Laughter is The Best Medicine (Proof)

A recent discovery by the British Medical Journal has come out with another interesting side to the popular saying that laughter is the best medicine for the soul.

The benefits and harm linked to laughter have been documented in the British Medical Journal.
TimesLive says that the article is part of the Christmas edition that intersperses scientific data with amusing asides.

The Proposed Anti-Stigma Law

The House of Representatives Committee on HIV and AIDS, Malaria Control, Tuberculosis and Leprosy, through its chairman Dr. Joseph Kigbu, has said that the proposed HIV and AIDS Anti-Stigma Law will assist Nigeria to achieve zero infection.

Kigbu commended the House for passing the bill into law, hoping that the Senate and the president would also do the same.

He said it was important to ensure the passage of the anti-stigma bill into law to “show our seriousness.”

He said the law would make people living with the virus declare their status; seek for treatment without fear of stigmatisation.

“When we reduce stigma and discrimination, we also cut the chain of transmission, so the essence of this bill actually is to get to achieve a zero level of infection of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

British Surgeon Suspended for Branding his Initials on a patient's Liver

Media reports according to the Vanguard Newspaper have said that a British surgeon has been suspended over allegations that he had branded his initials on the liver of a patient during a surgery.

The accused, Simon Bramhall was suspected of the allegations when a fellow colleague discovered his initials, S.B, on the organ during a follow up visit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.

According to the British news daily, the Daily Mail, the surgeon was alleged to have seared his initials into the liver of the patient with non-toxic argon gas.

Investigations are still being made to get to the heart – or shall we say, the liver – of the matter.

High Maternal Mortality in Ondo State

Simon Ateba

The high rate of maternal death in Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria, is caused by quack doctors and the activities of unqualified midwives, Governor Olusegun Mimiko has said.

The Ondo State Governor made the submission in Akure, the state capital, while receiving the report of the Committee on Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Death in Ondo State, CEMDOS.

The report was submitted by the committee coordinator, Olawale Oyeneyin, a medical doctor.

The report blamed the high rate of maternal death in the state on traditional practices and the activities of unqualified midwives who attend to expectant mothers at the point of delivery.

Doctors end Strike, mull fresh action January

Dr Osahon Enabulele, the National President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), on Sunday said doctors in public hospitals would end their five-day warning strike and resume duty on Monday.

Enabulele, in a statement in Lagos, said that all doctors in the public health sector would resume full services with effect from 8.00 a.m. on 23 December.

The NMA had on 15 December directed its members to embark on the nationwide strike, to protest poor working conditions, inadequate funding, and poor infrastructure in the nation’s health sector.

“NMA wishes to inform the general public that doctors in the public health sector will resume services from 23 December. This is in line with our earlier promise to give prime consideration to the Yuletide season in the prosecution of our warning strike.

“Also, to give another opportunity for the Federal Government to concretely resolve all the demands of NMA for which it first issued a 21-day ultimatum on September 2,” he said.

Enabulele also called on the Federal Government to ensure that the demands of doctors were met.

Mark D Ball 2013

 

Mark D Ball Basketball Tournament in Benue State | Wednesday 26th – Monday 31st December 2013

It’s that time of year again folks, when all roads lead to Benue State for the annual baskestball tournament! Mark D Ball basketball tournament is just days away to kick off! The youth focused sports tournament is aimed at removing kids off the street, and placing them in scholarship programs that will develop their gifts so they can build successful sports careers.

The 2013 episode of Mark D Ball promises to be even bigger than that of 2012.  This year, the tournament will host even more athletes and stars from all over!

Nigerian Doctors Commence 5-day Warning Strike

Nigerian doctors today began a 5-day warning strike following a 21-day ultimatum issued weeks ago to the federal government, demanding pay rise, improved welfare, infrastructure and other benefits which was promised to them.

The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Osahon Enabulele said this is the first phase of the strike, that the second phase would be effective after the yuletide if there are no favorable developments.

All doctors in public hospitals this morning retrieved their services.

Source: Linda Ikeji

Laughter is The Best Medicine #303

Rivers State Tops the HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rate This Year with ?15.2 Percent from ?3.1 percent ---- Read More

The Federal Ministry of Health, Friday released the 2012 Naational HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey-Plus (NARHS Plus).

The survey indicated that Nigeria now has HIV prevalent rate of 3.4 percent.

Rivers State is however leading other states of the country with a prevalent rate of 15.2 percent.

