‘My Period Stories’ sparks cross-continental dialogue on non-invasive fibroid care

By Sola Charles 

 

 Towards bringing the issue of uterine fibroids out of silence and into the limelight, the Sanitary Pad Media Campaign (SPMC), in conjunction with the Fibroid Care Centre, Lagos, held the  My Period Stories Virtual Watch Party - a hybrid Pan-African conversation centered on the theme: Fighting Fibroid: the Non-Invasive Procedure.

which featured highlights of “My Period Stories with Funke Treasure”, Nigeria's first television-format podcast addressing menstrual stigma and reproductive health, medical experts, and clients among other speakers, called on the government, healthcare industry stakeholders, and civil society to drive the awareness promoting equitable access to non-invasive treatment options for fibroids.

 Speaking at the forum, the Convener, My Period Stories Virtual Watch Party, Anikeade Funke Treasure, said the hybrid gathering marks a significant step in expanding public discourse and mobilizing cross-sectoral support for menstrual health.

 Funke Treasure, who is also the podcast host, said, “The aim is to inspire deeper regional collaboration and sustainable systems that advance public health and dignity for women across the African continent.

 “When we have a watch party like this, we're highlighting a particular episode or issue that we've treated within a season, and we're asking friends, stakeholders, and support groups to watch live.

 “We dedicated four episodes of this second season to fibroids,  titled it Fighting Fibroids, and we did four basic issues, so we thought we'd be the amplifier of these issues and be the bridge between those who are still in the closet and those who are willing to  have open conversations.”

 On his part, the  MD/CEO of the Fibroid Care Centre, Lagos, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, said there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to fibroid treatment. We need to look at each woman’s aspirations, symptoms, and fibroid type to tailor her options.”

 “The Fibroid Care Centre pioneered High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) in Nigeria and West Africa, offering a non-invasive approach that uses ultrasound waves to target and destroy fibroid tissue—without the need for surgery, anesthesia, or hospital stays.

“We are keeping the discussion about fibroids in the front burner because we know that fibroid is very common and not spoken about enough, what we are doing this to make people aware of the symptoms so that early diagnosis can be possible, and also to look at the various options available for treating fibroids and also to encourage research and funding for uterine fibroids.

 “The major takeaway is that we've been able to learn more about fibroids and spoken to the people who have gone through treatment of uterine fibroids, and their experiences before and after. And we are especially looking at the psychological aspect of uterine fibroids and the impact on women who have fibroids."

 Ajayi said part of the most important learning is the need to pay a lot of attention to the psychological well-being of women who have fibroids.

 “There is no method that is a one-size-fits-all; you have to look at each woman because that's what we're trying to preach now that fibroids need specialized or individualized treatment. You need to look at what this woman does, what her aspirations are, what kind of fibroid she has, and then give her the options,” he asserted.

Funke Treasure is a pioneering menstrual health advocate, media personality, and grassroots mobilizer whose leadership of the Sanitary Pad Media Campaign (SPMC) has driven widespread awareness and action against period poverty across Nigeria and West Africa. 

Her work spans media, youth empowerment, and policy engagement, earning her notable recognitions such as the 2024 Accenture Gender Mainstreaming Awards (triple category winner), TIBA Awards 2024 Social Impact of the Year, and the 2023 Girl Force Movement SHERO Award.

 Through initiatives like the Media Mentoring Initiative, My Period Stories Podcast, and the My Period, My Pride radio drama, she amplifies menstrual narratives to combat stigma and promote equity. 

Her campaign currently supports over 4,500 girls in 14 Nigerian states with monthly menstrual hygiene kits and school retention incentives.

 

WHO sounds alarm as Chikungunya virus threatens global spread

By Seun Greeners

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning about the accelerating threat of a global chikungunya outbreak, urging immediate international action to contain the mosquito-borne virus before it spirals into a major epidemic.

WHO experts revealed alarming parallels between current transmission patterns and those observed before a sweeping outbreak two decades ago. With cases emerging in 119 countries and an estimated 5.6 billion people at risk, WHO emphasized the urgency of ramping up surveillance, public health education, and mosquito control strategies.

"Chikungunya is not a disease that is widely known, but it has been detected and transmitted in 119 countries globally, putting 5.6 billion people at risk. We’re seeing the same warning signs, and we must act decisively to avoid history repeating itself,” said Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez of WHO.

Rojas Alvarez recalled how from 2004 to 2005, a major chikungunya epidemic swept across the Indian Ocean, hitting small island territories before spreading globally and affecting almost half a million people.

