TWO HEALTH PRACTISIONORS ARRESTED OVER DEATHS FROM INJECTION

Two health personnel have been detained by the Senchi-Adome Police and are being interrogated over the deaths of three patients at the New Senchi Health Centre in the Asuogyaman District.

The District Director of Health, Abdul Aziz Abdulai, confirmed to Citi News that the two; James Yeboah and Simon Takeramah were believed to have administered the injections and are now assisting the police and the regional medical team to unravel the circumstances that led to the deaths.

“The persons who are said to have given those injections have been handed over to the police. We looked at the criminal aspect of it for which then I needed to make a formal complaint to the police… statements were taken from them and they have been detained for further investigations,” he said.

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has said its preliminary investigations indicated that deaths, which occurred after the administering of some injections, may have been caused by contaminated medication.

The deceased persons suffered adverse reactions described as injection site abscess, skin necrosis and ulcers leading to the deaths, the FDA said.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that these reactions may be due to contaminated 0.9% Normal Saline, the solution which was used to reconstitute (mix) the Benzathine Penicillin Powder for Injection. The 0.9% Normal Saline Solution was reported to have been opened and used repeatedly for several days which might have resulted in the contamination,” a statement from the FDA explained.

Since then, the District Health Directorate has ordered the centre to “stop all injections at that facility until further notice and the place is being prepared for fumigation and other things,” according to Mr. Abdulai.

He also said, “samples have been collected from the ulcers of the [deceased] patients for investigation at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research.”

Source: citifmonline.com

Donors pledge over US$ 15 million to WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies

GENEVA - Donors have pledged an additional US$15.3 million to support quick action by the World Health Organization to tackle disease outbreaks and humanitarian health crises through its emergency response fund in 2018, the Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE).

Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced contributions ranging from US$20,000 to US$5.6 million at a conference hosted at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday (March 26) – increasing CFE funding levels to US$23 million.

This will enable the rapid financing of health response operations in the coming months – filling that critical gap between the moment the need for an emergency response is identified and the point at which funds from other sources can be released. WHO will seek to secure further donor commitments to achieve its US$100 million funding target for the 2018/2019 biennium.

First-time pledges were made by Denmark, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta and Norway. The UK has increased its overall commitment to the fund from US$10.5 million to US$16 million, making it the second largest donor after Germany.

“For the UK, the CFE is an extraordinarily good investment. We are convinced it has a vital and unique role to play in the global effort to prevent and mitigate health emergencies. Today we pledge an additional £4 million (US$5.6 million) for the Contingency Fund and pledge to work with WHO to better profile to a wider audience the huge value it brings. The G7 and the G20 share the UK’s desire for an adequately funded CFE. We urge our fellow Member States and donors to heed WHO’s call and to step forward to provide financial support for the Contingency Fund for Emergencies,” said Alistair Burt, UK Minister of State for International Development.

The CFE’s ability to release funds within 24 hours sets it apart from complementary financing mechanisms that have different funding criteria and slower disbursement cycles. While other funding mechanisms allow for the scale up of response operations, none are designed to deliver an immediate and early response. The CFE has demonstrated that a small investment can save lives and dramatically reduce the direct costs of controlling outbreaks and responding to emergencies.

“Without the CFE, recent outbreaks of Ebola in DRC, Marburg virus Disease in Uganda and pneumonic plague in Madagascar could have gotten out of control. By acting decisively and quickly, we can stop disease outbreaks and save thousands of lives for a fraction of the cost of a late response. The CFE has proven its value as a global public good that should be underwritten by long term investment,” said Dr Peter Salama, WHO Deputy Director General for Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Since 2015, the CFE has enabled WHO, national authorities and health partners to get quick starts on more than 50 disease outbreaks, humanitarian crises and natural disasters, allocating more than US$46 million. It has supported the rapid deployment of experts; better disease detection and reporting; the delivery of essential medicines, supplies and personal protective equipment; the strengthening of surveillance and vaccination; improved access to water, sanitation and health services; community engagement; and more.

Madagascar’s health minister Dr Lalatiana Andriamanarivo called for increased support for the CFE, saying it was instrumental to containing an unprecedented outbreak of pneumonic plague that rapidly spread across the island nation in 2017.

“We call on our international partners to support the Contingency Fund for Emergencies to enable WHO to respond to outbreaks everywhere across the world, and to reinforce national capacities to manage health emergencies in the future,” said Dr Andriamanarivo.

In 2017, the CFE provided nearly US$21 million for operations in 23 countries, with most allocations released within 24 hours. Over half (56%) of allocations funded responses in the WHO Africa region, with 28% going to responses in countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region and 11% to the South East Asia Region.

Source: who.int

Government to recruit 27, 000 nurses

Government has, this year, budgeted to recruit 32,000 health personnel, 27,000 of whom will consist of various categories of nurses, the Minister for Information, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has stated.

