A global nutrition initiative, Alive & Thrive (A&T), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Wednesday, trained health workers in Kaduna State on the dangers of Breast-milk Substitute (BMS).

The Zonal Coordinator of the organisation, Mrs. Sarah Kwasu, said in Zaria that the training was under the A&T Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) in Nigeria programme.

Kwasu said that the training was organised by the State Primary Health Care Board as part of efforts to promote optimal breastfeeding practices. She explained that the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months towards reducing infant morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries. She added that to achieve this, the World Health Assembly in 1981, adopted the Code of Marketing of BMS to discourage the promotion of substitutes globally and ensure full adoption of exclusive breastfeeding. She attributed the current low MICYN practices in the country to the continued violation of the International Code of BMS by producers and marketers of breast-milk substitutes.

She said that the A&T initiative was being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to save lives, prevent illness, and improve the health and wellbeing of mothers, children, and adolescents. This, she said, is being achieved using evidence-based approaches in collaboration with governments and other partners at global, regional, national, and community levels. She pointed out that as a regulatory agency, NAFDAC was specifically assigned the responsibility of implementation, enforcement, and monitoring of adherence to the Code. She said that NAFDAC had been conducting an awareness campaign to ensure compliance with the International Code of Marketing of BMS to improve knowledge, practice, and attitude towards exclusive breastfeeding. She said that A&T had earlier supported NAFDAC to sensitise health workers from 16 health facilities in four selected LGAs namely Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun, and Igabi.

The Zonal Coordinator described the sensitisation as a “huge success” following the step down of the training to a total of 672 health workers. According to her, the current training was to support NAFDAC and the State Primary Health Care Board to scale up the training to other LGAs.

The State Nutrition Officer, Mrs Ramatu Haruna, said the training was designed to improve the health workers’ knowledge of their role in protecting pregnant women, mothers, and their infants from inappropriate use of BMS. Haruna added that the training was also to re-orient the health workers on the importance of promoting early initiation of breast-milk and six months of exclusive breastfeeding in health facilities.

Mrs Rahila Maishanu, BMS Officer, NAFDAC, Kaduna State Office, said that healthcare workers have a duty to control the introduction, use and movement of BMS in health facilities.

Maishanu called on the health workers to support, protect and promote breastfeeding towards building a healthy and productive population for the development of society.

The governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has said that the state Diagnostic Centre which is being handed over to the Nigeria Sovereign Investments Authority, has come a long way and is taking a bold step through this strategic partnership between the state government and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to launch two flagship companies.

He noted that the delivery of the Diagnostic and Oncology Cancer Services, covering automated medical laboratory services, including imaging, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and many more will be good to the people of Enugu State and beyond.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq announced three new developments that will help in transforming healthcare services in Enugu State, the south-eastern region in general and indeed, the entirety of Nigeria at large.

Umar-Sadiq said that NSIA were in Enugu to play a part in bridging a gap which has costs Nigerians as a people, a lot of foreign exchange annually and also results in significant loss of lives. He said that Enugu state will build on its legacy of excellence and industry and add another feather to its illustrious cap as it will serve as the site for the NSIA’s first Oncology Centre in the Southeast.

Also in an address, the Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr. Farouk Gumel who was represented at the occasion by Dr. Ogechi Pascal-Ejiogu, Non-Executive Director/ Board member said that NISA has developed a comprehensive healthcare strategy to address supply gaps and increase investments in priority areas, with a focus on elevating the domestic healthcare sector to international standards.

Gumel also noted that medical professionals in many specialized medical fields such as cardiology, oncology, nephrology, neurology, orthopedics, and many other areas are in short supply, with only about 35,000 doctors despite needing 237,000.

Meanwhile, the NSIA, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, has signed a series of agreements to modernize and expand healthcare services through private sector participation.

The NSIA also formally introduced Equilease Systems Limited, a new company created by the NSIA which sits at the intersection of Nigeria’s healthcare and financial systems to fill the gap limiting access to healthcare equipment finance and acquisition.

 The NSIA says it will remain passionate and committed to addressing the gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare ecosystem and also to providing high quality medical services across the country.

As part of activities to commemorate its 59th Anniversary, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has conducted medical outreach to over 1000 women, children and elderly persons in Biseni Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

The Public Relations Officer, NAF Mobility Command, Sqn.Ldr. Olayinka Lawal, made this known in a statement signed on Tuesday.

Lawal disclosed that the services rendered by the NAF medical team included free medical consultations, blood pressure checks as well as eye and blood screenings. He added that drugs, corrective glasses and insecticide-treated mosquito nets were also distributed during the outreach.

Meanwhile, the Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command, AVM Elijah Ebiowe, said that NAF would continue to employ other non-kinetic measures to win the hearts and minds of its host communities.

According to the commander, Air Commodore Friday Ekpah, the NAF has since 2012 been at the forefront of airlifting relief materials and evacuation of victims of flood disasters in the state. This, according to him, is in addition to working in concert with other security agencies and the state government to guarantee the safety of lives and property in the entire state.

Ebiowe also added that NAF had made several gains in the various theatres of operations across the country, to bring lasting peace and security to all.

He disclosed that the medical outreach was designed as a civil-military cooperation effort, to win the hearts and minds of residents of the host communities.

According to him, it is also for them to know that the military is not all about guns and violence, so that they can volunteer information to security agencies in the quest to secure lives and property.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Health, Bayelsa State, Dr Pabara Igwele, expressed delight in the kind gestures of  NAF especially to Biseni community.

According to him, this is not the first time the NAF will conduct such an outreach in the state, it has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian assistance to the State whenever the need arises.

As part of activities to commemorate its 59th Anniversary, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has conducted medical outreach to over 1000 women, children and elderly persons in Biseni Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

The Public Relations Officer, NAF Mobility Command, Sqn.Ldr. Olayinka Lawal, made this known in a statement signed on Tuesday.

Lawal disclosed that the services rendered by the NAF medical team included free medical consultations, blood pressure checks as well as eye and blood screenings. He added that drugs, corrective glasses and insecticide-treated mosquito nets were also distributed during the outreach.

Meanwhile, the Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command, AVM Elijah Ebiowe, said that NAF would continue to employ other non-kinetic measures to win the hearts and minds of its host communities.

According to the commander, Air Commodore Friday Ekpah, the NAF has since 2012 been at the forefront of airlifting relief materials and evacuation of victims of flood disasters in the state. This, according to him, is in addition to working in concert with other security agencies and the state government to guarantee the safety of lives and property in the entire state.

Ebiowe also added that NAF had made several gains in the various theatres of operations across the country, to bring lasting peace and security to all.

He disclosed that the medical outreach was designed as a civil-military cooperation effort, to win the hearts and minds of residents of the host communities.

According to him, it is also for them to know that the military is not all about guns and violence, so that they can volunteer information to security agencies in the quest to secure lives and property.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Health, Bayelsa State, Dr Pabara Igwele, expressed delight in the kind gestures of  NAF especially to Biseni community.

According to him, this is not the first time the NAF will conduct such an outreach in the state, it has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian assistance to the State whenever the need arises.