NARHS is conducted to monitor the HIV/AIDS epidemic among the general populace in the country.

It also monitors other sexual and reproductive health indicators.

The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Sani Bala, at the national dissemination of the survey findings, said that the result of the survey was a reflection of the efforts of the Federal Government in the fight against HIV in the country.

According to the survey, “the  HIV prevalent situation compared with 3.6 percent in 2007 about3.4 percent of Nigerians are currently living with HIV/AIDS with 3.2 percent in urban and 3.6 percent in the rural areas and 2.9 percent among young people aged 15-19 years.”

"We Need more Psychiatric Hospitals in Lagos State"

Two psychiatrists --  Dr Maymunah Kadiri, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Dr Oluyemi Ogun, the Director, Clinical Services, Federal NeuroPsychiatric Hospital, Yaba- on Sunday called for the establishment of more psychiatric hospitals in Lagos State in view of the high level of stress and mental disorders recorded in the state.

“The rate of traffic jam in Lagos and the stress placed on people and society affect their mental wellbeing.

Alcohol and Auto Crashes in Nigeria

The increase in the rate of auto crashes in Nigeria has been attributed to the consumption of alcohol, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has attributed 

CDR Kehinde Adeleye in charge of the the Zonal Commander of RS8of Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi States, has disclosed that research conducted on the cause of auto-crashes by drivers in Nigeria show that quite of few drivers who took the wheel were in effect inebriated and thoroughly under the influence of alcohol and other substances.

As road safety is not just the concern of the FRSC, but that of all citizens of Nigeria, Adeleye, has appealed to drivers and pedestrians alike to observe caution on the highway.

"ASUU Strike has Worsened Health Services and Increased Foreign Medical Trips" - - Medical Experts

As Nigerians is looking forward for Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) resumption, medical experts in Abuja have said the strike has worsened health services and increased foreign medical trips in the country.

A Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Dr. Segun Abudu stated that medical tourism and foreign trips for health purposes remained on the increase as the strike impacts negatively on medical training.

Speaking at the first edition of Joint Pain School in Abuja organised by Lagoon Hospital, Lagos, he said the situation started deteriorating in Nigeria about 20 years ago due to the absence of regular training and disruptions in academic calendar due to incessant strikes by university lecturers.

Abudu explained that medical tourism could deplete the finances of any nation while at the same time placing professionals at a disadvantaged position before their colleagues abroad.

Alcoholism

People drink to socialize, celebrate, and relax. Alcohol often has a strong effect on people - and throughout history, we've struggled to understand and manage alcohol's power. Why does alcohol cause us to act and feel differently? How much is too much? Why do some people become addicted while others do not?

If you are someone who drinks alcohol its likely you've experienced first-hand at least some of its short-term health effects, be it a hangover or a bad night's sleep. It's the longer term health effects of alcohol that people often only experience once its too late.

From a disturbed night's sleep to alcohol's effects on the body can have a varying impact on our lives. Alcohol's effects vary from person to person, depending on a variety of factors:

Mirabel Centre LASUTH (For Victims of Rape and Sexual Abuse)

A positive has occurred thanks to the opening of Mirabel Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos provide for victims of rape and sexual abuse.

Inaugurated by the Partnership for Justice, the centre is reported to be a safe and conducive haven for the victims of sexual assault to get help by being provided with holistic and quality services and support.

Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba, the Managing Partner of Partnership for Justice, stated that the centre is to provide counselling over the phone and face to face advice to aid survivors of sexual assault in their journey to cope with the psychological and emotional effects of rape, making use of an all-female professional team of doctors, nurses and counsellors with special training to offer services to survivors of rape.

Drug Alert (Sickle Cell Anaemia) NIPRISAN Formerly known as NICOSAN

Prof. Karniyus Gamaniel, the Director-General, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRID), on Sunday said the institute had commenced the production of NIPRISAN, a sickle cell management drug.

Sickle cell anaemia management drugs were produced initially under the name `NICOSAN’ but their production stopped in 2008 after the production company, Xechem International, was declared bankrupt.

Gamaniel said a number of court cases had hampered the production of the drugs over time.


“Now, you can get NIPRISAN if you need it. The last time it was selling between N10,000 and N15,000 for a bottle of 30 capsules.

“But today NIPRID is giving it directly to patients who need it, based on consent, at the rate of N3,000.

