Singapore - Below is the remark of Dr Tedros  Adhanom Ghebreyes, Director -  General World Health Organisation ( WHO) at the International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2019 Congress at Singapore Nurses and midwives make up almost half of the world’s health workforce. They are important not just because of their numbers, but because of the vast range of health services they provide. They are the hands and feet of delivering safe, effective, respectful and quality care. We can have the best medicines, the best diagnostics, the best hospitals and the best health insurance, but if we don’t have Health Workers delivering safe, effective, people-centred care, we don’t have a health system. Health Workers are not a cost, they’re an investment – an investment that pays a triple return for health, gender equality and economic growth. Together, we can ensure that nurses and midwives get the education, the training, the jobs, the conditions, the opportunities, the dignity an...

Nigeria - "Mummy I want Pizza" The young boy cried "Shut up, is pizza food?" "Just leave me alone, mummy please." Tears trickled down Felicia's eyes as both kids argue. "Mummy don't mind him instead of him to ask what we will have for dinner, he's talking about pizza". Felicia wept bitterly and told the children to be patient that she will go and get something for them to eat, with a heavy heart and eyes she walked a very long distance in the big city of Portharcourt, to make matters worse it rained cats and dogs but the strong maternal instincts kept pushing Felicia, even the rain couldn't stop her. She found her way to the elites estate and security officer stopped her. "Who do you wish to see madam?" "Mr. Desmond Briggs". "Okay what's your name?" "Felicia, Felicia Okara". "Alright just a minute.Hello sir , a woman by the name Felicia Okara is here to see yo...

JAMAICA'S health care system will benefit from the injection of more than 100 doctors and well over 200 nurses — all coming from Cuba The  Jamaica Observer  was informed last week that a 12-member team of Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness personnel went to Cuba between June 5 and 14 to recruit the Cubans in order to fill a major shortage of health care personnel here, specifically for doctors, nurses and technicians, including imaging technologists.           Image: flags online.fr Interviews were all done in English and held in the socialist country's capital city of Havana, with candidates drawn from all parts of the north Caribbean island for the exercise. Overall, 253 nurses, 193 doctors and 46 technicians were interviewed. The Health and Wellness Ministry has since confirmed that it will process 212 nurses, 108 doctors, and 24 technicians. A further 30 doctors will be given lessons in English to see whether or not they will also ...

Nigeria - "Look I don't subscribe to you keeping late nights, you know the insecurity  problem is going from bad to worse, Kingsley please quit night crawling", Rose beseeched. "WOMAN! It is not in your place to tell me when to go out or when to come in". Kingsley slurred and walked out on her. "Dear  Lord, please protect my husband and let him quit this night crawling, I don't know why he doesn't listen to me, he wasn't like this before, it all started when he met Phillips". Rose was busy stocking up her shop when her phone rang. "Hello". "Yes? Who's is this?" "I am a police officer, we found this phone on someone and one of the numbers he dialed recently was sweetheart, are you his wife?" "Yes I am sir, where is he? What happened", Rose said in a trembling voice "I am sorry madam, he died in a hotel, please meet us at After Life Morgue and  ..  ". Rose fainted and her...

Nigeria - "Doctor please do something, my daughter is always falling sick, to make it worse she's always complaining of joining pains, I mean excruciating pains" "At first I thought it was malaria but at this point we need to do  a genotype test." "Are you by any means suggesting that she's a sickler? Cos that's not possible, yes I am AS but my husband is AA, I insisted we did it during courtship", Tamuno explained with confidence. "Well madam, the test results will confirm it,let's carry it out." "Alright no harm in trying." The blood sample was taken and Tamuno kept wondering what the problem could be. "My daughter can't be SS that doctor just wants to make money,but what could the problem be? Is it a spiritual attack? I am sure my step mum must be behind it, if the doctor can't see anything I will have to take her to the church". Tamuno said to herself. "Mrs Bitrus" "Yes?...

