Deaths By Heat Waves To Rise - Experts Warn

A new study has reported that deaths related to extreme heat are expected to keep rising, even if most nations are able to contain global warming at agreed-upon levels. The new study was published March 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This has made experts in the country to warn that Nigerians should prepare for more deadly heat from climate change, which could lead to rise in cases of illness and death. Already, meningitis which is heat-related has killed 211 persons and affected 1,407 others within three months.
The researchers warned that by 2050, more than 350 million people living in ‘megacities’ would be hit with deadly heat waves every year – regardless if nations reach climate change targets.

The new study has found that even if countries limit global warming to below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2C), which is required by the Paris Agreement, 44 of the most populated cities in the world will still experience the lethal events.The analysis showed that not only has the number of megacities experiencing heat waves doubled,it has occurred with only 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5C) of warming. Lead researcher and an applied climatologist at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom, Tom Matthews, said: “As the climate warms, the number and intensity of heat waves increases. Research has shown this to be the case for the global warming experienced to date, and our research is the latest to show that we can expect even larger increases as the climate continues to warm.”
Even if global warming is halted at Paris goals, the megacities of Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could face annual conditions similar to the deadly heat waves that gripped those regions in 2015.During the 2015 heat waves in those areas, about 1,200 people died in Pakistan and more than 2,000 died in India.
To examine the impact of global warming on human heat stress, the researchers used climate models and looked at how global temperature change could affect heat stress projections in the world’s largest cities.
The investigators concluded that it is likely there will be more land surface area exposed to dangerous heat stress. They also noted that areas already experiencing heat stress would have more frequent and longer heat waves.
The researchers at Climate Central explain that when temperatures reach those experienced on ‘danger days’ – when the ‘feels like temperature exceeds 104 °F (40 °C) – it becomes difficult for the body to cool itself. This can lead to dehydration, exhaustion, dizziness, and other problems in the body – and often, even death.
During danger days, people are at risk of sunstroke and heat exhaustion, and physical activity or extended time outdoors could even lead to heat stroke. The combination of high heat and humidity poses serious risks to many people, especially infants and young children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions.
The Paris Agreement was passed with no objections in 2015 by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, bringing to an end four years of discussions and debates.
Nearly 200 nations adopted the global pact, calling on the world to collectively cut and then eliminate greenhouse gas pollution – but imposing no sanctions on countries that don’t.
Countries that signed the 31-page document will be expected to work towards limiting global warming to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2C) above pre-industrial levels.

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Breast Milk Does Not Have Long Term Cognitive Effect - New Research

It has long been thought that breastfeeding improves a baby’s mental capacity; a newly released study has found it has no long-term cognitive benefits.
According to the findings of the study published in the journal ‘Pediatrics,’ after following breastfed childrens from the time they were nine months old to age five, researchers found that children who were breastfed for at least six months had reduced hyperactivity and showed better problem-solving skills when they were three years old. When the children were evaluated again at age five the differences were insignificant. Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the feeding of babies and young child with milk from a woman’s breast.
Health professionals recommend that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby’s life and continue as often and as much as the baby wants.
The Newsweek published that the scientists followed 7,478 Irish babies and tested their vocabulary and problem-solving abilities when they were three years old and again when they turned five.
The report said although, children who came from more educated families or better financial circumstances, reported higher problem-solving skills and vocabulary during the study, when those variables were removed and the data was randomised, breastfeeding had no real impact on a child’s development, said study author, Lisa-Christine Girard. Although, intelligence may not be affected by breastfeeding, breast milk has been proven to be beneficial in preventing a variety of health risks – while formula feeding has been linked to increased childhood infections, inflammation, weakened immune function and higher chances of respiratory infections. In the United States, 81.1 per cent of infants born in 2013 were breastfeeding at six months while 30.7 per cent of babies were breastfeeding at 12 months, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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Anxiety As Poisonous Beans Circulate Lagos Market

There is a growing anxiety among consumers of beans in Lagos, Nigeria, as the Lagos State police command has arrested three brothers at Alagbado area of Lagos for applying insecticide on bags of beans meant to be sold to the public. The suspects, who were paraded on Wednesday, said they learnt the practice from their suppliers in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Faith Ogbonna, who is the owner of the shop, said he had seen beans sellers in Maiduguri using chemicals as preservative for beans.
Although he claimed he was not the one who instructed his younger brother, Chijoke to apply insecticide on the beans, he, however, claimed that it helped to prevent stored beans from being infested by ants.

