Health
Hepatitis E Outbreak in Niger Leaves 34 Pregnant Women Dead
By Dipo Olowookere
In south-eastern Niger, the hepatitis E outbreak declared two months ago is particularly affecting pregnant women.
Of the 186 women admitted to the main maternal and paediatric health centre in the town of Diffa, 34 died of severe complications related to the disease.
Of the 876 cases of hepatitis E reported on June 11, the majority are displaced people and refugees, 247,900 according to the authorities.
As the disease spreads mainly through contaminated water, the current outbreak highlights poor water and sanitation conditions and the lack of adequate sanitation facilities among these people, already affected by the violence of the ongoing conflict between Boko Haram and the armies of the region.
Instability and lack of infrastructure
In Diffa, where access to healthcare has been hampered in particular by insecurity, the lack of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure has an even greater impact on the health situation. Several sites within the displaced camps and communities do not have an adequate supply of drinking water, leaving some of the needs of the most vulnerable populations unmet. In addition, there is a lack of latrines, and those that are in place are in poor condition.
From the experience of other hepatitis E outbreaks in Africa, the Diffa one could last for several more months. The number of suspected cases may increase further in the near future, with the arrival of the rainy season, usually from June to September. “Given the scarcity of water for the most vulnerable populations, the risk is that alternative sources that can spread the outbreak will be used, such as the supply from streams and other natural water points formed by accumulated rain water. These collection points are considered as potential vectors of the disease”, explains Audace Ntezukobagira, emergency coordinator for MSF in Diffa. “It is also important to take into account that these people do not have the material or financial means to stock up on wood or gas, to boil the water in order to make it suitable for consumption”.
Water, hygiene and sanitation
To respond to the outbreak, one of the priorities is the strengthening of water and sanitation activities. However, the current response has not yet reached the standard required due to insufficient resources and coordination between humanitarian actors.
At certain sites, for example, it can be seen that jerry cans which are unsuitable for transporting water are not systematically collected when they are replaced. “This provokes a clear problem in terms of the risk of spreading the disease, as well as creating confusion as new jerry cans could be distributed several times in the same place”, says Sabiou Mansour, logistics manager for the MSF emergency team in Diffa. “It is deplorable, considering the efforts already provided in the region and the magnitude of the needs”.
Since April, MSF has strengthened its capacity to deploy emergency sanitation and hygiene measures at eleven sites. The teams working on more than 130 functional water points ensured that more than 6,300 m³ of water was chlorinated, 127,300 jerry cans were washed, nearly 3,400 old ones were replaced with new ones, and cleaning kits, including more than 36,800 soaps, were distributed.
For Sani Toubomrabo, a Nigerian community leader based in Garin Wazam, “the chlorinated water we bring home is useful to avoid getting sick, which is why we collaborate with the health agents present at the water points”.
Patient treatment
The response to the outbreak also includes free management of patients in health facilities at the community level and referral to hospital for those patients who develop complications.
In this respect, MSF teams are supporting the health authorities with human and material resources that have been deployed to deal with the situation. In addition to medical treatment, patients with hepatitis E receive psychological support. The organisation also provides technical support for health staff in the structures in which it operates in order to ensure free and high-quality care for patients. A decrease in mortality was also observed among women with severe complications related to the disease admitted to the main maternal and paediatric health centre in the town of Diffa.
Awareness-raising in the heart of the community
Health promotion activities in the health facilities and the community have also been set up by MSF. To date, nearly 32,000 people have been informed, including patients and their families. At the same time, MSF is actively looking for cases in villages, which has already led to the referral of more than 400 people to health centres.
MSF in Diffa
Since the end of 2014, MSF has been working in the Diffa region to help those fleeing violence related to the presence of the Boko Haram group and military intervention in the region. MSF provides free medical and psychological assistance in seven health centres in the region. In addition, the organisation supports the supply of drinking water supply, the construction of latrines and the distribution of essential items in several villages and places where refugees, returnees and displaced people have gathered.
In addition, MSF is supporting the Ministry of Health in two hospitals: the Nguigmi Hospital and the main maternal and child health centre in the Diffa town. In both hospitals, MSF is working in reproductive and paediatric health units, and provides mental health support. At the hospital in Nguigmi, the team also treats children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
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.
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