Juliana Innocent lives in Unwaba-Oju, a village in Otahe Ward of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State in the North-central region of Nigeria. The closest community with a primary health care centre to her village is Ogobia, which lies at the end of a 70 km unpaved road. “While going to Ogobia for antenatal care in March 2021, I had an accident that fractured my leg and hurt my back,” she narrated. Months later when Mrs Innocent delivered a boy, the baby had tremor, an abnormal rhythmic shaking in the arms, feet, hands, head and legs of newborns. “I took the baby to hospital in Ogobia and the doctor said that he was suffering from low blood sugar. We were on admission for two weeks,” she said. But she could not keep up with the baby’s treatment schedule due to the distance of the hospital from her home. “Because of the distance and financial difficulties, I was using herbs and, unfortunately, the baby passed away eight months after delivery.” Mrs Innocent said most people in Unwaba-Oju use traditional herbs when they could not travel to the towns to access health care. “Sometimes you may have money for hospital bills but you may not be able to pay for transport,” she said. Only two of her own seven children were delivered in the hospital. “I had the two when Unwaba-Oju Healthcare Centre was functioning.” Challenges of accessing healthcare in rural Benue communities Mrs Innocent is a victim of the poor state of the primary healthcare system in Benue State. Accessing care can be a life-threatening ordeal, especially for people in the rural areas of the state where the burden of disease is disproportionately high. In some communities, pregnant women and their children travel more than 50 kilometres on motorcycles to access care. This undermines the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target 3.8, and the Nigerian government’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a journey towards making basic healthcare services accessible to citizens through primary healthcare centres. In May 2024, this reporter visited four local government areas in the state to assess their PHCs. The findings are depressing. PHC Unwaba-Oju, Otahe Ward, Otukpo LGA Mrs Innocent’s community of Unwaba-Oju once had a PHC. But residents said it has been abandoned for over a decade. Most of the windows of the dilapidated three-bedroom bungalow were either smashed in or missing. The facility was covered by cobwebs, dirt and dust and had become home for cats, lizards, rats and spiders. Inside the building were abandoned medical equipment, rusted metal bed frames and dirt-covered mattresses. ‘Help us’ “Lack of access to healthcare has affected our community, especially pregnant women and children. When there’s an emergency, we take the patient to neighbouring communities but sometimes there are no means (of transportation),” Sunday Anyebe , the community’s youth leader, told this reporter. “Our women depend on traditional birth attendants and sometimes there are complications and fatalities.” Mr Anyebe appealed to the state government to address the healthcare challenges of the community. “We are appealing to our governor, Reverend. Hyacinth Alia, to come to our aid,” he said. “This community has been without a healthcare facility for more than 10 years. The government should pity our women and children and provide healthcare services and facilities to enhance their quality of life,” Mr Anyebe said. PHC Tse-Indyer, Logo LGA Zugwem Udoji, a 27-year-old housewife, lost her twins during childbirth at the PHC in Tse-Indyer. She said the facility “crushed my opportunity of becoming a mother of twins.” Mrs Udoji said she was six months pregnant when she had a miscarriage. “I woke up that morning in February 2023 to an intense pain around my lower abdomen. When my husband took me to the clinic, there was no medicine to relieve me from the pains.” Mrs Udoji said before the miscarriage, she was going for antenatal but was not tested or checked. “Even if you complain about something abnormal, they will either give you an injection or recommend medicine for you to go and buy,” she said. She still believed she would not have lost her pregnancy if the PHC in Tse-Indyer was adequately equipped. “I know that a hospital is supposed to carry out tests on pregnant women but that clinic doesn’t do that. I would have been a mother to twins.” When this reporter visited Mrs Udoji in her residence in Tse-Indyer, she was carrying a three months old baby she delivered after the loss of her twins. Death of a woman 69-year-old Isaac Toryina lives in a small village called Tse-Torazege, about two kilometres away from Tse-Indyer. The village is located in Mbavuur North-West, 16-17 kilometres from Abeda-Shitile, a major town along the Abeda-Afia road in Mbavuur Ward of Logo LGA. On 27 December 2023, Mr Toryina lost his wife, Ngodoo,10 days after she delivered a baby at home with the help of a traditional birth attendant. Early in the morning of 27 December, she stepped out to urinate but slumped and fell into a coma. Mr Toryina rushed her to the Abeda-Shitile on a motorcycle. Unfortunately, Ngodoo was pronounced dead by the health workers on arrival in the PHC. “My wife delivered at home because there’s no functional healthcare centre in this community. When she was pregnant and unwell, we went to PHC Tse-Indyer but we couldn’t get drugs there,” he said, fighting back tears. “After delivery, we went to a hospital in Abeda-Shitile and extracted mucus from the baby,” Giving a picture of what led to his wife’s death, he said: “We went into bed that night and she was fine. Around 4 a.m. in the morning she stepped out to urinate and stayed beyond