A suspected cholera outbreak has claimed 12 lives in Mubi North and Mubi South local government areas of Adamawa state, according to an official of the state Ministry of Health. The Head of Emergency Operation Centre and Director Public Health in the ministry, Dr Bwalki Dilli made this known to newsmen in Yola on Tuesday. Dilli said about suspected 134 cases had so far been reported from the two local government areas. “For now we are in a period of suspected cholera outbreak in two local government areas of Mubi North and Mubi South. We quickly rushed to the local…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
As a way of improving its Renewable Energy effort to deemphasize dependence on the national grid, the Centre for Renewable Energy Technology (CRET) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure has developed solar-powered generators- FUTA Solar Box I and FUTA Solar Box 2. The generators of various capacities which components include Lithium Polymer Battery, Inverter, Change Controller, Socket Outlet, Fuse and Switches can power Television set, fan and a number of bulbs for a minimum of five hours at a go. Presenting the generators to the University Management led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, the Director of CRET, Prof.…
Here’s the story of its discovery—and its limitations By Emily Underwood *Update, 18 May, 10 a.m.: Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationapproved the first in a new class of drugs designed to prevent migraines. This feature, originally published on 7 January 2016, describes the history of these drugs, the powerful relief they can bring some patients, and the limitations that still exist with them. As long as she can remember, 53-year-old Rosa Sundquist has tallied the number of days per month when her head explodes with pain. The migraines started in childhood and have gotten worse as she’s grown older. Since 2008, they have incapacitated…
The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) says it has created an online portal on animal genetic resources to improve scientific findings in the country. The Project Lead, Animal Genetic Resources at NABDA, who is also the Secretary, National Advisory Committee of Animal Genetic Resources in Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Popoola disclosed this in Abuja on Friday. According to him, many scientists in the country were doing different things in different parts of the country which was not documented anywhere. He said the decision to create the portal came at a stakeholders’ meeting where scientists insisted it was necessary to have an…
The Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Yola, Nigeria says it has successful separated a conjoint female twins. The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Auwal Muhammed disclosed this at a news conference on Friday in Yola. “We have a successful separation of conjoint female twins (Omphilopagus). The development is recorded following a team work from different medical units,’’ Muhammed said. He said that the surgery was conducted on May 14, adding that the chance of survival of the twins was “excellent’’. According to the medical director, it took four hours for the medical team to separate them and the separation…
The Katsina State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said on Friday that six persons were killed in Kastina metropolis and environs by a windstorm which occurred in the area Thursday evening. The Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Aminu Waziri who disclosed this during a media briefing in Katsina, said 500 houses were also damaged by the disaster, adding that five persons sustained various degrees of injuries while properties worth over N100 million were also destroyed. “The areas affected were Shinkafi, Modoji, Ambassador, Makera, Kampany and Kambarawa, located at outskirts of the metropolis. The Army Barracks and the Air Force Base were…
Kenya on Thursday announced an elaborate plan to eliminate trachoma, elephantiasis, mother to child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis. The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Ms Sicily Kariuki said the government had formed teams to work on modalities of helping eradicate tropical neglected diseases. “The elimination of Guinea worm and smallpox in the country is an indication that these diseases to can be eliminated,’’ Kariuki told journalists in Nairobi. According to her, the teams would be officially announced in the next 10 days to start making modalities on elimination of the diseases, noting that Kenya was keen on eliminating trachoma,…
A joint study by University of Newcastle in Australia and University of Science and Technology in China can lead to innovative new approach to treating cancer, lead Investigator Professor, Xudong Zhang of University of Newcastle, said. He says while global research usually focuses on two per cent of human Genome, ignoring the non-functioning cancer cells, scientists involved in the collaborative project decided to investigate the noncoding genes known as ncRNA. He says “it seems the unorthodox approach worked, with researchers identifying two unique pathways that can lead to the development of new, more targeted cancer therapies. “One of these ncRNA genes,…
The Country Director of HarvestPlus Nigeria, Dr. Paul Ilona says the NGO was working to meet the nutritional needs of about 100 million Nigerians by the year 2030. In an interview on Thursday in Lagos, he said that the food culture in Nigeria had made it challenging for people to stay healthy because the diets consisted mainly of carbohydrates, thereby lacking in other essential nutrients the body requires. “We’re looking at 100 million Nigerians consuming more nutritious staple foods by the year 2030. We’re not looking at consumers in the urban areas but more of those in the rural areas who…
Research undertaken in South Africa’s Kruger National Park (KNP) has shown that some of the world’s most sensitive and valuable riverine habitats are being destroyed due to an increasing frequency of cyclone-driven extreme floods. As part of a Natural Environmental Research Council (UK) funded project, researchers from the universities of Hull, Aberystwyth, and Salford and the engineering consultants “Architecture, Engineering, Consulting, Operations, and Maintenance” (AECOM), used laser survey technology (LiDAR) flown from an aircraft, to measure the impacts of cyclone-driven extreme floods in 2000 and 2012 on rivers in the KNP. The KNP game reserve has global significance for its…