Policemen attached to Alakuko Division following a tip-off arrested Faith, 28, Sunday, 23 and Chijoke Ogbonna.

On his part, the suspect caught in the act, Chijoke, admitted to have applied the chemical and insecticide. “I only added a little amount. It is to preserve beans. Several persons do it. It does not kill because any beans sprayed are not immediately displayed for sale.
“People who buy several bags of beans, particularly when it is cheap, use chemicals to preserve them till the price goes up, thereby making much profit”.
 Insecticides and pesticides, according to health authorities, are dangerous to health. Not only are they dangerous to the environment, but they are also hazardous to a person's health. Pesticides are stored in your colon, where they slowly but surely poison the body. You may not realize this, but when you are eating a non-organic apple or food items like beans, corn and peanuts that has been contaminated with insecticides, you are also eating over 30 different pesticides that have been sprayed on them. Even if you wash a piece of fruit, such as an apple, there are still many insecticides lingering on it and they could have seeped into the fruit or vegetable. Strawberries, apples, carrots, celery, spinach, grapes, apples, cucumbers are just a few types of food that you should not eat if they are not organic because the insecticide level is the highest on them.
After countless studies, insecticides have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, ADHD, and even birth defects. insecticides also have the potential to harm the nervous system, the reproductive system, and the endocrine system. insecticides can even be very harmful to fetuses because the chemicals can pass from the mother during pregnancy or if a woman nurses her child. Although one piece of fruit with insecticides won't kill you, if they build up in your body, they can be potentially detrimental to your health and should be avoided as much as possible.

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Breast Implants Can Cause Blood Cancer - New Studty

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday affirmed that breast implants can cause a rare and hard-to-treat blood cancer. According to landmark guidelines issued by the FDA, there was enough evidence for United States regulators to acknowledge a clear link between silicone implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a blood cancer.
The federal agency issued the guidelines after it received reports from 359 women claiming a link between their implants and their diagnosis of ALCL, a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a group of blood cancers that includes all types of lymphoma except Hodgkin’s lymphomas. As of February 1, 2017, nine of those women had died.
Silicone gel-filled breast implants have a silicone outer shell that is filled with silicone gel. They come in different sizes and have either smooth or textured shells.
Silicone gel-filled breast implants are approved for breast augmentation in women aged 22 or older and for breast reconstruction in women of any age.
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a woman’s breast, for reconstructive plastic surgery, post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, congenital defects, among others.
The ‘mailonline’ reports that the FDA update marks something of a triumph for US medical researchers, six years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) first warned of the potential link. Last year, French regulators became the first to acknowledge the ‘clearly established link,’ ordering manufacturers to prove the safety of their products or take them off the shelf.
The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency was still analysing the French and American reports and was yet to acknowledge the ‘clearly established link.’
“All of the information to date suggests that women with breast implants have a very low but increased risk of developing ALCL compared to women who do not have breast implants,” the FDA said yesterday.
“Most cases of breast implant-associated ALCL are treated by removal of the implant and the capsule surrounding the implant and some cases have been treated by chemotherapy and radiation,” it said. Breast implants approved in the US can be filled with either saline or with silicone gel. They come in different sizes and shapes and have either smooth or textured surfaces (shells).

