Health
Cholera: 10.2m Need Help in Northeast Nigeria—WHO
By Dipo Olowookere
No fewer that 10.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2018 in north-eastern Nigeria.
More than half are women and girls. Children make up 63 percent of those needing assistance. The most acute humanitarian needs are concentrated in Borno State, and areas bordering Borno in Adamawa and Yobe States, where the crisis shows no sign of abating, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed.
WHO noted that to continue providing basic health services, while looking to rebuild north-eastern Nigeria’s health system, the health sector is seeking $109.5 million to help 5.1 million people in 2018.
In a statement released recently, WHO said Nigeria has successfully contained a five-month cholera outbreak in conflict-affected Borno state, with support from other health partners.
The government announced the end of the outbreak on Thursday (December 21) after two weeks had passed with no new cases.
“With the support of WHO and other health actors, Borno State moved to quick action to control the outbreak. With that strong resolve to limit mortality and morbidity, this was achieved, and we can say that we have succeeded,” said Dr Muhammad Aminu Ghuluze, Director of Emergency Response, Borno State Ministry of Health.
A major Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaign contributed to the effort – the first of its kind in Nigeria.
With support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the International Coordinating Group (ICG) provided 1.8 million OCV doses to immunize 900,000 people in two rounds between September and December this year.
Following an initial spike in cases, the number of new infections dropped significantly after the vaccination campaign concluded.
“Containing cholera in the midst of an ongoing conflict is a major accomplishment,” said Dr Wondimagegnehu Alemu, WHO Representative in Nigeria. “No single measure would have worked on its own. This was a joint effort employing a range of tools by many partners under the leadership of the State Ministry of Health.”
The outbreak began in August on the outskirts of Maiduguri, and quickly spread through several camps for internally displaced persons and host communities. By 19 December, 5,365 suspected cases had been reported, including 61 deaths.
An early warning and surveillance system supported by WHO was critical to providing data on suspected cases in different locations. WHO pinpointed where the outbreak was expanding and contracting through a GIS “dot mapping” approach, which allowed WHO and partners to effectively target interventions.
The response included providing safe chlorinated water, identifying and treating the sick in established cholera treatment centres, reaching out to communities with information on cholera prevention, and facilitating laboratory testing to confirm new cases.
Partnerships with local media helped to ensure that people in affected and neighbouring communities were aware of the risk of cholera, how it is spread, how to prevent it, and the importance of seeking treatment when they experience the symptoms.
Due to ongoing conflict, many people in north-eastern Nigeria have not had access to basic healthcare and routine immunizations for years, and health conditions in many camps for internally displaced persons are sub-standard.
WHO is working with the Government and health sector partners to improve access to basic health services, including to areas considered inaccessible until only recently. However, a recent uptick in the conflict in Borno and neighbouring states has led to new displacements increasing the future risks of disease outbreaks.
“While the achievements of the cholera programme in Borno State are a significant milestone, cholera is endemic to north-eastern Nigeria and future outbreaks remain likely,” said Dr Alemu. “We must be vigilant to the warning signs that could signal another outbreak of cholera or other epidemic-prone diseases.”
In line with the Global Roadmap for Ending Cholera by 2030, WHO will continue to support Nigeria to prepare for and prevent cholera by focussing on prevention and preparedness in hotspots across the country.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the number of Nigerians enrolled in health insurance has risen to more than 22 million.
The Director-General of NHIA, Mr Kelechi Ohiri, said this resulted from the implementation of the mandatory health insurance, which has gained momentum nationwide.
He said this on Wednesday at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.
Mr Ohiri said enrolment had increased to 22.03 million, representing a 35 per cent year-on-year growth, attributing this to stronger collaboration with state social health insurance agencies, ministries, departments and agencies, organised labour, employers, the private sector, and the gradual implementation of the mandatory health insurance provisions of the NHIA Act.
He said that the country had moved beyond policy formulation to delivering measurable improvements in healthcare access, service quality and consumer protection in line with the federal government’s health sector reform agenda.
According to him, Nigeria already has the necessary policies and legislation to achieve Universal Health Coverage, positing that the key challenge was effective implementation.
“The decisive variable is now implementation- consistent, rigorous and accountable execution that converts political commitment into healthcare access for real Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Ohiri said that the transition from the former National Health Insurance Scheme to the NHIA had strengthened regulation, consumer protection, accountability and strategic purchasing, while providing the legal and operational framework for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He added that improving the experience of enrollees remained central to the Authority’s reform agenda.
According to him, NHIA has strengthened its complaints management system, introduced faster resolution timelines, and intensified compliance monitoring of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and healthcare providers.
He further added that NHIA had sanctioned facilities that failed to meet the required standards, adding that his organisation had resolved 3,878 complaints, representing an 87 per cent resolution rate, while 95 per cent of the cases were concluded within prescribed timelines.
