Category: Health & Environment

Millard Fuller Foundation Wins Affordable Housing Award 2017

For the second consecutive year, the Millard Fuller Foundation has won the award for the Affordable Housing Project of the Year 2017 at the 11th Abuja Housing Show/Nigeria Housing Awards organised by FESADEB Communications.

The award was set up to encourage competition and competitive pricing in the Housing Construction Industry and to recognize the efforts of both established and up-coming organization in the Housing/Construction Sector in Nigeria.

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Vicfold Recyclers Wins 2017 #youforG20 Competition

Vicfold Recyclers project in Nigeria has won the #youforG20 competition. The initiative champions recycling plastic waste. At the same time, it creates job opportunities. In the federal state of Kwara, Vicfold Recyclers has established a network of deposit points and plastic collectors; engaging unemployed women and young people to gather empty bottles and other waste products and in this way, they earn a little money. As a result, countless families have now managed to improve their incomes.

The concept won over the six-person jury consisting of representatives of the German Foreign Office and the editorial desk of deutschland.de as well as the testimonials of the campaign. Vicfold Recyclers will receive financial support totalling 15,000 Euro to help move the project forward.

More than 220 initiatives from all over the world competed in the #youforG20 competition. The call was for projects that in a very emphatic manner tackled a social or economic issue, or a matter of environmental policy and help improve people’s living conditions.

Sandra Musujusu Develops Treatment for Breast Cancer [2017]

Sandra Musujusu, a student of the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja, has developed an alternative treatment for breast cancer.

AUST is hosting one of the Centres of Excellence, known as Pan African Material Institute (PAMI), with research focus: electrical power, disease detection and treatment.

Sandra Musujusu’s research, using macromolecular science is aimed at developing bio-degradable polymer material which could be used as alternative for the treatment of breast cancer in the near future.

Musujusu, a Sierra-Leonean national is conducting the research under the sponsorship of the Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI).

According to Sandra Musujusu:

“My research is actually centred on the development of bio-degradable polymers for treatment of breast cancer.

I will be focusing on triple negative breast cancer which is actually the aggressive sub-type of breast cancer that is common with women from African ancestry.

I believe there is a bright future for Africa, and as a woman there is much more we can do if we are empowered. This award given to me by PAMI has empowered me to face my studies with more confidence and actually contribute to the frontier of knowledge and move Africa forward.”

The World Bank Education Director, Dr. Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi with his team visited the University (AUST) as part of his assessment tour of the 10 African Centres of Excellence (ACE) centres.

The World Bank has committed about $10 billion for the ACE project in Nigeria, as part of efforts to encourage conduct of cutting-edge research and specialisation of the beneficiaries institutions in specific development problems faced in Nigeria and indeed the African continent.

Out of 19 African Centres of Excellence, 10 Nigerian tertiary institutions won slots to churn out special research works that could compete effectively with global standards.

The ACE universities include Redeemers University, Mowe; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Jos, Jos; University of Benin and African University of Science and Technology, Abuja; University of Port-Harcourt; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; Bayero University, Kano; Benue State University, Makurdi; and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

The impact of ACE is evident with Redeemers University, which served as the testing site during the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria in the year 2014, before it was brought under control.

 

2017 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA)

Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) is an annual event, which celebrates distinguished personalities and organisations who have contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian health sector in the year under review.

Winners of the 2017 Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA)

