Health
COVID-19: Government Efforts not Enough – NMA President
Outgoing NMA President, Dr. Francis A. Faduyile, in this interview with Laide Akinboade, spoke on several issues, including COVID-19 and the health sector.
Over the past two years, you piloted the affairs of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), how has it been?
Thank you very much.
Being the president of the NMA has been a position of challenge. You are leading one of the most educated, highly intelligent set of people. We have diverse opinions which you must be able to bring together.We have the elderly who are our senior colleagues who believe that their words should be followed as they have directed.
We also have the group of younger people who believe that the world has moved into a stage in which anything is possible. They have the believe that anything can be done.So, we have these mix in which you must be able to navigate to get the best.
Again, the government of Nigeria has not been easily predictable, you need to also understand how the governance work vis-a-viz how it will affect the welfare of the NMA and its members. We need to keep the association going. So, all these are the real challenges that one faced when you lead such movement.
So, I looked back and I will say I under estimated the job that I was going to do.
I will say its challenging and interesting and also very happy for us to be able to move the association in the last two years.
What was the major challenging moment you encountered in the past two years?
I have several. But one of the major is the ability to convince the membership of the NMA to part with some of their money for us build the NMA House. It was herculean task because at several times we have not been too truthful in terms of the donation and the construction of that building.
So, a lot of people have lost interest and confidence on the leadership that something good will come out of that. We needed to get the land back from one of our contractors who won a case against us. We needed to ensure that the land was not taken back and in doing this we, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) felt that we must have a ready source of funding so that immediately we are successful in this early set out plans, we can go immediately to start building. And the way we wanted to start building was different from the way we have always believed we want to Build Operate and Transfer. But we said we want to contribute and build.
So, the noise was deafening all over the nooks and crannies of the country but even up till now, we have a lot of people still castigating us and calling us all manner of names. But we are happy that today, we have been able to do our ground breaking and everything is set for us to start the building. It has really been a challenge all through my two years.
Was there any moment of regrets?
Well, I don’t think I have any moment of regret. All the things we set out to do, we were able to achieve them and many of our discussions and activities have been well thought out and, yes, we could have done some things differently, but it is not really regret because we had a very clear view of the actions we had taken.
The one that was a challenge, well, should we have done it differently, was the issue of how we decided to postpone the Annual General Conference and AGM because of COVID-19 and people came heavily on us, castigating us and telling us that we are into tenure elongation.
We couldn’t have done something different because the mode that we have decided to take to conduct our election is the first in the anal of the NMA and we thought we could tarry a while for us to be able to have physical meeting but I think that was another area that, well, if we could have listened because a lot of people do not know that we were ready to leave. They were attacking us from all angles as if we want to sit tight. It was not really a regret, but it was one of our lowest period.
The NMA resisted the coming of the Chinese doctors, but they still came. From what we heard from the health minister recently, do you think these people were truly medical doctors?
Well, people have asked me this questions so many times, but I have always referred them to the Minister of Health who welcomed them.
I have read in the papers where the minister was saying he was not at the airport to receive the delegation and that he actually went to receive the supplies.
So, I think, it is the Minister of Health that is in the best position to answer where they are, who they and what they are doing.
The NMA made a lot of input and suggestions on how the COVID-19 war should go, are you comfortable, or do you think the country is on the right path?
Well, I will say we are not very comfortable because many of our suggestions and advice have not been followed as we have expected the government to. This is largely because, may be the government is looking at other parameters aside health to make their decision.
Our own is to see health as being the paramount. They say health is wealth. The person who is not healthy cannot give you the best productivity. So, we are not happy because the government has not done enough that is expected of it base on the parameters that we are seeing in the health sector.
Like I told someone, we eased the lockdown when the total number of Covid-19 positive cases was 2,398 on May 2, and at that time it was actually increasing, the slop was still going up and we thought it is not the right time for us to ease the lockdown. However, the government claimed that they have to look at other reasons or issues for them to make decision and I can tell you since that day, we have now added over eight thousand cases. It is now becoming a common occurrence that every four days we add a thousand to the pool. That spell danger to the country because it means that we are increasing in terms of those who are positive to COVID-19 and this is largely as a result of community spreading.
So, we are not comfortable with it the easing of the lockdown.
You still insist that the lockdown should be total?
Well, we are not saying it should be total in all the federation of this country, but in areas that are epic centres, you must be able to contain them.
