The Landscape Recent policies, coupled with the removal of fuel subsidies and the fluctuating forex market, have ushered in an era of hyperinflation. One major consequence? A whopping 150% spike in medication costs. But here's the silver lining: Nigeria boasts an array of competent local pharmaceutical manufacturers like Fidson, Emzor, Swiss Pharma, Drugfield, Vita Biotics, Evans, and Chi Pharmaceuticals. They produce not just any medicines, but quality generic medications Branded vs. Generic: Unravelling the Puzzle For the uninitiated, here's a brief breakdown: Branded/Innovator Medications: Originally developed by pharmaceutical companies, they come with patent rights. Being first-of-their-kind, they're marketed under exclusive brand names, often at a higher cost. Generic Medications: Essentially bioequivalent to branded medications but are produced without the patent costs. They're rigorously tested and approved, ensuring the same efficacy, safety, and therapeutic benefits but at a fraction of the price. Some Key Facts Generic medicines have the same active ingredient as brand-name [...]

On Sunday, 16th of July, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), confirmed one case of Anthrax disease in a mixed livestock farm in Niger State. The first anthrax outbreak in West Africa was reported in Ghana in June 2023. There is no confirmed case of human infection yet, but we should all be at alert. WHAT IS ANTHRAX? Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium. It primarily affects animals such as cows, goats, sheep, pigs, camels and wild animals; but it can also affect humans. Humans can contract anthrax if they come in close contact with the bacterial spores from infected animals or consume them. Hence, it is known as a zoonotic infection. CAUSE OF ANTHRAX Anthrax is a bacterial infection, caused by Bacillus This is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium. Anthrax spores are not easily killed by cold or heat and can survive for decades. [...]

Blood donation refers to the process of collecting, testing, preparing, and storing blood and blood components for medical purposes, typically for transfusion to individuals who require it. SOME KEY FACTS Donors are most commonly unpaid volunteers. Blood donors are grouped into voluntary donors and replacement donors. The safest of these is the voluntary donor blood. Blood banking is highly regulated to ensure both donor and recipient safety. The goal of blood banking is to provide adequate and safe blood to recipients at no risk to donors. As a way of attaining this goal, voluntary nonremunerated blood donation is encouraged and the World Health Organization (WHO) had set a target of achieving 100% voluntary non remunerated donation by 2020. Nigeria as a member nation of WHO has made little progress with voluntary donor recruitment. Only about 5% of donor bloods used in Nigeria come from voluntary donors; family replacements and paid donors are still the major sources of donor blood procurement. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO DONATE BLOOD? To be eligible to [...]

World Food Safety Day on 7 June 2023 draws attention to food standards and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. BURDEN OF FOOD-BORNE DISEASES Foodborne diseases affect 1 in 10 people worldwide each year, and food standards help us to ensure what we eat is safe. With an estimated 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually, unsafe food is a threat to human health and economies, disproportionally affecting vulnerable and marginalized people, especially women and children, populations affected by conflict, and migrants. An estimated 420 000 people around the world die every year after eating contaminated food and children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the foodborne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year. CAUSES OF Food-borne diseases Foodborne diseases are the illnesses contracted from eating contaminated food [...]

On May 17th every year, World Hypertension Day is celebrated all over the world to bring more awareness to the importance of measuring and monitoring blood pressure and increasing awareness about hypertension. It was organized by Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) which was founded by the World Health Organization in 1993. WHAT IS HYPERTENSION? Hypertension according to the Eight Joint National Committee (JNC 8) is regarded as a systolic blood pressure greater than 140 or a diastolic blood pressure greater than 90. There are no symptoms for hypertension and that is why it is widely regarded as a silent killer. BURDEN OF HYPERTENSION Globally, there are over one billion people living with hypertension which most living in developing countries. There are also over 46% of adults living with hypertension that are unaware of their status. In Africa, nearly half of those aged 25 years and above are hypertensive (>150 million [...]

Hand hygiene saves millions of lives every year when performed at the right moments during health care delivery. It is a minimum requirement for every health facility in the world.  Preventing infection and its spread can have huge benefits in reducing the impact of infection and antimicrobial resistance spread in health care settings and producing economic advantages. WHY SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR HANDS? Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands. This helps prevent infections because: People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth and make us sick. Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick. Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects, like handrails, table tops, or toys, [...]

On the first Tuesday in May, World Asthma day is celebrated all over the world to bring more awareness to asthma and inform people about this chronic disease and its long-term management. It was organized by Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) which was founded by the World Health Organization in 1993. WHAT IS ASTHMA? Asthma is a chronic health condition that arises due to increased responsiveness of the airway to a range of stimuli leading to narrowing of the airway. It usually presents with cough, shortness of breath, wheeze and chest tightness usually at night or early in the morning which are reversible either spontaneously or with treatment. Asthma affects both children and adults. BURDEN OF ASTHMA About 262 million people worldwide were affected by Asthma in 2019 and there were 455,000 asthma related deaths in the same year. It is often misdiagnosed and poorly managed in middle to low [...]

There are some 'basic' medical emergencies that occur every now and then; conditions or injuries that might not seem like a big deal at first, but if left untreated, they could spiral into something much more severe. When such emergencies happen, there's a high chance the average person would panic, and try to find the fastest way to get to the hospital. However, what happens if you can't access medical help immediately due to one reason or the other? Here are some of these types of injuries/conditions and simple ways you can give first aid at home before receiving proper medical attention at a hospital. Fever This is a body temperature that is higher than the normal temperature of about 37°C. It usually indicates the presence of an infection. For Kids : Remove excess clothes  and offer the child a lot of fluid (water or juice is just fine). Do [...]