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Red Alert As Rabies Kills Two In Lagos

RESIDENTS of Igbogbo and Ajara, in Lagos State, now live in fear of rabies (a fatal disease caused by dog bite) after it killed two within the last two weeks.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who confirmed the incident, yesterday, said two persons have died at the Lagos State University,
(LASUTH), Ikeja and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos.
A 49-year old-man, from Igbogbo, Ikorodu area of the state, whose name he de- clined to mention, died at the LASUTH penultimate Wednesday after admission.
The second victim, a 33-year-old man, who died last Monday, lived in Ajara, Badagry, was said to have been bitten by a dog, six months earlier.
Rabies is a severe viral dis- ease of the central nervous system. It is chiefly a disease of wild mammals, but, it can occasionally affect humans. Animals with rabies shed the virus in their saliva. If a saliva from an infected ani- mal gets into a break in a per- son’s skin, most commonly through a bite or on mucous membranes (eyes, mouth, nose), that person might become infected.

Its vaccine, administered after possible exposure, is highly effective at prevent- ing progression to rabies. However, once an infected person develops symptoms of rabies, there is no effective treatment and the infected person will likely die within a few days.
Most cases of rabies occur in bats. It is also occasionally detected in other wild animals such as skunks and foxes. The disease is rarely identified in domestic animals such as dogs and cats, but can occur if they are bit ten by a rabid wild animal.
The disease can be preaq3vented by avoiding contact with unfamiliar animals. If a person is bitten by an animal, he should report the bite to the local health department or animal control agency. Wash the bite wound thoroughly with soap and water as soon as possible. If someone is concerned that he may have been exposed to rabies, he should contact the health care provider.
It is important to protect pets from rabies. Pets should not be allowed to have contact with wild or unfamiliar animals. They should be confined inside owner’s property or under control when off the property. Veterinarian should be seen regularly to ensure that pets remain in good health and is uptodate on rabies vaccination. All dogs are required to be vaccinated against rabies.

Meanwhile, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has reportedly directed that Queens College, Yaba, which was shut after two girls died after alleged cholera out- break, not to resume until appropriate measures are put in place for students’ safety.
Dr. Idris said after the inci- dent, a joint team of experts from the Lagos State Minis- try of Health and LUTH in- vestigated the incident.
“Available health records from the sick bay indicated that the date of onset of illness was January 16, 2017. The total number of students presented at the clinic on account of abdominal pain, fe- ver, vomiting and diarrhoea was 1,222 from the date of presentation to the last date.
“There were four different peak periods of infection, the highest peak was January 31, 2017. 16 ill cases were admit- ted in various hospitals. nine have been discharged, two died while one is still on admission at the Intensive Care Unit of LASUTH and three in LUTH.”

He disclosed that water samples from six sources in the school premises were collected and analysed at the Drug Quality Control Labo- ratory of Lagos State Min- istry of Health at LASUTH, Ikeja.
Another set of water sam- ples from 10 sources were also collected and analysed at the Microbiology Depart- ment of LUTH, Idi-Araba.
“Results from the two laboratories showed high bacteria content in the water samples from the kitchen, behind the Dinning Hall and Queen’s Delight, the school water factory.”
He also revealed that the stool specimens collected from 40 kitchen staff and findings from the investiga- tion were consistent with enteric fever, the infection was most likely spread through contaminated water sources and infection by food handlers.
He implored Lagosians to follow the general health promotion and disease prevention measures, he also urged them to report unusual disease occurrence to the nearest public health facility.

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Fanta, Sprite And Vitamin C: NBC Counters Poisonous Allegation

