How To Get Rid Of Bed Bugs

There has been a recent widespread of bed bug infestation in some parts of the world. In Nigeria, this is a common occurrence in many homes.

While, on one hand, bed bugs are very easy to bring into your home without you realizing it, on the other hand, they could be a very difficult creature to get rid of; as not only are they hard to find, but they could also pose resistance to some insecticides.

In this section, I will explain the signs of bedbug infestation to watch out for in your home and how to get rid of them. If you are interested, let’s get started.

How to Detect Bed Bugs in Your Home:
Bed bugs are dark yellow, brown, or red-coloured tiny insects. They are found in tiny cracks and hidden places around the home or office, mainly on Mattresses, Bed frames, Furniture, Loose wallpapers, Clothing, Wardrobes, Electrical sockets and fittings, Cabinets, and others.

Early Signs of Bed Bugs in Your Home:
One of the early signs of bed bugs in your home is the appearance of bites on your body after waking up. The other possible signs include

-Dark stains or Blood spots on your bedding which could have resulted from bed bug bites or squashed ones
-Bed bugs poo or Small Dark spots on furniture, bedding, wallpapers, and walkways. Each excretion is about 0.5 to 1.0mm
-Bites on your skin (neck, face arms, leg, and general body) when you are asleep, with the appearance of itchy red or purple spots.
-Seeing Live insects or Adult Bed Bugs in your home. The average adult bed bug is about 5mm long.

Bed Bug Bites and Treatment.
If you have noticed any of the above signs, the following remedies are suggested

-Make sure to keep the affected area clean.
-Apply anti-inflammatory oil such as Basil or Lavender on the affected areas.
-If the bite spot feels itchy and you can’t resist scratching, you can place a clean damp cloth to help with the itching.
-Seek immediate medical attention at your pharmacy or hospital.

Fortunately, bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases. The health effects of bed bug bites may include irritation, and itching, and can result in infection if the bite spots are scratched. While some individuals do not react to bed bug bites, in some cases, affected persons have been reported to have some swelling of the affected areas.

Dos (Bed Bugs DIY Home Remedy)
-Regular cleaning and vacuuming of your environment
-Regularly wash bedding and clothing material in hot water (above 50 degrees) and tumble-dry for 30 minutes.
-Refrigerate affected bedding and clothing in a plastic bag for about 4 days.
-Eliminate clutter in your house as much as possible.
-Clean your bedroom more frequently most especially underneath your bed and cabinets
-Be careful with shared laundry facilities
-Apply bed bug killer spray or any other recommended insecticide as the last option if you notice the presence of Beg bugs in your home.

Don’ts (Bed Bugs DIY Home Remedy)
-Avoid bringing second-hand bedding, furniture, and clothing materials into your home. We rely on second-hand clothing a lot in Nigeria. For this reason, make sure to wash these clothes very well before bringing them into your home. you may soak them in hot water for about 30 minutes.
-Avoid sleeping overnight in a hotel, hostel, care homes, or guest house with suspected bed bug infestation signs such as the presence of blood stains or bed bug poo on bed linen.
-Don’t spread bed bugs to others. Slash any disposed mattress so others don’t take it for use.

Seeking Professional Service
If you have tried all the above suggestions on how to get rid of bedbugs from your home but you still notice their presence, then it’s time to seek the services of pest control professionals who are equipped and experienced in responding to even the most difficult bed bug infestations.

Nigeria Cannot Continue to be Dumping Ground, Says Anyakora As FG, World Bank Train Pharma Manufacturers

By Johnson Fadipe

Nigeria will soon become the hub of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa and beyond, if the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in the country lives up to its full potentials. CEO, Bloom Public Health, Professor Chimezie Anyakora, made this declaration on Tuesday in Lagos at the commencement of the second phase of the capacity-building workshop for local pharma manufacturers organized by the Federal Government and the World Bank.
Anyakora added that the reason for the program is to support drug manufacturers in Nigeria to produce quality medicines so that the nation’s pharmaceutical industry will stand strong.

“We can’t continue to be a dumping ground as a country and this is the reason this massive effort is being put together and I am happy that the federal government is supporting it. It is a journey to make Nigeria a big leader in drug manufacturing.
“The intention is to make Nigeria the India of Africa in drug manufacturing. This is why we are training the manufacturers so that they will be well-grounded to produce drugs that can compete globally”, he said.
Speaking further, Anyakora observed that that excellence in pharmaceutical manufacturing can be attained in Nigeria if the relevant industry players can scale up their games with passion and the right energy. He added that the Nigeria pharma industry is ‘falling our hands’ because all stakeholders have not done enough to compete at the global level, despite their capabilities.

On his part, the Honourbale Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi, stated that the essence of the event is to equip the pharmaceutical manufacturers in Nigeria with what it takes not only to produce drugs that will meet local needs but also export and compete globally.

