160,000 kids living with HIV in Nigeria

The Christian Council of Nigeria, CCN, has raised the alarm over the high rate of children living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, in Nigeria, saying of an estimated 160,000 children living with HIV in Nigeria, only 45,000 are receiving treatment.

CCN urged the government and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS among children in the country.

The council made the call weekend at the close-out ceremony of the HIV intervention programme implemented in collaboration with the World Council of Churches, WCC, in Abuja.

The CCN President, Most Rev. David Onuoha, represented by Archbishop Peter ogunmuyiwa, decried the high number of children living with HIV in Nigeria, stressing the need for urgent action to address the situation.

He said, “Our mission is to identify with the needy and less privileged, and to make a positive impact on their lives. Our efforts have been enriching and impactful. We are committed to combating the HIV epidemic in our society, and we urge all relevant NGOs and government agencies to join us in this crusade.

“While we have made some progress in preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child, we still have much work to do. According to statistics, Nigeria has a high number of children who are HIV victims – 160,000, with only 45,000 undergoing treatment. This is unacceptable, and we must do more to address this issue.”

The WCC representative, Ms Gracias Ross, reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in the fight against HIV/AIDS, lamented that “160,000 children are living with HIV, but remember that two million people are living with HIV in Nigeria. They will have partners and children. In what condition will these children be born?

“We must change things. If these children are alone and don’t have a family, the church has to be their family. This is the calling that we should become the father of the fatherless and fight for the widows and fight for justice.

“You can imagine how many young people don’t have any positive orientation on sexuality. So the Church should be bringing light to these large numbers of young people in Nigeria who are not having information.”

Rev. Dr. Evans Onyemara, the General Secretary of the CCN, appreciated the WCC’s support in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, highlighting the success stories from the programme’s implementation in several states.

Ogun Kickstarts Free Surgery Intervention Programme

@OGSG_Official on Monday began the process of offering free surgical services to indegents in the state.

The Executive Secretary of Ogun State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Afolabi Dosunmu, who stated this at the flag-off of registration for the intervention held at the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, said the intervention was a directive given by Governor Dapo Abiodun to provide succour to the people at this difficult time.

Dr. Dosunmu said hospitals in the state are ready to carry out the directive of the governor.

“The modalities are very simple as long as you are a resident of the state, as long as you have one surgical need or the other, you are free to walk into any of our state or general hospitals and enroll on the insurance scheme.

“The doctors there will assess you if it is a case that is ready for surgery and once all other perimeters have been concluded, we will get the surgery done.”

He said those whose cases are not ready for immediate surgery, would be enrolled for them to have access to the intervention when they are ready.

He added: “It is possible for someone to have, for example, cataract, and the cataract is not yet matured, we will still enroll the person. We will give the person a date for when the cataract is going to mature.

“For example, if you want to remove fibroid when you see the doctor and the doctor said your electrolyte is a bit high or your blood pressure is a little bit high, it needs to be controlled before you can be taken in for surgery”, Dr. Dosunmu explained.

The Executive Secretary noted that surgery operations would start on Tuesday as there were a lot of cases that needed urgent attention.

“We have a matching mandate from the governor for us to enroll 70,000 people and it is broken down to 20,000 pregnant women till they deliver even if the delivery is through cesarean section. The child is delivered, in the first six months, we will take care of its medical needs.

“We have also been asked to enroll 20,000 market women and 30,000 poor people in the state. Among the 70,000, any other person in the state that needs surgery, they have to come down and get their surgery done.”

He lauded the state governor for impacting directly on the lives of the people saying, “Everything is free from the moment they walk in and get enrolled, screened and do tests as well as the surgery and even after surgery.”

Also speaking, Mrs. Olusola Akintola, a retired secondary school principal, commended Governor @dabiodunMFR for the programme, saying it would help the less privileged take care of their medical bills while Mr. Semiu Koleosho, said he enrolled in the programme to enable his son to benefit from the free surgery.

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.