Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has flagged off the distribution of Insecticide-Treated Nets and other Seasonal Malaria Chemo-prevention regimen, as part of the ongoing efforts to eliminate Malaria in the State.

He said, even though Malaria was preventable and curable, it was still a public health challenge across the world, but most importantly in sub-Saharan Africa.

According Governor Yahaya, the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, Malaria remain one of the leading causes of deaths, particularly among children under the age of five and pregnant women.

He expressed delight on the reports indicating a decline in the number of Malaria-associated deaths, attributing the achievements to the collective efforts of all partners, especially those present at the flag off.

“The use of insecticide treated nets and the administration of seasonal malaria chemo-prevention medicines has been proven to be one of the most effective durable and cost effective Malaria preventive interventions,” said Governor Yahaya.

He said the official flag off campaigns would signal the commencement of the distribution of over 2.3 million nets to the people of State.

Governor Yahaya said the government had approved the use of over 580 health facilities and deployed over 2000 health workers for the successful implementation of the campaigns, with a fulfilled financial obligations to ensure a hitch free campaign.

He appealed to philanthropists and corporate organisations to compliment Government’s efforts in Malaria control, through finance or other supporting interventions like the donation of long lasting insecticide treated nets and sulphur doxine pherimetmine S.P for intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, Chemicals indoor malaria spray and drugs.

The Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanare said Gombe State was one among the first set of states where ITN assessment campaign would be carried in 2021, which would see to the distribution of over 15 million nets in all the states.

The Minister, who was represented by Pharmacist Talatu Yahaya, said the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Elimination Programme had since adopted the use of ITNs and SMC medicines as medication for eligible children as one of the key strategy for the prevention of malaria in the country.

The Ogun State government says it has stepped up efforts to curtail the recent outbreak of gastroenteritis in Magboro, Ofada Ward of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state.

This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, in a statement on Sunday.

She said that the reported case of the outbreak is predominant among commercial bike riders and scavengers in the area.

” The index case who was reported to have returned from a trip outside the state had been linked to the source of the outbreak, while the common public toilet used had been the channel of transmission.

” The causative agent cannot be confirmed yet because appropriate sample could not be collected as there were no active case yet to commence antibiotics.

“A number of people are currently receiving treatment to control the number of casualties,” the statement read.

The Commissioner also noted that an unregistered clinic run by a quack had also contributed to the outbreak, as the cases were being managed unreported.

Dr. Coker, however, said a treatment centre has been set up at the Magboro-Akeran Health Centre where treatment items have been made available by The Department of Public Health, Ogun State Ministry of Health.

She added that neighbouring communities have equally been sensitize on steps to take and where to seek care or report any suspicious cases, while the suspected public toilet had been sealed for sanitisation.

Traditional rulers in the area, according to Coker, have also been engaged for their support in keeping their communities safe and calm, while healthcare workers continue active surveillance in the affected community.

Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola has stated his administration is giving unprecedented priority to the health sector in the state.

The governor disclosed this in Abuja while fielding questions at a Forum. Oyetola said: “ We have done very well in the area of health; we in this government believe that health is wealth.”

He added that his administration had built and renovated no fewer than 300 primary healthcare centres to ensure access to health facilities in the state.

Governor Oyetola further highlighted the establishment of  the Osun Health Insurance Scheme which is poised to complement the efforts of the Federal Government in the area of health.

“In addition to that, we are building a 130-bed hospital at Asubiaro and additional 30 staff quarters for the doctors. This is to ensure that the doctors reside in the hospital and our people have 24-hour medical attention,’’ Governor Oyetola added.

The Federal Government of Nigeria says it will recover millions of Naira wrongly paid to 588 medical doctors across the country.

This was stated by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, when he fielded questions from State House correspondents in Abuja.

He explained that affected doctors wrongly benefited from Medical Residency Training Fund meant for particular category of doctors.

He said the names of the doctors were uncovered after a thorough investigation of the 8000 names submitted by Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government health institutions for the training programme.

The minister, however, revealed that a substantial amount of the money had been refunded by some of the affected doctors while efforts had been intensified to recover the balance.

He maintained that the delay in making the refund by the affected doctors was holding back the Residency Fund payment by the government.

The Nigerian government says it has addressed all the demands of striking Doctors except one which touches on the “no work no pay” rule.

The government is therefore calling on members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to call off their 33-day old strike.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige revealed this to State House Correspondents after he met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him “We have come to an agreement on all the demands including those that even affect the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and the medical Doctors who are in the academics and teaching in universities”

The Minister said it was unfortunate that the strike is taking so long because, in other climes, people on essential services like the health sector don’t go on strike arbitrarily. Ngige said the ‘no work no pay’ rule had been applied in the past and the case of the resident Doctors cannot be an exception.

The Minister called on the striking doctors to resume work first, in order to give room for further action on their sole demand that has not been granted.