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Thursday, May 16, 2024
Coronavirus

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A new study by researchers from Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United States (U.S.) has found out that nations with robust Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination policies are recording lower coronavirus deaths.

They, however, said further enquiries needed to be undertaken to determine the level of protection offered by the immunisation against the Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus type 2 (SARS-COV-2) also known as COVID-19.

BCG is one of the routine vaccines given to newborn babies in Nigeria hours or days after birth to shield them from tuberculosis.

But the survey, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology and titled, “A Multi-country Level Comparison of BCG Vaccination Policy and COVID-19 Cases and Mortality”, discovered that the common vaccine could contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cross-sectional research established the relationship between BCG vaccination policies and coronavirus infections in 178 countries.

Information on the BCG programmes of the sampled countries and COVID-19 were extracted from the BCG world atlas and the World Health Organisation (WHO) COVID-19 situation report of April 7, 2020. Chi square tests were used to determine statistical significance. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was also deployed to determine if a relationship existed between BCG policies and COVID-19 cases and deaths in the selected nations.

In establishing a strong correlation, the investigators wrote: “Two countries which had no BCG vaccination policy had over 100,000 confirmed cases and higher fatalities. Chi square statistics showed a significant difference in COVD-19 related deaths between countries with BCG vaccination policies and those without, including the ones, which had in the past, but not anymore (χ2 = 122.264, df 12, p < 0.0005).

“Spearman rank-order correlation shows statistically significant, strong negative correlation between countries’ BCG vaccination policies and confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths (BCG policy and confirmed cases – correlation coefficient -0.427, p < 0.0005), BCG policy and COVID-19 related death –correlation coefficient -0.374, p < 0.0005).”

The pollsters include Moses Katbi of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Nigeria; Oluwatosin Adeoye of the Society for Family Health (SFH), Nigeria; an independent public health consultant in Nigeria, Adefisayo Adedoyin; Washington STAR fellow, USAID, Nigeria, Adeoye Adegboye; and Iyiola Faturiyele of USAID, United States.

Others are Maryam Bello of the Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory Rollins School of Public Health, United States; Rose Khatri of the Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom; and Michele Russel from USAID, United States.

The latest work contradicts WHO’s April 12, 2020 publication.

The Scientific Brief of the global agency had read in part: “There is no evidence that the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG) protects people against infection with COVID-19 virus. Two clinical trials addressing this question are underway, and WHO will evaluate the evidence when it is available.

In the absence of evidence, WHO does not recommend BCG vaccination for the prevention of COVID-19. WHO continues to recommend neonatal BCG vaccination in countries or settings with a high incidence of tuberculosis.”

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Nigeria’s documentation to be declared polio free was on Thursday, June 18, 2020, accepted by the African Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (ARCC). The implication of this is that Nigeria has gone through the final process of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) eradication and certification and will officially be declared WPV free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in August 2020.

Indeed, Nigeria recorded this breakthrough in polio elimination despite the activities of Boko Haram and the significant increase in Wild Polio Virus type one (WPV1) cases globally in 2019.

The feat is significant in the face of many challenges including the poor access to children in some parts of the country due to insecurity, poor health seeking behaviour of Nigerians, vaccine hesitancy, malnutrition, poor sanitation, and inadequate funding for Primary Health Care (PHC), especially at State and Local Government Area (LGA) levels.

Nigeria made history on August 21, 2019, when she achieved three years without a case of WPV. The last WPV case was isolated in a child in Borno State on August 21, 2016.

The polio-free certification was after careful assessment of the risk of missed transmission in inaccessible areas of Borno, and other countries in the region where there is lack of confidence in surveillance.

The WHO, for the first time on September 25, 2015, delisted Nigeria from the polio-endemic list after interrupting transmission for 12 months beginning from July 24, 2014. Unfortunately, 25 months later, on August 21, 2016, another case of WPV was discovered.

“The ARCC during a virtual meeting on Thursday declared Nigeria polio free. This calls for celebration,” Chairman Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, had told The Guardian.

Tomori, who is also a virologist and WHO consultant, said: “If you are talking about achievements in healthcare, please help me name one. Oh yes at least we have finally eradicated polio as the last nation in Africa to do so….”

President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, said: “One major success I think Nigeria has scored in recent times, is the eradication of wild polio virus.”

To the President, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Aliyu Sokombo, “We have recorded quite a few successes in healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Eradication of polio is commendable and improvement of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) capacity.”

A polio free Nigeria was achieved by NPHCDA under the leadership of Dr. Faisal Shuaib, a medical doctor and public health specialist. Before Shuaib’s appointment as the Executive Director (ED)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NPHCDA, he was a Senior Programme Officer (Africa) for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) at Seattle, United States of America (USA). He was responsible for developing and implementing strategies on polio outbreak response activities in Africa. Prior to joining the foundation, Shuaib coordinated Nigeria’s successful response to the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) as the Incident Manager of the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre in 2014. He was also a member of the six-man panel established to assess the response of the WHO to the global Ebola outbreak in 2014 and provided technical advice to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and NPHCDA in areas of immunisation and polio eradication activities between 2012 and 2015. Shuaib had in the past also worked as a research associate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK).

Shuaib in an exclusive interview with The Guardian among other things said the strategies used and structures established to achieve polio eradication could be adopted to contain the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

What does it mean to be polio free? Does it mean that there is no circulating vaccine derived polio virus (cVDPV2) in Nigeria? Shuaib said: “This means that the most virulent and lethal forms of polio viruses which we call WPV has been eradicated in all sections of our country, the cVDPVs are still there, the last case was in January 2020. This challenge results from the fact that children who have been vaccinated with Monovalent Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 shed the viral particles in the environment, which then interacts with other pathogens and becomes virulent especially among children that have not completed their Routine immunization. These are not part of the process for WPV certification and the Government of Nigeria with our partners is taking all the necessary steps required to stop the circulation of cVDPVs.”

Shuaib said: “Routine immunizations (RI) and polio vaccination activities will continue in Nigeria in order for us to continue to build the required herd immunity against polio and other Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) to be able to prevent a WPV resurgence and maintain our polio free status.

Also note that as long as some countries in the world are still having WPV such as Afghanistan and Pakistan who remain the only polio endemic countries in the East Mediterranean Region, we will continue to retain our Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) stockpiles. And while we continue with our routine immunization services, we will ensure the vaccines are available for regular mass immunization to forestall the spread of any importation of viruses. Nigeria will continue to have reserves of these vaccines until all countries are certified polio free.”

The NPHCDA boss said the feat is an opportunity to unlock a lot of resources, as Nigeria will not be implementing polio mass campaigns at the same frequency and intensity that was done pre-certification. He said such resources will be channeled through what is called a polio transition plan to address other challenging health needs of the country especially, primary health care. Shuaib said the country’s ten-year agreement (2018 – 2028) with the Gavi Alliance is on course and President Muhammadu Buhari has remained committed to providing the resources contained in the Nigeria Strategy for Strengthening Immunisation and PHC Systems (NSSIPS) document, which we signed, with the Alliance. In other words, we have been fulfilling our obligations.

