COVID 19: Vaccine Alone Cannot Stop Pandemic - WHO

The World Health Organization said yesterday  that a vaccine will be a “vital tool” in the global fight against the coronavirus, but it won’t end the Covid-19 pandemic on its own and there’s no guarantee scientists will find one. 

World leaders and the public must learn to manage the virus and make permanent adjustments to their daily lives to bring the virus down to low levels, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news conference from the agency’s Geneva headquarters.

 “At the same time, we will not, we cannot go back to the way things were.”

Throughout history, outbreaks and pandemics have changed economies and societies, he said.

“In particular, the Covid-19 pandemic has given new impetus to the need to accelerate efforts to respond to climate change,” he said. “The Covid-19 pandemic has given us a glimpse of our world as it could be: cleaner skies and rivers.”

 

The virus has infected more than 22.7 million people worldwide and killed at least 794,100 in more than seven months, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There are at least 30 potential vaccines currently in clinical trials, according to the WHO, but there is no guarantee they will be safe and effective, he said.

 

Even though human trials for potential vaccines are progressing, scientists say key questions remain. Covid-19 was discovered in December. While numerous research papers and studies have been produced on the virus, scientists still don’t fully understand how it affects the body or how well someone is protected from reinfection after recovering.

 

Earlier this month, Tedros said there was no “silver bullet” to the coronavirus and “there might never be.”

He said world leaders can stop new outbreaks by practicing the “basics” of public health and disease control. “Testing, isolating and treating patients and tracing and quarantining their contacts. Inform, empower and listen to communities..

Tedros said Friday that “every single person” can make a difference in the pandemic.

“Every person and family has a responsibility to know the level of Covid-19 transmission locally and to understand what they can do to protect themselves and others,” he said.

WHO director general warns of ‘vaccine nationalism’ and price gouging

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said it’s “very important” for the public to learn “how to live with this virus.”

That will help “continue to suppress transmission, identify cases and clusters that pop up so we can quickly put those out and minimize as many deaths as possible,” she said. “In doing so, some countries may need to implement some measures again.”

 

Van Kerkhove said some countries, using data, are now choosing to implement social distancing measures in areas where there is a high level of transmission.

“What we are seeing now is a targeted approach to adding interventions that need to be put in place to get outbreaks under control and reduce the number of infections that are happening,” she said. 

Read More

Yellow Fever Outbreak In Nigeria: WHO Steps In

The World Health Organization says it is supporting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Delta and Enugu States to tackle the outbreak of yellow fever.

WHO disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday from its Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.

According to the statement, WHO is supporting NCDC, Delta and Enugu to investigate and respond to recently reported deaths from unknown cause in some communities now identified to be an outbreak of yellow fever.

The Ministries of Health for both states notified the NCDC on 2 and 3 November 2020 respectively of cases presenting with symptoms indicative of viral hemorrhagic fever.

As at 6 November 2020, three samples from Delta and one from Enugu tested positive for yellow fever at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital Laboratory and NCDC’s National Reference Laboratory, Abuja.

Yellow fever is caused by a virus spread through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitos.

Large epidemics of yellow fever occur when infected people introduce the virus into heavily populated areas with high mosquito density and low vaccination coverage.

With the onset of the current outbreak, epidemiologists, and other health professionals in WHO, NCDC and National Primary Health Care Development Agency are working in support of State public health teams.

They are working in support of State Public health teams or Rapid Response Teams that have been organised and trained in each of the affected States.

Outbreak investigation is ongoing in each state through the RRTs under the coordination of respective State Ministries of Health.

Hospitals have been identified in each state and capacitated to manage patients who develop symptoms and complications.

Initiating a response to the outbreak, Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ikechukwu Emmanuel Obi during the EOC meeting after definitive diagnosis of the disease said that the disease had been reported from Etteh-Uno and Umuopu communities in Igbo-Eze north LGA.

Obi indicated that the state RRT had done an outbreak investigation and identified those so far affected.

He promised to facilitate a reactive yellow fever mass vaccination intervention for the affected and neighbouring LGAs.

Meanwhile, the UN health agency said proactive vaccination campaigns were planned for most at-risk states including Delta in 2020.