Unfortunately, one of the epic centres affected is Lagos which is the commercial nerve centre of the country, so, we need them to balance it. This is because if you do not stop the chain of transmission, you may have it very difficult.
During your tenure, you tried to build a good relationship between the NMA and other health workers, are you satisfied?
Yes. We are satisfied. We are having a cordial relationship with our pharmacists, nurses and others. We have started discussing with the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), and this shows that once we can achieve all this cordiality, the health sector will be the greatest beneficiary and the public will enjoy that harmonious relationship.
If you observe in the past two years, we have not had this frequent strike rivalry where a particular group will go on strike and on resumption, another group will go or you have us going to the press and start talking ill about ourselves. We have laid that to rest. We have been able to have a composite relationship where everybody is appreciated and we believe we can work together.
You have successfully served your tenure and a new set of people are coming in, what area do you want your successor to concentrate on?
I expect the next person to work on the welfare. We have a lot of gaps in taking care of the welfare of doctors. We have a lot of issues in terms of the salaries of civil servants, especially, those in the tertiary schools. We have issues that also relates to government have to see us in a positive outlook.
I expect the next leadership to build upon what is on ground so that we can have a better image in the side of people.
Again, we expect them to be more robust in their discussion. They need to give the necessary direction in terms of health policies in the country and I think, with this, they should be able to soar higher and do better than we did.
Health
Expert Advocates For Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Through HIV Self Testing.
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
Eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria is an achievable goal, but it requires innovative approaches that can address the unique barriers faced by women in underserved communities.
An expert on health related matters, Dr Godwin Emmanuel stated while interacting with newsmen as part of activities commemorating the just concluded World Aids Day in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Dr.
Emmanuel who is the Managing Partner/Impact Officer of MOZUK Future Solutions Limited, stated that the World AIDS Day have come and gone, yet Nigeria government must not fail to examine some of the gaps that must be urgently bridged as a nation.He explained that each year, thousands of children are born with HIV, largely due to inadequate access to testing and treatment during pregnancy, disclosing that the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that Nigeria contributes about 22% of global paediatric HIV cases which indicates the urgent need for innovative approaches to curb MTCT.
“This brings me to a recent study in Lagos and Kano which demonstrated how HIV self-testing kits offer a practical, effective, and scalable solution to our MTCT challenges.
“The study interrogates an initiative seeking to integrate HIV Self-Test (HIVST) kits into TBA services as part of a broader strategy to eliminate MTCT.
“The intervention targeted underserved communities where healthcare access is limited, leveraging the trust and accessibility of TBAs to distribute self-testing kits and provide essential counselling”.
According to him, the study, led by Dr. Toriola Adebayo of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and Dr. Usman Bashir of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, articulated the role of local expertise in advancing healthcare solutions tailored to community needs.
“In this intervention, 182 TBA clinics across three local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos and Kano States were equipped with HIVST kits. TBAs received extensive training on the administration of the tests, pre- and post-test counselling, and linkage to care for those who tested positive.
“Among the 1,982 pregnant women enrolled in the study, pre-intervention testing rates were markedly low, with just 60% in Lagos and 38% in Kano having ever been tested for HIV. After the introduction of HIVST, testing uptake surged, with all participants voluntarily using the kits during antenatal visits.
“The results were promising:
HIV Positivity Rate: An overall positivity rate of 0.8% was recorded, with slightly higher rates in Lagos (1.1%) compared to Kano (0.8%).
“First-Time Testers: Remarkably, 80% of those who tested positive were undergoing HIV testing for the first time.
Linkage to Care: All HIV-positive individuals were successfully linked to ART services, demonstrating the effectiveness of the TBA-led model in bridging gaps in healthcare access.
“The success of this initiative exemplifies how HIVST can become a cornerstone of affirmative action against paediatric HIV infections, which was also a critical focus of World AIDS Day observances.
“As evidenced by the success of the Lagos and Kano initiative, when confidentiality, stigma reduction, and leveraging trusted community figures like TBAs are prioritised, HIVST has the potential to transform PMTCT efforts across Nigeria.
“This is even more so with sustained investment, community buy-in, and political will. This can move us closer to a future where no child is born with HIV and every mother has the opportunity to live a healthy, fulfilling life”, Dr. Emmanuel alluded.
