eagles could not win here in Abuja. We apologise unreservedly to the Government and people of Nigeria for this non-qualification.”

The Super Eagles could only achieve a score draw (1-1) against the Black Stars, which ended their hopes of playing at the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar as Ghana sneaked through on the away-goal rule.

Russia Approves ‘Parallel Imports’ After Top Brands Stop Sales

By

faith Jegede

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March 30, 2022

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Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has authorized retailers to import products from abroad without the trademark owner’s permission after global brands halted sales or stopped exports over Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Russia’s retail sector has been upended by Western economic sanctions and decisions by firms such as H&M, Apple, and Nike to curb their activity in Russia.

Speaking at a televised government meeting, Mishustin said “parallel imports” were needed to ensure that certain goods could continue to be shipped to Russia. According to him, this approach will guarantee the shipment of goods to Russia in spite of the unfriendly actions of foreign politicians.

Which goods can be imported to Russia in this way will be determined by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mishustin added.

The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS), which had prepared draft regulations on parallel imports, said the measure will develop competition between brands through an increase in the number of businesses that import goods to Russia, which will lead to a decrease in retail prices for these goods.

Russia, which faces its deepest economic crisis in more than two decades owing to an unprecedented barrage of Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, has proposed a raft of support measures to buttress its economy.

Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its neighbor’s military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists.

The West hopes the sanctions it has imposed will force Russia to withdraw.

After Record 355 Days, Mark Vande Hei Back To Earth From Space Station

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 30, 2022

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After a U.S. record 355 days at the International Space Station, Mark Vande Hei returned to earth.

Mark Vande Hei landed in a Soyuz capsule in Kazakhstan alongside the Russian Space Agency’s Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, who also spent the past year in space.

Despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Vladimir Putin’s war with Ukraine, Vande Hei’s return followed customary procedures.

A small NASA team of doctors and other staff was on hand for the touchdown and planned to return immediately to Houston with the 55-year-old astronaut.

Even before Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Vande Hei said he was avoiding the subject with his two Russian crewmates. Despite getting along “fantastically … I’m not sure we really want to go there,” he said.

It was the first taste of gravity for Vande Hei and Dubrov since their Soyuz launch on April 9 last year. Shkaplerov joined them at the orbiting lab in October, escorting a Russian film crew up for a brief stay. To accommodate that visit, Vande Hei and Dubrov doubled the length of their stay.

Before departing the space station, Shkaplerov embraced his fellow astronauts as “my space brothers and space sister.”

“People have problem on Earth. On orbit … we are one crew,” Shkaplerov said in a live NASA TV broadcast Tuesday. The space station is a symbol of “friendship and cooperation and … future of exploration of space.”

The war tensions bubbled over in other areas of space with the suspension of European satellite launches on Russian rockets and the Europe-Russia Mars rover stuck on Earth for another two years.

Vande Hei surpassed NASA’s previous record for the longest single spaceflight by 15 days. Dubrov moved into Russia’s top five, well short of the 437-day, 17-hour marathon by a cosmonaut-physician aboard the 1990s Mir space station that remains the world record.

“Broken records mean we’re making progress,” said NASA’s previous space endurance champ, retired astronaut Scott Kelly, whose 340-day mission ended in 2016.

Like Kelly, Vande Hei underwent medical testing during his long stay to further NASA’s quest to get astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars. He said daily meditation helped him cope during the mission, twice as long as his first station stint four years earlier.

“I’ve had an indoor job 24-7 for almost a year so I am looking forward to being outside no matter what kind of weather,” Vande Hei said in a recent series of NASA videos. As for food, he’s looking forward to making a cup of coffee for himself and wife Julie, and digging into guacamole and chips.

Remaining on board: Three Russians who arrived two weeks ago and three Americans and one German, who have been aboard since November. Their replacements are due in three weeks via SpaceX. Next week, SpaceX will fly three rich businessmen and their ex-astronaut escort to the station for a weeklong visit arranged by the private Axiom Space.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX began transporting NASA astronauts to the station in 2020, nine years after the shuttle program ended. During that gap, Russia offered the lone taxi service, with NASA shelling out tens of millions of dollars per Soyuz seat. Vande Hei’s ride was part of a barter exchange with Houston-based Axiom.