Mr Abdul-Hamid, who was addressing a news conference in Accra, yesterday, in response to the concerns of unemployed nurses over their posting issues, gave the assurance that the 2018 budget had made provision to cater for their recruitment.

Since 2017, the Minister indicated, government had employed 16,000 nurses who had completed between 2012 and 2015. “It is important to state that, when we came into office in 2017, there was a backlog of graduates from 2012 to 2015 to be absorbed,” he explained.

Nurses, numbering over 200 hundred, have, since Monday, been picketing at the premises of the Health Ministry demanding immediate employment in the various health facilities in the country.
 
The Information Minister urged the nurses to end their picketing and go back home as the Ministry of Health works to secure their posting clearance from the Finance Ministry.

Source: ghana.gov.gh

EASTERN REGION RECORDED 108 MATERNAL DEATHS IN 2017

In spite of the several strategies, put in place to prevent maternal mortality in the Eastern Region, the region still recorded 108 maternal deaths in 2017 as against 102 and 104 in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

This means that approximately nine women and girls die from pregnancy related causes and childbirth in the region every month.

The issue of pregnant related deaths have been of concern to health professionals in the region for some time.

During the half year review of the year 2017, it was the major topic for discussion as it was revealed that some of such deaths could have been prevented by health facilities and patients alike.

Dr Charity Sarpong, Regional Director of Health Services, who disclosed this at the Regional Annual Performance Review meeting in Koforidua, said it was unfortunate that “our efforts to prevent maternal mortality in the region have not achieved the desired results”.

She said in order to reduce pregnancy related deaths, her outfit instituted interventions such as the PICCAM strategy, zoning the region into five, with each zone being assigned an obstetrician/Gynaecologist specialist to increase access to quality health care.

Dr Sarpong who described the situation as unfortunate, said in furtherance of their resolve to reduce maternal deaths, staff capacities were built on safe motherhood protocols and a maternal and neonatal audit implementation and tracking committee instituted.

According to the Regional Director, most of the deaths were avoidable, citing religion, cultural practices, bad roads that delayed referrals and lack of ambulances as some of the challenges, and indicated that strengthening of the sub district health teams would be key to their strategies.

She said despite the unfortunate maternal deaths, the region however performed well generally, in especially in the area of Community Health Planning Services (CHPS) centres.

The Meeting was attended by medical doctors, medical directors, nurses, midwives and other health staffs from across the region to take stock of the 2017 performance.

It was on the theme: “Improving Maternal Healthcare Delivery in the Region -The Critical Role of Health Professionals.”

Source: GNA

WANTED: LEADERS FOR A TB FREE WORLD

This World TB Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership, joined hands to rally their forces behind the theme for the 2018 World TB Day campaign, “Wanted: Leaders for a TB Free World. Make History. End TB.” The first ever joint advocacy and communications campaign was launched by WHO and the Stop TB Partnership to support thousands of partners, activists and persons affected by TB to galvanize momentum to end TB.

The theme is critical for 2018, given the political importance of the upcoming UN General Assembly High Level Meeting (HLM) on TB which will bring together Heads of States. The upcoming India TB Summit 12-17 March will continue the high level dialogue that was started in Moscow last year during the WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB, and will set the stage for the September 2018 UN HLM on TB, where Heads of State are expected to commit to an ambitious plan of action to put the world on track to ending TB.

During the week of 19-24 March, WHO and the Stop TB Partnership are calling for greater commitment and leadership to end TB, not only at the political level with Heads of State and Ministers of Health, but at all levels from Mayors, Governors, parliamentarians and community leaders, to people affected with TB, civil society advocates, health workers, doctors or nurses, NGOs and other partners. All can be leaders of efforts to end TB in their own work or terrain.

“We would like countries and their leaders at all levels to commit to accelerate efforts so we can truly elevate the fight against TB,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme. “The UNHLM on TB offers us the opportunity to unite efforts against this top infectious killer. Our collective ripple can create a groundswell to save lives and end the suffering caused by this disease, which affects millions worldwide.”

“2018 is a critical year as we have an historical window of opportunity to really make huge steps towards ending TB. We need everyone from the tiniest village to the biggest capital come together, commit and act to end TB,” said Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of Stop TB Partnership. “We owe this to us and future generations. Enough is enough! We must end TB!” she said.

Each year we commemorate World TB Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic impact of TB, and urge acceleration of efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

Every day, nearly 30,000 people fall ill with TB and 4500 people lose their lives to this preventable and curable disease. TB is also the major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance and the leading killer of people with HIV. The social and economic impacts are devastating and include stigma and discrimination. Progress in most countries is stalling and is not fast enough to reach global targets or close persistent gaps in TB care and prevention.

