BusinessDay 22 Oct 2017
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Sunday <strong>22</strong> <strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>2017</strong><br />
C002D5556<br />
SUNDAY<br />
BD<br />
45<br />
Health&Science<br />
Five million children have vision<br />
impairment in Nigeria - Optometrist<br />
RAPHAEL ADEYANJU, Ado Ekiti<br />
The Ekiti State Chapter of<br />
the Nigerian Optometry Association<br />
(NOA), has raised<br />
an alarm that at least five<br />
million Nigerian children<br />
suffering from vision impairment.<br />
The Ekiti State Chairman of the<br />
association, Ayo Osundare made this<br />
disclosure during an advocacy visit<br />
to the State Ministry of Information,<br />
Youths and Sports Development<br />
in Ado-Ekiti, the State Capital on<br />
Thursday.<br />
Osadare stated that recent statistics<br />
released by the World Health<br />
Organisation(WHO) indicated that 19<br />
million children are suffering from vision<br />
impairment globally, emphasizing<br />
that one out of every four children<br />
has undetected vision problem that<br />
may impede their learning abilities.<br />
He lamented that 80 percent of<br />
cases of blindness in Nigeria were<br />
avoidable; describing the result of a<br />
recent survey which revealed that<br />
about 90 percent of school age children<br />
in Nigeria had never undergone any<br />
form of eye examination as worrisome.<br />
According to Osadare, 12 million<br />
out of the 19 million estimated cases of<br />
visual impairment among children were<br />
as a result of refractive errors which<br />
could be corrected if detected early.<br />
Osadare said NOA would hold free<br />
vision screening for children in selected<br />
school nationwide in commemoration<br />
of the <strong>2017</strong> World Sight Day as part of<br />
We have over 102,000 cases of breast cancer in Nigeria - FG<br />
YOMI AYELESO, Akure<br />
The Federal Government has declared<br />
a state of emergency on deadly<br />
disease -breast cancer, which<br />
records 102,000 cases and 72,000 deaths<br />
in Nigeria and to give respite to victims<br />
while receiving treatment.<br />
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac<br />
Adewole, revealed this at the opening<br />
ceremony of the 20th Breast Cancer Association<br />
of Nigeria (BRECAN) anniversary<br />
and 3rd International Breast Cancer Symposium<br />
in Akure, the Ondo State capital.<br />
Adewole, who was represented by the<br />
Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Obafemi<br />
Awolowo University Teaching Hospital<br />
(OAUTH), Victor Adetiloye, lamented<br />
that breast and cervical cancers are responsible<br />
for over 50 per cent of deaths<br />
in the nation.<br />
He said the existing National Cancer<br />
Control Plan in the country had expired<br />
but there is a new one for five years span<br />
and seven special focus on prevention,<br />
treatment, hospice, palliative care, data<br />
management among others.<br />
He disclosed further that the mortality<br />
ratio in the country was the highest when<br />
compared to other countries, leading to<br />
efforts at reducing the prevalence of vision<br />
impairment in the country.<br />
The NOA boss who spoke on integration<br />
of eye health into the school<br />
curriculum and the primary healthcare<br />
delivery system across the country, explained<br />
that his association was already<br />
making arrangements to train teachers<br />
from different schools to enable them<br />
identify suspected cases of visual impairment<br />
among their pupils, so that the<br />
effected pupil could undergo proper test<br />
and commence treatment if necessary.<br />
He also stressed the importance of<br />
undergoing annual comprehensive eye<br />
the declaration of state of emergency and<br />
roadmap for cancer control.<br />
According to him, Federal Government<br />
has begun a process of establishing<br />
dedicated cancer chemotherapy wards<br />
in nine Federal Tertiary Health institutions<br />
with necessary equipment across<br />
the country.<br />
“We have developed a new National<br />
Cancer Control Plan 2018 to 20<strong>22</strong>. This<br />
National Cancer Control Plan is the product<br />
of extensive inter-sectoral collaboration<br />
involving government, academia,<br />
bilateral and multilateral organization<br />
and civil society.<br />
“This National Cancer Control Plan<br />
provides a clear roadmap as to how the<br />
ministry envisions cancer controls efforts<br />
for the country to be within the<br />
next five years and beyond. Beyond the<br />
cancer patients and their families, this<br />
plan will serve as launch pad to reduce<br />
the incidence and prevalence of cancer<br />
in Nigeria.”<br />
Adewole noted that the Federal Government<br />