He further revealed that HIV self-testing kits offer a simple, private, and effective means of determining one’s HIV status, adding that the kits allow individuals to test themselves using a saliva sample or a small drop of blood, with results available in minutes.
Highlighting the importance, the health, said the convenience and confidentiality of this method are particularly appealing to those who might avoid traditional testing due to stigma or fear of disclosure.
He stated that the fear of being judged or ostracised often prevents pregnant women from seeking HIV testing, stressing that HIVST kits allow individuals to test in the comfort of their homes or a private setting, without fear of disclosure. This is particularly crucial for pregnant women, who may face compounded stigma if diagnosed with HIV.
“Increased Testing Uptake as demonstrated shown the intervention in Lagos and Kano demonstrates that when provided with confidential and convenient testing options, more women are willing to know their HIV status. Early diagnosis is key to initiating ART, which can reduce the risk of MTCT to less than 1%.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says she supports herbal medicine production in the country.
She said this on a Forum in Abuja.
She, however, explained that for NAFDAC to accommodate herbal medicine as part of its regulated products, such herbal preparation must go through clinical trials.
She disclosed that the major challenge to herbal medicine practitioners is how to secure resources to finance clinical trial for their products, which she said cost a lot of money because it is a major aspect in medicine.
She added that “I believe in natural medicine, I was brought up with it, like the Agbo that we were taking and it was working.
“Herbal medicine or natural medicine work, before I came back home from the United States, I started a research on natural medicine for the cure of sickle cell, my niece who is a sickler got on it and her episodes decreased by 70 to 80 per cent.”
She explained that the agency gives approval for natural medicines once proven it is not toxic, and they have been used and tested before.
“We approve them for two years and then they can renew if they do clinical trial because it is something we are not used to in Nigeria.
“China supports many of these herbal practitioners.”
The director-general also spoke about using fruits and vegetables as medicine to cure some illnesses, adding that some of these fruits contain antioxidants that prevent cancer. (NAN)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has allayed public fears over the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 XEC subvariant globally.
The Director-General of the centre, Dr Jide Idris, did this in a public advisory issued on Saturday night in Abuja, made available to newsmen.
Idris reassured Nigerians that the variant, though identified in 29 countries, has not been detected in Nigeria.
He said that the XEC subvariant, a descendant of the Omicron JN.
1 lineage, was currently classified as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM).According to him, this means that it is being closely observed for potential concerns but does not yet pose significant risk.
“The XEC sub-variant has been reported in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa, with Botswana being the only African country to record cases so far.
“While the sub-variant exhibits higher transmissibility, there is no evidence of increased disease severity,” he said.
The NCDC boss said that Nigeria had been monitoring the JN.1 variant, classified as a Variant of Interest (VOI), which has been present in the country since January.
He assured Nigerians that the National COVID-19 Technical Working Group was conducting continuous surveillance and data analysis.
Additionally, he said that a dynamic risk assessment was being organised to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response capabilities.
He urged health facilities nationwide to ramp up COVID-19 testing and forward positive samples to accredited laboratories for genomic sequencing.
He encouraged the public to maintain vigilance and adhere to basic health protocols, including handwashing, mask usage in crowded spaces, and ensuring proper ventilation indoors.
He advised vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, to remain cautious.
“COVID-19 remains a significant risk, particularly for the elderly, individuals undergoing cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, and those with suppressed immune systems.
“We urge Nigerians to get vaccinated and receive booster doses as recommended,” he said.
The director-general also called on state governments to enhance public health infrastructure, provide resources for improved surveillance and diagnostics, and promote public health education.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to providing Nigerians with accurate and timely information on the evolving COVID-19 situation globally.
He urged citizens to avoid misinformation and rely on verified updates from its platforms.
“For assistance, the public is encouraged to contact the NCDC via its toll-free number 6232 or, WhatsApp: 07087110839, Twitter: @NCDCGov and Facebook: @NCDCgov,” he said.
Report says that the XEC variant of COVID-19 is a recombinant strain, meaning it results from the combination of genetic material from two or more existing variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Recombinant variants can emerge when different strains infect the same individual and exchange genetic material during replication.
This process may lead to new variants with unique properties, such as increased transmissibility, virulence, or resistance to immunity.
While thousands of mutations have been tracked globally, only a few variants are monitored for public health significance.
Nigeria’s NCDC and global health organizations like the WHO continue genomic surveillance to monitor and respond to emerging variants.(NAN)
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