On the significance of this feat by Nigeria in the global efforts to eliminate polio, the public health physician said:  “It is very significant for Nigeria because at the end of the process, Nigeria would be removed from the list of countries with circulating WPV. That is a thing of pride for our country. It also means that the resources jointly committed to the fight against polio from our development partners have not been in vain.”


Shuaib said he feels fulfilled as citizen of this great country, as a public health professional and as the Executive Director of the NPHCDA. “One of the four-point agenda our team had in 2017 was to build on what previous leaders had done, and with additional strategic innovations, bring an end to polio. It is a thing of joy that we have achieved this feat, and this could only have been done through a multi-sectoral collaborative effort,” he said.

What did Nigeria do right to eliminate polio at last or rather how was polio eliminated from Nigeria? The NPHCDA CEO said: “We got the right resources from Government and development partners; we got the right support from Mr. President, the Honorable Minister of Health and Nigerians. We got the full alignment and support of our traditional leaders especially the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Polio Eradication Initiative, Routine Immunization and Primary Healthcare (PEI/RI/PHC) led by His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar.

“We got the right support from state governors, donors, and partners, and as well as our Security agencies. We also got the right people at the NPHCDA being in the right places at the right time. We have very hardworking, passionate, determined, and sacrificial health workers, vaccinators, and volunteers in the frontline, who were committed in the fight against polio, and some paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.”

Why is it that the WHO could only declare Nigeria free of polio in August? “The COVID-19 pandemic is perhaps the main reason why the declaration was rescheduled to the month of August 2020, which would occur at the Hon Ministers of Health of the African Region meeting. The declaration and presentation of a polio free certificate was earlier scheduled for June at the 25th meeting of the ARCC immediately after our documentation would have been accepted. As you are aware, COVID-19 has brought a lot of changes in global health systems and this is what is responsible for the delay,” Shuaib said.

What is the role of ARCC? Shuaib said the ARCC is a sixteen-member independent body of experts who have distinguished themselves in the global public health space from around the world including Nigeria. He said the committee was established by the Regional Director of the African regional office of the WHO to independently assess countries’ claims of a polio free status through an evidence based assessment of each country after submission of the completed Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) documentation. Additionally, he said, the committee reviews several other PEI data sources in the African Region and verifies a country’s claims through field visits.

How can the country translate the experience of polio elimination to contain COVID-19 and other infectious diseases? Shuaib said: “We have already begun deploying the polio eradication experiences and lessons learnt and other resources to address routine immunisation challenges. We are also applying the lessons learnt to the Integrated Diseases Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy to improve the prevention, detection, and control of outbreak-prone-diseases. Currently we are deploying the expertise from our agency and partners at National Emergency Polio Operation Center (NEOC) in the fight against COVID-19 and this is yielding positive result in our quest to stop community transmission.”

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Until now, Nigeria and other developing countries struggle to make safe blood available because donations are low and equipment to test blood is scarce.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on the occasion of the World Blood Donor Day (WBDD), June 14, said adequate supply of safe blood, could only be assured through regular donations by voluntary unpaid blood donors.

But several studies have shown that local plants could boost human blood count and parameters such as: Red Blood Corpuscles (RBC), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (HB), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Red cell Distribution Width (RDW), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV).

MCV is the average volume of red cells. RDW test is a measurement of the range in the volume and size of your red blood cells (erythrocytes). MCH levels refer to the average amount of haemoglobin found in the red blood cells in the body. MCHC is the average concentration of haemoglobin in your red blood cells.

Haemoglobin is the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.

So patients with low blood levels may no longer have need for blood transfusion and taking of blood capsules or tonics. Also, women that are looking for the fruit of the womb need not despair.

Why? Nigerian researchers have in clinical studies shown that extracts of fluted pumpkin, cowhage or velvet bean, fig and sorghum could be effectively used to improve blood count, as an alternative or complement to blood transfusion, boost fertility and heal anaemic conditions such as in sickle cell anaemia and malaria.

Commonly called fluted pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis is called Ugu in Ibo and Aworoko, Eweroko in Yoruba, Ikong or Umee in Efik and Ibibio, and Umeke in Edo.

Commonly called cowhage, velvet bean (Agbala or Agbaloko in Ibo and Werepe in Yoruba), the leaves and seeds of Mucuna pruriens could be effectively used to boost blood levels and fertility in women.

Also, a polyherbal tonic tea composed of pulverized, dried leaves of Persea americana or avocado (Lauraeae), Morinda lucida (Rubiaceae), Magnifera indica or mango (Anacardiaceae), Carica papaya or pawpaw (Caricaceae), Vernonia amygdalina or bitter leaf (Compositae) and Cassia occidentalis or stinging weed/coffee weed (Caesalpiniaceae), all combined in equal weight ratio, has been successfully used for the treatment of pain, blood deficiencies, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, malaria, fever, inflammations, as immune booster and in the improvement of blood circulation.

The study, published in African Journal of Biomedical Research evaluated pharmacological effect of the polyherbal health tonic tea in rats.

Morinda lucida belongs to the plant family Rubiaceae. It is commonly called Brimstone tree. It is Oruwo or Erewo in Yoruba, Eze-ogwu or Njisi in Ibo.

Also, researchers have demonstrated the anti-anaemic potentials of aqueous extract of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) stem bark in rats.

Sorghum bicolor belongs to the plant family Poaceae. It makes a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage, kunu-zaki (in Hausa), and tasty pap, akamu (in Ibo), and thick porridge, tuwo dawa (in Hausa). It is fermented to make sorghum beer called burkutu or pito, or made into flour and mixed with bean flour then fried to make dawaki.

Anaemia is a common childhood disease in third world countries. It is sometimes life threatening and may require urgent blood transfusion. However parents occasionally refuse blood transfusion because of religious or other reasons. Members of the Jehovah witness sect usually refuse blood transfusion for themselves and their wards because of some biblical injunction. The problems and costs attending blood transfusion in our poorly developed health services often tempt some parents to refuse the procedure. It is therefore imperative for physicians to be aware of all available alternatives to blood transfusion.

But a new study published in Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology and titled “Comparative effect of aqueous extract of Mucuna pruriens and Telfairia occidentalis on some red blood cell indices of Wister Albino rats” found that combined extract administration of cowhage and fluted pumpkin extract should be discouraged when treating mild to severe blood shortage because it caused reduction in red blood cell indices instead of increase.

Cowhage/velvet bean

The lead researcher, Akwari, Ada A., is of the Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, said that of the two extracts T. occidentalis caused increase of the red blood cell indices and may be a better blood booster than M. pruriens.