The Delta campaign that was supposed to start by the end of November 2020, has now been brought forward and started on 10 November 2020 in the affected LGAs.

Speaking on the outbreak, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo says that Nigeria is one of the countries implementing Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics strategy.

This strategy is being steered by WHO, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and United Nations Children’s Fund, to protect at-risk populations, prevent international spread and contain outbreaks rapidly.

“As part of EYE strategy, Nigeria has developed a 10-year strategic plan for the elimination of yellow fever epidemics. Through this strategy, the country plans to vaccinate at least 80 per cent of the target population in all states by 2026”, Dr. Mulombo said.

The Delta statewide proactive vaccination campaign was planned under the EYE strategy. 

(NAN)

  

Read More

Lowering Blood Sugar With Mulberry Leaf And Kidney Bean Extract

Researchers has shown that mulberry leaf and white kidney bean extract mix could be a solution for lowering post-meal glucose level.

 

A study conducted by Peking University and supported by the Key Projects of Beijing Science & Technology showed that mulberry and white kidney beans could lower the glucose level by decreasing the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. It is the first trial on the effects of the ingredients on pre-diabetic individuals.

 

The individuals who had taken the mixture had reduced glucose, insulin, and c-peptide levels, which are all interlinked. This is because insulin and c-peptide levels are regulated by the glucose levels.

 

Sixty-five pre-diabetic subjects aged 45 to 65 completed the random controlled trial (RCT) which took place between October and November 2018. As pre-diabetics, their fasting plasma glucose was in the range of 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L or haemoglobin A1c (the average level of blood sugar) levels in the range of 5.7 to 6.4 per cent.

 

The experiment group took a brown powder containing 0.5g of mulberry leaf extract and 1.0 grammes of white kidney bean extract with 100 grammes of white bread and 200ml of plain water. Their blood samples were then collected at the 30th, 60th, and 120th minute. 

Read More

Eating Bitter Kola Can Reduce Eye Pressure In Young Adults

Eating bitter kola can reduce intraocular pressure in the eye of healthy young adults by 21 per cent and this may be of benefit to individuals with primary

open-angle glaucoma (POAG), which is the most common form of glaucoma or ocular hypertension in low-income settings, a study has said.

 

In the new study, researchers assessed the effect of eating bitter kola on intraocular pressure (IOP) in 46 healthy individuals aged between 19 and 27

years at the Optometry Clinic of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. They were recruited from the University of Cape Coast student population and randomised

into two groups (A and B).

Group A took 100 mg/kg body weight of bitter kola that was mashed and dissolved in a 200 ml of water on their first visit and group B ingested 200 ml of

water. On the second visit, the order of treatment was reversed. The IOP was measured at baseline and every 45 minutes interval for 135 minutes.

 

The dosage of 100 mg/kg used in this study is equivalent to 5.0 to 9.6 grammes of bitter kola and it falls within the average daily consumption of two

nuts of bitter kola. This dosage is considered to be safe because other scientists had speculated that high doses (400 mg/kg) of bitter kola can be toxic

to human organs and may cause liver damage and peptic ulcer.

 

They had a baseline IOP measurement of between 11 and 24 mmHg in both eyes, and none of the subjects was a casual or habitual bitter kola consumer.

Also excluded were I ndividuals that had a family history of glaucoma, any eye or systemic disease, or were taking any forms of medication at the time of the study.

Same too fori ndividuals that had reported allergic reactions to bitter kola, corneal abnormalities or have potential risk factors for angle-closure

glaucoma.

 

This 2020 study to determine whether eating bitter kola in a dose comparable to normal daily consumption levels will reduce IOP significantly in healthy

young adults had involved Alex A. Ilechie, Mohammed M. Jeduah, Carl H. Abraham, Stephen Ocansey, Emmanuel Abu, Theophilus Okyere and Obarijima Ngosaro.

It was in the journal, Acta Ophthalmology.

 

They found that the average IOP measurements decreased by 7.9, 18.2 and 20.6 per cent at 45, 90 and 135 minutes, respectively, after bitter kola treatment.

The reduction, though variable across the individuals, was statistically significant across the respective time points.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Its most common form, primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), is characterised by progressive

optic nerve degeneration and affects more than 60 million people worldwide.

