The Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development, Oyo State Assembly, Dr Olufunke Olajide says, every Nigerian should strive for a community where girls can thrive without fear of being mutilated.
Dr Olajide stated this in Ibadan at a news conference commemorating the 2026 International Day of Zero tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation,FGM.
She explained that FGM posed a great threat to the girl child with its immediate and long-term complications including; psychosocial, emotional, unhealthy and imbalance among other challenges.
Dr Olajide explained that the House of Assembly would ensure across administrations, the implementation of policies that would drive progress towards the sustainance of 2030 zero tolerance for FGM.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Kehinde Ayinde observed that any act embedded in religion and tradition was always difficult to eradicate.
Representative of the Oyo state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr Biodun Olaikomo emphasized the need for the media to create more awareness on ending FGM, calling on desk officers to be present in every local government where victims could report to.
In an address of welcome, the Executive Director, Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health, Professor Oladosu,Ojengbed, noted that the promise to end female Genital Mutilation stood at a decisive moment as the world approaches 2030.
Oyo State has recorded five deaths from 25 confirmed cases and 121 suspected cases of Lassa fever infection between January 2022 and January 5th, 2023.
Director, Primary Health Care, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Bunmi Ayinde stated this at a 4-day review meeting and planning of USAIDS Breakthrough Action Nigeria Programmes.
She said five health workers were among the persons who died from Lassa fever within the period, wherein 105 cases recovered and 96 were tested for Lassa fever.
Dr Ayinde stated that in January 2023, three suspected Lassa fever cases were recorded, with one turning out positive and dying from the infection.
According to her, the three local government areas with a high risk of Lassa fever in Oyo State were Iwajowa, Kajola and Orelope local government council areas.
“We have had 121 suspected cases in the last year; suspected cases are those that had symptoms but were not confirmed. Out of those cases that were probably suspected cases, we had a mortality of 10. We had 105 recovered cases and in all, we tested 96 cases. The 96 tested negative for Lassa fever. These were cases between January 2022 and January 5th, 2023,” she said.
Dr Ayinde declared that cases of Lassa fever in the state were from the consumption of contaminated foods with body fluids of infected multimammate rats which tend to occur more during the dry season when these rats come into residential areas looking for food.
According to her, “we have encouraged health care providers to maintain a high index of suspicion and to have an infection prevention control in place when attending to all patients; no matter who the patient is or the case before them.
“If you test a client for malaria and the client is negative, you should have a high suspicion of other possible causes, one of which is a viral hemorrhagic fever.”
Dr Ayinde said Nigerians should keep their edible foods in tightly covered containers, away from rats; maintain a clean environment and avoid self-medication.
In her opening remarks, Oyo State Coordinator for USAID Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Mrs Toyin Afachang urged the media to help increase awareness of Lassa fever, its causes, symptoms and prevention and what to do in suspected cases.
According to her, “USAID Breakthrough Action Nigeria is currently supporting the airing of Hausa, Yoruba, Fulfulde and English jingles, targeting communities in a language they can understand.
“What we are doing at this review meeting is to integrate all of these programmatic areas- malaria, tuberculosis, COVID-19 vaccination, Lassa fever and now diphtheria into one and educate our media partners on them and they can in turn help to educate our population on their prevention.
Mrs Oluwatoyin Afachung who stressed the importance of keeping COVID-19 Vaccination card noted that efforts must be intensified to awareness against the menace.
The media review meeting was attended by participants drawn from electronic, print and online media platforms continues.
Addressing poverty, insecurity and economic challenges will enhance good nutrition nationwide, especially among women and children.
This was the submission of Stakeholders at a programme on Advocacy, Orientation and Consultative with High-Level Nutrition State Actors on Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition Programme Coordination and Implementation.
The event was held at the Oyo State Ministry of Health Conference Room, Ibadan.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning of Oyo State and Chairman of Nutrition Programme in the State, Mr Ademola Ajibola explained that for the country to achieve a balanced diet, it was necessary to encourage people to engage in small farming activities in their environments to reduce cases of Malnutrition.