The Comparative effect of aqueous extract of Mucuna pruriens and Telfairia occidentalis on some red blood cell indices was investigated in rats. A total of 20 Wister albino rat strains weighing 174g –290 grammes were grouped into four of five animals per cage. Group 1 served as the control and received only normal rat feed and water for 21 days, the remaining groups (2-4) served as the experimental group. Group 2- received same as group 1 plus aqueous extract Mucuna pruriens (25mg/kgbw once daily); Group 3 received same as group 1 plus aqueous extract T. occidentalis (25mg/kgbw once daily) and Group 4 received same as group 1 plus aqueous extract T. occidentalis and M. pruriens (50mg/kgbw once daily). At the end of the 21 days, the animals were sacrificed and their blood taken for various haematological analyses.

The result showed that aqueous extract of T. occidentalis caused significant increase in RBC, PCV, HB, MCHC and RDW while it caused a decrease in MCH and MCV.

Also the aqueous extract of M. pruriens caused a decrease in RBC, PCV, HB, MCV and MCH when compared with their control and caused an increase in MCHC and RDW.

The researchers wrote: “The result also showed that a combined extract administration of T. occidentalis and M. pruriens resulted in significant decrease in all the red blood cell indices, increase in MCHC, MCV, MCH and a decrease in RDW. Of the two extracts T. occidentalis caused increase of the red blood cell indices and may be a better blood booster than M. pruriens. Also combined extract administration of the two extract should be discouraged when treating mild to severe blood shortage because it caused reduction in red blood cell indices instead of increase.”

Also, Nigerian researchers have shown the efficacy of fluted pumpkin vegetable extracts in the management of severe anaemia in children.

According to the study published in The Internet Journal of Alternative Medicine and Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, case reports of two severely anaemic patients, whose parents refused blood transfusion and were subsequently managed with oral intakes of the fluted pumpkin vegetable extracts, with satisfactory rise in the haematocrit levels.

The results showed that the pre-pumpkin extracts administration pack cell volume of 15 per cent in both of them, rose to 20 per cent in one and 25 per cent in the other, 24 hours post administration of the extract.

The researchers concluded: “The fluted pumpkin vegetable extract was efficacious in the management of severe anemia in these two children and may be useful in pediatric patients with severe anemia whose parents refuse blood transfusion. The vegetable extract may have an even greater role in the prevention of anemia if intake is instituted early. Wider studies are needed to investigate these hypotheses.”

Fluted pumpkin was found useful in correcting anaemia in a study of some African pregnant women. In the study, thirty anaemic pregnant women with base line pack cell volumes of 20.8+/-2.0 per cent were given freshly prepared fluted pumpkin mixture, containing its fluid extract, raw eggs and evaporated unsweetened milk, orally three times daily for seven days. The mean pack cell volume was observed to have increased to 29.5+/-2.2 per cent, a day following the administration of the mixture.

There is no documentation of the use of fluted pumpkin in the management of anaemia in children. However, this study by researchers at the Department of Paediatrics, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, led by Dr. Olusola Adetunji Oyedeji, draws the attention of medical practitioners managing children to the possibility of fluted pumpkin acting as a surrogate to refused blood transfusion in anaemic children. It may also have a role in preventing anaemia.

The researchers also acknowledged the contributions of Prof. G. A. Oyedeji of the department of Pediatrics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Osun State.

The researchers wrote: “Life threatening anaemia is a common emergency among Nigerian paediatric admissions. Malaria, sickle cell disease, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and septicemia are common causes. The logical and most effective method of managing such cases to is by blood transfusion. However, as in these reports, parents occasionally refuse blood transfusion for their children because of religious, cultural, financial and other reasons.

“In our practice setting, the direct cost of screening and transfusion services to the patient for a pint of blood ranges between $10 and 20. This is often unaffordable to many parents. Thus in a study of patients discharged against medical advice, financial constraints was given as the reason for refusing blood transfusion by the parents of some severely anemic, because of their inability to procure the blood needed for transfusion. Cultural practices in many parts of Africa dictate that mothers should obtain permission from their husbands before submitting their children for medical care and procedures like blood transfusion. This may make a mother refuse transfusion when the family situation is not congenial. Sometimes such fathers are unavailable or inaccessible to give consent.

“Concerning complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), most physicians are poorly informed on, the use of herbs for medical conditions. Sometimes patients and their relations are better informed compared to the attending physician. This was the case in these two patients, in whom the fluted pumpkin was effective. Fluted pumpkin is an indigenous pumpkin to the eastern parts of Nigeria. Usually, it is administered either as an extract obtained from blending or manually squeezing the soaked vegetable leaves in tepid water in order to extract the fluid, or it can be eaten as a cooked vegetable. Its mechanism of action is not known. Extracts from fluted pumpkin are known to have reducing and free radical scavenging properties through its antioxidant phyto-constituents such as vitamin C and phenols. These anti-oxidants may reduce tissue and red cell destruction by free radicals. The fluted pumpkin is also rich in folic acid and iron, which may be more easily bio-available for erythropesis compared to nutrients from other sources. Due to the fact that there are no suitable alternative oxygen carrier substitutes for haemoglobin, erythropoesis remains the safest means of alleviating hypoxemia from very low haematocrit levels.

“The two cases have also shown that fluted pumpkin acts very fast and its effects were evident within 24 hours. Other haematinics such as erythropoetin, iron, folic acid and vitamin B complex do not work as fast as fluted pumpkin. It takes a range of five days to three weeks after administration before their effects can be seen. The other advantages of fluted pumpkin over blood transfusions are avoidance of transmission of infections and blood transfusion reactions. In addition, the cost of administering fluted pumpkin is much less than giving a pint of blood, or erythropoeitin. Fluted pumpkin therapy reduces the number of days that the patient spends on admission, waiting for the improvement in pack cell volume when being managed with haematinics. All this not withstanding, blood transfusion acts faster than any other method by raising the pack cell volume immediately the blood is transfused.

“In order to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with anemia in children whose parents refuse blood transfusion for them, the etiology of the anemia should be investigated and treated promptly. Fluted pumpkin extracts should be administered. The vegetable can also be given as part of the diet to children predisposed to developing severe anemia, such as sicklers and G-6-PD deficient patients when they are being treated for malaria. Thus fluted pumpkin has both prophylactic and curative roles and it has the potentiality of reducing the frequency and problems of blood transfusion in paediatric practice. Detailed studies of its mechanism of action should however be undertaken prior to liberalizing its use. Cautionary measures may also need to be taken with respect to prolonged use, especially in sicklers, in order to prevent pathologic tissue deposits of iron. The use of alternative methods of treatment is rapidly increasing among patients and the physicians needs to be conversant with these therapies.”

Meanwhile, Temidayo Oladiji, T. O. Jacob and Musa Yakubu of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, have demonstrated the anti-anaemic potentials of aqueous extract of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) stem bark in rats.