usual. I came out and found her lying unconscious. I couldn’t think of that clinic (referring to PHC Tse-Indyer) because even if we had gone there, we wouldn’t have found medicine.” Mr Toryina said his wife might have lived if there were facilities for emergency obstetrics services in his community. “If there were a good clinic in this area, her situation would have been managed and she would have been alive.” Mrs Toryina left behind a five-month-old-child, who is being breast fed by nursing mothers in the community. When this reporter visited Tse-Torazege, his grief and sorrow was palpable as Mr Toryina sat alone on a wooden chair at the entrance of his hut. PHC Tse-Indyer From outside, PHC Tse-Indyer looked like a clinic, but the courtyard was overgrown with weeds. Inside the building there was no ceiling board and the windows were broken. There was no waiting room. Two rickety beds complete the story of neglect. Philip Shingir, the consulting Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW) in charge of the PHC, said it had no electricity, potable water or toilets, adding that the facility had no security guards and a staff quarters. For child deliveries; Mr Shingir said he usually bought water for use, but during the rainy season the PHC staff use rainwater for cleaning, bathing and drinking. “Now that there’s no water, I usually send someone to a nearby town to collect water for the PHC,” Asked what he does in cases of emergency, he said; “I have a motorcycle. I will pick one gallon. From here to Abeda is about 16-17 kilometres,I will go there and get water,” he replied. The PHC was eerily quiet, without power supply, fan or solar lights. The empty medicine stores suggested not much was going on at the facility. No rooms designated for male and female patients. A few metres away from the delivery room are two clinical toilets which the health workers have turned into their sleeping quarters. Mr Shingir said the government only supplies antimalarial drugs to the clinic. “We can only test and treat common malaria infections here, not severe ones,” he added. “If there’s patients here, sometimes I use my personal money to buy medicine in Abeda for treatment. But we don’t accept in-patients, we prefer bed-rest because we lack capacity to do so,” Asked if there was child delivery at night, he said “We can use local light or a handset that has light.” “We only have one bed in the maternity section. “If there are two women delivering at the same time we will look for a mat. The woman that is closer to deliver will stay on the delivery bed while the other one will sleep on the mat.” Is the government aware? “Yes. The government does come for supervision and we equally give reports on the status of the health centre,” Mr Shingir responded to the question. The signage at PHC Tse-Indyer indicated that the centre was built by Logo Local Government Council and commissioned on 12 February, 2012 by George Akume, the governor of the state at the time. PHC Awulema, Ohimini LGA Mercy Inalegwu, a mother of two, reflected on the past when newborns were checked for jaundice before leaving PHC Awulema. She said lack of equipment at the centre to check their bilirubin levels led to the death of three of her children. “The first children were twins in 2005, a boy and a girl. I delivered at home because this hospital (referring to PHC Awulema) had nobody there. The girl passed at birth but the boy lived for four days and passed away,” Mrs Inalegwu recalled sorrowfully. She hadn’t known that newborns are supposed to be checked for jaundice before leaving a birth centre, until her sister told her. “When I lost my first two children, I explained what happened to my sister who stays in Port Harcourt and she told me it was jaundice. In 2009, I had twins again – both boys. One died immediately, I then followed my sister’s instructions by placing the living boy in the sun every morning and he survived,” she said. “If there is a healthcare centre here in Awulema and there are health workers inside working, I wouldn’t have lost my children because it was just a similar case of jaundice. I am sure they would have noticed it,” she said. In Awulema, Ohimini LGA, accessing quality healthcare service at home is a mirage. The inhabitants travel to Otukpo to seek care or use herbs at home. The PHC Awulema is in Oglewu Ehaje ward, along the Otukpo-Enugu road. The desolate facility is evidence of the serious deterioration in public health services in Benue State. The facility is collapsing with its untended garden growing wild. The only signs of life within the PHC at the time this reporter visited were the sounds of mice scuttling and scavenging for what had been left in the building. Clement Okwubi, the head of Awulema village, has lived in the village for over 40 years. He said residents depend on herbs due to poor health care services in the community. “When one is sick, there are herbs that we use for treatment – when it is above us, we rush the person to Otukpo.” The retired agricultural officer said poor health care service in his community had caused his people suffering, deaths and loss of function. “Those who cannot afford to seek medical care in Otukpo are giving up on life,” he said. Due to the deplorable state of the PHC, the health workers have been relocated to an abandoned hospital project of the federal government in the community. But when this reporter visited the place, no one was seen at the facility. Asked about their whereabouts, Barack, not his real name, said: “They hardly come to work and even when they come they don’t stay long.” PHC, Tse-Kpum, Vandeikya LGA When this reporter visited Vandeikya in May, it was hard for him to locate