Lagos screens 100,000 women annually for breast, cervical cancers

As part of efforts to reduce the menace of cancer in Lagos State, no less than 100,000 women will be screened free-of-charge, for breast cancer and cervical cancer annually by the Lagos State government. 

Disclosing this as part of activities to mark the 2022 World Cancer Day,  the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, said free screenings for breast and cervical cancer have commenced in 62 State health facilities including designated General Hospitals offering gynecology and obstetrics care services and flagship primary health care centers across the State.

Ogboye said this year’s World Cancer Day theme: "Close The Care Gap", has provided yet another opportunity to improve awareness on cancer and to encourage its prevention through early screening and detection, diagnosis, and prompt treatment of the various types of cancers.

 "Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Globally, nearly one in six deaths are due to cancer and 70 percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria".

Ogboye, while reiterating the need for periodic screening and lifestyle modification as preventive measures against the non-communicable disease stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that as many as 40 percent of deaths from cancer are preventable.

He noted that raising awareness for cancer prevention, screening, and early management has become a very important goal for all stakeholders and citizens.

"Cancer is no respecter of persons, age, sex, religion, residence or wealth. Therefore, it is very essential that we continue to inform ourselves about cancers and the fact that every single person has the ability to make a difference, be it large or small, and also that together we can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer, create a cancer-free world and prevent millions of deaths each year.

"This year's World Cancer Day commemoration event has provided the opportunity to conduct advocacy to the people of Ikosi-Isheri as well as the entire citizenry and increase awareness on the importance of early screening, prompt diagnosis, and treatment of cancers", he said.

Ogboye noted that 200 women of childbearing age were screened for breast and cervical cancer during the outreach program at Ikosi-Isheri adding the State Government will provide free treatment for cervical precancerous lesions for women who require it.

"I want to encourage us all to adopt a healthy and safe lifestyle. Let us ensure we go for regular screening as and when due and we seek medical help early as prevention is always better, cheaper, preferable, and less stressful than curative measures", he concluded.

The Director Disease Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Rotimi Agbolagorite, said the Lagos State Government commenced the State Cancer Control Program in 2005 in recognition of the increasing trend of the global epidemic of cancers.

He explained that the Lagos State Cervical Control entails awareness creation, sensitization, health education and promotion, and free screening for breast, cervical, and prostate cancer for citizens.

Agbolagorite stated that the State Government with the support of n, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), has built the capacity of over 300 healthcare workers across the State’s primary and secondary health facilities, and LASUTH to provide secondary prevention services for cervical cancer to Lagosians across all the LGAs in the State.

"In addition, the organization has provided requisite equipment, materials, and consumables to be utilized for these screenings", he added.

Also speaking, the Cervical Control Program Coordinator for CHAI, Dr. Maltida Kerry stated that CHAI through UNITAID grant is supporting the Lagos State Ministry of Health to screen approximately 200,000 women for cervical cancer and provide precancerous treatment for those in need in Lagos over a two year period.

"Since the launch of the cervical cancer program in 2019, CHAI through the support of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Health Service Commission and the State Primary Health Care Board has been able to create cervical cancer service demand generation and increase access to cervical cancer services", she noted.

Nestlé emerges Top Employer for 2022

Nestlé has been recognized as a Top Employer in Nigeria for 2022.

Being certified as a Top Employer showcases an organization’s dedication to a better world of work, exhibited through excellent HR policies and people practices.

In a statement, the MD/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr. Wassim Elhusseini, noted: “We are pleased with the recognition as a Top Employer 2022 and will continue to focus on the wellbeing and safety of our people who are indeed our greatest assets.”

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. 

The survey covers 6 HR domains consisting of 20 topics including People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being, Diversity & Inclusion, and more.

David Plink, CEO, Top Employers Institute says: “Reflecting on the demanding year that has, like the year before it, impacted organizations across the world, Nestlé Nigeria has continued to show that it prioritizes maintaining excellent people practices in the workplace. 

The company continues to meet the challenges of the changing world of work while working tirelessly to make a positive impact on the lives of its workforce.

"We are pleased to celebrate and applaud the organizations that have been certified as Top Employers in their respective countries this year.”

WHO monitoring 4 Omicron sub variants

It is too early to declare victory against the coronavirus as there are four subvariants of the highly infectious omicron variant currently circulating even as the World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring more subvariants.