The study was published the study in Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

The researchers investigated the effects of oral administration of aqueous extract of Sorghum bicolor stem bark at the doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight on iron sufficient and iron deficient weaning rats. Weaning rats of 21 days old were maintained on iron sufficient and iron deficient diets for six weeks before the administration of the aqueous extract of Sorghum bicolor stem bark at various doses for seven days. Proximate analysis of the iron sufficient and iron deficient diets showed that they were similar except in the amount of iron.

Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids and saponins. Extract administration produced significant increase in haemoglobin, packed cell volume and red blood cells in iron sufficient and iron deficient groups. There was also significant increase in the catalase activity of the rat liver and kidney without any significant change in the serum catalase activity.

The results revealed that extract administration has restored the anaemic condition in the iron deficient group and thus lend credence to its use in folklore medicine in the management of anaemia.

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Senior man getting an eye exam at a clinic

Scientists have recently found that mice with diabetes that received treatment with a vitamin A analog had significantly improved eyesight.

New research has shown that a single dose of the chromophore 9-cis-retinal, an analog of vitamin A, can significantly improve reduced visual function in mice with diabetes.

The research, which appears in The American Journal of Pathology, may help scientists develop effective treatments for visual loss associated with early diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy

According to the National Eye Institute, diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can result in the loss of vision for people with diabetes.

In its mid to late stages, the condition occurs due to damage to the blood vessels in a person’s retina.

People with diabetes are at risk of having too much sugar in their blood. The sugar can cause blood vessels to block, resulting in bleeding. The eye can develop new blood vessels, but these typically do not function well and can also easily bleed.

Treatment can take the form of injections, laser treatment, or eye surgery, depending on a person’s circumstances.

Although diabetic retinopathy in its later stages is characterized by damage to the retina’s blood vessels, recent research has suggested that in its early stages, a person can still experience loss of vision without any apparent blood vessel damage.

Vitamin A is crucial for the normal functioning of vision. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, it helps in the development of a protein that enables the retina to absorb light, which is linked to the chromophore 11-cis-retinal the eye needs to continually produce for optimum vision.

The authors of the new study note that there is evidence to suggest that diabetes can lead to deficiencies in vitamin A, and that 11-cis-retinal is lower in rats with diabetes.

Because of this, the researchers hypothesized that there may be a link between diabetes, vitamin A deficiency, and the early loss of vision characteristic of some cases of diabetic retinopathy.

In the words of Dr. Gennadiy Moiseyev, from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, “In an earlier study we found that diabetes causes vitamin A deficiency in the retina, which results in deterioration of vision, even before any vascular changes can be seen.”

“That finding led to the assumption that early changes in vision in diabetes are probably caused by vitamin A deficiency in the retina.”

9-cis-retinal injection

To determine whether or not this was the case, the researchers looked at the effectiveness of the chromophore 9-cis-retinal in the treatment of vision loss in mice with diabetes.

They used 9-cis-retinal rather than 11-cis-retinal produced by the body, as the latter is highly unstable and not commercially available. However, the two are closely related.

For the study, the researchers used three groups of mice: two that scientists created to have diabetes, and one that matched the age and sex of the mice with diabetes but did not have it themselves (the control group).

One group of mice with diabetes received an injection of a single dose of 9-cis-retinal, while the other received a placebo. The team then analyzed the state of vision for all the mice by measuring electroretinogram responses, retinal cell death, and retinal oxidative stress.

Significant improvement

The study authors found that the mice that received treatment with 9-cis-retinal had significantly improved vision across all measures.

According to Dr. Moiseyev, “This work supports our novel hypothesis that diabetes-induced disturbance of the vitamin A metabolism in the eye is responsible for reduced visual function in early stages of diabetic retinopathy.”

“Currently, there is no available therapy to prevent the development of the retinal complication in [people with] diabetes.”

“This study suggests that the delivery of visual chromophore to the diabetic eye may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for the early stages of diabetic retinopathy to prevent vision loss in [people] with diabetes.”

– Dr. Gennadiy Moiseyev

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The Nigerian Airforce is conducting a medical outreach in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State where over 10,000 people were displaced by bandits.

Flagging off the three-day programme at the General Hospital, Sabon Birni, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal described it as timely in view of the recent security situation in the area.

Tambuwal, who thanked the Nigerian Airforce for the gesture, urged the people of the area to avail themselves of the opportunity.

In his remarks, the Commander of 119 Composite Group, Group Captain Garba Bello, said the exercise was directed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and was meant to win the hearts and minds of the people in view of the ongoing military operations in the area.

“We want the people to understand that we are here for them. We are here to restore peace in the area,” he said

The Director, Medical Health of the Nigerian Airforce, Group Captain Ali Tanko, said the outreach was targeting those displaced by bandits and other residents of Sabon Birni.

According to him, people dislodged might likely develop some health problems.

He added that people with eye and dental problems as well as those suffering from diabetes and hypertension would be treated free of charge.

He noted that they would carry out deworming exercise in addition to treating other common sicknesses.

The District Head of Sabon Birni, Alhaji Isa Muhammadu Bawa, thanked the airmen for the gesture and their efforts to restore peace in the area.

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The Oyo State government has spent N2.7 billion in the fight against the spread and containment of the Coronavirus pandemic in the state, the Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State, Akinola Ojo, has said.

The official noted that the amount was spent on setting up of treatment and isolation centres, procurement of palliatives and seedlings for a section of the residents and farmers as well as on procurement of ambulances and the security of the state’s borders, among others.

Mr Ojo, who is a member of the state’s COVID-19 Task Force, gave the account on behalf of the task force via a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday night.

He maintained that the state considered it imperative to inform the public on the expenses on the pandemic in line with the principle of transparency and accountability, which he claimed the governor, Seyi Makinde, is known for.

Breakdown of expenses

The breakdown of the expenses includes N370 million for the setting up of the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, Ibadan; N453 million on the security of the state borders; N118 million to provide support for the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for partnership on testing; N900 million on the provision of palliatives and seedling to residents and farmers.

He added that N321 million was expended on procurement of ambulances for the Ministry of Health while the state has also expended N614 million so far, on the procurement of reagents, body kits, drugs and other items for testing and treatment of patients.

“In terms of the cost of treatment, if you remember when I gave the breakdown, I said we spent N614 million on other items, which were consumables, such as reagents and body kits and others for patients.”

The commissioner, who said that the state has approved a total of N15,000 per health worker as hazard allowance, added that the allowance would be paid from March 2020.

The endowment fund so far has realised the sum of N378 million in cash donations, while the total value of cash and kind donations stand at N1.1 billion, according to him.

Other donations included the N250 million in cash and medical equipment received from CACOVID and donations of medical equipment from corporate organisations, groups and individuals.

