Pollution is killing millions of people worldwide, mostly through the diseases it causes including heart conditions, strokes and lung cancer, according to a large international study.
The WHO says that, in one year, 46,750 persons died as a result of outdoor pollution in Nigeria
Almost all pollution-related deaths – around 92 per cent – are in poor or middle-income countries, the research found.
In rapidly industrialising countries such as India, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Madagascar, pollution is linked to as many as a quarter of all fatalities.
“Pollution is much more than an environmental challenge.
”It is a profound and pervasive threat that affects many aspects of human health and wellbeing,” said Philip Landrigan.
Landrigan is a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the United States who co-led the study.
The study found pollution was linked to around nine million deaths in 2015.
Dirty air – caused by everything from transport and industry to indoor fires – was the biggest contributor linked to 6.5 million deaths, it said.
The next biggest was polluted water that spread gastrointestinal diseases and parasitic infections and killed 1.8 million people.
The greatest numbers of deaths linked to pollution in that year were in India with 2.5 millions, and China with 1.8 million.
The research, conducted by about 40 international scientists, used data from the Global Burden of Disease study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
It was published in The Lancet medical journal on Friday
Mrs Edel-Quinn Agbaegbu, the Secretary, National Biotechnology and Biosafety Consortium (NBBC), says biotechnology will address the onslaught of pest and disease challenging crops growth in Nigeria.
Dr Rufus Ebegba, Director-General and CEO of the the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA). Photo credit: climatereporters.com
Agbaegbu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, October 20, 2017 in Abuja that biotechnology or Genetically Modified (GM) crops had been offered as a modern crop development tool.
She said that GM would not only address pests and disease challenges but the vagaries of weather and other challenges to growing crops.
Agbaegbu said that the new generation of biotech crops, manifested by the increasing use of stacked traits did not only address farmers’ concerns but also consumers’ preference and nutritional needs.
“The use of improved varieties is expected to contribute to improved health, environment and income as well as drastically reducing the need for frequent spraying with insecticide.
“As crop biotechnology faces the third decade of commercialisation, wide acceptance and innovations are expected to transform the development of biotech crops and traits.
“Fortunately, the genetically modified crops so far produced and globally commercialised are for herbicide-tolerance, insect, disease and drought-resistance.’’
Agbaegbu said that through the efforts of researchers, together with conducive and harmonised regulations; crop biotechnology innovations could help double food production to address the needs of the growing global population.
She said that it was no longer a subject of controversy that advanced countries of the world got their leap over others through the application of science in virtually all spheres of life.
“They are on the march again, through the application of science in agriculture and crop farming, Nigeria and the whole of Africa must tag along,’’ she said.
The scribe said that Nigeria should remain alive to the fact that for agric-biotechnology to be fully accepted; public opinion leaders must have adequate knowledge on science and technology and must be versed in communication skills.
“Today’s global development and sustainability are based on science.
“Granted that our health and biodiversity are indeed our strength, all efforts therefore should be concentrated toward ensuring its adequate protection and preservation through effective biosafety regulations.
“It should be noted that failure to achieve a critical mass of sustained political support for the technology and its safe application can result in policy contradictions in the country.’’
Agbaegbu applauded the management of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) for demonstrating special competence and efficiency in biosafety management and deliverables.
“The agency is committed to adoption of safe modern biotechnology in diversification of Nigeria’s economy under sound biosafety regulatory framework.
“It has also resolved to ensure safety to human health and the environment in the approval of any GMO that will be released for any purpose in Nigeria,’’ the scribe said.
The Federal Government has been commended for its commitment to tackling climate change since President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Paris Agreement on Sept. 22, 2016.
Dr Peter Tarfa, Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC) in the Federal Ministry of Environment
Mr Richard Inyamkume, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Initiative (CCMAI), gave the commendation in Abuja on Friday, October 20, 2017 in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Inyamkume expressed his happiness with several green initiatives that were launched by the Federal Government to mitigate the effects of climate change on the citizenry.
‘‘An initiative such as the Great Green Wall Project has made positive contributions toward improving Nigeria’s climate, especially in the area of tree planting.
‘‘I am aware that several eco-friendly projects have been launched at different levels within the country toward improving Nigeria’s climate and green environment,’’ he said.