"Today, WHO is seeing the same pattern emerge: since the beginning of 2025, Reunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius have all reported major chikungunya outbreaks. One-third of the population of Reunion is estimated to have been infected already," she said in Geneva.

Chikungunya causes high fever and intense joint pain, often leaving victims incapacitated for weeks. Though rarely fatal, its debilitating symptoms and rapid spread have raised alarm bells within global health circles.

The symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever and Zika virus disease, making it difficult to diagnose, according to the WHO.

Rojas Alvarez said that like 20 years ago, the virus was now spreading to other places in the region, such as Madagascar, Somalia and Kenya with epidemic transmission also occurring in south Asia.

In Europe, imported cases have also been reported, linked with the outbreak in the Indian Ocean islands. Local transmission has been reported in France, and suspected cases detected in Italy.

"Because these patterns of transmission were seen in the outbreak from 2004 onwards, WHO is calling for urgent action to prevent history from repeating itself, case fatality rate less than one percent, but when you start counting millions of cases, that one percent can be thousands of deaths.

"We are raising the alarm early so countries can prepare early, detect and strengthen all the capacities to avoid going through very large outbreaks," Rojas Alvarez said.

She explained that in regions where populations have little or no immunity, the virus can quickly cause significant epidemics, affecting up to three-quarters of the population.

Chikungunya virus is transmitted to humans by the bites of infected female mosquitoes, most commonly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

The latter, which is known as the tiger mosquito, is venturing farther north as the world warms because of human-driven climate change.

They bite primarily during daylight hours, with peak activity often in the early morning and late afternoon.

The WHO urged people to protect themselves through measures like using mosquito repellent and not leaving water to stagnate in containers such as buckets, where mosquitoes can breed.

Budget review: LASAM advocates stronger service coordination for RMNCAH+N in Lagos State

By Sola Charles

Key stakeholders in Lagos State’s health sector under the State Ministry of Health held a 2-day strategic review session organized under the Lagos State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (LASAM), spotlighting actionable insights for better service delivery and health budgeting across the state.

The forum entitled: “LASAM Health Budget Performance Review, RMNCAH+N Scorecard & Essential Life Savings Commodities Validation Meeting” held at Dover Hotel, Ikeja on July 17-18, 2025 with support from Save the Children International.

The activity marks another milestone in strengthening accountability mechanisms and aligning policy efforts toward achieving improved health outcomes across Lagos State. It set a renewed tone for RMNCAH+N accountability in Lagos State, paving the way for integration, innovation, and measurable progress.

The high-level meeting brought together senior officials from the Ministry of Health, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (PHCB), Directorate of Family Health and Nutrition (DFHN),  LISDEL, other CSOs, Gates Foundation, the Ministry of Economy, Planning & Budget (MEPB), the Evidence, Advocacy and KMCS sub-committes, among other stakeholders. 

The review sessions were steered by Chairman of the Evidence sub-committee, Mr. Basit Baruwa, who is a Director at the MEPB,  Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Planning.

Among others, participants at the meeting resolved on the need for improved synergy across MDAs, even as they identified fragmentation and gaps in service coordination. It was agreed that the Ministry of Health must remain the central node for coordination, ensuring consistency and strategic oversight across all health initiatives.

The session also revealed a critical funding gap for the health promotion unit within the Ministry of Health. Stakeholders noted the absence of dedicated financial support for this vital department, and the Ministry of Budget plans to explore options to fund and rejuvenate the unit, enabling it to drive consistent public health education campaigns.

There was a general caution against pushing for higher allocations without demonstrating utilization of released funds, with stakeholders agreeing that budget performance must be actively tracked to ensure impact and to strengthen future advocacy for increased health funding.

The meeting emphasized the role of media in bridging information gaps especially regarding immunization services, and plans were suggested to publicize access to free vaccinations and nearby facilities through digital and broadcast platforms.

There was a strong call for deeper youth engagement, particularly with adolescent girls, in promoting maternal and child health values throughout communities.

 

Another key takeaway was the imperative to expand the inclusion of CDCs and CDAs. Participants agreed that peer-driven health promotion can yield more impact than top-down approaches. 

The meeting made unified call for strengthened coordination across health MDAs, expanded grassroots inclusion via CDCs/CDAs and revitalized health promotion units with adequate funding through transparent budget tracking to justify further allocations and strategic use of media for service awareness and youth-led advocacy and education campaigns.

Popular soft drink is secret weapon against bowel cancer risk -- Study

By Sola Ogundipe 

Coconut water might be more than just a refreshing drink as it could offer relief for people battling ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that raises the risk of bowel cancer. A recent study suggests the  beverage may help ease symptoms and promote gut health.

