Health
Nigeria Records 779 New Cases of Coronavirus, Total Hits 24,077
Nigeria On Saturday recorded 779 new cases of COVID-19 as its total infections hit 24,077.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced this on its official Twitter handle.
NCDC said that the 684 new confirmed cases were reported in 22 states, with four deaths.
The health agency said that no new state reported a case in the last 24 hours.
The NCDC said that Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 285 new cases and Rivers was second with 68 new infections.
Amongst others were FCT (60), Edo (60), Enugu (56), Delta (47), Ebonyi (42), Oyo (41), Kaduna (19), Ogun (18), Ondo (16), Imo (12), Sokoto (11), Borno (9) Nasarawa (8), Abia (5), Gombe (5), Kebbi (5), Kano (4), Yobe (3), Ekiti (3) and Osun (2).
The NCDC said that till date, 24,077 cases have been confirmed, 14, 115 active, 8,625 treated and discharged, 127, 158 samples collected and 558 deaths recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The NCDC offered the following guidance to Nigerians on the appropriate use of face masks and face shields:
“Face masks are very important in helping to limit the spread of COVID-19, especially in situations where physical distancing may be difficult, such as on public transportation, markets and in areas where there is a significant amount of community transmission.
”For effective protection, face shields are used in combination with an appropriate face mask in healthcare settings.
”There is currently limited to no evidence on the effectiveness of face shields to prevent COVID-19 when used alone by the general public in non-healthcare settings.
”There is currently no guidance provided by the WHO or other relevant public health authority that recommends the use of face shields in non-healthcare settings to prevent COVID-19,” it said.
The Centre said that given the limited evidence on the effectiveness of face shields in protecting people from COVID-19 infection in community settings, and the absence of recommendations on their use, by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and other public health authorities, face shields alone should not be used in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 infection.
It said that when used, it should be done in combination with an appropriate face mask.
The agency said that it was important to remember that currently, no single intervention even when properly used, provides complete protection from COVID-19 infection.
NCDC said, therefore, that the use of face masks or face shields with face masks should be combined with other public health and social measures as announced by the Federal/State Ministries of Health and the NCDC .
“This includes maintaining a distance of two metres between you and the next person, frequent handwashing with soap and running water or use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoiding public gatherings.
”The NCDC will continue to update its recommendations as knowledge about COVID-19 evolves,” it said. (NAN)
Health
Psychiatrists Demand Decriminalization of Attempted Suicide
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) President, Prof. Taiwo James Obindo, has asked for the decriminalization of attempted suicide in the country.
He made the call at a stakeholders meeting organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Specialty Healthcare on the need to prioritize and implement the Mental Health Act.
Obindo said the establishment of the National Counselling Centers all over the country in an attempt to address mental health was like putting the cart before the horse, because suicide attempt was still a criminal offense in both the Criminal Act and the Penal Code.
“Hence the first step would be a move to decriminalize attempted suicide.
Criminalizing attempted Suicide has proven to be a major barrier for suicide prevention intervention service uptake.“The archaic law, inherited from our Colonial masters, in an attempt to stop the act of suicide did not address the thoughts and social determinants of Suicide. Significant evidence showed that 90% of those who take their lives through suicide had a background history of Mental Health Conditions; out of which 80% are attributable to Depression due to various bio-psycho-social aetiologies.
“Why do we, as a Nation, then punish individuals who are ill and need medical attention rather than prosecution? It will shock you to know that Nigeria, the giant of Africa, is lagging behind as quite a number of our neighbouring nations have abrogated that law.
“Establishing a Counselling center, without abrogating this archaic law would put, even the counselors at risk because the law also prescribes penalties for those who are aware of the plan but did not report,” he said.
The psychiatrists Association President called for the implementation of the Mental Health Act, which he said was a product of legislation that went through rigorous processes by the legislature, assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2022, and has been gazetted as a law in the Country.
This, he said, would address the “many years of neglect of this important aspect of our nationhood.”