Mr Ohiri noted that more than N14.2 million had been refunded to enrollees, while non-compliant healthcare facilities had been sanctioned.
He said NHIA had also introduced service standards, including a one-hour treatment commencement target for enrollees requiring urgent care, to improve access to timely and quality healthcare services.
The NHIA boss further disclosed that capitation payments to healthcare providers had been increased by 93 per cent.
He said fee-for-service reimbursements rose by 378 per cent to enable providers to invest more in personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
According to him, 7,592 healthcare facilities have been assessed under the SafeCare quality framework as part of efforts to institutionalise continuous quality improvement across the country.
Mr Ohiri also highlighted interventions targeted at vulnerable groups, including support for more than 48,500 pregnant women, expanded maternal and newborn healthcare services, the Vulnerable Group Fund, and improved access to healthcare for pensioners and retirees.
He said Universal Health Coverage could only be achieved if every Nigerian, regardless of income or location, had access to quality healthcare services.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new one-hour authorisation response time ultimatum policy introduced by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has received the full backing of SUNU Health Nigeria Limited.
This policy was introduced by the agency to ensure enrollees get prompt approval codes to access care.
Healthcare service providers have been urged to report any Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) that violates this initiative through an email, with the HMO in copy and a timestamp attached as evidence of the request. They may proceed to offer services to enrollees thereafter.
Speaking at the company’s second-quarter Providers’ Forum for the Lagos-Ogun region in Lagos recently, the chief executive of SUNU Health, Dr Moyosore Olomola, expressed optimism that this policy would improve healthcare delivery in the country, especially for enrollees, who crave quality service.
At the event themed Improving Quality and Access to Care Through Stronger Provider Network, and held at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Yaba, Lagos, Mr Olomola reaffirmed the HMO’s commitment to operating within legal and operational frameworks to guarantee adequate care for enrollees.
“Access to care and quality of care remain key priorities in our healthcare systems. We know quite well that deliberate collaboration, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to excellence are required to achieve these priorities.
“A strong provider network is doubtless the backbone of any effective healthcare system. It ensures that our mutual enrollees receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, and at the right price,” Mr Olomola, represented at the programme by the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr Faith Nwachi, stated.
He further assured that SUNU Health would strictly adhere to the one-hour authorisation limit, stressing that this aligns seamlessly with one of the organisation’s core values—promptness and its corporate slogan, Humanity is the centre of our initiatives.
In a bid to further improve access and quality of care, SUNU Health also demonstrated its new operational software and Mobile app, aptly named SUNU Legacy.
Also speaking at the event, the NHIA Lagos State Coordinator (Ikeja), Dr Bethuel-Kasimu Abraham, noted that the forum’s expected outcome is to significantly reduce delays in accessing medical care.
Other key expectations include ensuring continuity of care, improving patient outcomes, and strengthening accountability among HMOs.
Addressing specific pain points faced by enrollees, the NHIA Ogun State Coordinator, Mr Dare Adefeso, acknowledged that the agency had received complaints regarding out-of-stock drugs and the discrimination of enrollees by certain providers.
He affirmed that the NHIA is actively addressing these issues, stressing that moving forward, every facility must ensure enrollees are properly catered to regardless of their status, provided they have an active health insurance plan.
Corroborating the long-standing legacy of SUNU Health, the Ogun State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Aishat Tiamiyu, shared that her agency is responsible for public information dissemination and has been enrolled with SUNU Health for over 25 years.
Commending the HMO’s stellar service over two decades, she called for the immediate enrollment of new NOA staff into the scheme.
The Providers’ Forum remains one of the strategic channels employed by SUNU Health to consistently engage healthcare providers, understand their operational challenges, introduce new software updates, and solidify partnerships aimed at fostering premium healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the recall of a sexual enhancement product known as WAP Sensual Enhancement Capsules.
In a statement on Monday, the Nigerian agency disclosed that the recall is due to “undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients” in the product, whose country of origin is unknown, but is marketed and distributed online in the US through eBay.
It was emphasised that the recall is being “voluntarily” made by the manufacturer, Best Supplements Best Prices Company.
The detection of the undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients was made by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Laboratory analysis by the US FDA revealed that the product contained undeclared sildenafil, tadalafil, and flibanserin, which were not mentioned on the product label. Such substances may include phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors or related compounds commonly used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, the statement by NAFDAC stated.
Sildenafil and tadalafil are ingredients in FDA-approved prescription drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
It was noted that these undeclared ingredients may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates.
Flibanserin is the active ingredient in an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat low sexual desire in women. Flibanserin can cause drowsiness, sedation, dangerously low blood pressure, and fainting, especially when combined with alcohol.
Consumers have been encouraged to report compromised products (medicines or medical devices) to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or send an email to sf******@********ov.ng.