He said while the medicine was only available now at the institute’s headquarters in Abuja, plans were underway to extend availability to other facilities before the end of 2013.

Gamaniel said NIPRID had however received a lot of support from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), adding that funding had been a major setback.

“What the Minister of Health (Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu) is saying is that we can continue the production on a pilot scale for six months or one year,” he said, describing NIPRISAN as a combination of medicine which is predominantly food items that works better when they are together.

New Drug Alert (Malaria)

A team of researchers has identified a key metabolic enzyme that is required by the common malaria parasites at all stages of its life cycle for survival in humans.

Co-first author Marcus C.S. Lee, PhD, associate research scientist in microbiology and immunology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) said the study is important because most antimalarials are effective at killing the parasites only as they circulate in the bloodstream.

However, the parasites can hide in the liver for years before re-emerging and triggering a relapse of the disease.

The other co-first author is Case W. McNamara, PhD, research investigator at the Genomics Institute for the Novartis Research Foundation. The study leaders are Elizabeth A. Winzeler, PhD, professor of pharmacology and drug discovery at University of California San Diego, and Thierry Diagana, head of Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases in Singapore.

The enzyme, phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K), was found by screening more than a million drug compounds against Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most lethal form of malaria. Using this screen, the researchers found a class of compounds known as imidazopyrazines, which are capable of killing several species of Plasmodium at each stage of the parasites' life cycle in its vertebrate host.

Cerebral Palsy :Benola Takes Campaign To Hospitals

As part of its enlightenment and advocacy campaign, Benola Cerebral Palsy Initiative has concluded plans to visit three hospitals in Lagos.

The visits are in continuation of the organisation’s effort at bringing succour to sick children including those living with cerebral palsy. It is also aimed at raising awareness about cerebral palsy. During the visit, hundreds of toys will be handed out to children in the wards.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its Co-Founder, Mrs. Alaba Gbadebo, the organisation urged Nigerians to come to the aid of children with cerebral palsy.

“This year’s children’s Christmas gift celebration will hold on Monday, December 16, Wednesday December 18 and Friday December 20, in the Children’s Ward of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH),Idi-Araba, Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos Island and Lagos Island General Hospital.”

Daily Times

NMA Worry Over the Increasing rate of HIV/AIDS among Nigerians

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has urged concerted efforts to reduce the national prevalence of HIV/AIDS from the current 3.4 per cent to less than 2 per cent within the next five years.
 
The NMA spoke through its national President, Dr Osahon Enabulele, on Sunday, in a message to the nation’s 36 states to mark this year's World AIDS Day.
It expressed worry over the increasing rate of cases of HIV/AIDS among Nigerians, especially among the adolescents who had continued to remain vulnerable because of their adventurous life style.
 
``The Nigerian Medical Association decries the continued persistence of the socio-demographic factors in the epidemiology of the disease, and its high level in the distribution of the disease among Nigerians.
 

TORCH Syndrome ----- A Must Read

T.oxoplasmosis
O.ther
R.ubella
C.ytomegalovirus
H.erpes Simplex Virus

TORCH is an acronym for infectious diseases that affect pregnant women in such a way which can cause serious birth defects to an unborn fetus. The following paragraphs include a little blurb about each of these diseases…

World AIDS Day

Today, Sunday December 1st 2013 marks the World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

The 2013 theme for World AIDS Day is “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDS-Free Generation.”

According to the United Nations, in 2012, an estimated:

• 35.3 million [32.2 million - 38.8 million] people globally were living with HIV
• 2.3 million [1.9 million - 2.7 million] people became newly infected with HIV
• 1.6 million [1.4 million - 1.9 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses

On World AIDS Day – and all year round – we’re asking you to Act Aware. Acting aware means finding out the facts about HIV and using this knowledge to protect yourself and others from HIV infection.

On this day, contribute your own little quota to spreading the word and educating someone about HIV/AIDS. Join people from around the world in raising awareness about the fight against HIV and AIDS and get to know your status.

Make a difference this World AIDS Day!

Cataracts

Cataracts are cloudy areas in the lens inside the eye - which is normally clear. Cataracts can develop in one or both eyes. If they develop in both eyes, one will be more severely affected than the other. A normally clear lens allows light to pass through to the back of the eye, so that the patient can see well-defined images. If a part of the lens becomes opaque light does not pass through easily and the patient's vision becomes blurry - like looking through cloudy water or a fogged-up window. The more opaque (cloudier) the lens becomes, the worse the person's vision will be.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, cataract is"Complete or partial opacity of the ocular lens.".

