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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Nigeria Adopts New National Health Policy

The National Council of Health has approved a new health policy for the country. This was stated after an emergency which was held in Abuja on 8th September, 2015.
The council stated that it "noted the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health in fast tracking the operationalization of the National Health Act 2014; it also debated extensively and approved the guidelines for the disbursement, administration and management of the basic health care provision as presented".

The council further call on the federal ministry of health to develop the second National Strategic Health Development [NSHD] and decried the recent outbreaks of polio virus in Borno state, Lassa fever in Anambra, Bauchi, Gombe, plateau, Rivers and Ondo state.
It also acknowledge the efforts of federal and state ministries of health in curtailinf disease outbreaks and epidemics.

The council will meet again at its 59th meeting in Abia state.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

WAHEB to resumes operation in Ghana

The West Africa Health Examination Board [WAHEB] would soon resumes its operation in Ghana. The body is responsible for awarding certificates to Environmental Health Officers and Public Health Nurses across anglophone countries in West Africa, but due to poor funding, legal recognition and others, its operation in Ghana was stopped. As a result of these, Ghana was not represented in the board.
Dr Ado H Bello, the chairman, WAHEB Nigeria said the board still considers Ghana as part of it, since there was no formal pulling out from the board, and called on the country to prepare for the next examinations, so that students can enjoy the benefits of WAHEB certificate in the country.

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Lassa fever confirmed in five state-NCDC

Five confirmed cases of Lassa fever were reported from four states of Nigeria within the ending of August and early September, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, said.
Two case were reported in Plateau, and one each for Rivers, Gombe and Bauchi states respectively, the agency stated.
The agency said two cases were reported in Plateau State, one each in Rivers, Bauchi and Gombe states.
The agency said public health response commenced immediately in all the affected states under the leadership of the respective state’s Ministries of Health.
“Resources were immediately mobilised from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and its partner, the Nigerian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFELTP), to support the investigation and management of cases in the affected states,” the statement said.
According to the head of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, “We commend the early detection and reporting of the most recent cases, as it significantly improves the likelihood of survival for the cases and also reduces the risk of further transmission.
“We also urge all States to report cases immediately for Lassa fever while improving on the timeliness of their reporting generally”.
“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control remains committed to supporting the States to prevent the spread of Lassa fever in Nigeria.
“For further media inquiry on Lassa Fever in Nigeria, you can reach NCDC via Facebook Messenger on m.me/NCDCgov. Our website is currently being redesigned to improve our communication opportunities,” the statement said.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Environmental Health and its cadres in Nigeria

Environmental health practitioners in Nigeria are categorized into 3: 
Environmental health officer; 
environmental health technician; and 
environmental health assistant.
Environmental Health Officer has minimum of first degree in environmental or public health or any other course recognized by the regulatory body of environmental health practice in Nigeria. While Environmental Health Technician has a minimum of National Diploma or Diploma, and Environmental health Assistant has a minimum of Certificate.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

SUBMISSIONS/REQUESTS FORWARDED TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF KEBBI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY BY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, KEBBI STATE CHAPTER

                                                                       



ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (EHOAN)
KEBBI STATE CHAPTER


SUBMISSIONS/REQUESTS FORWARDED TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER OF KEBBI STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY


RT. HONOURABLE, ALHAJI SAMA’ILA ABDULMUMINI KAMBA


FOR CONSIDERATIONS AND LEGISLATIVE BACKING/SUPPORT


ON
FRIDAY 8TH JANUARY 2016
PREAMBLE
Environmental Health (EH) is the major aspect of Preventive Medicine which is also one of the four components of Health Care.
Environmental Health as a Health Science and un-dispensable Health service, ensures the Control and Prevention of all aspects, issues, challenges and problems that affect human Health either directly or indirectly. These includes communicable and non-communicable diseases, Air quality and safety, Food hygiene and safety, Water quality and safety, Meat safety (including sales and storage), Pollution control,  Hospital waste management including control of spread of infectious diseases, Building regulation and safety, Control and regulation of International Voyage, Waste management (Solid, Liquid and Gaseous wastes) among others.
The World Health Organization ,(WHO) has defined Environmental Health as the control of all aspects of the man’s Physical Environment, which exercise or may exercise a deleterious effect on the Physical development health or survival.
Environmental Health had enjoyed tangible presence in the scheme of affairs in Nigeria since the time of colonial masters. After Independence, Public Health Laws (which are the legal tool for Environmental Health) were promulgated and made a component of the Nigerian Constitution and domesticated in different State Laws including Kebbi State till date. It is noteworthy that Environmental Health had suffered allot of setbacks since the departure of Colonial masters and was not given its due privileges which adversely affected the performance of the professionals in the field and consequently leading to high rate of Morbidity (Sickness and Diseases) and Mortality (Deaths) from preventable diseases. These challenges made our Hospitals overloaded with patients and made Health care budgets cumbersome to the Government and the general public.
RELEVANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS IN KEBBI STATE
Environmental Health Officers are an essential component of the Health system and other health related programs.
Presently, Environmental Health Officers are in employment of the Local Government Service mostly serving under Primary Health Care Department. Similarly, the Officers are spread across the MDA’s of the State Government Service such as, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Lands and Housing and their agencies

SITUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN KEBBI STATE
Environmental Health and its professionals are facing allot of challenges in all ramifications. Some of the prominent problems are as follows:
1.  Shortage of manpower, especially at the State civil service level. Many professionals have retired while large number are due to retire between the year 2016-2018, with no middle cadre officers to replace them.
2.  Lack of Waste management system. This can be confirmed by lack of Waste collection vehicles across all the 21 LGAs and the state capital.
3.  Lack of Designated final disposal sites of solid wastes across the state.
4.  Lack of Sanitary Meat conveyance vehicles in all the LGA’s of the state.
5.  Lack of Sanitation coordination body, such as Environmental Sanitation Board and Environmental Health Departments at LGA Level.
6.  Non-existence of Environmental Health unit in our Hospitals to ensure compliance with Clinical Waste Management procedures and guidelines.
7.  In-effective and partial School Health program. The scenario at Kanta College Argungu is a yardstick.
8.  Lack of political will to preventive health services by previous administrations and shift of health care focus to curative services.
 
PROSPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT
Environmental Health has allot of potentials of being a Job creator, Revenue generator and Impact maker especially in change agenda of the present administration.
Some of the Environmental Health driven areas that can be exploited are as follows:
1.  Establishment of Composting centers, at least one per Emirate/Senatorial zone. This will address the issue of heaps of refuse spread in our major towns and Villages, Produce organic manure to be sold to farmers and create jobs.
2.  Review and enforcement of Health permit charges for commercial premises and industries.






PRAYERS/REQUESTS FOR LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT
The Kebbi State House of Assembly may make Acts, and other Legislative backups on the following:
1.  Review existing obsolete Environmental/Public Health laws to make them modern and sound and make an Environmental Health Act for the State.
2.  Make an Act for the Creation of Environmental Sanitation Board/Agency. This will address 85% of administrative inefficiencies on Sanitation matters.
3.  Facilitate the establishment/creation of Environmental Health Department at LGA level. The Department is already existing at State level. Also many States in the Federation are having Environmental Health Department in their LGAs.
4.  Enforcement of the provision of Waste Collection Vans and Meat conveyance vehicles by the LGAs
5.  Making an Act for the Emergency recruitment of Environmental Health Officers to fill the huge vacancies created by the Death and retirement of serving officers.
6.  Enforcement of “National Injection safety and Health Care Waste management” policy (2007) in all health Institutions. This will ensure creation of E.H. Department and ensure effective Clinical waste management.
7.  Review School Health service policy and make an Act to that effect that will ensure recruitment and deployment of Environmental Health Officers to all Secondary Schools for effective disease prevention and control.
8.  Facilitate the creation of Composting and waste recycling centers across the state for its overall benefits as mentioned above.