PHC Tse-Kpum, as the facility is sandwiched between houses, along the Adikpo Vandeikya express road. You have to pass through people’s compounds to access the centre. The first thing you notice is that the walls of the old decrepit buildings are crumbling. The facility is two mud blocks of buildings that were probably constructed in the 19 60s, and is one of the oldest buildings in the community. The facility has no laboratory, toilets or water facility. Patients and health providers use the pit latrines of the neighbouring houses when pressed by nature. Wilfred Goja, a member of the Village Development Committee for the health centre, described the embarrassment patients face due to lack of toilets in the facility. “Once someone comes to this clinic, it’s assumed the person is infected and some people wouldn’t allow their toilet facility to be used.” Asked what they do in such a situation, Mr Goja said: “they go into nearby bushes for convenience.” Mark Ikpa is the Chairman of the Village Development Committee of PHC Tse-Kpum. Mr Ikpa said: “People rarely come to this clinic because there is a lack of resources. The healthcare providers do not have accommodation, water sanitations and hygiene. They seek permission from the surrounding houses to use their latrines.” He urged the government to address the needs of workers and the community. “Government should help build this facility and provide more staff to provide access to quality healthcare services,” said Ikpa. The PHC is located in Mbagbera Council Ward of Vandeikya LGA. In May when this reporter visited the centre, his first sight was a rusted zinc on two mud blocks sitting on a 50 square metres of land. In the wards, there were two beds. One of the beds had worn-out mattresses while the other had nothing. The centre does not have a cleaner and no health workers were seen within the facility. PHCs in Nigeria According to National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), a PHC in Nigeria should span a minimum land area of 1,200 square metres, have two rooms with cross ventilation, functional doors, and netted windows, along with separate male and female toilet facilities supplied with water. The facility should also have a motorised borehole for clean water, power supply, a sanitary waste collection point, a waste disposal site, clear signage visible from entry and exit points, fencing with gate and generator houses, and staff accommodation consisting of two units of one-bedroom self-contained apartments. I don’t talk to the press – ES, Benue Healthcare Board When contacted for this report, Grace Wende, the Executive Secretary, of Benue State Primary Healthcare Board, refused to make comments after the reporter had asked for an explanation for the poor condition of PHCs in the state. “I don’t talk to the press. I cannot answer you. Go and meet the Commissioner for Health,” dismissed the reporter, all the while pressing her cellphone. Health Ministry and Human Services keep mute The reporter then sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the state’s Ministry of Health on the conditions of its PHCs and on how much of the N2.4 billion has been released, the works done and other budgetary releases from 2016-2023. The reporter visited the ministry several times requesting to see the commissioner, Yanmar Ortese. On 6 June, when he was in the office, Fidelis Igbang, his secretary, denied the reporter access to the commissioner. Despite being acknowledged to have been received, the letter submitted to the ministry was not responded to as of the time of filing this report. Benue’s N2.4 billion primary healthcare projects In 2017, the state government renovated selected primary healthcare facilities with financial and technical assistance from the United States PEPFAR Initiatives through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Nigeria (CDC) and Center for Integrated Health Program (CIHP). The renovation took place a year after the state government announced the payment of N1.2 billion counterpart funding to access N2.4 billion for construction and equipment of PHCs across the state. Investigation, however, revealed that none of the renovated facilities met the minimum standard for PHC in Nigeria as set by the NPHCDA. Most of the facilities are without source of clean water, functional beds, power supply, sanitary waste collection, perimeter fence, and staff accommodation. Benue ranked low on subnational healthcare delivery In 2023, BudgIT, a civic organisation that uses creative technology to simplify public information, demand accountability, institutional reforms and efficient service delivery, revealed that Benue State committed only 9.67 per cent of its total spending for the period on healthcare (inclusive of capital and recurrent expenditure). In a document, titled “Subnational Healthcare Delivery for Improved Economic Development” BudgIT detailed that at 63.5 per cent, immunisation coverage for children aged 12 to 23 months in the state is the 14th lowest among the 36 States. “One out of every 56 children born in Benue die within their first 28 days of life. In a similar fashion, 42 in every 1,000 live births do not live long enough to celebrate their fifth birthday,” the documents reveal. The report recommends that the state provides equity funding for National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), a gateway of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), and regularise primary health facility bank accounts in all wards to enable access to the BHCPF. This story has been produced with support from the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) as a part of the UDEME Accountability Fellowship.