There are two types of cataracts:

• Age related cataracts - they appear later in life; the most common form.


• Congenital cataracts (childhood cataracts) - these may be present when the baby is born, or shortly after birth. Cataracts may also be diagnosed in older babies and children - these are sometimes referred to as developmental, infantile or juvenile cataracts. 

A patient with cataracts will eventually find it hard to read, or drive a car - especially during the night. Even seeing people's facial expressions becomes difficult. Cataracts are not usually painful. The patient's long-distance vision is more severely affected at first. 

Fruits, Dandruff and The Findings.

A nutritionist, Hajiya Jummai Hassan, said in Abuja that eating fruits regularly could stop and reduce dandruff.

Hassan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that eating fruits for three days and applying baby oil could eradicate dandruff.

Dandruff is a common chronic scalp condition marked by itching and flaking of the skin on scalp.

Although dandruff is not contagious and is rarely serious, it can be embarrassing and sometimes difficult to treat.

According to her, the formula is from new findings by researchers that eating vegetable for a period of three days only, reduces it.

Early Detection Saved Me From Breast Cancer --- Dame Abimbola Fashola

Wife of Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola, has said early detection saved her from killer breast cancer, urging women to take advantage of the ongoing cancer screening in the state to know their status.

Fashola said this at a ceremony to flag off the first round of the Integrated Statewide Wellness Health Week, at Rauf Aregbesola Hospital in Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area, Alimosho of the state.

She said consistent screening and early detection saved her from the killer disease.

According to her, “Early detection made me survive breast cancer. I was able to survive it through early detection and screening. This year alone, I know about six people that have died of breast cancer and it did not warn them.All of them died in the spate of one month. Only God knows what would have happened if I had not detected mine on time.”

She explained that the importance of the free health programme in all the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas cannot be under estimated, given the fact that the diseases which she referred to as silent killers can be treated or managed successfully, if detected early.

“For years, we have witnessed on a regular basis and separate times awareness and screening programmes specifically for hypertension, diabetes, breast, cervical and prostate cancers.

The Lagos First Lady called on both men and women to take advantage of the unique opportunity the week-long integrated health screening offered.

She urged residents to cultivate the habit of visiting primary health centres for their health needs.

What Causes Asthma?

What Causes Asthma?

According to recent estimates, asthma affects 300 million people in the world and more than 22 million in the United States. Although people of all ages suffer from the disease, it most often starts in childhood, currently affecting 6 million children in the US. Asthma kills about 255,000 people worldwide every year.

Children at Risk

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children - especially children who have low birth weight, are exposed to tobacco smoke, are black, and are raised in a low-income environment. Most children first present symptoms around 5 years of age, generally beginning as frequent episodes of wheezing with respiratory infections. Additional risk factors for children include having allergies, the allergic skin condition eczema, or parents with asthma.

Young boys are more likely to develop asthma than young girls, but this trend reverses during adulthood. Researchers hypothesize that this is due to the smaller size of a young male's airway compared to a young female's airway, leading to a higher risk of wheezing after a viral infection.

Laughter is The Best Medicine S3E2

If APGA + CPC + ANPP + ACN = APC
 EFCC + ICPC + NPF + GEJ + JEGA PDP

Find
(a) Using Pythagoras theorem prove that: PDP <  APC.

(b) Using Almighty Formula where JEGA is constant what is the value of PDP

(c) If Tinubu and Buhari remains constant and Okorocha varies, what is the coefficient value of Okorocha in APC

NACA To Treat 1.2 Million in 2014

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), has disclosed that one of its priorities is to double the number of people living with HIV on drugs from 600,000 to 1.2 million by 2014.

The director general of NACA, Professor John Idoko, who revealed this in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2013 World AIDS Day, with the theme: “take charge: get a HIV test”, said the plan would be achieved when the agency  adapts the new World Health Organisation (WHO) ART guidelines.

“3.5 million persons live with HIV, out of  which 1.5 million are in need of treatment. This number will go up with the adaption of the new WHO guidelines on ART,” he explained.

Dr Idoko  said the agency was also aiming at  testing at least 40 million people annually as well as providing intervention for 224,000 pregnant women who are HIV positive in PMTCT programme, saying the target was to achieve 90 per cent reduction in mother to child transmission by 2014.

