Skip to main content

Nigerian doctors treating ailing citizens for malaria without test —USAID


United States Government, Monday, accused medical practitioners in the country of treating ailing Nigerians for malaria without conducting required test on them.

The US, through the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, also condemned production of Chloroquine in the country for the treatment of malaria.

USAID Country Director, Michael Harvey, stated this at the launch of Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey report in Abuja.

Harvey said despite millions of dollars spent on the disease in the country, the nation had remained too endemic with the condition, even on the continent where other smaller nations had contained it.

Nigeria’s Malaria elimination programme is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Elimination Programme, NMEP. The organisation (including other parastatals in the Federal Ministry of Health) was recently indicted by the Global Fund for grossly mismanaging funds released for eradicating malaria in the country.

Though President Buhari ordered the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, to probe the alleged corruption about five months ago, findings of the 2016commission have not been made public.

Harvey said at the launch of the survey: “What is striking is that there continues to be imported nets, and we do yet have an industry in Nigeria that is producing them at a cost Nigerians can afford. What is very clear from the report however is that there are some immediate to-do in our action list, first people are testing, to see if a fever is malaria.

“And, this is something that should be doable since affordable test kits are readily available either through the public sector or private sector at an affordable cost. Too many medical professionals are still treating without testing and this is easy to fix, but the men and women need to be taught about changing that culture in the Nigerian medical professional.

“Second, we are not treating malaria proper. I am surprise to find out when you travel around Nigeria Chloroquine is readily available and too readily prescribed as a treatment for malaria. Worst, this is actually a major public policy that we have to get on top of. We are still producing Chloroquine in Nigeria, a drug that has no beneficial use either for malaria or any other use.

We have some challenges, and for those who are in the front lines of providing health care to the poorest, and it is always important to bear the greatest burden. We must get on top of these short comings.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home nations fined by Fifa over poppy displays

England have been fined 45,000 Swiss francs for several breaches of Fifa's rules about displaying political symbols, the sport's governing body have confirmed. The national team wore poppies on black armbands during their match with Scotland, despite being warned not to by Fifa, costing the Football Association just over £35,000. Prior to kick-off, both teams participated in a minute's silence and members of the armed forces lay wreaths. The Scottish Football Association and the Football Association of Wales have each been fined 20,000 Swiss francs (£15,692) and the Irish Football Association 15,000 Swiss francs (£11,769) for similar offences All of the associations were warned by to the World Cup qualifiers that they would be punished if they chose to ignore Fifa's regulations on the matter.     England has been fined CHF 45,000 for several incidents in the framework of the England v Scotland match, including the display by the host association, the English team and s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Buhari confirms appointment of Niger Delta Power Holding’s CEO

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of a substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and two Executive Directors for the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC). Joseph Chiedu Ugbowho was in an acting capacity is now the substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company. Others are Mallam Babayo Shehu, Executive Director (Finance and Administration) and Engr. Ife Oyedele, Executive Director (Engineering and Technical Services). A statement signed by Bolaji Adebiyi, Director (Press),Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said Mr. Ugbo is a legal practitioner and infrastructure regulations specialist with extensive experience in electricity industry reform and privatization. “He has Bachelor and Master of Law Degrees from the University of Lagos and was admitted to practice Law in Nigeria in 1991. For over 15 years, he provided legal advisory services to public sector power entities including legal support t...
Post a Comment
Read more

N’ Delta: How Adaka Boro was tried, convicted

Adaka Boro came into prominence in 1966 when proclaimed an Independent Niger Delta Peoples’ Republic with a flag and an emergency constitution. He paraded himself as the General Officer Commanding the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (DVS) and leader of the Liberation Government. Due to Boro’s intense agitation for resource control, it was learnt that he formed a band of fighters and allegedly trained them in the use of explosives and arms. Sometimes in March 1966, Boro, armed with a theory he called XYZ, declared Ijaw Republic thus: “Today is a great day, not only in your lives, but in the history of the Niger Delta. We are going to demonstrate to the world what and how we feel about oppression”. The activist and his followers also allegedly attacked a police station, blew up the armoury and took rifles and ammunition. They also reportedly blew up oil pipelines and engaged the police in a gun battle. Boro and two of his followers, Samuel Timipre Owonaru and Nottingham Dick were arrested ...
Post a Comment
Read more