Health
AfDB, Others Launch Investment Platform to Strengthen Primary Healthcare
By Adedapo Adesanya
Three multilateral development banks — the African Development Bank, European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), have joined with the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch the new Health Impact Investment Platform.
This is aimed at investing in and strengthening essential, climate and crisis-resilient primary healthcare services in low- and low-and-middle-income countries.
The platform, launched during the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact being held in Paris, will make an initial €1.5 billion available to low- and low-and-middle-income countries in concessional loans and grants to expand the reach and scope of their primary healthcare services, especially for the most vulnerable and underserved populations and communities.
The banks and WHO are the platform’s founding members, with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) also considering joining this partnership in view to extending this initiative to Latin America and the Caribbean region.
WHO will act as the platform’s policy coordinator, responsible for ensuring the alignment of financing decisions with national health priorities and strategies.
The Platform’s secretariat will support governments in developing national health and prioritize primary healthcare investment plans. It will also aim to catalyse wider primary healthcare investments in support of government health strategies.
Speaking on this landmark development, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said the primary health care or PHC approach offers the most effective means to improve health and well-being, including through the delivery of essential health services to all people.
He noted that it is a driver of universal health coverage, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. World leaders committed in 2015 to achieve access to essential healthcare services and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all people by 2030.
“Around 90 per cent of essential health services can be delivered through PHC – on the ground, in communities, via health professionals, doctors and nurses, in local clinics. The broad spectrum of services that PHC provides can promote health and prevent disease, avoid and delay the need for more costly secondary and tertiary services, and deliver rehabilitation,” said Dr Tedros.
“PHC serves as the ‘eyes and ears’ of a country’s health system, reaching to the very communities where people live. The new Health Impact Investment Platform will strengthen the development of such services, serving as an invaluable investment in the health of populations today and in the future.”
On his part, EIB President, Mr Werner Hoyer said the partner development banks were committed to supporting countries to strengthen their primary health care services, to both promote the health of their communities and protect against the impacts of future health emergencies.
“COVID-19 demonstrated the great human and economic suffering that can occur when we fail to invest in essential health services,” said Dr Hoyer. “Cooperation among multilateral development banks through the new Health Impact Investment Platform will ensure countries in need are better able to build resilient primary health care services that can withstand the shocks of future health crises and safeguard communities and economies for the future.
“We already proved that in earlier collaborations with the WHO. The platform will facilitate access to crucial international financing for the most vulnerable. It is a concrete deliverable of President Macron’s call to increase international financial solidarity with the Global South.”
Mr Muhammad Al Jasser, chairman of the Islamic Development Bank, said: “To achieve universal health coverage by 2030, development financial institutions and nations must prioritize investing more in health. The Islamic Development Bank is committed to working collaboratively to generate impactful results and ensure access to quality and affordable primary healthcare for all.”
“Our cooperation will help guide investments by national governments to strengthen primary health care and their overall health systems, increase universal health coverage and improve their ability to prepare for, prevent and respond to health emergencies.
“We will work with countries individually to identify gaps in national health systems, design interventions and investment strategies, find funding, implement projects and monitor their impact,” said Mr Akinwumi Adesina, the AfDB president.
Mr Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank, said: “Good health and well-being are common goals that bind the world together. To achieve these goals, countries and institutions must collaborate. We are convinced that cooperation – not only between nations but also between governments and the private sector – is critical to achieving universal health coverage. Recognizing the global nature of this investment platform, we are already in discussions with other stakeholders to expand these efforts across Latin America and the Caribbean.
“We extend an open invitation to our partners to join this global investment platform.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO estimated that to reach the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, low- and low-and-middle-income countries needed to increase their health spending significantly and require an additional $371 billion annually combined by 2030.
This funding would allow populations to access health services, contribute to building new facilities and train and place health workers where they need to be. It has also been estimated that preparing for future pandemics will require investment in the order of $31.1 billion annually.
Approximately one-third of that total would have to come from international financing. The Health Impact Investment Platform’s catalytic financing is also designed to promote the mobilization and coordination of broader financing flows through national primary healthcare investment plans.
Health
Sault Tribe Enacts Smoking Ban in Kewaunee
Health and comfort have become increasingly essential issues lately, and this has not gone unnoticed in entertainment venues. The Sault Tribe, which operates the Kewadin Casino, has decided to ban smoking in five gambling establishments. This innovation is aimed at creating a healthier environment for all visitors and employees.
Health and comfort come first
Tribal representatives emphasized that people’s health is their top priority. The decision to ban smoking was a logical step toward positive change. “As a tribal government, we are focused on improving health, and the move to ban smoking in casinos is the right step forward,” notes one tribal speaker. This means caring about the health of visitors and the well-being of the employees who work in these facilities daily.
The Sault Tribe has been actively gathering opinions from its customers and employees, and the results have been unequivocal: many are in favor of banning smoking. “We have heard from many customers and employees that a smoking ban is the right step forward,” states a tribal spokesperson. Such feedback confirms that concern for health and well-being is becoming increasingly important to the gambling industry.
What will change at Kewadin casinos?