He recalled that on Nov. 4, 2016, the Paris agreement entered into force with 197 parties signing, Nigeria inclusive, adding that President Buhari appended his signature to the agreement on Sept. 22, 2016.
‘‘President Buhari ratified the agreement on March 28, 2017, making Nigeria the 146th member of the UN to have ratified the treaty.
‘‘This is a global demonstration by Nigeria that she is faithful to international agreements.
‘‘Nigeria is working tirelessly to actualise her commitment to the Paris Agreement.
‘‘The Department of Climate Change under the Federal Ministry of Environment and several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government have been working on policies and strategies that will assist the nation to meet her Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).’’
According to him, many non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been collaborating with relevant stakeholders to achieve this goal.
‘‘The future of our nation is in our hands. We cannot fold our arms and wait for government to do everything for us.
‘‘We need to act so as to reverse the negative trend of global warming in Nigeria.
‘‘At least, government has demonstrated that she is ready to take the lead.
‘‘It is now our duty to see that climate change policies are implemented at the different tiers of government as they ought to be.
‘‘At the moment, there have been approved national strategic policies and plans of action on climate change,’’ he said.
Inyamkume said if these policies and plans of action on climate change were carefully implemented, it could foster the development of low carbon growth initiatives.
He added that it would also promote clean development mechanisms and earn carbon credits for the country.
Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, has advised Nigerians to embrace solar energy to reduce pressure on the national grid.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)
Fashola gave the advice in Lagos at a book launch.
The book titled “Solar Electricity Generation for off-grid communities in Nigeria”, was written by Mr Oladele Amoda, the Managing Director, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).
Fashola advised Nigerians to invest in solar energy as solar energy remained energy for the future.
“Solar energy is very important to reach Nigerians living in various communities that are difficult to reach by the Disco.
“We are committed to incremental power and policies that will drive the power sector; Solar is one of the renewable energy,” he said.
The minister, however, allayed fears of Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) over the deployment of more solar power through mini-grids and other Federal Government initiatives aimed at improving service in the power sector.
He commended Amoda’s initiative in authoring a book that would address power sector challenges, adding that Amoda was outstanding.
He said that the book presentation was timely as power sector would start to witness dry session by next month
The minister said that power generation had increased from 2,600 megawatts to 7, 000 megawatts, while power wheeled out was gradually increasing to 7,000 megawatts.
Prof. Bart Nnaji, a former Minister of Power, commended Amoda for his painstaking research and knowledge input in a book that would address power sector challenges and proffered solutions
Nnaji, the Chairman of Geometric Power, said that Amoda had transformed the power sector under his watch as the managing director of Eko disco.
He said that renewable energy remained a major focus to power sector growth and development in rural communities in Nigeria.
He urged stakeholders in the power sector to support the minister in developing the sector to deliver desire results in the country.
“Eko Disco was the best performing Disco during the privatisation era, so, am not suprised that Amoda authored a book.
“Am not surprised to see an excellent managing director of Disco understood the prospects and challenges of the power sector,” he said.
Amoda said that the essence of the book was to create awareness on important alternative energy in Nigeria as Nigerians could not continue to depend on the use of fossil fuel that was given environmental issues.
He said that renewable energy also reduced incessant vandalism synonymous with conventional energy theft in the network.
A UN report on Thursday, October 19, 2017 made concrete recommendations on how the right African policy framework could harness the continent’s rapid urban transition to drive industrial development.
Ms Giovanie Biha, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNECA
“The 2017 Economic Report on Africa” was launched by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Kigali, Rwanda.
Ms Giovanie Biha, the Deputy Executive Secretary, at the launch said: “African urbanisation has not been driven by improving agricultural productivity or increased industrial output, as has been the case elsewhere.
“On the contrary, it has been dominated by the expansion of the informal sector – often services.
“To foster enhanced growth and poverty eradication, African countries should put in place industrial policies that will generate the skilled jobs and productivity gains needed for the structural transformation of their economies.”
She pointed out that, by 2035, half of the continent’s population would be urban, compared to just one-third in 1990.
“’Industrialisation and Urbanisation for Africa’s Transformation’ also provides an opportunity to discuss the challenges of industrialisation and structural transformation on the continent and for Eastern Africa, in particular,” she said.
In most of the 14 countries covered by the Sub-Regional Office, the share of the manufacturing sector has been stagnant or declining over the past 10 years while the services sector has expanded rapidly.