Mr Ojo alleged that though the state was promised the sum of N100 million by the Federal Government, it was yet to receive the money from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“In line with the principle of transparency and accountability, which the administration of Engineer Seyi Makinde is known for, it is imperative, especially at this time, that we inform the good people of Oyo State on the amount we have realised so far by your contributions and the expenses incurred in the fight against the global enemy, COVID-19.

“Oyo State recorded its first index case on March 20, 2020. The COVID-19 Task Force, headed by Governor Makinde, was constituted for partnership. As of today, we have received a cash donation totalling N378 million from the citizens of Oyo State, well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations. I must appreciate all of you who have donated.

“These donations are publicly available on Oyo State government website and they are regularly updated.

“In terms of expenses and the breakdown, as a state and, as of today, we have spent N2,779,000,000. A breakdown of these expenses shows that we have spent N900 million to provide for palliatives to the indigent amongst us and also provide palliatives to the farmers in the form of seedlings.

“The plan of the governor is to set up four world-class isolation centres across the regions of the state. And this, without doubt, has come with a cost. We have set up the Olodo Isolation Centre, which is a word class facility. We are in the process of setting up isolation centres in Saki, Ogbomoso and Igbo Ora. All we need to actualise these has been set aside and included in the cost of roughly N2.8billion that has been spent this far.

“We have also been able to provide security by securing the state borders, which has cost us N450 million. We provided security trucks and the cost of personnel.

“I must say that health workers have not been neglected because they are the frontline staff who are fighting against this virus. So, we have been able to pay their volunteer and hazard allowances in June and backdated to March. We are going to pay the hazard allowance of all the health workers from March up until June. So, this just gives you a brief analysis of how much we have spent so far on COVID-19 pandemic in Oyo State.

“On Olodo, we spent a total of N370 million, which forms part of the cost we spent in upgrading the centre and also the personnel cost incurred so far. We have also spent N453 million on security of the state borders. We have spent another N118 million in supporting UCH, a partner that is supporting us in testing coronavirus patients. We spent an additional N900 million on palliatives and for provision of seedling to farmers that were affected.

“We have spent N321 million in buying ambulances for the Ministry of Health to support the fight. On other items like supply of reagents, body kits, we have spent a total of N614 million. If you have all that up, it will give you a total of N2,779,000,000”.

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As the world grapples with the harsh realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, some special educators have called on governments, teachers and caregivers to help reduce the educational inequalities of children with special needs

A special educator and former Head, Department of Special Education at the University of Ibadan, Professor Olufemi Fakolade, made the appeal while speaking at the recent webinar on Supporting Children and Persons with Special Needs During COVID-19 Pandemic, hosted by a Lagos-based frontline non-governmenal organisation on special education, the Inclusive Education and IEP Centre (IEIEPC).

“In a health crisis as COVID-19, persons with disabilities are often provided with less help. But it is the collective responsibility of governments, teachers and caregivers to help reduce educational inequality for students with disabilities, especially during a time of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Fakolade, while noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the education of special needs children, decried the lack of ICT skills and knowledge by special educators, a development which currently hampers their effectiveness.

“They are negatively affected by the classroom shutdown because of the unavailability of resources such as equipment, internet access, specially designed materials and trained manpower support. Again, they cannot relate and socialize with their friends, which is equally important for their learning and development.”

Speaking also, Dr. John Oyundoyin of the Department of Special Education, University of Ibadan, said government at all levels must play active roles in ensuring the development, training and general wellbeing of people living with disabilities especially in the COVID-19 era.

The renowned special educator tasked the federal and state governments to urgently look into all factors that hamper access to quality education of special needs individuals, including policy legislation, financing, human resources and data.

Oyundoyin also called on the government to recognise caregivers as essential service providers.

“There should be recruitment of caregivers and disability organisations workers into the COVID-19 taskforce because they have a better understanding of these categories of people. Government at all levels- local, state and federal should involve the caregivers in homes, institutions and organisations as part of the systemic, long-term plan to improving the quality of life of these categories of people,” he stated.

Other notable special education professionals, who spoke at the webinar were: Mr. Oyeyinka Oluwawumi, Director, IEIEPC and Prof. Tolu Eniolorunda, President, International Association of Special Education (IASE), Nigerian chapter

The IEIEPC is a non-governmental organisation devoted to improving lives of special needs children and persons through advocacy and enlightenment campaign for inclusion, providing services, training teachers, parents and other stakeholders on issues of inclusive education, special education and individualised educational planning in unique ways that improve the quality of life and maximise the learning potential of persons with special needs.

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With the uptick in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases in the country, the federal government yesterday advocated ways to make it a criminal offence for anyone in the country not to wear face masks.

The federal government’s advocacy, which entails state enacting laws to punish errant citizens, is in furtherance of its determination to get people to embrace non-pharmaceutical ways of combating the virus.

The federal government, in the last three weeks, has called on Nigerians to own the fight against COVID-19, following the spread of the virus reaching a community spread level.

It warned that in the absence of drugs or vaccine for the treatment or prevention of the disease, people would have to take personal responsibility for the protection of their lives by wholly embracing non-pharmaceutical methods of combating COVID-19 such as wearing face masks, regular washing of hands and maintaining social distancing.

An update yesterday by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) showed that Nigeria recorded 675 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 20,919 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

Of the 675 fresh infections, Lagos recorded 288 new cases, Oyo 76, Rivers 56, Delta 31, Ebonyi 30, Gombe 28, Ondo, Kwara and Kaduna 20 each, Ogun 17, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) 16, Edo 13, Abia 10, Nasarawa and Imo nine each, Bayelsa, Borno and Katsina eight each, Sokoto and Bauchi three each, while Plateau has two cases.

It said: “Nigeria has recorded 20,919 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 7,109 persons have been discharged, while 525 have died.”

However, with the widespread violations of COVID-19 regulations by people in many states of the federation, the federal government yesterday called on states to introduce laws that will make the use of face masks mandatory.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, the National Coordinator of the task force, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said criminalising the non-use of face masks had become necessary in view of the laxity of Nigerians to all the protocols introduced to stem the escalation of the pandemic in the country.

Aliyu added that the public only complied with the protocols and guidelines on COVID-19 after the initial two weeks of the lockdown of parts of the country following a spike in the cases of the virus in March.

He, however, said in subsequent weeks, in spite of the exponential rise in number of people infected, many citizens appeared to have become lackadaisical in complying with the regulations.

The national coordinator noted that people were selectively using face masks and cloth coverings to avoid being scolded by security agencies or when challenged to so.

“We are now working with the security agencies and state governments to make the use of face masks in the public mandatory. There is total non-compliance with use of face masks and social distancing. It is unfortunate that about 70 per cent of Nigerians still believe that COVID-19 is not an issue. We are not taking this issue seriously enough. On social media platforms, people still talk of conspiracy theory in reference to COVID-19. We must accept that COVID-19 is with us; we need to fight it and must work with state governors to take measures to protect citizens,” Aliyu said, adding that Nigerians must take measures to avoid contracting the disease.

