Health
Kenya Meets Guinea Worm Free Certification Criteria
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Following a comprehensive evaluation in the last two weeks by the International Certification Team (ICT), Kenya has finally met the criteria for Guinea worm free certification status.
The team for evaluating the status of Guinea Worm Disease found no evidence of Guinea Worm transmission in the last three years, in the presence of adequate surveillance and follow- up of rumours of the disease, putting the country on track to the Guinea Worm-free certification status.
The team will present its recommendations to the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm) Eradication (ICCDE), which will in turn make a decision on the certification of Kenya’s free status when it meets in Geneva next February.
The mission, initiated and facilitated by WHO, was led by the ICT Chair Dr Joel Breman, and had been convened in response to an official request by the country last August for assessment towards Guinea Worm certification. Kenya had interrupted indigenous GW transmission in 1994 after the last GW case was contained. Several imported cases from South Sudan up to 2005 were also contained.
The evaluation teams visited 21 counties among them the three former endemic counties of Turkana, West Pokot and Trans Nzoia, 88 health facilities, 159 communities and 1691 individuals.
Making the presentation in Nairobi, deputy head of the ICT Dr Ashok Kumar, said the teams had found great awareness among the community about the disease and the cash award, especially in the former endemic areas, namely, Turkana, West Pokot and Trans Nzoia.
The evaluation shows a national knowledge of the GW disease at about 60 per cent (59.6%) while in former endemic counties knowledge was at 100 per cent. Knowledge of the cash reward was at 88.3 per cent nationally and 97 per cent in former endemic counties.
The criteria used to evaluate the country included Guinea Worm endemicity, adequate surveillance, investigation of recent guinea worm rumours, cross-border considerations with GW endemic or formerly endemic counties, accessibility and non-reporting areas and unsafe drinking water.
The team made recommendations and cautioned that the country needed to remain vigilant and sustain its status through continued surveillance, community awareness, safety of water resources, reporting and recording to check out any potential imports from bordering states. Kenya is bordered by South Sudan and Ethiopia which remain endemic to GW and have a high number of refugee movements.
“We have found several strengths and some gaps. Some of the most positive things we have noted include surveillance of GW disease and other diseases,” Dr Breman had earlier said.
Dr Kumar said there was need to continue with surveillance, especially along the borders, and to ensure that continued awareness and education through schools, markets, religious institutions and community awareness is sustained.
He said the provision of clean water was key and commended UNHCR for the provision of safe water at Kakuma Refugee camp which houses 195,000 people. Nandapal Border Clinic where refugees are screened before entering the country was a good practice, he added, since it helped monitor any GW disease imports.
The positive recommendations of the ICT were received with great elation by Director of Medical Services, Dr Jackson Kioko, who assured the team of government commitment and maintenance of good practices in surveillance, community education, reporting and universal access to safe drinking water.
“As we approach certification to a GW-free country, we recognize the need to be vigilant and acknowledge your recommendations for strengthening our health system.”
He acknowledged technical support from WHO Kenya and the role it had played for the country’s readiness for certification as well as other partners like UNICEF which facilitated efforts to interrupt GWD.
WHO Kenya Representative, Dr Rudi Eggers, noted WHO would continue to support Kenya in its efforts to eradicate the disease. He said there were still gaps that needed attention including the need to invest in surveillance and safe drinking water.
He acknowledged the role played by different groups and organizations including the Carter Centre which had supported Guinea Worm interruption in Kenya and other partners including AMREF, UNHCR, Kenya Red Cross and UNICEF as well as groups like the community health volunteers and health workers who have made great contribution to the journey to GW certification.
“Should Kenya be declared Guinea Worm free after this evaluation, it will have been a historical and significant public health milestone, in the world, the second disease declared eradicated in Kenya after small pox,” Dr Eggers had earlier said.
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.