Health
“…I felt sick and went to the health outpost here in the community but met nobody to attend to me.”
The 2024 budgetary provision for the health sector in the state has been jacked up to 15%,
By: Manasseh Mbachii On the 15th of November, 2010, IDS Limited, a construction company, was contracted to design and to construct the Cancer Screening Centre for the Benue State Government for an initial contract sum of N111 Million naira and later revised to N138 Million naira due to delay by the government in honouring contract agreement. The project which was to last for a duration of 12 months was supervised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. The contractor told this reporter that a payment of 77 million naira, representing 70% mobilisation fund, was released between November 15, 2010 to March 2012 under the administration of Senator Gabriel Suswam. However, the construction of the Cancer Screening Centre was not completed due to delay in the payment of outstanding fees as agreed by the contractor and the Benue State Government. In November, 2015 the wife of immediate past Benue State Governor, Mrs. Eunice Ortom announced that her husband, Samuel Ortom would complete the Cancer Screening Centre Project initiated by his predecessor. Mrs Ortom made this disclosure while speaking at the 2015 breast cancer awareness campaign held at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi. On the 16th of July, 2016, Mr Tahav Agerzua, who was at the time, Special Adviser to Mr Ortom on Media and ICT announced that the Ortom administration had released N80 million for the completion of the project. Investigation by this reporter however revealed that out of the N80 million reported to have been released, only N34 million was paid to the contractor, IDS Limited. Details of the payment made available to this reporter shows that the contractor received N12 million naira on the 26 October, 2016, and N22 million naira on the 14th of June, 2019. Terver Akase, media aide to former governor Samuel Ortom could not provide answers when questioned on the remaining N46 million released by the Ortom administration, after previously directing this reporter to contact the project contractor for details. The cancer project which was aimed at reducing medical tourism embarked upon yearly by citizens of the state has over the years received budgetary allocation from the Benue state government. For instance, in 2021 and 2022 the state budget, about N12 million was approved for the completion of the cancer project. Findings by this reporter however revealed that the approved N12 million naira was not released to the contractor. When this reporter visited Pauline Maka Women Development Centre, Jonah Jang Crescent, High Level Makurdi, where the cancer project is located, it was observed that the cancer centre is completed but not in use for the purpose it was built. This reporter observed that the project is now housing Family Worship Centre, a church owned by Pastor Sarah Omakwu. It was also observed that the cancer project is in a dilapidated state, having some of its windows fallen off and electrical appliances disconnected. When contacted, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Joy Adole said the project has not been handed over to the ministry. “The cancer centre has not been handed over to us. We have drawn the attention of the current administration to the project. The contractor however said the government is still owing him. And, until his outstanding balance is paid before handing over the project to the ministry,” she said. When the contractor, Architect James Ugo was contacted, he explained he was contracted to design and to construct the Cancer Screening Centre for the Benue State Government under the Ministry of Women Affairs & Social Development, on 15th November 2010. He said, the contract was awarded for N111 Million, and revised to N138 Million naira due to delay by the government in honouring the contract agreement. “Cancer Screening Centre is the project I was involved in from the inception. I was requested by the former First Lady, Yemisi Suswam to design and to construct. The initial contract sum was N111 million naira, and revised contract sum is N138 million naira. My outstanding balance from the contract sum is N15 million naira, and outstanding claims from the last time I calculated is N18 million naira due to delay in honouring valuation certificates as per contract agreement. In total, the government is owning me N33 million naira,” he said, adding that the balance keeps increasing. Mr James further revealed that he leased the cancer centre to Family Worship Centre, Makurdi Branch adding that the government should determine and honour outstanding claims amounting to N33 million as per agreement. “Since dilapidation has set in due to non-use of the facility, the government should prepare a dilapidation schedule and re-award the contract as a renovation contract to us or any other Contractor. However, we give our word that, if paid our outstanding claims, we can go ahead and renovate the building at no additional cost to the government. When the government is ready, I will ask the people to leave, repaint, wash and clean. If there is anything that has fallen anywhere, I will just touch it and handover the keys,” he concluded. How Woman Dies in Benue From Cancer Sickness Mr James who lost his wife, Margaret Ugo, to endometrial cancer in 2021, said he never knew his wife would be a victim of cancer after he was commissioned to execute a cancer project adding that if cancer screening centre was in operation, it would have saved his wife’s life. “My wife, Margaret Ugo died of endometrial cancer in 2021, so I know