Specifically, the WHO is watching the BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3 variations of the Omicron variants, 

“This virus is dangerous, and it continues to evolve before our very eyes,” said WHO Chief, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus. "The WHO is currently tracking four sub-lineages of the Omicron variant of concern, including BA.2.” 

Preliminary findings seem to indicate that BA.2 is more transmissible, but not more virulent than the original Omicron.

Tedros and other WHO officials sought have warned countries not to let their guards down, particularly with respect to Omicron. 

“BA.2-designated sequences have been submitted to GISAID from 57 countries to date, with the weekly proportion of BA.2 relative to other Omicron sequences rising to over 50% during the last six weeks in several countries.”

Epidemiologists say it’s early days in terms of understanding BA.2, much less BA.1.1 and BA.3, about which very little information is available.

The WHO COVID-19 Technical Lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, said that, since BA.2 is Omicron, it is a variant of concern. The two subvariants of omicron have been spreading throughout the world, raising concerns that the corona

“We still don’t know everything about the variants and the future trajectory of that. Omicron is becoming dominant worldwide. It’s overtaking Delta in a number of countries around the world.”

Airtel Africa, UNICEF announce 5-year digital learning partnership

 

*10,000 school children to benefit in Lagos, Kano

Airtel Africa and UNICEF have announced a five-year pan-African multi-million dollar partnership to scale-up digital learning for school children in Nigeria and 12 other countries in Africa. 

 The Airtel Africa and UNICEF pan-African partnership is to help accelerate the roll-out of digital learning through connecting schools to the internet and ensuring free access to learning platforms across the continent.

Under the pilot scheme of the new initiative, Airtel Nigeria and UNICEF Nigeria as longstanding partners, plan to help connect over 10,000 school children in Lagos and Kano to the internet, to enable children to learn digitally.

Besides Nigeria, learners in Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia stand to benefit from the initiative. 

In a statement, UNICEF explained that by providing equal access to quality digital learning, particularly for the most vulnerable children, the partnership will help to ensure that every child reaches their full potential.   

According to UNICEF, Airtel Africa’s financial and in-kind contribution for the partnership is $57 million over five years to 2027, noting that the programme will call on technology and expertise, in addition to direct financial support to connect schools and communities to the internet, and enable free access to online educational content for learners. 

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said: “Hundreds of millions of children in Africa have seen their education disrupted or put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. By championing digital education for children in Africa, this partnership with Airtel Africa will help put children’s learning back on track."

Also speaking, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, Peter Hawkins noted: “Digital learning is the gateway to equipping young people with the right skills  - skills that will support them to transition from learning to earning. We are delighted that Airtel Nigeria shares in this vision, and is helping to drive the process of scaling up internet connectivity for school children in Nigeria."

On his own part, the CEO of Airtel Africa, Olusegun Ogunsanya remarked: “As a business, we have focused on education as a key area of our corporate social responsibility, and we are delighted that this partnership with UNICEF will enable us to accelerate results. It also coincides with the launch of our new sustainability strategy, which lays out our commitment to education. 

“We are excited to be working with UNICEF to advance the education agenda on the continent through facilitating connectivity and online access to play a role in driving change,” he added.

 Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services in Africa, is the first African private sector partner to make a multimillion-dollar commitment to ‘Reimagine Education’, a global initiative launched by UNICEF in 2020 calling for public and private sector investment in digital learning as an essential service for every child and young person across the globe. 

This initiative aims to give children a chance to catch up on their learning needs amid the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic.

It will also provide vital data insights to inform UNICEF’s work to scale-up digital learning and help ensure it is sustainable and meets students’ needs across Africa.

UNICEF condemns deaths of children in Borno

UNICEF has condemned the deaths of three children in Borno, north-east Nigeria, who were reportedly killed by unexploded remnants of war. Three others are in critical conditions while two other children sustained mild injuries.

In a statement, the UN agency said the avoidable deaths of the children – as young as 12 years – who were playing on Mblu Bridge in Ngala, is yet another sad reminder that children remain direct and indirect targets of the protracted conflict wracking north-east Nigeria. 

In 12 years of protracted conflict in the northeast, thousands of children in the region have been killed, maimed, abducted, displaced, and experienced multiple violations of their human rights. UNICEF is deeply worried that conflict-affected children continue to be casualties of war.

 

Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, stated: “First of all, we extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the children killed. No family should have to go through this – and no child should fall victim to unexploded remnants of war while playing. 

 

“These deaths are unacceptable. All sides to the ongoing conflict must protect children and prioritize their wellbeing at all times. Playing fields, schoolyards and communities must be safe and habitable for children.