Is it safe to take fanta or sprite with Vitamin C? this is the one question on the lips of health conscious Nigerians ever since the news broke out yesterday that it is poisonous to mix Vitamin C with any of those two soft drinks. The Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC, has appealed a court order directing the company to include a warning on the bottles of its Fanta and Sprite that its contents cannot be taken with Vitamin C.
A Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere, Lagos State, had compelled the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to give the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) 90 days, to include on all bottles of Fanta and Sprite that the content cannot be taken with Vitamin C.
The judgment was sequel to a suit filed by a Lagos-based businessman, Emmanuel Adebo, and his company, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited, against NBC Plc and NAFDAC.
In his suit, Mr Adebo urged the court to declare that NBC was negligent to its consumers by bottling Fanta and Sprite with excessive levels of benzoic acid and sunset additives.
Benzoic acid is a white, crystalline powder with a faint, non-offensive odour.
Though it serves as preservative, if used excessively, it causes cancer and has been linked to asthma problems and increased levels of hyperactivity in children.
Benzoic acid is also used to manufacture a wide variety of products such as perfumes, dyes, topical medications and insect repellents.
Sunset yellow is a dye that can be found in foods like orange juice, ice cream, canned fish, cheese, jellies, soft drinks and many medicines.
It can also be dangerous for human health as it can cause urticaria, rhinitis, allergies, hyperactivity, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting in some individuals.
The NBC however said the judgement was inaccurate and its products were safe.
“Both Fanta and Sprite have benzoic levels of 200 mg/kg which is lower than the Nigerian regulatory limit of 250 mg/kg when combined with ascorbic acid and 300 mg/kg without ascorbic acid and also lower than the 600 mg/kg international limit set by CODEX,” the company said.
Read NBC’s full statement below:
“Our attention has been drawn to media reports which contain misleading information on the safety of benzoic and ascorbic acids as ingredients in soft drinks, citing a Lagos High Court order.
“In the judgement delivered on February 15, 2017 in a suit involving Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited & Dr. Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo v. Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) & National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Lagos High Court dismissed all claims against NBC and held that the company had not breached its duty of care to consumers and that there was no proven case of negligence against it.
“In the same judgement, the court directed NAFDAC to mandate NBC to include a warning on its bottles of Fanta and Sprite that its contents cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same become poisonous if taken with Vitamin C. This order was premised on the fact that the products contain the preservative, benzoic acid. NBC has since appealed this order.
“Whilst we do not wish to delve into the details of the case or the merits of the court order by this medium, we find it imperative in the interest of consumers and members of the public to make the following clarifications:
“In the subject case which dates back to 2007, the UK authorities confiscated a consignment of our products shipped to that country by the plaintiff because their benzoic acid levels were not within the UK national level, although well within the levels approved by both the national regulators for Nigeria and the international levels set by CODEX, the joint intergovernmental body responsible for harmonizing food standards globally.
“The UK standards limit benzoic acid in soft drinks to a maximum of 150 mg/kg. Both Fanta and Sprite have benzoic levels of 200 mg/kg which is lower than the Nigerian regulatory limit of 250 mg/kg when combined with ascorbic acid and 300 mg/kg without ascorbic acid and also lower than the 600 mg/kg international limit set by CODEX.
“Both benzoic acid and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) are ingredients approved by international food safety regulators and used in many food and beverage products around the world.
“These two ingredients are also used in combination in some of these products within levels which may differ from one country to another as approved by the respective national food and drug regulators and in line with the range prescribed by CODEX,”
“The permissible ingredient levels set by countries for their food and beverage products are influenced by a number of factors such as climate, an example being the UK, a temperate region, requiring lower preservative levels unlike tropical countries.
“Given the fact that the benzoic and ascorbic acid levels in Fanta as well as the benzoic acid level in Sprite produced and sold by NBC in Nigeria are in compliance with the levels approved by all relevant national regulators and the international level set by CODEX, there is no truth in the report that these products would become poisonous if consumed alongside Vitamin C.

“The wrong perception emanating from the media reports that our Fanta and Sprite beverages which are fully compliant with all national and international food quality and safety standards are unsafe, simply because their levels of Benzoic acid were not within the UK standards, is not only unfounded but also undermines the entire food and beverage industry in Nigeria which is regulated by the same ingredient levels approved by NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies for the country.“NBC hereby assures our consumers and members of the public of our unwavering commitment to product quality, safety and customer satisfaction.”

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