This day is a tribute to the selfless individuals who have saved countless lives through the gift of organ donation, as well as a call to action for others to consider joining this life-saving cause.  The Importance of Organ Donation  Saving Lives: One organ donor can save up to eight lives. For many patients with end-stage organ failure, a transplant is their only hope for survival.  Bridging the Gap: There is a significant gap between the number of patients waiting for transplants and the availability of donated organs. By becoming an organ donor, you can help bridge this gap.  Continuing Legacy: Donating organs provides families with a sense of solace knowing that their loved one’s organs have saved lives and given others a second chance at life.  Improving Quality of Life: Organ transplants can dramatically improve the quality of life for recipients. For instance, a kidney transplant can free [...]

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a widespread and potentially life-threatening condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Due to its lack of noticeable symptoms in its early stages, hypertension can lead to severe health complications if left untreated.  Hypertension occurs when the force of blood against the walls of the arteries is consistently too high. Blood pressure is measured using two numbers: systolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats) and diastolic pressure (the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between beats). A blood pressure reading of 120/80 mmHg is considered normal, while readings consistently above this range may indicate hypertension. Causes and Risk Factors Risk factors for hypertension include: Unhealthy Diet: Consuming high amounts of sodium, saturated fats, and cholesterol can contribute to the risk of developing hypertension. Lack of Physical Activity: Sedentary lifestyles and lack of regular exercise [...]

The Hustle is Real, but so is burnout You conquer your to-do list, emails vanish at your touch, deadlines tremble before you. You're truly a productive superhero! But you need to take a second to ask yourself if those late nights are worth it? We've all been there. Fueled by ambition (and maybe a bit too much coffee (emoji)), we push through exhaustion to get things done. But here's the thing: chronic sleep deprivation is a productivity killer, not a booster. Think about it: When you're running on just a few hours of sleep, you're more likely to miss details, make mistakes, and end up needing even more time to fix them. Not exactly the recipe for workplace success. So, how do we avoid burnout and become the sharpest versions of ourselves?     1. Prioritise Sleep: It's not a Luxury, It's a necessity Aim for 7-8 hours of quality [...]

The theme selected for this year aims to advocate for universal access to essential health services, education, and information, alongside ensuring access to safe drinking water, clean air, adequate nutrition, quality housing, fair working conditions, and a healthy environment, while also promoting freedom from discrimination for all individuals worldwide. Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health Education - You have the right to quality information about factors affecting your health, regardless of your location. It's crucial to verify the credibility of health information sources, as not all sources are reliable. Additionally, refrain from making significant health decisions, such as altering or discontinuing treatment, without consulting your healthcare provider.   Safe Drinking Water- You have the right to access safe drinking water, essential for everyday activities like drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene. Safe drinking water [...]

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 [...]