In spite of a weak structural transformation process, the long-term growth outlook remains promising in Eastern Africa, the report said.
According to the ECA report, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in 2017 is estimated to remain at the 2016 level of 5.6 per cent – down from the exceptional performance of the past five years.
Ethiopia’s average annual growth rate is 9.5 per cent and Rwanda’s 7.2 per cent between 2012 and 2016, remaining well above the African continent average of 3.1 per cent in 2017.
Andrew Mold, Acting Director of the ECA sub-regional office, highlighted some growth catalysts, such as massive investments in infrastructure or service sectors.
According to him, increased investments have started to stretch budgets and weaken structural constraints, such as exchange rate volatility.
Nigeria’s image received a boost on Thursday, October 19, 2017 before the international community as former Agriculture Minister, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, formally received the 2017 World Food Prize (WFP) Laureate award in the U.S.
Dr Akinwumi Adesina
Adesina was conferred with the laureate in Des Moines, U.S. during which he committed the $250,000 cash prize to set up a fund for financing African youths in agriculture.
Adesina had been announced as winner of the global feat by the WFP for his dogged determination and practical commitment to boosting agriculture and food supply chain both as Minister of Agriculture and President of AfDB.
Adesina, who is also the President of African Development Bank (AfDB), commended his staff for the shared passion to feed Africa.
The former minister expressed gratitude to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for nominating him as minister.
Adesina also thanked former President GoodLuck Jonathan for giving him the opportunity of his life to serve his country, Nigeria, as a minister.
He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his strong support to achieve the feat.
“There wouldn’t be any rest for me until Africa feeds itself and for that we need the youth.
“And so even though I don’t have the cash in my hand, I hereby commit my 250,000 dollars as a cash prize for the WFP award to set up a fund fully dedicated to providing financing for the youth of Africa in agriculture to feed Africa.
“A day is coming very soon when the barns of Africa will be filled and all her children will be well fed, when millions of farmers will be able to send their kids to school.
“Then you will hear a new song across Africa; thank God our lives are better for us,’’Adesina said.
The Governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, who officially declared Adesina as the 2017 laureate winner of the WFP, said he was a man who grew out of poverty to create wealth.
Reynolds said that the laureate commitment and dedication in agriculture had impacted on lives of many, not only in Africa but around the world.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that former President of Ghana, John Mahama, attended the ceremony and other dignitaries from Nigeria and African countries.
Global leaders have pledged to take bold action to reduce suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include the world’s leading killers – heart and lung diseases, cancer and diabetes.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Photo credit: AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI / Getty Images
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said governments endorsed the Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs as a Sustainable Development Priority at the opening of a three-day global conference in the Uruguayan capital
“It is shocking to see the growing toll diseases like cancer and diabetes are taking on the people who can least afford healthcare,” WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said.
The pledge followed world leaders’ agreement to reduce, by one-third, “premature” NCDs deaths by 2030, as part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
These diseases kill 40 million annually, more than any other cause of death, of which 15 million occur prematurely among people aged 30-70 years, and seven million in low- and low-middle income countries.
“Governments must act on pledges to prevent these diseases in the first place, and to ensure that people can obtain services to treat them.
“Failure to do this imposes massive costs on individuals and communities. It totally contradicts global commitments to sustainable development,” Ghebreyesus added.
The Montevideo Roadmap highlights the need for coordinated and coherent action from all sectors and the whole of society, as many of the main drivers of ill health lie beyond the control of health ministries, systems and professionals.
According to the WHO chief, non-State actors, including civil society and industry, have important roles to play.
In addition to improved disease detection and treatment, the Roadmap also points out that the bulk of NCD deaths could have been prevented by action, such as against tobacco, unhealthy diets and harmful use of alcohol.
Among challenges identified in the Roadmap are uneven and insufficient progress to reduce premature deaths from NCDs and influence of the private sector on governments to prioritize trade over public health goals.
The other is lack of high-level political leadership to ensure that health promotion and NCD prevention and control are part of all areas of government policy.
Adhanom, who last week announced the launch of a new WHO high-level commission on NCDs, added: “This conference is a critical opportunity to accelerate efforts to get ahead of non-communicable diseases.
“We must be prepared to have some tough conversations, and to take brave action.
“One vital step is for all countries to follow trailblazers, like Uruguay, that have ratified the protocol to eliminate the illicit trade in tobacco products.