Also speaking the Chairman of PTF, Mr. Boss Mustapha, debunked the notion of a conspiracy theory about the virus.

He said at this stage of the ravaging effect of the virus in the country, he was at a loss what purpose a conspiracy theory would serve.

He added that continued denial, blame game and conspiracy theory would not help the efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic.

“I don’t know what purpose a conspiracy will serve. The figures of infections and fatalities we have in Nigeria are just statistics. You can place the death of somebody you know, so conspiracy theories are abstract – the reality of the situation is that COVID-19 is real.

“I have a colleague (Abba Kyari) who was instrumental to my appointment as the Chairman of the PTF. Kyari nominated me as the man best suited to lead this response. Do I need conspiracy theory to tell me that it is real?

“I have lost a personal friend, a classmate of over 45 years, a chief judge of a state, who fell victim of COVID-19. I have buried people in the community. I don’t need any conspiracy theory,” he stated.

FG: No State is COVID-19-free

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that no state in the country can claim to be COVID-19 free.

It explained that the only way states and countries across the world can be COVID-19 free is when a vaccine to effectively fight the virus is discovered.

NCDC Director General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, at the press conference yesterday, urged states to intensify their efforts on strict compliance with preventive measures.

He said: “Concerning some states declaring themselves COVID-19 free because they were discharging patients, I will like to say no single state in Nigeria is COVID-19 free, not one.

“No country in the world is COVID-19 free. Even New Zealand that is an island state is still having new cases after a period of not having any. We can’t separate ourselves from the rest of the country because we live in a context and viruses spread.

“That is why prevention is very important; if you can’t prevent, then you must detect. It is that detection that we call lab testing, and that is why we have to scale our lab test.

“We can only start talking about any state or community being disease-free when we have an effective tool to fight that disease. “That will come when we have a vaccine. Until then, there is no easy way to say this. “We have to keep pushing on these preventive measures and we have to develop our laboratory capacity to test.

“I think there are six or seven states in the country that do not have a testing facility yet; there are some that are in progress using the GeneXpert technology. By next week, we will be able to say that the country is covered.

“The challenge will now be about how to convey the samples from one part of the state to the other depending on how big the state is. We want to make sure we have testing capabilities in every state in Nigeria.”

FG Strives to Keep Case Fatality Ratio Low

Nigeria is currently implementing a twin-strategy of halting the spread of COVID-19 infection and curtailing its fatality rate on citizens.

Ihekweazu said the country had higher COVID-19 fatality ratio than Ghana and South Africa when viewed in global terms.

“Despite being relatively low, our fatality ratio is still higher than countries like Ghana and South Africa when considered in global terms,” he said.

With regards to COVID-19 laboratory testing turnaround, Ihekweazu said the centre could now deliver results within 36 hours.

According to him, at present no state in the country is without a COVID-19 case.

Nigeria Receives Medical Supplies from UN, EU

Also at the briefing, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said Nigeria received a large consignment of medical supply on Saturday.

He said the medical supply was the first of a series of deliveries from the UN Group and the European Union.

“The donation is made up of a large number of various categories of personal protective equipment (PPE) and 547 oxygen concentrators, courtesy of the WHO, which our experience in Nigeria shows, are much more in use than ventilators,” he said.

He added that the consignment was handed over to the ministry by the Resident Coordinator of the UN in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon.

Ghana Orders Arrest of Attackers of Nigerian Embassy

Speaking at the PTF briefing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, said the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, had ordered the immediate arrest of those responsible for the attack and destruction of property at the Nigerian Embassy in Accra, Ghana.

The minister who described the attack on the Nigerian Embassy as unjustified, said it violated the principles of the Vienna Convention, which defines diplomatic relations between countries.

He said the directive by Akufo-Addo was communicated to the federal government yesterday by Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, after Nigeria lodged a protest over the attack on its embassy with Ghana.

He said the federal government engaged with the Ghanaian highest authority on the matter yesterday at a meeting between the embassy officials and Botchway in Accra, where they registered their displeasure with the attack.

“And the message that I received directly from the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Ghana was that it will be settled and that President Akuffo-Ado has directed that very severe action to be taken against those responsible for that, including immediate arrest,” Onyeama added.

He also added that a non-state actor was involved in the attack, where a building in the embassy was vandalised, adding that the attack was not sanctioned by the host government.

“The foreign minister went today with the officers of the Nigerian High Commission to the land registry because it appears that there were some people claiming they had legitimate title for that piece of land.

“The Ghanaian authority will be coming out with a definitive statement- so we have to wait to hear officially and formally from them. We have registered our complaints and they have acknowledged and have apologised for what happened. We await their full report before we can make a full statement and take further action. We hope to receive that tonight (Monday), so tomorrow (today) we can make a statement,” Onyeama said.

It’s Insensitive to Reopen Schools, FG Insists

At the PTF briefing, the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said it would be insensitive for states to reopen schools now.

He was responding to a question on the decision of the Oyo State Government to allow schools resume.

The state government had announced that primary six pupils and students in junior and senior secondary schools three would resume on June 29.

But Nwajiuba said such decision contradicted the federal government’s position on the resumption of schools.

“The Ministry of Education did not give any guideline to Oyo State to reopen schools. We also think that that is a little bit contradictory.

“However, Oyo State, like all other sub-nationals, has a governor and under our constitution, governors are responsible for their states.

“But you must appreciate that the primary purpose of government is the security of its citizens. Security is not only when people start shooting guns at you; public health is key and primary in security delivery.

“And that’s why we are extremely cautious in making any pronouncement around this because the education sector owns the largest number of infrastructure in the country.

“For you to even begin to decide to unroll and unleash this in the public in the face of a pandemic, is, to be the very least, insensitive,” he added.

NCAA to Submit Flight Resumption Plan to PTF Tomorrow

Also at the briefing, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, said the agency would submit flight resumption plan tomorrow to the task force .

Nuhu said the NCAA reached a decision on the matter after a meeting with industry stakeholders last weekend.

Speaking about the level of preparedness, the Chairman of the NCAA COVID-19 Committee, Mr. Godwin Balang, identified the guidelines and control measures employed by NCAA to work towards the restart of the industry.

“We have to develop the guidelines on uncharted ground, which includes issuing regulations in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs); issuing guidelines to aviation industry and approve restart of aviation industry in totality or at individual level,” he said.

Balang explained that restart and recovery guidelines are based on 10 key principles, which include protecting people in harmonised but flexible measures; working as one aviation team and showing solidarity; ensuring essential connectivity; actively managing safety, security and health-related risks.