In Africa, glaucoma accounts for 15 per cent of blindness and it is the region with the highest prevalence of blindness relative to other regions worldwide.

Intraocular pressure is the only modifiable factor in patients with glaucoma; therefore, treatment with IOP-lowering medication has been critical to prevent

blindness.

 

However, the development of an active natural product that is effective in lowering IOP and have fewer side effects might be critical to improving glaucoma

treatment compliance.

One of such natural products is bitter kola. It is colloquially referred to as ‘bitter kola’ because of its typical distinct bitter taste. In Africa, bitter

kola is prevalently used for traditional hospitality and serves a variety of roles in the treatment of several ailments including coughs, colds, voice

hoarseness, aphrodisiac and liver diseases.

Studies have found Bitter kola has blood pressure lowering effects. It has also shown potential utility for fighting virulent diseases, including Ebola,

by halting viral replication. Also, there is significant scientific evidence suggesting that bitter kola is safe in humans at the normal consumption level.

The IOP-lowering effect of applying its water solution has been demonstrated in both animal and human studies, including a recent randomized clinical trial

which examined different IOP-lowering medications. 

Read More

Why Women Use Herbal Medicine More Than Men In Nigeria

Experts have found that usage of traditional medicines varies across ethnicities in Nigeria, with the most common reasons for its usage among adult women

being fever (40 per cent) and Jedi-jedi/pile (29per cent).

In a new study, researchers found a high rate of traditional medicine usage (81.6 per cent) for multiple reasons among women living in a major urban centre

in Nigeria, with the Igbo and Hausa ethnic groups less likely to use traditional medicine than their Yoruba counterparts.

The Igbo ethnic group was four times less likely to use traditional medicine than the Yoruba ethnic group while those belonging to the Hausa ethnic group

were about half as likely to use traditional medicine as the Yoruba group.

The study, which suggests that affordability may not be the major factor in women’s decision to use traditional medicines said educated women were less

likely than their non-educated counterparts to have used traditional medicine, with the biggest effect seen in women with secondary education.

The study entitled ‘Traditional medicine usage among adult women in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study’ published in the March edition of BMC Complementary

Medicine and Therapy.  It aimed to identify the prevalence of and determinants of traditional medicine use among healthy adult women.

It had involved 748 adult women who were recruited from the communities in the city of Ibadan from 2013 to 2015. These were healthy controls for the Nigerian

The Yoruba participants were mainly recruited from the Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, where recruitment was done by house visits. The Hausa

participants were recruited from communities in Sabo. The Igbo and other ethnic group participants were recruited from Aleshiloye market, a major market

in Ibadan.

pagead/aclk

A structured questionnaire was created to collect data on rates of traditional medicine use and demographic factors such as age, education, ethnicity,

and occupation.

Six hundred women (81.6 per cent) reported having taken traditional medicine and 135 (18.4 per cent) reported not having ever taken traditional medicine.

The reasons for taking traditional medicine were varied, with the most commonly reported reasons being fever (40 per cent) and Jedi-jedi/pile.

Of those who took traditional medicine, only a minority reported taking it every day (14.3 per cent). Rather, the most frequently reported frequency of

use was less than once a week (36.5 per cent), with 31.1 per cent of those women taking traditional medicine less than once a week.

Most strikingly, ethnicity, education and weight change remained significant predictors for traditional medicine use. There was also a positive relationship

between traditional medicine use and weight loss, with women who reported significant weight loss over the past year significantly more likely to use traditional

medicine than those whose weight had not changed, and even more so than those who had gained weight.

They declared, “As Ibadan, the site of this study, is a majority Yoruba city, individuals from other ethnic groups are most likely immigrants from other

areas. This precludes us from generalizing our conclusions to the general Hausa or Ibo populations, as there may be differences between minorities who

immigrated to Ibadan and those who stayed in their hometown.

“In addition, when income is included in the regression model, the significance of ethnicity decreases and suggests that income differences among the ethnicities

may account for some of the differences in traditional medicine usage. However, it is important to note that the effect of ethnicity remained significant

even after controlling for factors such as education, income, and occupation.”

They, howevr, declared since it is possible that beliefs towards health and illness differ among the ethnic groups, thus affecting attitudes and usage

of traditional medicine, further studies are needed to investigate the reasons behind these differences.             