the importance of cancer screening centre. Before this project was commissioned, there was a cancer awareness organised at Aminu Isa Kontagora. I never knew that I was going to be a victim of cancer after I was commissioned to execute a cancer project. The project that would have saved my wife’s life. By the time she was diagnosed with cancer, she was already bleeding,” he said. Cancer has remained top of the list of diseases that are indiscriminately reducing the welfare and wellness of persons across the world, particularly, in developing countries like Nigeria. Statistics provided by the World Health Organisation’s 2020 report shows that cancer tops the list of killer diseases with nearly 10 million deaths. Nigeria has one of the highest cancer mortality rates in the world, with approximately four out of five cases resulting in death, according to the Global Cancer Observatory. A cancer patient who did not want her name mentioned said it took months before she was diagnosed with cancer. She said there was no special cancer screening centre, so it was difficult to diagnose. “My husband never knew what was wrong with me. We moved from one hospital to another until I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in Abuja. I am now receiving treatment at Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi.” He said. Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Government, Tersoo Kula, said he would get back to this reporter on what the current government is doing to complete the centre. “We shall get back to you,” Mr Kula said but he hasn’t as of press time. This report was produced under the UDEME project of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). Edited by Kemi Busari.
“At a point, I felt as if I was at the end of my life; the ordeal is better imagined than experienced,” she said.
By: Manasseh Mbachii Makurdi, the Benue state capital, is at risk of an epidemic outbreak due to poor waste management in the metropolis. This is in spite of the millions approved for environmental improvement by the Benue State government. Through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, the state government in the 2021/2022 budget, approved 198.2million for the acquisition of land, waste containers, septic tanks, medical equipment, garbage trucks, payloader, and waste collection vehicles to remediate water pollution in the state capital. Despite budget approval to the Benue State Environmental and Sanitation Authority (BENSESA) to curb the menace of poor waste management in the state capital, very little progress has been made as Makurdi residents continue to face a growing waste management crisis due to poor waste collection in the state capital. Residents who spoke with this reporter shared a heartfelt story of painful diarrhea and persistent typhoid fever accompanied by bouts of severe stomach cramping and stooling caused by the regular consumption of contaminated water. In Wurukum, Makurdi South, a sinister sickness gripped the family of Terfa Comfort, a food vendor, with unfamiliar illnesses, primarily marked by diarrhea and typhoid fever. Mrs Terfa stated that open-dug wells in Wurukum are polluted, and reeked of the environment due to unapproved refuse dumpsites in an undeveloped commercial plot of land in the community. She further lamented that the obnoxious odor from the refuse site had negatively impacted her health and food business. “This refuse site has been a health hazard to my family. My children are the ones mostly affected by typhoid due to improper waste disposal. I also experience low patronage due to the odor that takes over the atmosphere from the waste site,”she said. When this reporter visited the High Level Market in Makurdi, the center of the state capital, to assess the sanitation and hygiene of the people, It was observed that the community was littered with waste. Residents and shop owners adorned a section of JS Tarka Foundation with heaps of refuse. Gift Odo, who sells kitchen utensils at the High Level Market, stressed that the odor emanating from the refuse in the axis had exposed her to consistent stomach disorder. She lamented that the situation has chased customers from patronizing her. “You can see and smell things for yourself. From the odor, I have constant stomach cramping. Sometimes, customers would want to buy something but because of the odor, the person will just drive away. Nobody cares to come to pack the refuse, even though we paid taxes,” Ms Gift said. In Akpehe, a 48-year-old mother of four children, Akaayar Judith, said her children have been suffering unexplainable illnesses every time they drink water collected from an open-dug swell. “My children just started stooling, while the youngest was complaining of stomach pain. I bought medicine for them but nothing changed. When we went to the hospital, we were told that the water we were consuming was harmful. The doctor said waste contaminates groundwater as well as pollutes nearby open wells,” she said. Investigations by this reporter however showed that residents are in the habits of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in available spaces especially markets, drainages and open space in residential areas due to nonavailability of waste containers. Expert weigh in A clinical epidemiologist and public health expert at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Terkaa Bitto, explained that decay from uncollected waste infiltrates water sources through the overflow of septic tanks and sewage. He warned that viruses, bacteria and fungi from such waste are cataractogenesis, which could affect unborn children through mothers with cognitive defects. “When there is an overflow of septic tanks and