“Ensuring that this protocol can come into force next year is key to advancing the impact of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”
The Montevideo Roadmap would guide global preparations for the UN General Assembly’s third High-level Meeting on NCDs next year.
The Roadmap would assess progress in meeting the target of reducing premature NCDs deaths by 25 per cent by 2025 and then by one-third by 2030.
The Ministry of Transportation has inaugurated a 19-man Committee to finalise the review of the National Transport Policy draft for the country’s Transportation Sector.
Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation
A statement by the ministry’s Director of Press, Mrs Yetunde Sonaike, made this known in Abuja on Thursday, October 19, 2017.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who inaugurated the committee, charged the members to produce the final document, so that it could be ratified by the appropriate authorities.
Amaechi, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Sabiu Zakari, recalled that the National Transport Policy document had gone to the Federal Executive Council where it was referred to the National Economic Council (NEC) for necessary input.
“The NEC afterwards made some observations which involved making the Policy Statement and Objectives to be Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Reliable, Time Bound (SMART) and Implementable.
“A chapter of the draft was dedicated to implementation strategy and role definition,
“The draft also noted that the Pipeline and Aviation modes of the policy document should be further enriched.”
The minister was quoted as saying that the merging of the ministry made it easy to get the aviation subsector to embellish its component.
Ameachi said that the newly created Department of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration in the ministry had also enhanced the updated document.
“In order to further enrich the document, additional inputs were received from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and provision was also made to accommodate Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the procurement of the National Carriers in the sector.
“A chapter for implementation time frame and the role of stakeholders was also included in the updated draft,” he said.
Responding, the Chairperson of the committee, Mrs Mfon Usoro, thanked the minster for the confidence repose in them and promised to work assiduously with other members.
She said that they would work within the time frame to achieve the objectives of the government in the transportation sector.
Usoro added that the ministry was following worldwide consultations of stakeholders which would give the document wide acceptability in line with the international best practices.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that membership of the Committee were drawn from the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), and state commissioners, among others.
“Agriculture remains a key sector that plays major role in poverty reduction in Lagos State and Nigeria at large, and both (Lagos and Nigeria) can contribute to climate change mitigation and achieving sustainable peace for growth and development with total commitment.”
L-R: Ganiyu Okanlawon, Special Adviser to Lagos Governor on Food Security; Oke Olumuyiwa, representing Commissioner for Agriculture; Taiwo Aiyedun, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Civic Engagement; and Chinasa Asonye, at the stakeholders’ workshop organised by West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)-Nigeria on Thursday, October 19, 2017 in Lagos
These were the words of Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Oluwatoyin Suarau, at the stakeholders’ workshop organised by West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) – Nigeria on Thursday, October 19, 2017.
He was represented by Oke Olumuyiwa at the event themed: “Impact of Climate Change on Small Scale Farming in Lagos State” held at Regency Hotel, GRA, Ikeja.
According to him, climate change is no longer a new phenomenon, but people do not still work towards mitigating the effect, citing the engagement in climate-unfriendly traditional practices.
He noted the impact attributable to climate change on agriculture in Lagos to include: increase in temperature (both soil and water), change in rainfall pattern, shift in agricultural season and pattern, erosion, and sea level rise.
Ogbonge Women and workshop organisers campaigning for United for Food
Since the pattern of agriculture has changed, he made case for more funding in agriculture in order to address the changes and produce more food, thereby reduce poverty.
In her presentation at the event, Lagos State coordinator of WANEP, Titi Akosa, noted that national budget for agriculture this year was just 1.6 per cent against the recommended 10 per cent by international organisations Nigeria belongs to.
To achieve sustainable agriculture, the commissioner enumerated a number of activities Lagos has embarked on, including: establishment of functional Climate Change Desk Office (CCDO), Agric-Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES), Rice for Job programme, Poultry Estate development in Ikorodu, Piggery Estate at Ikorodu, Fish Farm estates in Ikorodu and Epe, and promotion of greenhouse vegetable production under the School Agricultural Programme (SAP).
“In view of the few afore-mentioned, among other initiatives and interventions of Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, you can see that we are totally committed to reducing poverty and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria,” he said.
In her welcome address, national network coordinator of WANEP, Bridget Osakwe, had asserted that development is elusive where there is hunger.