Man Who Sent Marcus Rashford Racist Euro 2020 Final Tweet Jailed

By

Emenike Agu

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March 30, 2022

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A man who racially abused Marcus Rashford on Twitter after the striker missed a penalty in England’s Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat has been jailed.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Justin Lee Price sent a “clearly racist” tweet to the Manchester United player after the loss in July 2021

The 19-year-old’s actions constituted a “hate crime”, a CPS spokesman said.

Price, of Grandison Gardens, Worcester, was jailed for six weeks at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court.

He previously admitted one count of sending a grossly offensive message by a public communication network at a hearing March 17.

The CPS said Price initially tried to avoid detection by changing his Twitter username after the post was reported.

He then denied the offence in his first police interview following his arrest, but later admitted posting the tweet when he was questioned by officers a second time.

The spokesman said the tweet, which included Rashford’s username, saw Price swear, use a racist slur and claim that his “dead nan could have scored that”.

Bukayo Saka, who missed England’s last penalty, also faced abuse online after the final

Rashford and fellow players Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were targeted wuth abuse online in the aftermath of the final.

A mural honouring Rashford was also defaced in Manchester, before being repainted and civeredwuth messagesof hope and support. r

Speaking after sentencing, senior crown prosecutor Mark Johnson said Price had targeted Rashford “based on the colour of his skin and his action was clearly racist and a hate crime”.

“Those who racially abuse footballers ruin the game for all,” he said.

“I hope this case sends out the message that we will not tolerate racism and offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Kano State Mineral Development Agency Established For Growth Of Solid Mineral Sector

By

Angel Gimalo

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March 30, 2022

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The Kano State Executive Council has approved a bill for the establishment of the Kano State Mineral Development Agency (KASSOMIDA).

This is to enable the state effectively supervise the development of the solid mineral sector for economic development.

Kano State Commissioner for Information Muhammad Garba announced this while briefing the media on the outcome of the weekly council meeting held at Aminu Kano House, Asokoro, Abuja.

He said the council directed that a bill in that respect be transmitted to the state House of Assembly for passage into law.

Garba further explained that the creation of the agency would facilitate access to grants and development funds from the federal government which included but were not limited to the Ecological Funds and the Solid Minerals Funds.

The commissioner pointed out that the development would also ensure environmental management and protection by tackling illegal operations as the few employees of the federal government cannot cover the vast areas of land where such illegal activities are being conducted.

He also revealed that the council has approved the disarticulation of 1, 571 junior secondary schools (JSS) to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Garba added that a total of 783 JSS are to be handed over to SUBEB with immediate effect under the phase of the exercise.

He added that 788 other junior schools, whose disarticulation is to be implemented gradually, would commence by halting the admission of students for the academic session with immediate effect.

NDLEA Gets One Billion Naira For Equipment

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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March 30, 2022

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The Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of N1, 069,600 billion for the purchase of equipment for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, revealed this while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting of the council, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He mentioned the devices earmarked for purchase to include eye scanning lie detectors and digital night vision goggles, all in a bid to tame the activities of drug barons.

He said: “As you rightly know, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency is an agency of government, saddled with the responsibility of exterminating illicit drugs trafficking, sales and consumption. Arising from the fact that they have been doing wonderfully well, in terms of dealing with the scourge associated with drugs, the federal government has considered the possibility of making added provisions and employing and deploying technological equipment skills and competencies that will assist them in delivery.

The Minister said he had to present the memo because the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency is an agency of the government under his Ministry, saddled with the responsibility of exterminating illicit drugs trafficking, sales and consumption.

He said the NDLEA has been doing wonderfully well, in terms of dealing with the scourge associated with drugs, thus, the decision to deploy technological equipment skills and competencies that will assist them in service delivery.