Ulcerative colitis affects the colon and rectum, causing painful ulcers in the large intestine. It’s a long-term condition that impacts hundreds of thousands in the country annually.

 Common symptoms include severe abdominal pain, persistent diarrhoea, fatigue, and weight loss. In more severe cases, it can trigger inflammation beyond the gut, leading to swollen fat under the skin, aching joints, and weakened bones.

Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences studied 97 patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis to explore coconut water’s potential anti-inflammatory effects. Participants who drank 400ml daily for eight weeks showed significantly higher rates of clinical remission—where symptoms nearly disappear—compared to those given a placebo.

The study also revealed that coconut water helped reshape the gut microbiome, boosting beneficial bacteria while reducing harmful, inflammatory strains. Its rich potassium levels and antimicrobial peptides may be key to these effects.

Commenting on the findings via Instagram, Dr. Kunal Sood, an anaesthesiologist from Maryland, USA, noted:  

 “Even though the study focused on ulcerative colitis patients, coconut water may be a gentle, food-based tool to support gut health—with your doctor’s guidance.”

While more research is needed, this natural remedy could offer a promising, accessible way to manage symptoms and improve quality of life for those affected.

The UK is Europe's biggest consumer of coconut water, with estimates that the market will be worth about £741,000 ($1billion) this year.  

Patients with ulcerative colitis have an increased risk of bowel cancer, with the risk becoming more severe the longer a patient has lived with the disease. 

Living with the condition for 30 years can increase the risk of bowel cancer by 18 per cent, according to studies. But now researchers say drinking just 400ml of coconut water daily could help manage symptoms and ward off the deadly disease.  

Coconut water has surged in popularity in recent years for its supposed health benefits as a natural source of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals.  The water is the clear substance found inside green, unripe coconuts and just one cup of it is said to contain an impressive 600mg of potassium.

Sood said that the findings show that coconut water could support gut health in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The severity of symptoms can vary depending on how much of the rectum and colon is inflamed. For some people, it can have a significant impact on their daily lives.

Adults should aim for around 3,500mg of potassium a day. The essential mineral helps keep fluid and sodium levels, reducing inflammation in the body. Coconut water also contains high levels of antioxidants, which can help to neutralise oxidative stress which leads to cell damage. 

Ulcerative colitis patients are at higher risk for developing bowel cancer because chronic inflammation can result in the continuous turnover of cells in the intestine. This rapid turnover increases the chance of abnormalities that may lead to cancer. 

In order to reduce the risk of the condition developing into bowel cancer, patients are  recommended  to eat a balanced diet, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables—like coconut water. Unfortunately, many patients are often unaware that their condition has developed into bowel cancer as the initial symptoms of the disease are similar. 

These include blood in the stool, diarrhoea and abdominal pain—all of which are common symptoms for ulcerative colitis patients. To try and catch the disease early, patients with ulcerative colitis are invited for regular check-ups to look for signs of bowel cancer from 10 years after their first symptoms develop.

 This involves examining the bowel with a camera inserted into the rectum—known as a colonoscopy.  The findings come amid a surge in bowel cancer cases in young people—many of whom are perfectly fit and healthy.

Common symptoms of bowel cancer include needing to go to the toilet with more urgency, rectal bleeding, blood in the stool—which may appear red or black in colour—and change in consistency.

Some patients may also experience abdominal pain, bloating and unexplained weight loss. Overall, just over half of bowel cancer patients are expected to be alive 10 years after their diagnosis, with 90 per cent of people diagnosed at stage 1 surviving for at least five years.

Save the Children Int'l moots sustainable health financing for child Immunisation in Lagos State

By Sola Ogundipe

To improve child health investment, specifically routine immunisation in Lagos State, Save the Children International (SCI) has called for the adoption of sustainable health sector financing approaches.

The organisation emphasised the importance of accountability in health financing even as it stressed the importance of funding for immunisation and evidence-backed policies.

The Quality and Advocacy Coordinator for Save the Children International in Lagos,  Better Opportunities for Optimising Targeted Immunization for Zero Dose and  Under-immunised Children (BOOST) Project, Dr. Itunu Dave-Agboola,  who made the call argued for sustained efforts towards improving child health investment, specifically routine immunisation towards self-sufficiency in the State.

Dave-Agboola, who spoke at a budget tracking and analysis event convened by the Lagos State Ministry of Health with support from Save the Children International, said that sustainable immunisation financing is not just a goal, but a necessity.