In the weeks following the passage of the amendments, Kewadin casinos located in Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, Manistique, Christmas, and Hessel will begin implementing the new policy. The smoking ban will be in effect in all establishments, including gaming rooms, restaurants, and recreational facilities. This approach will not only make the casino experience more enjoyable for non-smoking visitors, but it will also create a safer environment for employees who spend much time in the gaming rooms.
Positive implications for business and society
The adopted initiative will not only bring health benefits but will also affect the success of businesses in the long run:
- The actions taken also emphasize the Sault Tribe’s social responsibility. They are not just in business but also show concern for the well-being of their customers and employees, making them an example for other gambling establishments.
- Banning smoking in Kewadin casinos will create a more pleasant environment for both non-smokers and those looking to quit smoking. Smoking in public places often makes other visitors uncomfortable, and this move will help eliminate the unpleasant odour and smoke, thus creating a more pleasant atmosphere throughout the gaming rooms, restaurants, and other recreational areas.
- The changes may attract a new audience interested in entertainment but previously avoided visiting casinos because of the smoking environment. This can lead not only to an increase in the number of guests but also, as a result, to increased profits for the establishment.
At the same time, avid smokers, which are still quite a lot, will be less likely to visit land-based casinos, where they are forbidden to relax in the usual way. Especially since today, they do not have to visit these establishments to satisfy their gambling needs.
Analyzing the search engine allows you to quickly find many popular operators, including 1win, with the largest number of gambling entertainment. And you can access these games without having to leave home. To register on 1win, it is enough to fill in a few fields in the appropriate window and develop a password. It takes less than a minute to do this and deposit money into your account. Moreover, most of the games can be played in a free demo.
Chippewa Tribe aims to create a “smoke-free” space that combines a healthy environment with the opportunity to relax and enjoy gambling. The new approach to business reflects and supports global trends aimed at caring for public health and reducing the negative impact of tobacco smoke on the health of others.
Recall that earlier, scientists told us about the new harm of smoking. According to new data, the negative impact of this bad habit on the immune system persists for several years after a person quits smoking.
Health
SpecSMART Eye Clinic Takes Affordable, Quality Care to Ikeja, Environs
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The dream of residents of Ikeja and its environs enjoying affordable and quality care has now become a reality as a result of the opening of a new branch of SpecSMART Eye Clinic in the Opebi area of the capital of Lagos State.
SpecSMART Eye Clinic, a leading provider of optometry services in Lagos, commenced operations in Nigeria’s commercial capital in 2022.
Since then, it has been offering top-notch eye care to residents of the metropolis, especially those living on the Island. It has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality primary eye care and optical products.
However, to extend its services to Lagosians living on the Mainland, it has now opened a new branch in Ikeja, reinforcing its commitment to providing accessible, affordable eye care to a wider community.
Business Post gathered that the clinic’s state-of-the-art services are supported by a team of skilled optometrists and opticians, utilizing cutting-edge digital equipment.
The new Ikeja location will offer a wide range of services, including Automated Eye Examinations using advanced digital equipment for precise diagnosis and personalized care.
In addition, clients will enjoy on-the-spot lens glazing for single vision, bifocals, and varifocals, with additional lens coatings, with services to be rendered seven days a week from 9 am to 9 pm on Mondays to Saturdays, and on Sundays and public holidays from 10 am 7 pm.
Also, the clinic has over 950 frames, ranging from affordable home brands to premium designer options, priced from N18,000, and has flexible appointment scheduling with 24-hour online booking via SpecSMART’s website.
The facility has partnerships with leading HMO providers in the country and offers glaucoma management and other essential eye health services.
According to the company, its introductory packages start from N30,000 and include consultation, frame, and single-vision lenses.
“With the opening of our Ikeja branch, we are ready to serve more individuals who need accessible, cost-effective, and reliable eye care.
“Our aim is to create a positive impact in Nigeria’s optometry sector by combining advanced technology with a patient-centred approach,” the Practice Head and Medical Director of SpecSMART, Dr Adaeze Nwoko, stated.
Health
FG Begins Vaccination Against Mpox in FCT, Six States
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has commenced the vaccination against Monkeypox, now known as Mpox.
Business Post reports that Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Benue, and the Federal Capital Territory, were selected as pilot states for the vaccination.
An average of 631 persons are expected to be vaccinated across the seven states with two doses of the Mpox vaccine. A buffer for 50 persons will be kept at the national in case of an upsurge in other states.
NPHCDA in a statement posted on its verified X account confirmed the exercise, stressing that the vaccination will help to protect communities and safeguarding health of the people.
In a related development, according to the latest update by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), there are 1,442 suspected cases of Mpox from 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while the number of confirmed cases of the infection was 118 from 28 states and the FCT.
“To prevent the spread of Mpox, we strongly advise the public to avoid contact with animals that may carry the virus, including sick or dead animals in affected areas, avoid handling materials that have been in contact with infected animals, limit unnecessary physical contact with individuals who are infected, practice frequent handwashing with soap and water, and ensure that animal food products are thoroughly cooked before eating.
“It’s also important to use protective clothing and gloves when handling sick animals or their tissues. Similarly, health workers are advised to follow standard safety protocols including droplet precautions when treating patients, use protective equipment including masks, gloves, and gowns, during patient care, and be vigilant for symptoms of Mpox, especially fever and rash, among other measures.”
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