Others include to make aviation public health measures work with aviation safety and security systems; strengthen public confidence; distinguish restart from recovery; support financial relief strategies to help the aviation industry; ensure sustainability and learn lessons to improve resilience.

Balang also gave the level of readiness by different divisions of the industry such as airlines, air navigation provider, ground handlers, meteorologists and others.

According to him, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is 80 per cent ready; airlines (domestic) are 70 per cent ready; the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) is also ready and domestic airports at 57 per cent.

UK Procures £661,000 PCR Machine for NCDC

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom (UK) has said that it has procured new Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine worth £661,000 for NCDC to speed up testing its capacity.

It said the PCR machine was procured using some UKAid funding committed to the Nigeria branch of the World Health Organisation by the British Government, to support the Nigeria’s efforts at stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The UK mission in Abuja in a statement issued yesterday, said the PCR machine, which is the most accurate laboratory method for detecting, tracking and studying coronavirus, would enhance the NCDC’s testing capabilities in Nigeria, while also increasing the nation’s capacity to carry out at least 3,000 tests per day.

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Surveys from around the world show that men everywhere find it difficult to open up about mental health, though they are significantly more at risk of attempting suicide than women. In this Special Feature, we look at why this may be and how to address this issue.

In high-income countries, three times as many men as women die by suicide, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report from 2018.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also cite 2018 data, noting that in that year alone, “Men died by suicide 3.56 [times] more often than women” in the United States.

And Mental Health America, a community-based nonprofit, reference data suggesting that more than 6 million men in the U.S. experience symptoms of depression each year, and more than 3 million experience an anxiety disorder.

Despite these staggering figures, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) report that men are less likely than women to have received formal mental health support in the past year.

Why is this the case? Recent research offers some explanations and proposes ways of remedying the situation.

Stigma around men’s mental health

In their 2018 report, the WHO emphasize that cultural stigma surrounding mental health is one of the chief obstacles to people admitting that they are struggling and seeking help.

And this stigmatization is particularly pronounced in men.

“Described in various media as a ‘silent epidemic’ and a ‘sleeper issue that has crept into the minds of millions,’ with ‘chilling statistics,’ mental illness among men is a public health concern that begs attention.”

Thus begins a study from The University of British Columbia (UBC), in Vancouver, Canada, published in 2016 in Canadian Family Physician.

Its authors explain that prescriptive, ages-old ideas about gender are likely both part of the cause behind the development of mental health issues in men and the reason why men are put off from seeking professional help.

Another study from Canada — published in Community Mental Health Journal in 2016 — found that, in a national survey of English-speaking Canadians, among 541 respondents with no direct experience of suicidal ideation or depression, more than one-third admitted to holding stigmatizing beliefs about mental health issues in men.

And among this group, male respondents were more likely than females to hold views such as: “I would not vote for a male politician if I knew he had been depressed,” “Men with depression are dangerous,” and “Men with depression could snap out of it if they wanted.”

Among 360 respondents with direct experience of depression or suicidal ideation, more male than female respondents said that they would feel embarrassed about seeking formal treatment for depression.

One contributor who spoke to Medical News Today also pointed out that it is not easy for men to be open with their peers about mental health struggles.

“Talking about mental health isn’t something that tends to come up readily in particular social environments, such as when playing football,” he told us.

“Often, the relationships there are tied into the game and little else away from the pitch, which is a real shame,” he added.

Further stumbling blocks for men of color

Men of color and men of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds face additional challenges when it comes to looking after their mental health.

According to Prof. Norman Bruce Anderson, former CEO of the American Psychological Association — in the U.S., Black and Latino men are six times more likely to be murdered than their white peers.

Prof. Anderson also notes that American Indian men are the demographic most likely to attempt suicide and that Black men are most likely to experience incarceration.

According to Dr. Octavio Martinez Jr., executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, the effect of these disparities on the mental health of people of color and of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds is “a double whammy.”

“Add the stigmatization of help-seeking behavior by men of all races to the unique stressors faced by men and boys of color, and it’s no wonder men and boys of color are at higher risk for isolation and mental health problems. These challenges can manifest as substance use or acting out through violence and aggression — which can lead to more stigma and a continuation of the cycle.”

On top of this, the authors of a study published in 2015 in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved point out that “Medical experimentation on African Americans during slavery laid a foundation of mistrust toward healthcare providers.”

All of these issues taken together lay a further barrier to people of color seeking and accessing care for mental health when they need it.

Men may have different symptoms

Specialists also point out that men and women can experience different symptoms of the same mental health issues. This, they say, may be partly a “side effect” of divergent views of mental health.

For instance, NIMH specialists explain that “Some men with depression hide their emotions and may seem to be angry, irritable, or aggressive, while many women seem sad or express sadness.”

They also note that some symptoms of depression are physiological, such as a racing heart, digestive issues, or headaches, and men “are more likely to see their doctor about physical symptoms than emotional symptoms,” according to the NIMH.

The organization also note that self-medicating with alcohol and other substances is a common symptom of depression among men and that this can exacerbate mental health problems and increase the risk of developing other health conditions.

So what can mental health professionals and policymakers do to ensure that men feel confident and comfortable seeking support and that they receive the appropriate care?

Better mental health education

The first step in addressing these issues, researchers argue, is enhancing education about mental health.

In the Canadian Family Physician study, the researchers emphasize the importance of “disrupting how men traditionally think about depression and suicide by breaking down the stigma that surrounds these topics” through nationwide campaigns.

They also explain that it is important to help men change the idea of receiving support from “a mark of weakness” to a necessary step in maintaining one aspect of health that is as important as any other.

Anecdotal evidence supports these suggestions. One MNT respondent, for instance, told us that:

“[One] area I feel needs improvement is education. […] I had spells of bad mental health in my childhood. It wasn’t until my teenage years, when I became aware of my mother’s and grandfather’s history of mental health problems, that I realised what was going on with me. As a child, feeling anxious and/or depressed for no apparent reason was terrifying and only made my symptoms worse.”

“Also, not knowing what was going on made me embarrassed, and I usually wouldn’t tell anyone what was going on with me,” this contributor went on to say.

“I don’t know for sure, but if there had been education about mental health in my childhood, I reckon my symptoms wouldn’t have scared me as much, and I would have been more open about talking about it with my parents, teachers, healthcare professionals, etc.”

Another step in providing better support for men, the UBC researchers say, is “changing the landscape” of care for mental health by offering community-based programs that help counter risk factors for mental health problems, such as a sense of isolation among older people.

But no intervention is complete until it accounts for the groups that face systematic marginalization, such as men of color and those of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Specialists have found that Black men in the U.S. are more likely to seek support in informal settings, such as places of worship. Based on this, they have suggested “community-based participatory research” as an important first step.

This approach will require researchers to gain trust and seek collaboration from Black Americans in finding out what needs to change to make formal support more accessible.