France - French hospital emergency room staff across France, including in Paris, have been on strike for three months with the support of the main unions, such as the hard left CGT, Sud and Force Ouvriere.   This is despite the efforts of French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn who this week announced emergency measures in a bid to stop the strikes.  So, why are they protesting? French hospital emergency staff are demanding more staff and more resources, such as beds, as well as a re-evaluation of their salaries and a €300 monthly bonus in recognition of the tough conditions they face at work.  They say their working conditions are putting them under severe strain and putting patients in danger.  The strikes began three months ago, in mid-March, at Saint Antoine Hospital after a series of attacks against staff, and they have since spread to 80 emergency services. What have the strikes involved? Paramedics, doctors, nurses and recepti...

Belgium - The number of foreign nurses in Belgium decreased for the first time since 2013, according to Federal Public Health figures published today in De Tijd. In 2017, there were 8,432 non-Belgian nurses working in the country, a number on steady increase since 2013. In 2018 there were 8,164 — a slight decrease. Belgium has been trying for years to attract nurses from other countries in order to address the staff shortage. Other countries, however, are now facing the same problem. The Brussels Times

Uganda - A new case of first Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in Uganda. Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the Regional Director for Africa WHO stated that "Sad to hear of the first confirmed case of Ebola in Uganda - a child who had traveled from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. He is receiving treatment. The World Health Organization has sent a rapid response team with the Ministry of Health Uganda to prevent further spread of the disease."

I had only a faint memory of the name of the disease I had heard during my medical schooling. Noma? Cancrum oris? I couldn’t quite remember… Inspiration Sometime in 2011, I attended a meeting organised by the Association of Plastic Surgeons near my hometown in India. There I heard a motivational presentation about MSF’s medical humanitarian work in various countries. Immediately after the meeting I approached the speaker and initiated the process to start working with MSF. After several months of waiting and lots of paperwork, I was called for an interview in New Delhi and soon enough I was offered my first assignment. I was thrilled! Getting matched My first assignment was to be Gaza in 2017, working as a reconstructive burns surgeon. However, it had been abruptly called off because of security concerns restricting our access. As a plastic reconstructive surgeon, my options with MSF in my field of choice were limited. I preferred not to opt for ...

Dear colleagues, The Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research (GFMER) in collaboration with the World Health Organisation’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research/Human Reproduction Programme and other partners announces the 2019 online training course in adolescent sexual and reproductive health.   This course provides health professionals with knowledge, skills and competencies in adolescent sexual and reproductive health, especially for those health care providers whose access to learning is limited by time, financial resources or other constraints and for whom access to quality education in the field of sexual and reproductive health is limited. With this training program, participants will learn first-hand about the day-to-day and long-term challenges in the field of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Training course in adolescent sexual and reproductive health Objectives of the course   To build knowledge and understanding in the following...

Nigeria - Wife of Kebbi State Governor H.E Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu has called on pregnant women to to attend regular antenatal care and have supervised or hospital based deliveries. She made the call on the 30th of May 2019 during a visit to Hajiya Safiya Mohammed, who gave birth to triplets at the Fati Lami Hospital, Birnin-Kebbi Hon Zara'u Wali who represented the wife of the governor said Northern women must adopt birth spacing and learn skills. She then made gift presentations on behalf of the Dr Bagudu. She said the gifts items were presented to support the parents. The father of the triplets, Mallam Umaru Abubakar an Islamic teacher could not hold back his joy as he thanked the First Lady for the kindness shown to them. Meanwhile Safiya disclosed that she had an ultrasound scan and knew she was expecting triplets but didn’t attend regular antenatal and delivered the babies at home. However, she was rushed to Sir Yahaya Hospital when bleeding post deliv...

A Presentation On The National Health Act (NHA 2014) By Chief Ignatius T. Ahula A TALK ON THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL HEALTH ACT (NHA 2014) DELIVERED BY CHIEF IGNATIUS T. AHULA FWACN TO NURSES AND MIDWIVES DURING THE MCPDP AT THE SCHOOL OF NURSING MAKURDI FROM 27TH -31ST MAY, 2019 Protocol/Introduction I wish to thank our State Chairman of NANNM for inviting me to give a talk on the Nigeria Health Act and Members of the Central Planning Committee for agreeing that I should come. The National Health Act (NHA) as a piece of legislation was passed by the 7th Assembly and was signed into law by the former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on the 9th of December, 2014. The interpretation of the Act falls within the jurisdiction of the law and the courts but its application to our practice is what shall concern us. Therefore, we shall be looking at the Act to see how it touches on our practice and our services. But before we do that let us look at the highlights of the act and...