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Showing posts from November, 2011

Policy on healthcare waste management absent in Nigeria

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A cross section of medical waste disposal containers   …training of health workers on quality control imminent The sustainable management of healthcare waste (HCW) has over the years continued to attract increasing public interest especially public health and environmental experts given the health problems associated with exposure of humans to potentially hazardous wastes arising from healthcare. With these wastes said to contain materials considered harmful and can cause ill health to those exposed to it, often times, it has been shown that inappropriate handling and disposal of healthcare waste poses health risks to health workers who may be directly exposed and to people near health facilities, particularly children and scavengers who may become exposed to infectious wastes and a higher risk of diseases like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. Even as considerable gap exist with regards to assessment of healthcare waste management practices in Nigeria compared with international best pra

Addressing drug counterfeiting through technology

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An everyday scene in Africa , counterfeit and genuine drugs sold side by side There is no gain saying that the use of pharmaceutical drugs is critical for the health and well-being of individuals. However, its access and consumption of drugs is likened to a double-edged sword: alleviate the manifestation of disease in an ailing person and if consumed wrongly without the prescription of a physician, can be injurious to one’s health system. In spite of the potency of drugs when used, it is no longer news that pharmaceutical products, genuine and counterfeit are openly sold and marketed in the streets, markets, private and public places and un-licensed outlets across in Nigeria. What is rather worrisome is how those involved in this trade have been able to so successfully sustain it in spite of the presence of relevant government agencies such as National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in major cities in the co

Fuel subsidy removal: The right way to go

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Following Federal Government’s plan to completely withdraw fuel subsidies, this move has attracted heated debates giving the socio-economic implications on Nigerians. However, full deregulation of the petroleum sector is believed to ensure sustainable petroleum pricing, writes Alexander Chiejina In Nigeria today, the most contentious issue is the removal of subsidy on petroleum products which has generated wide debate by Nigerians from all walks of life, including the civil society groups, particularly the Nigerian Labour Congress, owing to its implications on the nation’s socio-economic landscape. Over the years, the Federal Government has operated a fuel subsidy with the purpose of making petroleum products available and cushion the effect of the true market prices of the products on the populace. According to reports by the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), the country consumes an average of 35 million litres of fuel daily. As of August 15, 2011, the pricing temp

Insecurity; High hurdle to economic growth

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As a result of growing insecurity in the country, the Federal Government needs to be decisive in dealing with this challenge currently portraying the nation in bad light in order to safeguard life, property and attract foreign investors into the country, writes ALEXANDER CHIEJINA Across the globe, investors are faced with the task of making business decisions that would not only bring about business growth but also contribute toward the economy of any nation where their investments are. With recent reports by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development benchmark (UNCTAD) which show that about $1.4trillion investment capital circulates globally, this figure indicates that capital in the global economy is volatile with a lot of indicators considered by investors before they decide to invest in one country or the other. One of such index is security. As insecurity is a risk factor which investors all over the world dread, this uncertainty is not only considered a bad omen