Dr. Martinez, referring to a report from 2014, also emphasizes the importance of community-based approaches.

He promotes interventions aimed to encourage men and boys of color and of diverse backgrounds to connect on a personal level. “Stigma fades when men and boys see resilience and mental health self-care modeled by their fathers, brothers, teachers, faith leaders, and friends,” he says.

“Seek ways to demonstrate the connection between individual mental health and popular traditions of mentorship, cultural pride, self-emancipation and community action among men.”

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As the wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep across Nigeria, concerns are mounting over the pathway of the infection in Lagos State in particular.

Since the country recorded the index case in February 2020, the number of positive cases has been rising steadily in Lagos even as millions of Nigerians are desperate to be tested for the deadly viral infection.

On Saturday, 20th of June 2020, Lagos recorded 230 new positive cases out of the total of 661 recorded for the day. in 14 states. A total of 6,848 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Lagos out of the 19,808 nationwide.

The update brought the total number of laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide to 19,808 with 8,407 in Lagos.

Good Health Weekly investigations show that the number of deaths from COVID-19 has continued to grow in the state. For instance, in less than 24 hours, Lagos recorded 15 deaths. Out of the 19 deaths recorded in on Saturday, Lagos had 15. Lagos also accounted for 123 of the 506 deaths recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

According to the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, PTF, 11 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in Lagos State are among the 20 LGAs in the that account for 60 percent of the total COVID-19 cases nationwide.

The LGAs in question are: Mainland, Mushin, Eti-Osa, Alimosho, Kosofe, Ikeja, Oshodi/Isolo, Apapa, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos Island and Surulere.

In Lagos, concerns have also been expressed over the failure of the state government to enforce safety protocols it put in place.

Currently in Lagos, social distancing is not enforced. Worse still, some worship centres remain open despite the restriction in place. Interstate movement is also ongoing and a significant Lagosians have shunned the use of face masks.

Among other challenges in the containment efforts in the State is the fact that most people who test positive refuse to be treated in the isolation centres.

Sadly, the few that go to these isolation centres, present late, and some of them don’t make it.

Only recently, the State Commissioner for Health confirmed COVID-19 patients who apparently infect unsuspecting Lagosians in their various communities.

Runaway positive patients causing increase in cases — Prof Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health

According to Abayomi, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the state is as a result of the majority of the people who test positive running into hiding out of the fear of being taken to the isolation centres for treatment.

Further, Abayomi said that majority of the COVID-19 related deaths in Lagos were patients who presented late and those who died on their way to the hospital or in the private health facilities.

“Some of the people who tested positive do not answer their calls while others sometimes shut their doors or leave their environments to avoid being admitted.

“There is also a situation that we experience when we test people, sometimes they find it difficult to find them. The ambulances would go into a community, people would flee their homes, and they make it difficult for us to find them,” Abayomi narrated during one of his COVID-19 press briefing in Lagos,” he remarked.

Lagos is overwhelmed — Prof Innocent Ujah, NMA President

For the National President, Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Professor Innocent Ujah, Lagos appears to be the most prepared state and has accepted the challenges of the pandemic but unfortunately, the state is getting overwhelmed by the number of cases.

Ujah said there is need to continue to encourage the state Governor, the Commissioner for Health and the Team of health care professionals.

He added that the health workers must be motivated both by the provision of Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, and payment of handsome hazard allowances and other incentives.”

Govt must engage Lagosians to comply with prevention guidelines — Dr Casmier Ifeanyi Renowned Medical Lab Scientist

Reacting to the situation in Lagos, a renowned Medical Laboratory Scientist, Dr Casmir Ifeanyi affirmed that the Lagos State government must identify the factors at play in the spread of the COVID-19 infection, noting that, identifying and dealing with these factors holds the key to reducing the infection rate in the state.

Ifeanyi, who said Lagosians should applaud the State Governor, Babajide Sanwu-Olu for a good job in combating the virus, however said the continued increase in positive cases in Lagos and other parts of the country provided serious cause for worry.

Ifeanyi said at all times since the reported index case for COVID-19 was reported in Lagos, the state has remained in the lead and is rightly dubbed the epicentre for the pandemic in Nigeria.

Ifeanyi blamed the increasing rate of infection in Lagos state and Nigeria at large on failure to enforce the restriction on interstate movement which he said was a major contributor to increasing cases nationwide.

“Certainly, something is amiss. The failed enforcement of the restriction on Interstate movement is a major contributory factor to the ever increasing reported COVID-19 positive cases across the country including Lagos. The virus does not move. Folks move, and that continues to fuel the spread of the virus.

“Another factor behind the unabated spread of COVID-19 in Lagos State is ineffective risk communication. The buy-in of the populace is indispensable in the fight.

“The average person on the street is aware of COVID-19 pandemic, but, trust deficits exist, they do not believe the stories being banded around by government agents. We have to change the strategy so as to secure the buy-in of the people, and Lagosians in particular.”

Ifeanyi said the most appropriate stakeholders on sectoral basis were not being engaged in Lagos, and that the Lagos State government needs to ramp up the issues about risk communication and carry everyone along regarding the efforts at combating COVID-19 .

“Following the eased lockdown, life has since returned to normal in most parts of Lagos. The only thing not happening at this particular time is that worship centres and schools are still closed. Regrettably, all that the people know is just the conventional information about respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene and the general non pharmaceutical interventions.

“People in Lagos are in significant breach of the COVID-19 infection prevention protocol, so the message must go down to the people, the target must be the individual who the state government must do all to be in substantial or full compliance with the protocol. That is the magic wand to reducing the spread COVID-19 infection in Lagos and Nigeria. “

According to Ifeanyi, the state government must begin to aggressively engage the leaderships of the major industrial sectors such as the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and related groups.

“It’s very important because the way people move around in Lagos is one major reason for the continued spread of the virus in Lagos. The taxi driver and all commercial vehicle drivers need training on how to manage their passengers, on the criteria for boarding and while onboard, passengers and ultimately on how to periodically decontaminate their vehicles. This is not being practised or enforced.

Ifeanyi said in most of the busy markets in Lagos, the leaderships is not trained or engaged in the efforts at combating COVID-19. He argused that for positive change to happen, they need to be charged with the responsibility of ensuring compliance with all the COVID-19 protocols in their sectoral domain.

New Faculties of Pharmacy should be set up– Pharm Olumide Akintayo, Renowned Pharmacist

In the view of a renowned pharmacist and former National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Olumide Akintayo, “Lagos state needs to set up new Faculties of Pharmacy and other health care options to ground the Health System in the philosophy of International best practices.”

Akintayo stated that everything comes down to delays in closing down ports of entry.

“Fundamentally, stifling the development of competences and capacities in the value chain of the Health System remains a key challenge.

An example is the suspension of the consultancy cadre for Pharmacists in the public sector in Lagos state,” he noted.

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