Read More

The Many Health Benefits Of Walnuts

Oftentimes, the simplest foods are best for your health, and this is certainly the case for nuts, in which Mother Nature has crafted a nearly perfect package of protein, healthy fats, fiber, plant sterols, antioxidants, and many vitamins and minerals. Among nuts, the case may be made that walnuts are king, as research shows they may boost your health in a number of ways at very easy-to-achieve "doses." Eating just one ounce of walnuts a day (that's about seven shelled walnuts) may be all it takes to take advantage of their beneficial properties. 

 Walnuts belong to the tree nut family, along with Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, and pistachios. Each has its own unique nutritional profile. One-quarter cup of walnuts, for instance, provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of plant-based omega-3 fats, along with high amounts of copper, manganese, molybdenum, and biotin. Some of the most exciting researches about walnuts go a long way to show how beneficial this gift of nature is to humanity.

 Walnuts may help reduce not only the risk of prostate cancer, but breast cancer as well. In one study, mice that ate the human equivalent of 2.4 ounces of whole walnuts for 18 weeks had significantly smaller and slower-growing prostate tumors compared to the control group that consumed the same amount of fat but from other sources. Overall the whole walnut diet reduced prostate cancer growth by 30 to 40 percent. According to another study on mice, the human equivalent of just two handfuls of walnuts a day cut breast cancer risk in half, and slowed tumor growth by 50 percent as well. 

 Walnuts contain the amino acid l-arginine, which offers multiple vascular benefits to people with heart disease, or those who have increased risk of heart disease due to multiple cardiac risk factors. If you struggle with herpes, you may want to avoid or limit walnuts, as high levels of arginine can deplete the amino acid lysine, which can trigger herpes recurrences.

 Walnuts also contain the plant-based omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is anti-inflammatory and may prevent the formation of pathological blood clots. Research shows that people who eat a diet high in ALA are less likely to have a fatal heart attack and have a nearly 50 percent lower risk of sudden cardiac death. Eating just four walnuts a day has been shown to significantly raise blood levels of heart-healthy ALA, and walnut consumption supports healthful cholesterol levels.  

 Antioxidants are crucial to your health, as they are believed to help control how fast you age by combating free radicals, which are at the heart of age-related deterioration. Walnuts contain several unique and powerful antioxidants that are available in only a few commonly eaten foods. This includes the quinone juglone, the tannin tellimagrandin, and the flavonol morin. Walnuts contain antioxidants that are so powerful at free-radical scavenging that researchers called them "remarkable,"  and research has shown that walnut polyphenols may help prevent chemically-induced liver damage.

 Adding healthful amounts of nuts such as walnuts to your diet can help you to maintain your ideal weight over time. In one review of 31 trials, those whose diets included extra nuts or nuts substituted for other foods lost about 1.4 extra pounds and half an inch from their waists. Eating walnuts is also associated with increased satiety after just three days. 

 One of the less-known benefits of walnuts is their impact on male fertility. Among men who consume a Western-style diet, adding 75 grams (a bit over one-half cup) of walnuts daily significantly improved sperm quality, including vitality, motility, and morphology. Walnuts contain a number of neuroprotective compounds, including vitamin E, folate, melatonin, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants. Research shows walnut consumption may support brain health, including increasing inferential reasoning in young adults.

 One study also found that consuming high-antioxidant foods like walnuts "can decrease the enhanced vulnerability to oxidative stress that occurs in aging," "increase health span," and also "enhance cognitive and motor function in aging." The beneficial dietary fat in walnuts has been shown to improve metabolic parameters in people with type 2 diabetes. Overweight adults with type 2 diabetes who ate one-quarter cup of walnuts daily had significant reductions in fasting insulin levels compared to those who did not, and the benefit was achieved in the first three months.

 The outermost layer of a shelled walnut – the whitish, flaky (or sometimes waxy) part – has a bitter flavor, but resists the urge to remove it. It's thought that up to 90 percent of the antioxidants in walnuts are found in the skin, making it one of the healthiest parts to consume. To increase the positive impacts on your health, look for nuts that are organic and raw, not irradiated or pasteurized. 

Read More