1. Lifetime Achievement Award
• Prof. (Mrs.) Ibironke Akinsete
• Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa

2. Nursing & Midwifery Excellence Award of the Year
• Prof. Ezekiel Olasunkanmi Ajao (Babcock University)

3. Outstanding State Healthcare Programme of the Year
• Delta State Contributory Health Insurance Scheme

4. Healthcare Media Excellence Award – Print
• Pharmanews

5. Healthcare Media Excellence Award – Electronic
• Mary Alale-Yusuf (Channels TV)

6. Healthcare Friendly Financial Institution of the Year
• Diamond Bank Plc

7. Private Healthcare Provider of the Year
• Lagoon Hospitals

8. Private Laboratory Service Provider of the Year
• Pathcare Laboratories – Lagos

9. Radiology Service Provider of the Year
• Clinix Healthcare – Lagos

10. Health Maintenance Organisation of the Year
• Total Health Trust Limited (a member of Liberty Holdings South Africa)

11. PharmAccess Innovative Healthcare Service Provider of the Year
• SaferMom

12. IVF Service Provider of the Year
• Nordica Fertility

13. Dialysis Service Provider of the Year
• Renal Dialysis Centre

14. Eye care Service Provider of the Year
• Eye Foundation Hospital

15. Dental Service Provider of the Year
• Smiles 360 Dental Specialist

16. Physiotherapy Service Provider of the Year
• Body Mechanics Physiotherapy and Wellness Centre

17. Tertiary Healthcare provider of the Year
• Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano

18. Healthcare Information Technology Provider of the Year
• Armpersand Logistics

19. Biomedical Engineering Service Provider of the Year
• GE Healthcare

20. Laboratory Equipment Marketing Company of the Year
• DCL Laboratory Product Ltd. – Abuja

21. Hospital Equipment Marketing Company of the Year
• JNC International

22. Pharmaceutical Retail Outlet of the Year
• Medplus Pharmacy

23. Pharmaceutical (Manufacturer) Operation Excellence
Company of the Year
• Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited

The awards were [largely] determined by an independent jury team, votes from the e-voting platform, and the final decision of the Advisory Committee of NHEA.

Akinwumi Adesina Honored With 2017 Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award

The President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, has been honored with the 2017 Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award by the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF) in Washington, DC.

The 2017 Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award is in recognition of Adesina’s life-long work towards advancing agricultural development, which has contributed significantly to food security, particularly in Africa.

“A champion of nutrition, Dr. Adesina co-hosted the first official meeting of the African Leaders for Nutrition in 2016, and serves on the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition,” the organisation said.

In his acceptance speech, Akinwumi Adesina underscored the importance of food, nutrition and the need to banish hunger and famine in a world full of surplus food and over-consumption, where annual food losses in developing countries are estimated to be US $310 billion.

In Africa’s case, food wasted can feed 300 million people in a continent where 250 million do not have enough food each day, he said, emphasizing the need to reduce food losses along the food chain, improve food distribution and target supplementary food supplies to poorer households.

“It is not just a social issue or just a health issue. Economic progress in the continent is being undermined by malnutrition which costs African economies around 11% of GDP annually – at least $25 billion annually in Sub-Saharan Africa. Malnutrition leaves a lasting legacy of pain and loss. Stunted children today leads to stunted economies tomorrow,” he said. In the course of a distinguished career as agricultural economist, development expert, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and President of the AfDB, Adesina has spared no effort to make agriculture the centre-piece of economic transformation, jobs creation and overall well-being of people.

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina concluded his remarks by quoting the renowned Greek physician, Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food”.

The 2017 Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award complements a long list of global laurels earned for Adesina’s leadership and work in agriculture. In 2010, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appointed him as one of 17 global leaders to spearhead the Millennium Development Goals, along with Bill Gates, the Spanish Prime Minister and the President of Rwanda. He was named Person of the Year by Forbes Africa magazine in 2013.

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation is a network of governments, businesses, and civil society organizations working together to support school meal programs that help children and communities thrive. GCNF provides training, technical assistance, and networking opportunities to help governments build national school meal programs that are nutritious, locally-sourced, and ultimately independent from international aid.

The Award for Child Nutrition was created in 2004 to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the worldwide dream of ending childhood hunger. The award is given in the name of Gene White, who has dedicated her life to the nutrition and well-being of children.

AGCPN-Clinical Trial Africa And NAFDAC Honour Health Experts [2017]

Foremost Nigerian vaccinologist and virology Dr. Simon Agwale, Professor Folakemi Odedina and Professor Uche Amazigo have been honored by AGCPN-Clinical Trial Africa And NAFDAC.

They are honoured with innovative awards in recognition of their innovations in health and economic development of Nigeria.

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Redeemer’s University (ACEGID) Develop 10-Minute Ebola & Lassa Fever Virus Test Kits

Scientists at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, have developed and patented two rapid diagnosis test kits for the Ebola Virus Disease and Lassa fever virus.

According to the University, the kits are able to detect the virus in human body fluids in 10 minutes.

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