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Everyone should be tested for hepatitis B virus — Ojo
President of the Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria, Dr. Segun Ojo, speaks with MOTUNRAYO JOEL on the need for more specialists and funding to combat the spread of diseases that affect liver and bladder systems among Nigerians
What is the latest research in gastroenterology and hepatology?
Gastroenterology and hepatology is a rather wide branch of medicine, which covers diseases of the entire gastrointestinal or the gut, the liver and gall bladder systems. There is so much work going on in all these areas at all times but we can only speak on a few progress made in the field.
Gastroenterology, as a discipline, is an emerging one in Nigeria. There are still very few specialists in this area when compared to the population of the country, thus when patients are referred to see gastroenterologists, some may have to travel long distances to see them. The laboratory diagnosis of GIT diseases is also problematic. There is a dearth of appropriate technical knowhow as well as necessary equipments needed to aid diagnoses in many of our hospital laboratories.
Viral hepatitis, an inflammatory disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), should be considered as being topical because it is of a peculiar importance, being a very common disease among Nigerians.
Does this field of medicine enjoy adequate attention from the government in Nigeria?
Gastroenterology, like other branches of medicine, has for long been under-funded in Nigeria. In recent years, much attention has been focused on the control and management of HIV/AIDS with resultant neglect of other diseases including gastroenterological problems and especially, viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis C has seen major advancement in recent years, what is the latest development?
In Nigeria, I believe we should focus our attention on the hepatitis B virus rather than hepatitis C, which is much less prevalent. Regarding the treatment of viral hepatitis due to HBV, the public ought to know some basic facts. First and foremost that everyone needs to be screened for the infection- it affects a large number of people and the infection usually remains symptomatic until the late stages, which may be liver failure or liver cancer. Secondly, the disease should only be treated by experts known as Hepatologists, rather than by doctors who are not trained in the field. The best treatment environment is in a teaching hospital where the relevant diagnostic laboratory tests are available.
What is the biggest health-care challenge facing Nigeria today?
The biggest challenge facing Nigerians today is the lack of readily available and affordable health care facilities. Many Nigerians living in the rural areas do not have access to modern health care facilities. In the urban areas, most of the well equipped medical centres are private institutions and beyond the financial capabilities of middle and low income earners. The lack of adequate health insurance cover for Nigerians is also a hindrance to receiving necessary health care.
There seems to be a rising case of patients with severe liver disease, what is the cause?
As mentioned above, in Nigeria, the most common cause of liver disease is viral hepatitis particularly the hepatitis B virus infection. HBV is transmitted through the use of unsterilised needles, blood transfusion and sharing of sharp objects. It may also be transmitted via sexual intercourse and the placental route. HBV infection is preventable because there is an available vaccine for it. This vaccine has been included in the National Programme on Immunisation in Nigeria. However, we still have a lot of young people presently in the hospitals with liver disease due to HBV infection.
Apparently there is a general lack of awareness about this virus and the availability of the vaccine. Other causes of liver disease include chronic alcoholism, which is common in industrialised countries, and the indiscriminate use of both over the counter and prescription medications. The use of herbal concoctions has also recently emerged as an important cause of chronic liver disease in Nigeria.
Does Nigeria have a national transplantation centre? If no, is there a need having one?
Nigeria, as far as we know, does not have a national transplantation centre. The need for this cannot be over-emphasised. Many Nigerians have chronic kidney and liver diseases that could benefit from organ transplantation. A few hospitals in Nigeria have attempted kidney transplantation with mixed results. Obviously, there is still need for a government policy on transplantation services.
Experts have said gastroenterology problem and abdominal pain remain one of the most common reasons patients visit hospitals, is this true?
Symptoms referable to the gastrointestinal tract definitely rank high amongst the list of complaints patients bring to the hospital, probably because problems of the GIT are almost impossible to ignore and could be rapidly life threatening. In Nigeria, common ailments include diarrhoeal and peptic ulcer diseases. Abdominal pain is a general term and could be caused by any organ malfunction or disease in the abdomen. Some of the intra-abdominal organs are not part of the alimentary system. Thus, a patient who goes to the hospital with abdominal pain has to be thoroughly evaluated to determine the source of the problem.
As head of the gastroenterology and hepatology department in Nigeria, what are the most common challenges doctors are facing?
The most common challenge faced by trainee doctors is the lack of adequate exposure to current diagnostic tools and management strategies. Many of the diagnostic facilities and treatment protocols available in Nigeria are dated. The trainee doctor also faces a problem of not seeing enough patients as many of them do not have access or attend the tertiary health centres.
What provisions does the government make for public health care?
Health care in Nigeria is a three tier system; the primary health care institutions, secondary institutions and the tertiary institutions. The primary institutions are managed by the local government offices and are supposed to provide adequate first level health care to individuals in both rural and urban areas. However, most of these centres are inadequately supervised and therefore do not cater for the patient quota expected of them. The tertiary centres are at the pinnacle and include the teaching hospitals. While the government has tried in recent times to equip these hospitals adequately, most of them still fall below the expected standard. The government has put in place the National Health Insurance Scheme to aid access to quality healthcare. However the coverage of this scheme is still quite narrow and thus is still not available to the larger part of the populace.
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Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Kamaru Usman has raked in a mammoth £1.1million, about N584.2 million after his impressive knockout victory over Jorge Masvidal on Saturday night, Sportivation.com.ng reports.
The Nigerian Nightmare has been handsomely rewarded for his stunning performance and he was the best-paid fighter on the card which was witnessed by 15, 000 fans in Florida.
According to Daily Mail, Usman earned £538,000 to show up, £459,000 pay-per-view bonus, a £43,000 sponsorship bonus and a well deserved £35,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Jorge Masvidal also earned £358,000 to show, £186,000 in pay-per-view money and a £28,000 sponsorship bonus.
This is the biggest payday of Usman’s career so far and the Welterweight champion also benefited from the fact that Masvidal is also a top draw for the fans.
Kamaru Usman is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist, former freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler.
Sourced From: Latest Nigeria News, Nigerian Newspapers, Politics
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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