Health
Group Cleans up Military Market in Lagos
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A group known as the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has been commended by the Lagos State Ministry of Environment as it embarked on a clean-up exercise at the Arena Market in Oshodi, Lagos last Friday in commemoration of the World Cleanup Day.
Volunteer staff of FBRA member-firms led traders and other users of the popular Lagos market in collecting waste from used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles towards a cleaner and healthier trading environment.
The initiative, which received the collaboration of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, was organised in collaboration with Recycle Points, FBRA’s partner involved in the collection of plastic waste for recycling.
The campaign was used to enlighten traders, shoppers, as well as members of Nurses of-air Foundation on crucial issues relating to proper disposal and separation of plastic from metal and food waste, recycling, healthy lifestyle and other measures aimed at curbing environmental pollution.
Commending FBRA for the laudable exercise, the Assistant Director of Environmental Services Department, Waste Management Division at the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mrs Tolulope Adeyo said the campaign was worth emulating.
She said that the state government would be interested in working with FBRA to get rid of plastic waste from the environment, especially PET bottles from the lagoon and canals, in order to save aquatic lives.
According to her, the industrialisation level in the state has generated huge waste and raised concerns from the public and private sector, adding that FBRA’s intervention, either in collection or recycling, has saved the situation to a considerable extent.
On her part, FBRA Chairman, Mrs Folasade Morgan said the initiative was executed to demonstrate exemplary steps for others to follow, as PET bottles causes blockage of drainages in many Nigerian towns and cities.
Morgan, who was represented by Mrs Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Public Affairs and Communications Manager, The ‘Coca-Cola’ Company Nigeria, said that in order to achieve environmental preservation, Nigerians should imbibe the culture of proper waste disposal and separation for easy recycling into other useful products.
She added that the value chain involved in the recycling process of PET bottles could lead to job and wealth creation.
According to her, the Arena Market was chosen for the clean-up because it is strategically situated with lots of people and it is a collection hub for its partner, Recycle Points.
Commenting on the initiative, Hanaah Afolabi, one of the volunteers from Nigerian Breweries Plc, affirmed that it was exciting showing an exemplary conduct of cleanness and also educating people that indiscriminate disposal of waste, especially PET bottles is not good for the environment.
She said although the traders commended FBRA’s drive towards a healthier environment, they urged for more enlightenment programmes and that government should provide more waste facilities.
Also, Ahmed Agbomire from ‘Coca-Cola’ stated that he traders and shoppers were overwhelmed with the turnout of volunteered staff. He urged organisations in other sectors to emulate the scheme.
The clean-up at the Arena Market was aimed at reinforcing the consciousness of the global action on Nigerians that the environment should be free from plastic pollution, especially waste from PET bottles, which hardly degrade.
Founded in 2013 as the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the food and beverage sector, FBRA has been adhering to the EPR policy of government, which transfers significant responsibility to producers for the entire life-cycle of their products especially at the post-consumer stages.
The Alliance has membership drawn from responsible and forward-thinking companies. These are: Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, The ‘Coca-Cola’ Company Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Seven-Up Bottling Company Limited and Nestle Nigeria Plc.
The World Cleanup Day is a global social action programme aimed at combating the global solid waste problem, including the problem of marine debris. This year, it would hold on September 15, beginning at 10 am, and spanning the world’s time zones until concluding near the international date line in Hawaii, United States.
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.