She believes in the age-long saying that a hungry man is an angry man. For her, where there is no food, there is no peace, and without peace, there is no development.
In his goodwill message, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Food Security, Ganiyu Okanlawon, said in addressing human security, agriculture and food security must be looked into, adding that tackling hunger would minimise social ills.
One of the participants, Wale Oyekoya, said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode “has been one of the listening governors of Lagos”.
The commercial farmer and media analyst believes that Nigeria has no business importing food.
He, however, lashed federal government officials who mooted the idea of exporting yam without working on standardisation of the produce.
Every day in 2016, 15,000 children died before their fifth birthday, 46% of them – or 7,000 babies – died in the first 28 days of life, according to a new UN report.
A couple with a newborn
“Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2017”, reveals that although the number of children dying before the age of five is at a new low– 5.6 million in 2016, compared with nearly 9.9 million in 2000 – the proportion of under-five deaths in the newborn period has increased from 41% to 46% during the same period.
“The lives of 50 million children under-five have been saved since 2000, a testament to the serious commitment by governments and development partners to tackle preventable child deaths,” said UNICEF Chief of Health, Stefan Swartling Peterson. “But unless we do more to stop babies from dying the day they are born, or days after their birth, this progress will remain incomplete. We have the knowledge and technologies that are required – we just need to take them where they are most needed.”
At current trends, 60 million children will die before their fifth birthday between 2017 and 2030, half of them newborns, according to the report released by UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, the World Bank and the Population Division of UNDESA which make up the Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME).
Most newborn deaths occurred in two regions: Southern Asia (39%) and sub-Saharan Africa (38%). Five countries accounted for half of all new-born deaths: India (24%), Pakistan (10%), Nigeria (9%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (4%) and Ethiopia (3%).
“To achieve universal health coverage and ensure more newborns survive and thrive, we must serve marginalised families,” says Dr Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director-General for Family, Women’s and Children’s Health at WHO. “To prevent illness, families require financial power, their voices to be heard and access to quality care. Improving quality of services and timely care during and after childbirth must be prioritised.”
The report notes that many lives can be saved if global inequities are reduced. If all countries achieved the average mortality of high-income countries, 87% of under-five deaths could have been averted and almost five million lives could have been saved in 2016.
“It is unconscionable that in 2017, pregnancy and child birth are still life-threatening conditions for women, and that 7,000 newborns die daily,” said Tim Evans, Senior Director of Health Nutrition and Population at the World Bank Group. “The best measure of success for Universal Health Coverage is that every mother should not only be able to access health care easily, but that it should be quality, affordable care that will ensure a healthy and productive life for her children and family. We are committed to scaling up our financing to support country demand in this area, including through innovative mechanisms like the Global Financing Facility (GFF). ”
Pneumonia and diarrhea top the list of infectious diseases which claim the lives of millions of children under-five globally, accounting for 16% and 8% of deaths, respectively. Preterm birth complications and complications during labour or child birth were the causes of 30% of newborn deaths in 2016. In addition to the 5.6 million under-5 deaths, 2.6 million babies are stillborn each year, the majority of which could be prevented.
Ending preventable child deaths can be achieved by improving access to skilled health-professionals during pregnancy and at the time of birth; lifesaving interventions, such as immunization, breastfeeding and inexpensive medicines; and increasing access to water and sanitation, that are currently beyond the reach of the world’s poorest communities.
For the first time, mortality data for older children age 5 to 14 was included in the report, capturing other causes of death such as accidents and injuries. Approximately 1 million children aged 5 to 14 died in 2016.
“This new report highlights the remarkable progress since 2000 in reducing mortality among children under age 5,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Mr. LIU Zhenmin. “Despite this progress, large disparities in child survival still exist across regions and countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet many deaths at these ages are easily preventable through simple, cost-effective interventions administered before, during and immediately after birth. Reducing inequities and reaching the most vulnerable newborns, children and mothers are essential for achieving the SDG target on ending preventable childhood deaths and for ensuring that no one will be left behind.”
The report also notes that:
In sub-Saharan Africa, estimates show that 1 child in 36 dies in the first month, while in the world’s high income countries, the ratio is 1 in 333.
Unless the rate of progress improves, more than 60 countries will miss the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to end preventable deaths of newborns by 2030 and half would not meet the target of 12 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births by 2050. These countries account for about 80% of neonatal deaths in 2016.
