Tobacco control campaigners have challenged communities to do more to make the Nigerian government to enforce the National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act 2015 to avert a looming health crisis in the country.

They made this demand at a Community Tobacco Control Parliament held in Jahi 1 community, Abuja, where the dangers of tobacco to the youth dominated discussions.

Among a host of groups that were at the community are the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), Gatefield, and Cedars Foundation, among others.

Philip Jakpor, ERA/FoEN Head, Media & Campaigns, while explaining the purpose of the Parliament, revealed that tobacco kills nearly six million people annually with the figures set to hit eight million from year 2020 if nothing is done to nip it in the bud.

In his presentation titled: “Health Impacts of Tobacco”, Jakpor said that the decision of the tobacco community to commence aggressive grassroots campaigns as exemplified by the Parliament was because of the rising deaths from tobacco which can be pegged to smokers’ ingestion of 4000 chemicals including some carcinogens and pathogens while smoking or causing others to via second hand smoke.

He listed some of the dangerous chemicals in cigarette to include carbon-monoxide, tar which coats the lungs like soot in a chimney, methane, Acetone which is used in nail polish remover, and formaldehyde – a colorless liquid used to preserve the dead. Others are ammonia which is used as flavoring in dry cleaning and benzene which is a hydrocarbon obtained from coal.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, deputy executive director of ERA/FoEN, in a presentation titled: “Reversing the tobacco menace through the National Tobacco Control Act”, said that the rate of addiction to tobacco by the youths, particularly girls was becoming worrisome, even as he added that tobacco is the gateway to addiction to other harmful substances such as cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

He also drew the attention of the participants to shisha which he said, the tobacco industry deliberately portrays as less harmful even when medical experts have through researches proven otherwise.

The ERA/FoEN boss said that the campaign at the policy level with documents was being complemented at the local level with pictorials that will help the under-informed to grasp the magnitude of tobacco harms. He promised the community that the tobacco control community will ensure that pictorial advocacy materials get to them before the commemoration of the 2018 World No Tobacco Day event themed: “Tobacco and Heart Diseases”.

Adewunmi Emoruwa of Gatefield spoke on the threats posed by youth uptake of the smoking habit while Micheal Olaniyan, representative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), said that the tobacco menace is global in nature but more prevalent in Nigeria and other developing nations with weak legislations and no legislation at all in some places. To that effect, he said the CTFK is working with its local partners to ensure that effective legislation guided by the World Health Organisation- Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) is in place.

Earlier, Village Head of Jahi 1 community, Seriki Adamu Dogo, said that the visit to the community was a very welcome one and encouraged the TC community not to relent but to take the campaign to other communities across the country.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says it has conducted more than 100,000 surgical repairs on Nigerian women and girls who suffered Obstetric Fistula (VVF) in the last 15 years. The agency said that more than 18,000 of such surgeries were carried out in 2017 alone.

Dr Natalia Kanem, the Executive Director, UNFPA, made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday, May 23, 2018 in Abuja to commemorate the 2018 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.

Kanem said that UNFPA had led the campaign to end the scourge in partnership with nearly 100 agencies around the global and hundreds of others at the national and community levels.

“Since 2003, UNFPA the leader of the global campaign to end fistula, has, with its partners supported nearly 100,000 live-transforming surgeries to heal the physical and psychological wounds of fistula survivors.

“Over the last 15 years, UNFPA has directly supported more than 100,000 surgical repairs for women and girls, with more than 18,000 surgeries in 2017 alone.

“It is time we end the needless suffering caused by fistula in keeping with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Let us commit to putting the furthest behind first and ensuring human rights, well-being and dignity for all.

“UNFPA is committed to ending fistula within a generation, and we call upon the world to join us in this bold endeavour,’’ she said.

The executive director said that on daily basis, more than 800 women die from pregnancy-related complications globally.

She added that fistula had been virtually eliminated in developed nations, but it was estimated that more than two million women and girls bear the scourge in developing nations.

Kanem said that fistula was preventable and, in most cases, can be repaired surgically, with estimates showing that between 50,000 and 100,000 new fistula cases occur annually.

She said the 2018 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, observed on May 23, has a theme “Leaving no one behind: Let us commit to ending fistula now!”

She urged countries and the international community to significantly step up efforts to ensure that every potential new case of fistula was prevented.

She also urged key stakeholders to ensure that every woman or girl suffering from fistula is treated and receives adequate follow-up, social reintegration and rehabilitation support.

“In this way, in the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we can reach those `furthest behind’ and achieve `hope, healing and dignity’ for all,” she said.

Kanem said that eliminating fistula was a key element of “leaving no-one behind.

“Thus, it is critical to integrate fistula into the national-level planning for the SDGs.

“UNFPA should take every opportunity to incorporate fistula into national-level planning to achieve the SDGs, including countries’ targets and indicators under the SDGs,’’ she said.

By Mustapha Yauri

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is deploying 25 epidemiologists, laboratory experts, and anthropologists to support the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) efforts to control the recent Ebola virus outbreak in Mbandaka and Bikoro.

Following the announcement on May 8, 2018 of the Ebola outbreak by the government of DRC, the Africa CDC deployed an assessment mission within 48 hours and activated its Emergency Operational Centre to link, scan and monitor the situation.

“The global community needs to respond to this outbreak as a crisis and not as an emergency, by quickly deploying public health assets to the affected areas expiditiously. I want to applaud the Minister of Health of the DRC for his exemplary leadership in managing this current outbreak so far. “All our efforts should be geared towards supporting his leadership,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, the Director of the Africa CDC, upon his return this week, with a high level delegation, to the affected areas in Mbandaka and Bikoro.

The DRC government is working with partners to improve coordination mechanisms, enhance surveillance, laboratory confirmation, contact identification and follow-up, case management, infection prevention and control, safe and dignified burials, social mobilisation and community engagement, logistics, risk communication, vaccination, partner engagement, research and resource mobilisation.

During the Africa CDC team’s visits they assisted the Ministry of Health, together with other partners, to develop three strategies:

• Surveillance and contact tracing,
• Defining the various health areas affected, and
• Laboratory testing and network.

The Africa CDC will provide up to $2 million to support Africa CDC interventions. Due to the remote nature of the Equateur Province, it is expected that more efforts will need to be put in supply chain issues to ensure that essential items needed are delivered swiftly.

Last week the African Union Peace and Security Council was briefed on the situation and will continue to receive reports.  Under Article 6(f) relating to its mandate with regard to humanitarian action and disaster management the Council can authorise deployment of military and civilian missions and assets to tackle emergency situations as it did in August 2014 in the Ebola outbreak in the West Africa sub-region. This outbreak is the 9th outbreak of the Ebola virus disease over the last four decades in the country. The affected health area of Bikoro covers 1,075 km and has a population of 163,065 inhabitants. This huge population is supported by only three hospitals and 19 health centres, most of which have limited functionality.

The risk of speard of the virus is high at national and regional levels due in part to the proximity of the epidemic focus to the Congo River which links with the capitals of the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. As such, Africa CDC is coordinating with these countries to ensure that their surveillance systems are activated and information is shared in real time.

The Africa CDC supports all African countries to improve surveillance, emergency response, and prevention of infectious diseases. This includes addressing outbreaks, man-made and natural disasters, and public health events of regional and international concern. It further seeks to build the capacity to reduce disease burden on the continent.