has been an avant-garde in the<br />
battle against all kinds of cancer in the<br />
nation, building stronger collaboration<br />
with other organizations.<br />
Similarly, the state governor, Oluwarotimi<br />
Akeredolu reiterated the plan of<br />
checkups to reduce avoidable vision loss.<br />
The Commissioner for Information,<br />
Youths and Sports Development, Lanre<br />
Ogunsuyi who responded through the<br />
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry,<br />
Kola Ajumobi noted that the programme<br />
of NOA was in tandem with the Health<br />
programme of the Ayodele Fayoseled<br />
administration and “Oju Ayo Free<br />
Care” in particular.<br />
Ogunsuyi expressed the readiness<br />
of the State Government to partner<br />
with the association in enlightening the<br />
public on issues relating to avoidable<br />
blindness and visual impairment.<br />
the state government to establish Cancer<br />
Centre in the state in order to provide essential<br />
services that border on prevention<br />
and treatment.<br />
Akeredolu said the government would<br />
partner with BRECAN, Civil Society Organizations<br />
(CSOs) and health facilities<br />
in the state to reduce the scourge of the<br />
virulent disease.<br />
BRECAN founder and wife of Ondo<br />
governor, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu,<br />
stated that the symposium would create<br />
platform for interaction, advocacy and<br />
policy making.<br />
Anyanwu-Akeredolu, who is also<br />
a survivor of the ailment, emphasized<br />
that breast cancer should not be a death<br />
sentence among women. She said this<br />
berthed the foundation of BRECAN 20<br />
years ago.<br />
She decried the superstitious beliefs<br />
of people attributing breast cancer to<br />
witches and spiritual attacks, seeking<br />
cures in spiritual homes and herbalists<br />
instead of visiting hospital for treatment.<br />
The governor’s wife implored government<br />
at all levels to design and implement<br />
appropriate policy to tackle cancer in the<br />
country with special emphasis on National<br />
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)<br />
coverage.<br />
Mental health patients<br />
can be productive within<br />
the workplace –expert<br />
ANTHONIA OBOKOH<br />
This year World Mental Health<br />
was themed ‘Mental Health<br />
at the Work Place’. Highlighting<br />
the need to raise awareness<br />
about mental health issues around<br />
the world and mobilising efforts in<br />
support of mental health, Olufemi<br />
Oluwatayo, CEO, Retreat and a general<br />
Psychiatrist, mental health is<br />
vital. In his words, “Mental health<br />
patients can be productive within<br />
the workplace and by raising this<br />
awareness; we can help reduce the<br />
stigma by bringing out to the public<br />
that there are professionals who are<br />
ready and available to help those in<br />
need” he said and added that the<br />
free treatment and the health awareness<br />
was meant to draw attention to<br />
mental health and to raise mental<br />
awareness in the workplace.<br />
“It is always challenging within<br />
the society to discuss health issues<br />
with the stigma attached to mental<br />
issues.<br />
“Some employers do not see mental<br />
issues at the workplace as a priority<br />
hence many employees may<br />
be suffering in silence that is why<br />
this year’s theme is very suitable.<br />
The mental health awareness is The<br />
Retreat contribution to a national<br />
discourse on mental health issues in<br />
Nigeria”, Oluwatayo said.<br />
According to Olufemi, the World<br />
Mental Health Day creates an ample<br />
opportunity to take mental health<br />
issues to the public; it is always a<br />
good day to draw attention to the<br />
prevailing conditions of mental<br />
health treatment.<br />
“We feel it is an avenue to raise<br />
awareness on mental health issues<br />
in the society, in Nigeria and look at<br />
mental health issue in the workplace<br />
especially with this year’s team of<br />
Mental Health at the Work Place”.<br />
“The exercise involved screenings,<br />
blood pressure test, mental health<br />
assessment surrounding anxiety,<br />
depression, alcoholism and a mental<br />
health talk. The event was attended<br />
by a throng of residents mostly from<br />
Ikorodu and its environs base of the<br />
Retreat” he added.<br />
The Retreat Healthcare is a world<br />
class in-patient and out-patient facility<br />
that provides dignified care for<br />
mentally disordered people in Nigeria<br />
through therapeutic recovery<br />
treatments. It is the first purpose<br />
built privately owned mental health<br />
facility in Nigeria, built solely to<br />
cater for the therapeutic treatment<br />
and recovery of patients.
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