“The essence of this program is to see how we can increase the production of drugs that will meet local consumption and also produce drugs that meet the World Health Organisation’s GMP. It is also important for us to ensure that products that are produced in Nigeria have bioequivalence because it is not good to have a product that carries 500mg and what the patient gets after using the product is just 30%. We are ready to patronise local drug manufacturers as long as their products are standard”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Director, Chemical and Non-Petrochemical Industrial Development Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Onuorah Francis expressed its commitment towards working with relevant stakeholders in Nigeria to build a vibrant and formidable pharmaceutical industry that will not only meet local consumption but also play at the global level.

Onuorah further said that the Federal Government is ready to develop and make the industries in Nigeria work, adding that the ministry has met with stakeholders in the pharma industry and is ready to work with them to produce Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API).
Also speaking at the event, the Director, Foods and Drug, Federal Ministry of Health, Pharm. (Mrs) Bunmi Aribeana stated that Nigeria has about 169 pharma manufacturers, producing different ranges of drugs in different areas, but bio equivalent remains a critical factor that needs to be addressed. She urged all stakeholders to join hands together to build a vibrant and strong pharmaceutical industry that will compete globally.
In his remarks, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Professor Martins Emeje also charged stakeholders in Nigeria to work hard to build the pharmaceutical in Nigeria.

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPROVES INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE FIVE MILLION EYEGLASSES TO NIGERIANS WITH SIGHT IMPEDIMENTS

President Bola Tinubu, on Friday in Abuja, declared his unwavering support for a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Programme and the Peek Vision Foundation to provide more than 5 million pairs of eyeglasses to Nigerians with sight impairments.

The President recounted how close to home his first intervention in eye health was as he made a pledge on behalf of the Federal Government during a courtesy visit by the Founder and CEO of Peek Vision Foundation and Co-Founder of the Vision Catalyst Fund, Prof. Andrew Bastawrous.

“My first experience was with my mother of blessed memory. She was ill and she could not recognise me. When I intervened, she was treated and given a pair of glasses. The next question she asked me was: I have you, and you are able to do this for me. What about those other women and their children who may not have somebody like you to intervene for them?

“So I made a promise to her that I will pursue the mass provision of eye care vigorously and that I would provide free eye screenings and surgeries to people because of that question my mother asked me and because of her passion to see others healed. We eventually impacted the eye health of millions of people in Lagos, and you could see their joy over the immediate sight enhancements when they were given a pair of glasses,” the President fondly recalled.

Highlighting the pressing need for improved eye health services in Nigeria, President Tinubu expressed concern about the more than 24 million Nigerians grappling with varying degrees of vision impairments.

“We must act now because sight and vision is critical to economic development and growth,” the President said, recalling his visionary “Jigi Bola” programme, which was initiated during his tenure as the Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2001 and provided free eye screenings and surgeries to Lagosians while setting a new precedent for proactive eye care initiatives in West Africa.

“I am in support of this initiative, and I will encourage the mobilisation of further commitment to see this through and to reach vulnerable people all across our country. Some parents may not pay attention to this, but I will, because I am touched,” the President concluded.

Expressing his commitment to the cause, Prof. Bastawrous said:

“Good vision unlocks human potential. It improves earning, learning, and wellness for individuals, communities, and countries.”

He shared his personal story and the transformative power of vision care:

“When I was 12, I was told by my teachers that I was clumsy and lazy, but the results of an eye exam explained I had very poor vision. And when I put on a pair of glasses, I saw the leaves on a tree for the first time, and my life completely changed and two weeks later, I was using my first pair of free eye glasses and I saw stars clearly for the first time. My grades improved, and the trajectory of my life completely changed, all because of a very cheap intervention that is 700 years old. Had that not happened, I would not be standing in front of you today. I would not be a professor, and I would not be involved in the work I am doing because sight gives opportunity,” the Peek Foundation CEO shared.

Professor Bastawrous noted that eye care is still chronically under-resourced in many countries, adding that the estimates in Nigeria show that 0.0002 percent of the health budget is spent on eye health.

“The good news is that President Tinubu has an excellent team in the health sector, and some of them have demonstrated tremendous leadership in the sector. What we would like to offer is to bring our Peek Vision methodology and platform to Nigeria to help unlock resources from multiple sources. In the countries where we have worked, Peek in Botswana unlocked 10 million dollars for the school programme, and in Kenya, 17 million Euros. Through the Vision Catalyst Fund, we have secured a donation of 200 million pairs of glasses, and we would like a significant proportion of that to come to Nigeria,” he concluded.

At the end of the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate was joined by the Coordinator of the National Eye Health Programme, Dr. Oteri Okolo and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Chukuma Anyaike, as he presented a National Policy Document on Eye Health to the President.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 1, 2023