“For us to get a balanced diet I think it is important for to us encourage small farming in our household. When we have a small farm at the back of our house it would be useful for us to complement the ones we bought at the market”.
Speaking in the same vein, Chairman, Oluyole Local Government, Mr Olaide Settle emphasized that governments needed to look inward for other approaches to achieve good nutrition and create sensitization programmes at the grassroots.
Also speaking, a pharmacist, Zubairu Umaru from the Federal Ministry of Health said the government is saddled with the responsibility of reducing malnutrition in the country with the procurement of ready-to-use therapeutic food to malnourished children.
“Our target is to reduce malnutrition to the barest minimum we cannot completely eliminate malnutrition and we would reduce it by 20 percent due to economic and poverty challenges.
Mr Umar who commended Oyo State Government for giving priority to nutrition in its yearly budget noted that the state had the highest number of malnourished children in the Southwest.
“The visit to Oyo State was because it has the highest burden of malnutrition in Southwest, and secondly, I want to commend Governor Seyi Makinde for keying into nutrition funding by including it in its yearly budget”.
Oyo state Coordinator of Nutrition, Mrs Omolara Oladeji said Nutrition is a collective effort in tackling the menace of malnutrition.
“I want all hands to be on deck to reduce malnutrition in Oyo “
Mrs Oladeji noted that Oyo State was selected among the 12 States to implement the nutrition project, and appreciated Governor Makinde for his efforts on it.
In an effort to raise more awareness against the scourge of malaria in Oyo state a United States Agency, Breakthrough Action Nigeria in partnership with Oyo state ministry of health has taken campaign to schools.
The campaign which was organized in form of interschool essay competition was aimed at promoting the practise of positive malaria prevention behaviour in school children.
In an address, a health promotion officer, Oyo state ministry of health, Mrs Folasade Oladele said eradicating malaria in Nigeria is achievable if people can adhere to preventive measures.
Also speaking, Oyo state coordinator, Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Mrs Oluwatoyin Afachung said the competition was a new strategy to work with school children with a view to catch them young.
She Advised the students to build on their grammar by cultivating the habit of book reading.
In an opening address, Project coordinator, School Social and Behavioural change programme, Mrs Funlola Amosu said the pupils were targeted to become mobilisers for campaign against malaria.
In the junior category, Oguntade Semilore and Olawoye Iyanuoluwa both from Immanuel High School, Ibadan came first and second while adeniyi ajibola from Umani Alaga secondary school came third
In the Senior category, Olusola Abigail from Immanuel grammar School, clinched the first position, Adebayo Omotolani came second and oAbdulamid jamiu, Umani alaga high school came third.
Oyo State government has put the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in all the 33 local governments on red alert to institute preventive measures and sensitize health workers to promptly respond to outbreak of cholera in the event of any occurrence.
The Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ayoola Adebisi stated this while addressing newsmen on the containment of the disease in Oyo State.
Dr. Adebisi who confirmed the outbreak of cholera cases in Kisi, the headquarters of Irepo Local Government Area, Destitute Center in Akinyele Local Government, and a remote area in Ido local government said, the cases had been brought under control.
Dr. Ayoola who assured the populace of effective preparedness for the prevention of cholera outbreaks, hinted that health professionals in public and private hospitals have been charged to promptly respond to outbreaks of cholera in the event of any occurrence.
He advised that suspected individuals with the disease should be referred to the nearest government hospitals for free and quality care.
An ambulance belonging to Oyo State Ministry of Health was gutted by fire on yesterday evening directly beside the Central Bank of Nigeria, Ibadan Branch at Dugbe.
Radio Nigeria correspondent, who was at the scene of the incident, reports that the driver of the vehicle discovered the engine was malfunctioning and stopped on the spot to attend to the vehicle, before it eventually caught fire.
The fire which lasted for few minutes destroyed the engine and inner seats of the vehicle.
It took the intervention of the fire service of the CBN to put out the fire.
The ambulance was later towed after two hours of the incident.