Obindo said a requirement for the effective implementation of the Act was the establishment of a Mental Health Services Department in the Federal Ministry of Health.
“It will shock you to hear that, more than a year later, the department is yet to be established. Most of, if not all, the items in your plan are meant to be supervised by this department in obedience to the rule of law! Hence, the establishment of the department is germane to the success of all your plans,” he said.
He said the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria was an umbrella body of all Psychiatrists in the Country and other allied Practitioners.
He said they have been at the forefront of campaigns and advocacy for global best practices.
He lauded the Committee for the initiative, saying when well-implemented, would positively impact the hitherto neglected Mental Health, persons affected by Mental Health Conditions, and Mental Health Practitioners.
Chairman of the Committee on Special Healthcare, Dr Alex Egbona, said all stakeholders must partner to address mental health challenges and other related health cases.
The lawmaker said the committee was created to provide the requisite legislative frameworks for improved healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
He said the session was a collaborative initiative of the committee to share its mandate and planned activities with identified relevant institutions and organisations.
“I, therefore, solicit the support and partnership of all stakeholders, our development partners, international NGOs, and CSOs, you are all urged to take interest in building the capacity of the committee members and staff to enhance the efficacy of the committee.
“Consider our five thematic areas of Mental Health, Trauma and Obstetrics Fistula, Oral Health and ENT, Blood Transfusion, Blood and Management, Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine and engage the committee for maximum impact,” he said.
Health
WHO Expresses Concern over Monkey Pox Outbreak in DRC
25,318 suspected cases of monkey pox, including 1,204 deaths, have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the declaration of monkey pox outbreak in December 2022.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.
According to the latest report, the outbreak, which was declared by the DRC Health Ministry on Dec.
16, 2022, was prompted by a notable surge in cases and fatalities associated with monkey pox as well as a fast spread to non-endemic provinces.Since the beginning of 2024, a total of 5,133 suspected cases, including 321 deaths, have been reported, according to the WHO report. It warns that the current situation of the outbreak in the DRC is of “grave concern” due to the sustained increase in suspected cases compared to previous years.
It added that with a significant burden in younger populations, particularly children under 15 years of age, who constitute the majority of both suspected cases and deaths.
In April 2024, a high-level emergency regional meeting on monkey pox in Africa was convened in DRC capital Kinshasa, gathering 12 health ministers of regional countries, aiming to develop common strategies to prevent and intervene effectively in the face of monkey pox in Africa.
“We must prevent the DRC from becoming the source of cross-border transmission, and our partnership must prioritise the health of those affected,’’ said Jean Kaseya, the director general of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) at the meeting.
“Over the years, monkey pox has become a real public health problem for our communities in the DRC, a regional threat and ultimately a global problem.
“We must now mobilise to resolve this crisis,” said Roger Kamba, DRC minister of public health, hygiene and prevention, said at the meeting.
Monkey pox, first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958, is assumed to be transmitted from wild animals such as rodents to people or from human to human (Xinhua/NAN)
Health
WHO Warns of ‘Bloodbath’ as Rafah Offensive Looms
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of dire consequences if Israel goes ahead with an impending military operation in Rafah.
The planned push into the southern border city of Rafah would lead to “a bloodbath,” the organization wrote on X, formerly twitter on Saturday
The WHO said that more than 1.
2 million people were currently sheltering in the area, many unable to move anywhere else.“A new wave of displacement would exacerbate overcrowding, further limiting access to food, water, health and sanitation services, leading to increased disease outbreaks, worsening levels of hunger, and additional loss of lives.
”According to the WHO, only 33 per cent of Gaza’s 36 hospitals and 30 per cent of primary health care Centre’s were functional in some capacity amid repeated attacks and shortages of vital medical supplies, fuel, and staff.
WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the removal of the obstacles to the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance into and across Gaza, at the scale that is required.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to launch an offensive in Rafah to eliminate the remaining strongholds of Hamas.
The organisation said that although Israel’s allies have repeatedly urged caution, as a large majority of the approximately 2.2 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip have fled to the south during the war. (dpa/NAN)