 

“Children’s lives should not be at stake in a conflict they didn’t start. We must address the shrinking safe spaces for children and ensure that children – especially those already affected by conflict – are protected and have a chance to survive and fulfill their potential.”

Children are at particular risk from unexploded ordnance, which are small enough to pick up or kick around, and which children can mistake for toys or objects of value. Such weapons account for over half of those killed or injured by landmines and other explosive remnants of war globally.

World Breastfeeding Week: SCI, LSMoH sensitize 150 caregivers in Ikorodu

Save the Children (SCI) through the GSK INSPIRING Project, joined global  stakeholders to commemorate the 2021 World Breastfeding Week Campaign in Lagos. 

On Monday, SCI  supported the  Lagos State Ministry of Health to conduct a sensitization event at Ita Elewa PHC in Ikorodu.

About 150 caregivers attended the event facilitated by Dr Oludolapo Shotunde, the Medical Health Officer of Ikorodu LGA, as she highlighted the benefits of exclusive breast-feeding to babies and their mothers. 

Exclusive breastfeeding  improves the immune system of babies, it promotes bonding between mother and babies, it is a firm of family planning for many, it is more economical  considering  economic situation in the country and it prevents  breast cancer among others.

Dr Shotunde also linked the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding to the prevention of childhood pneumonia  and reduction of infant mortality.

Information about maternity leave, supplementary feeding after exclusive breastfeeding and problems with lactation were shared.

The World Breastfeeding Week  is an annual celebration and awareness campaign highlighting and recognizing the benefits of breastfeeding in communities across the globe.

As the greatest outreach vehicle for the breastfeeding movement, WBW aims to bring breastfeeding to the forefront of community agendas so everyone can be part of the dialogue! 

World Breastfeeding Week is officially celebrated on 1-7 August every year to mark the anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration, however, some countries hold their celebrations at different times of the year. 

SDG 2&3: UNICEF, WHO seek breastfeeding-friendly environments for Nigerian mothers & babies

In a joint statement to commemorate the 2021 World Breastfeeding week, the UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, and the Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros  Adhanom  Ghebreyesus observed that the exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria still falls significantly below the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals target. 

As a vital source of nutrition that can save children’s lives and contribute to improved health outcomes for children and mothers, breastfeeding is a critical key in achieving SDG 2 & 3 — which include ending hunger, improving nutrition and promoting health and wellbeing. 

The statement noted that in Nigeria, where 1 in 8 children do not reach their 5th birthday and 3 in 10 children are stunted, optimal breastfeeding practices are known to reduce neonatal and child morbidities and mortality rates as well as stunting reduction. 

It was noted that from available statistics in Nigeria,  the average duration of exclusive breastfeeding is approximately 3 months and only 3 out of every 10 children under 6 months of age were exclusively breastfed (29 percent). 

While pointing out that is an improvement from the 17 percent in 2013 to 29 percent  in 2018 (NDHS, 2013; 2018), the statement said it still falls significantly below the target of 50 percent set by the World Health Assembly to be achieved in 2025 and the SDG target for 2030. 

"The percentage of children who were breastfed within 1 hour of birth (42 percent) remains less than 50 percent. Breastfeeding rates in Nigeria reduces with age, 83 percent of the children are breastfed up to one year while 28 percent are breastfeeding till two years. Furthermore, the proportion of children who are not breastfeeding increases with age.

 “At the start of this year, governments, donors, civil society and the private sector united to launch the Nutrition for Growth Year of Action. The Year of Action is a historic opportunity to transform the way the world tackles the global commitment to eliminate child malnutrition. Breastfeeding is central to realising this commitment."

In the statement, it was stressed that initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, followed by exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond, offer a powerful line of defence against all forms of child malnutrition, including wasting and obesity.

"Optimal nutrition provided by breastfeeding along with nurturing, care, and stimulation strengthens a child’s brain development with positive impacts that endure over a lifetime.

"Breastfeeding also acts as babies’ first vaccine, protecting them against many common childhood illnesses.

The statement noted that while there has been progress in breastfeeding rates in the last four decades – with a 50 per cent increase in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding globally – the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the fragility of those gains.

“In many countries, the pandemic has caused significant disruptions in breastfeeding support services, while increasing the risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. Several countries have reported that producers of baby foods have compounded these risks by invoking unfounded fears that breastfeeding can transmit COVID-19 and marketing their products as a safer alternative to breastfeeding."