By Harvey A. Risch, MD, PHD As a professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, I have authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and currently hold senior positions on the editorial boards of several leading journals. I am usually accustomed to advocating for positions within the mainstream of medicine, so have been flummoxed to find that, in the midst of a crisis, I am fighting for a treatment that the data fully support but which, for reasons having nothing to do with a correct understanding of the science, has been pushed to the sidelines. As a result, tens of…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Honey is more effective and less harmful than usual care for improving symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, particularly cough frequency and cough severity, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous studies, published in the journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine. Upper respiratory tract infections are the most frequent reason for antibiotic prescription. Since the majority of these infections are viral, antibiotic prescription is both ineffective and inappropriate. However, a lack of effective alternatives and a desire to preserve the patient-doctor relationship both contribute to antibiotic over prescription. “Honey is a well known traditional therapy for symptoms of upper…
The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on Friday, August 21, 2020 approved several new projects, including one for Côte d’Ivoire that marks the first time the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has helped an African country obtain a grant from the international entity. Along with the $11.8 million approval for Côte d’Ivoire, other two FAO-led projects in Armenia and Colombia, for a total amount of $58.5 million, including $10.5 million in co-financing, received approval from the Green Climate Fund, a global platform mandated to invest in low-emission and climate-resilient development. “These approvals show that FAO is…
By Joseph Opoku Gakpo Restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have prompted a revival of locally produced food in Africa. As border closures make imported foods more expensive and harder to get, and political leaders rally support for the local agricultural economy, African consumers are showing renewed interest in local foods. “I wish the farmers could go and stay in their farms so that we can produce what we need sufficiently so that we don’t have to import,” Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari told the media in Abuja. “In any case, we don’t have money to import so we must produce…
By Nkechi Isaac Africa’s cotton farmers are struggling to recoup their investments because they lack access to quality seeds that can increase yields and profits. “I have spent about N5 million, an equivalent of over US$12,000, in farming in the previous season and I am worried if I’ll be able to make enough profit to cover my investment,” lamented Alhaji Salmanu Abdullahi, a cotton farmer in Nigeria. Abdullahi and other cotton farmers say that despite all their efforts, they’re harvesting less than half a ton per hectare. Meanwhile, their South African counterparts are getting 1.5 to 2 tonnes per hectare by…
In order to curb insecurity in Zamfara state, Governor Bello Muhammad has secured the establishment of three Information and Communication Technology, ICT, hubs from the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. A statement by the Director General Media, Public Enlightenment and Communication, Yusuf Idris Gusau made available to Ashenewsonline on Friday said the development was sequel to the governor’s visit to the Minister, Dr. Ali Isah Pantami at his office in Abuja. According to the statement, the Governor requested the Ministry to support his administration’s efforts in the fight against banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling and other forms of…
The Police in Lagos, have arrested Gbenga Taiwo, a 40-year-old father and widower for allegedly raping his 15-year old daughter. Taiwo, who lives in a rented apartment at Baruwa, Ipaja area of Lagos, is reported to have constantly been molesting his daughter since she was 13. City Round reports that the girl reported her father to their landlord and later to her uncle. The matter was reported at the Ipaja Police Station and Taiwo was arrested last Saturday. The Coordinator of Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, Mr Ebenezer Omejalile, told City Round that Taiwo claimed to have suspected…
The Shehu Maikoli Foundation has organized a stakeholders’ Dialogue as part of the activities to mark this year’s International Humanitarian Day. This is contained in statement by Aliyu Abubakar Shehu, Information Management Officer of the Foundation, made available to Ashenewsonline on Friday. Themed: “Shaping the Narratives of Almajiri and Child Abuse”, the stressed the need for domesticating policies and approaches to the perennial challenge of Almajiri syndrome. Speaking during the virtual dialogue the founder and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Altine Kajiji, said “the aim and objectives of the foundation is to assist humanity in the area of education, health, poverty eradication, peaceful…
Air strikes by the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole, under the subsidiary Operation Hail Storm, have showered rockets on Boko Haram attack-lauching pads at Warshale. A statement by the Spokesperson of the Defense Headquarters, DHQ, Major General John Enenche on Friday said “the latest of these is the destruction of several Boko Haram Terrorists’ (BHTs’) structures and neutralization of their fighters at Warshale in the Northern part of Borno State on 19 August 2020. “The mission was executed after credible intelligence reports and series of aerial surveillance missions established that the settlement was one of those being…
This week, I am indulging myself and venturing into the strange world of REALITY TV. As we all know, once again, Big Brother Naija is the most exciting happening thing for the Nigerian youth today. I first got curious about it when in February, I saw a video that had gone viral about a “normal”, (of course I have no idea what normal means), respectable church going lady declaring her love to be on Big Brother – she did not fit the profile in my head. The profile in my head is that everybody I hear speaking about it says…