The Anambra Government has trained and inaugurated a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Alternate Care for Children in the state.

Mrs Ify Obinabo, the state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare disclosed this while inaugurating the committee on Tuesday in Awka.

“You have to take this task at hand seriously and come out with better guidelines for the alternative care of children as it has been posing a big challenge in the state,” she said.

Obinabo said that the training and inauguration held at Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, was in collaboration with SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria and the Child Protection Network Nigeria.

Mr Victor Dorawa-Koreyo, National Representative, Child Protection Network, who spoke on “National Policy Framework on Alternative Care of Children”, said the training was for members of the group to come up with action plan for the state.

He said the action plan would aid the adoption of the already domesticated national guidelines for the alternative care of children in Nigeria.

Mrs Eucharia Anaekwe, the State Coordinator, Child Protection Network, urged the TWG to ensure that the project was delivered within the time frame.

Anaekwe added that the state stands to benefit if the adopted strategy was implemented.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the newly inaugurated TWG were later divided into sessions to brainstorm on ways to develop an action plan that would be in line with the activities listed by the national body.

The TWG is made up of members of the Civil Society Organisations, operators of community children homes, security operatives, legal and health practitioners, among others

WHO Decries 33-year Life Expectancy Gap Between Rich, Poor Countries 

 The World Health Organization (WHO) says on Tuesday that more than 30-year difference in life expectancy between the richest and the poorest countries highlights global health inequities.

The global health body stated this in its ‘World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity’ launched on Tuesday by its Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.

The report revealed that where one was born could be the difference between living over three decades longer than someone else from a poorer country lacking safe housing, good educational opportunities and access to decent jobs.

According to the report, people in the country with the highest life expectancy will, on average, live for 33 years more than those born in the country with the lowest life expectancy.

It further revealed that lack of safe housing, good educational opportunities and access to decent jobs could be responsible for a reduction in life expectancy in both rich and poor countries alike.

“Our world is an unequal one. Where we are born, grow, live, work and age significantly influences our health and well-being,” said Ghebreyesus.

The report found that inequities in health were closely linked to degrees of social disadvantage and levels of discrimination.

“Health follows a social gradient whereby the more deprived the area in which people live, the lower their incomes are,” the UN global health agency said.

It stated that inequities’ were exacerbated in populations that face discrimination and marginalisation, such as Indigenous Peoples, who had lower life expectancies than their non-Indigenous counterparts.

According to the report, this is the case in both high and low-income countries.

The study was the first to be published since 2008 when the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health released its final report.

The report laid out targets for 2040 for reducing gaps between and within countries in life expectancy, childhood and maternal mortality.

It showed that these targets were likely to be missed and in spite of a scarcity of data, there was sufficient evidence to show that health inequities were often widening.

“For example, children born in poorer countries are 13 times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than in wealthier countries.

“Moreover, modelling shows that the lives of nearly two million children annually could be saved by closing the gap and enhancing equity between the poorest and wealthiest sectors of the population within low- and-middle-income countries.”

Additionally, while maternal mortality declined by 40 per cent between the years 2000 and 2023, the majority of deaths, 94 per cent, still occurred in low and lower-middle-income countries.

WHO called for collective action to address economic inequality and invest in social infrastructure and universal public services.

The agency also recommended other steps, including overcoming structural discrimination and the determinants and impacts of conflicts, emergencies and forced migration

President Bola Tinubu congratulates Sen. Simon Lalong, a lawyer, politician, and senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, on his birthday.

Lalong was previously Speaker of Plateau State House of Assembly before becoming governor of the state for two terms from 2015 to 2023.

President Tinubu underscored Lalong’s contributions to the country, highlighting his dedicated service and commitment to the development of Plateau, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman, said in a statement.

He particularly recalled the senator’s efforts at maintaining unity and stability in Plateau during his tenure as governor.

The President praised Lalong for his leadership and direction during the 2023 electioneering when he served as the Director-General of his campaigns.

“Lalong’s loyalty and dedication to Plateau and belief in worthy causes is remarkable.

“Such was his commitment to the state that he stepped down as Minister of Labour and Employment in our administration to take up a seat in the National Assembly as senator representing Plateau South in 2023,” the President said.

While wishing Lalong many more years of meritorious service to Plateau and Nigeria, President Tinubu prayed for Lalong’s good health and renewed strength.