"This exercise is an eye-opener to the fact that Lagos State is progressing, but not yet there. Lagos State has been passionate about routine immunisation, and they are quick to respond to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, which require lots of funding.

The goal

“Our goal is to generate evidence-based advocacy briefs to influence policy and boost domestic resource mobilisation.

“The ultimate goal is a Lagos State where routine immunisation is sustainably financed, well-documented, and embraced at the community level.

“We are trying to understand the percentage of the total budget for Lagos State that is being allocated to child health. Out of that, we want to extract the percentage being allocated to immunisation, and beyond allocation, we want to know how much is being released and spent on routine immunisation.

“We are doing this to identify the best practices and the gaps in implementation to know if the funding being released for immunisation is adequate.

She explained that the findings of this budget tracking will be used as an advocacy tool to stakeholders at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Legislative body, the Executive, and all the high-level stakeholders to let them understand that more funding is needed for routine immunisation.

Advocacy

“We are doing this so that we'll have an evidence-based advocacy brief to engage the high-level stakeholders.

"This exercise is going to form the evidence for the advocacy brief we'll be using to engage the high-level stakeholders, for them to know the importance of releasing adequate funds for routine immunisation activities. Even beyond funds, we have issues of human resources for health.

"We need to engage more hands, so this is just going to be about engaging high-level stakeholders to let them understand why we need more funding for routine immunisation.

“Beyond the support of implementing partners, we need to do a domestic resource mobilisation such that routine immunisation will be sustainable even beyond the support of partners because partners' projects are always time-bound.”

Self sufficiency

Dave-Agboola explained that beyond implementing partners, SCI seeks a situation where the State will be self-sufficient in routine immunisation.

"There is a need to follow up with allocation, because if funds are allocated and Directorates are not writing memos for the release of those funds, the funds will just be there, not released, and if they write and don't follow up, they may not be able to obtain approval.

"Beyond getting the funds released, there should be accountability for how the funds have been utilized because that would serve as the basis of asking for more if needed. There's a need to show transparency and accountability that the funds have been well utilized."

Zero dose children 

 On zero-dose children in Lagos State, she said there's remarkable improvement.

"I would say it's better than it used to be; however, the largest room is still the room for improvement because there are always opportunities to do better.

"The BOOST is a four-year project by Save the Children, at the end of which we want to see improvement in the service delivery, in the quality of services being delivered on routine immunization, such that the demand will increase because some stay away from clinics because of the attitude of healthcare providers.

"So we are conducting training for the healthcare providers to improve their attitude, and we are also supporting with the development of tools to ensure that everything is adequately captured and documented, because we also have challenges with data.

Documentation 

"We want to see Lagos State where everything is accurately documented and we can actually showcase our efforts, and then from the social and behaviour communication component, we are engaging community leaders and religious leaders.

"We want to destroy myths and misconceptions against immunization, and we want to leverage the good office of our religious and community leaders to mobilize people through their influence to embrace immunization more because we are very religious in this part of the world.

" We have developed structures at the community level through the ward development committees and will be researching reasons why people are not embracing immunization, because when we do the root cause analysis, then we know how to address the problems.

"So, ultimately, we want to see Lagos State where there is improvement in the quality of services being delivered in routine immunization, where at the community level, people embrace immunization, and myths and misconceptions are destroyed.

"Then, from the advocacy perspective, we want to see a Lagos State where sufficient resources will be domestically mobilized for routine immunization and the state will be self-sustaining, and we are also going to be advocating for support from the private sectors as part of their corporate social responsibility.

" We want to see a scenario where the state at leadership coordinating platforms is strengthened. The technical working groups are at the state level, the Ministry of Health level, the primary healthcare board level, and the local government level."

Technical Working Group

Dave-Agboola noted that at the LGA level, the immunization technical working group is not active, but the SCI has started resuscitating. It is such that by the end of this year, it will be standing strong.

“We also want to achieve a situation whereby our traditional and religious leaders will be well involved in decision-making when it comes to health issues and routine immunization, even at the state level.

“I also know and we all know that primary healthcare centers play a very big role in immunization of children, of healthcare immunization in general, and we also know that those I mean, healthcare workers who do not want to stay, especially in hard-to-reach areas is also an issue. Some of them don't want to stay there.”

Study shows slimming down continues 5 years after tummy tuck

By Sola Charles 

The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio

In a groundbreaking study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, researchers have discovered that many patients who undergo tummy tuck procedures not only keep the weight off—they keep losing it.

 The research, led by Dr. John Y.S. Kim of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tracked nearly 200 abdominoplasty patients over a five-year period and revealed a surprising trend: long-term, sustained weight loss well beyond the operating room.