He said that there was a decline in infections in both children and adults globally. He noted that it will be impossible to lay the foundation for the pandemic’s end without progress in reducing new infections among adults and children.

“Nigeria has an ANC prevalence of 4.1% (ANC survey, 2010) and population prevalence of 3.4% (NARHS, 2012). Current NARHS data indicates reduction of HIV prevalence in many of the 12+1 states,” he stated while calling on all Nigerians to get tested and know their HIV status.

Professor Idoko also encouraged all pregnant women to access ANC services and PMTCT interventions while calling for support for those living with HIV.

Endometriosis: A Health Challange

Strong women, says Harriet Morgan, wear their pain like stilettos. No matter how much it hurts, all you see is the beauty of it, she further points out.

The above, no doubt, can be said to be true of the 49-year old former Miss Nigeria, Nike Oshinowo, who has had endometriosis almost all her life, yet has borne her pain silently until recently and is still radiating her beauty as ever.

The former beauty queen has taken it upon herself to create awareness about this health condition that affects women of reproductive age (15-44 years) worldwide. Through her, many Nigerians are getting to know about this health condition for the very first time. A lot of women too are getting to know the health challenge that has been the cause of their worry and agony. She has been sharing her experience and educating women who may be victims on how to carry on with their lives despite the pains they go through.

AMHiN Asks Nigerian Government to Honor Health Commitments

AMHiN is a national coalition of civil society organizations, media and professional bodies.

The Accountability for Maternal and Newborn Child Health in Nigeria (AMHiN) on Wednesday at a media briefing in Abuja said that health system in Nigeria would be better; if half of the money collected by the ‘cabal’ that duped Nigeria of billions of Naira in petrol subsidy payment is channeled into health commitments made by the country.

Nigeria is estimated to have lost several billions of naira to subsidy fraudsters, with some of them currently being prosecuted.

AMHiN is a national coalition of Civil Society Organizations, Media and Professional Bodies committed to promoting accountability and transparency in the health sector through regular media engagement, generating evidence and using such to advocate to government for better accountability that will reduce the maternal and child deaths in Nigeria.

Moderating, Bilikisu Yusuf said the event was a call to action for the Nigerian government to fulfill pledges and commitment made so far on Family Planning and improving Maternal, Newborn and child Health (MNCH).

Kidney Infection

A kidney infection is a painful and unpleasant illness that usually happens when bacteria travel up from your bladder into one or both of your kidneys.

The medical name for a kidney infection is pyelonephritis. It's more serious and different from cystitis, which is a common infection of the bladder that makes urinating painful.

If treated promptly, a kidney infection doesn't cause serious harm but it will make you feel very unwell. If a kidney infection isn't treated, it can get worse and cause permanent kidney damage.

Often the symptoms of a kidney infection come on quickly within a few hours. You can feel feverish, shivery, sick and have a pain in your back or side.

ASTHMA ; All You Need To Know

Asthma is a disease affecting the airways that carry air to and from your lungs. People who suffer from this chronic condition (long-lasting or recurrent) are said to be asthmatic.

The inside walls of an asthmatic's airways are swollen or inflamed. This swelling or inflammation makes the airways extremely sensitive to irritations and increases your susceptibility to an allergic reaction.

As inflammation causes the airways to become narrower, less air can pass through them, both to and from the lungs. Symptoms of the narrowing include wheezing (a hissing sound while breathing), chest tightness, breathing problems, and coughing. Asthmatics usually experience these symptoms most frequently during the night and the early morning.

AIDS Control Agency, The Story So Far

The Chief Executive Officer of the Enugu State Agency for Control of AIDS(ENSACA) in Nigeria, Dr Edith Okolo on Wednesday has called for the establishment of HIV treatment sites in all the 774 local government areas in the country.

According to her, lack of HIV treatment sites in some areas have been a problem in the rural areas as people do not have places to check their status and receive treatment.

She said the prevalence of HIV in Enugu State was reducing and added that the state was rated 16thin the country and third in the South East zone according to the 2010 survey.

She urged Nigerians to know their status as it was the only way to address the scourge in the country.

She said that the awareness campaign embarked in the state had encouraged a lot of people to go for tests and know their status.

Okolo, who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, appealed to pregnant women to go for HIV tests with a view to saving their unborn babies.

She also appealed to churches to preach against immorality and its consequences rather than miracles and prosperity.