Source: who.net

Male Contraceptive is Safe to use

A male contraceptive pill has been developed which is effective, safe and does not harm sex drive, scientists have announced.

In what has been described as a “major step forward”, the drug was successfully tested on 83 men for a month for the first time.

So far efforts to create a once-daily pill to mimic the mainstream female contraceptive have stalled because men metabolise and clear out the hormones it delivers too quickly.

It means temporary male contraception has relied on condoms alone, with the main hopes for future contraceptive developments resting on a long-acting injection or topical gel, both of which are also under development.

However, the new drug, called dimethandrolone undecanoate, or DMAU, includes a long-chain fatty acid which slows down the clearance, allowing just one dose to be taken each day.

Like the pill for women, the experimental pill combines activity of an androgen - a male hormone such as testosterone - and a progestin.

Investigators at the University of Washington Medical Centre tested three doses of DMAU - 100, 200 and 400mg - on 100 healthy men between 18 to 50 years old, 83 of whom completed the study.
They were subject to blood sampling for hormone and cholesterol testing on the first and last days of the study.

At the highest dose of DMAU tested, 400 mg, subjects showed "marked suppression" of levels of their testosterone and two hormones required for sperm production.

The results showed that the pill worked only if taken with food. "Despite having low levels of circulating testosterone, very few subjects reported symptoms consistent with testosterone deficiency or excess," said Professor Stephanie Page, senior investigator on the study.
"These promising results are unprecedented in the development of a prototype male pill," All groups taking DMAU experienced some weight gain, as well decreases in HDL ("good") cholesterol.

However, all subjects passed their safety tests, including markers of liver and kidney function. "DMAU is a major step forward in the development of a once-daily 'male pill'," said Professor Page.

"Many men say they would prefer a daily pill as a reversible contraceptive, rather than long-acting injections or topical gels, which are also in development."

Contraceptive pills for females have been available for almost 70 years, although the only achieved widespread use in Britain, including availability on the NHS, in 1961.

However, other than the condom, which were first invented in 1855, there have never been a temporary male contraceptive.

By: Henry Bodkin

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

COMBAT LASA FEVER

Press Release: March 02, 2018

A primary health nurse Owurani Charles Oduro has entreated Ghanaians to combat Lasa Fever.

In his statement to the press, he said it is sad loosing one of our country men to Lasa Fever.

"Our fight against Lasa Fever as a country is not the responsibility of health professionals, it is not the responsibility of government officials. But it's our responsibility as citizens of mother Ghana to fight this condition by
Practicing careful hygiene. Washing our hands with soap and wholesome water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to prevent the condition
Disinfect items that may have come in contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding) to prevent spread
Refrain from funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who has die to prevent Lasa Fever.
Prevent contact with blood or other body fluids (such as urine, feces, saliva, sweat, urine, vomit, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids) from a sick person
Report to the nearest health facility if you notice any change in your body diagnosis and care"

He encouraged health workers to
Intensify surveillance to prevent the spread of Lasa Fever
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Practice proper infection control and sterilization measures to prevent transmission of Lasa Fever and other diseases
Isolate patients with Lasa Fever from other patients to prevent transmission
Have no direct, unprotected contact with the bodies of people who have died from Lasa Fever.
Notify officials if you have had direct contact with the blood or body fluids.

Mr Owurani Charles Oduro appealed to the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Services and other stakeholders to provide necessary logistics to local health facilities (CHPS) since they are the first point of call in the health care delivery.

Lasa Fever spread so easily
Lasa Fever is deadly
Let's all join hands to fight it

GENERAL INFORMATION ON LASSA  FEVER
Lassa  fever is  an  Acute  Viral  Haemorrhagic  Fever  illness  which  is  endemic  in  the  West  Africa.  The incubation  period  is  6 to 21  days.    The  onset  of  Lasa Fever  illness  is  often  gradual,  with  non symptoms  and  commonly  presents  with  fever,  general  weakness  and  non-specific  signs  and malaise  at  the  early  onset.  After  a  few days,  headache,  sore  throat,  muscle  pain,  chest  pain,  vomiting,  diarrhoea  and  abdominal  pain  may  follow. Severe  cases  may  progress  to  show  facial  swelling,  and  bleeding  tendencies  (from  mouth,  nose,  vagina  or gastrointestinal  tract,  and  low  blood  pressure.  Shock,  seizures,  disorientation,  and  coma  may  be  seen  in  the late  stages.  Complications  include:  deafness,  transient  hair  loss  and  gait  disturbance  may  occur  during recovery.  Majority of  Lassa  Fever  infections  are  mild  or asymptomatic.
Lassa  fever  virus  is  transmitted  to  humans  via  contact  with  food  or  household  items  contaminated  with the  urine, saliva  faeces, and blood  of  the  rodent  (rat)