Known medically as abdominoplasty, the tummy tuck is typically sought by patients who have experienced massive weight loss and are left with excess sagging skin. Surgeons have long observed anecdotal evidence of further weight loss after these procedures—but this is one of the first studies to quantify it.

Abdominoplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure to improve the appearance of the abdomen. In 2023, ASPS Member Surgeons performed more than 170,000 abdominoplasties, according to ASPS statistics. Many of these procedures are performed in patients with massive weight loss that leaves them with excess, sagging skin.

While the surgical removal of skin and fat may play a role, the study's authors suggest something deeper is at work. 

“We have found that patients who were able to achieve weight loss after their abdominoplasty succeeded in developing healthy habits that centered around nutrition and exercise,”  Kim noted. 

The data also revealed that non-smokers, older patients, and those who also underwent liposuction or lipectomy saw greater benefits.

A small group of participants who used semaglutide—a newer weight loss drug—also recorded higher weight loss levels, opening the door to further exploration of combined treatment approaches.

With over 170,000 tummy tuck procedures performed in 2023 alone, this new research could reshape how doctors counsel patients about expectations after surgery. It also underscores the importance of long-term follow-up and lifestyle support.

While more studies are needed to uncover the precise cause of the continued slimming effect, this evidence is a promising sign for those hoping to turn a cosmetic procedure into a launchpad for lasting transformation.

Single injection restores hearing within weeks

By Sola Charles

In a medical marvel that could redefine treatment for congenital deafness, researchers have successfully reversed hearing loss in children and adults with a single shot of gene therapy. 

The results, published in Nature Medicine, show that within weeks of receiving a viral injection carrying the healthy OTOF gene, all ten patients in the study began to hear—some for the first time in their lives.

A heartwarming result came from a seven-year-old girl who, four months after treatment, was able to hold fluent conversations with her mother. Her dramatic recovery echoes the pattern seen across the study: rapid hearing gains, especially in children between ages 5 and 8. 

The therapy, developed by Otovia Therapeutics and conducted with institutions including Karolinska Institutet and hospitals across China, uses an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a functional copy of the OTOF gene directly to the cochlea. This gene enables the production of otoferlin—a key protein for translating sound into signals the brain can understand.

“This is a huge step forward in the genetic treatment of deafness, and it’s just the beginning,”  said Dr. Maoli Duan, co-author and consultant at Karolinska Institutet.

The study comprised ten patients between the ages of 1 and 24 at five hospitals in China, all of whom had a genetic form of deafness or severe hearing impairment caused by mutations in a gene called OTOF. These mutations cause a deficiency of the protein otoferlin, which plays a critical part in transmitting auditory signals from the ear to the brain.

The gene therapy involved using a synthetic adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a functional version of the OTOF gene to the inner ear via a single injection through a membrane at the base of the cochlea called the round window.

The effect of the gene therapy was rapid and the majority of the patients recovered some hearing after just one month. A six-month follow-up showed considerable hearing improvement in all participants, the average volume of perceptible sound improving from 106 decibels to 52.

The younger patients, especially those between the ages of five and eight, responded best to the treatment. One of the participants, a seven-year-old girl, quickly recovered almost all her hearing and was able to hold daily conversations with her mother four months afterwards. However, the therapy also proved effective in adults.

"Smaller studies in China have previously shown positive results in children, but this is the first time that the method has been tested in teenagers and adults, too,Hearing was greatly improved in many of the participants, which can have a profound effect on their life quality. We will now be following these patients to see how lasting the effect is,” said  Duan.

The results also show that the treatment was safe and well-tolerated. The most common adverse reaction was a reduction in the number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. No serious adverse reactions were reported in the follow-up period of 6 to 12 months.

"OTOF is just the beginning. We and other researchers are expanding our work to other, more common genes that cause deafness, such as GJB2 and TMC1. These are more complicated to treat, but animal studies have so far returned promising results. We are confident that patients with different kinds of genetic deafness will one day be able to receive treatment, " Duan said 

The study was conducted in collaboration with a number of institutions, including Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, China, and was financed by several Chinese research program and Otovia Therapeutics Inc., the company that has developed the gene therapy and that employs many of the researchers involved in the study.

Researchers are now setting their sights on other genes linked to more common forms of deafness, such as GJB2 and TMC1,  while these present greater challenges, early trials in animal models are encouraging.

The gene therapy showed no serious side effects. The most common issue was a temporary drop in neutrophils—a type of white blood cell—but none of the patients experienced major complications over the 6-12 month follow-up period.