sewages, the viruses could be easily washed into public open wells. Pathogens from the waste could be blown into the air and become airborne viruses and bacteria which humans can easily inhale. Some of these bacteria have short and long-term effects and can stay in the human system and cause neurological defects in children. The ramifications of improper waste disposals are huge,” he said. Doctor Bitto, said that the best measures for proper waste management are to create waste segregation and recycling centers. A professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry at the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Professor Ishaq Eneji, warned that there could be an epidemic outbreak if there is no immediate remediation to checkmate further contamination of water, especially in River Benue. “Most of the waste are hazardous chemicals and their possible health risk in the environment can cause neurological and kidney damage while persistent organic pollutants can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer.” State government’s reaction The Benue state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources could not respond to questions on the multimillion naira waste management projects, after an official letter of enquiry was submitted to the ministry. “Your letter is with us. When we look at it, if there is any reply we will get back to you” Mr. Ali Efu, permanent secretary, ministry of environment and water resources, said. Several attempts to speak with the Benue State Environmental and Sanitation Authority (BENSESA) were not successful, as officials declined comments. However, a staff member who pleaded anonymity told this reporter that the agency does not have the funds to effectively manage waste in the state capital. “When Gov. Hyacinth Alia came here and ordered the agency to clean up the town, the secretary borrowed money to fuel vehicles,” the staff said. This report was produced under the UDEME project of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). Edited by Kemi Busari.
Despite being warned of an outbreak of Lassa fever, some residents of New Nyanya were concerned about the continued consumption of bush meat in local joints and bars.
David Arome Sugar-sweetened beverages are popular drinks in the Nigerian market, sold in shops, kiosks, on the streets, and by hawkers everywhere. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sugar-sweetened beverages as all beverages containing free sugar or other sweeteners. They come in refined, well-packaged forms, while others are locally made. Its refreshing taste and fragrance are so compelling and second to none that they cause more desire for it until satisfaction is attained. Jemimah Adah is a seventeen years old girl who lives in Maraba, Nasarawa State. She lives with her ground mother, shortly after being demised of her parents. Her ground mother trained and enrolled her in a government school in her early years. Jemimah’s high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was influenced, by her friends who also share with her SSBs at school. She became addicted to SSBs during her primary school years, to the point where she had lost an appetite for eating but only on SSB drinks. She continued until she became obese and ill and went to the hospital for treatment, only to be told that she had diabetes. She felt so bad and wept all day, but that could not help solve the problem. Jemimah will now live all her life on medication. The quest to curtail SSBs consumption on campus Championing the course to curb SSBs consumption among students on campus is my passion, said Dooshima Abu, a 300-level medical student at Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State. Her drive is to see a healthy young generation in Nigeria through her SSBs awareness project on campus. She observed over time that the consumption of local and refined SSBs among students is on the rise, as some of the students have substituted SSBs for healthy foods. “This trend is detrimental to the health of young people in the long run, with health implications, and in some cases may lead to addiction”, she added. Dooshima noted that young people form an important demographic, and their health is crucial in building a vibrant and healthy nation. She leverages the faculty departmental meeting, seminars, and lecture hours to educate her colleagues and other students on the need to reduce SSBs consumption, imbibe a healthy eating lifestyle, the sugar tax policy, and the health implications associated with excessive consumption of SSBs. The pet project is gradually paving the way as a handful of students are now enlightened on SSBs, their health implications, and the sugar tax policy. “The creation of awareness is still in its pilot phase, with hopes to scale it up beyond the present institution, she added”. The trends and health implications associated with sugar-sweetened beverages The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has increased exponentially over time, with young people taking the lead in their consumption of them. The consumption pattern of SSBs per year in Nigeria is estimated at 40 million liters. The worst hit by SSBs in Nigeria are young people, with free sugar consumption higher than the WHO recommended limit of less than 10% of total energy intake. The trend in SSBs consumption could be because most young people do not realize that the so-called healthy alternative drinks, as sweet and tasty as they are, contain high amounts of sugar, which is highly toxic and addictive, and negatively affects the body’s organs in many ways. World Health Organization (WHO) has also reported that people who consume daily one to two cans or more of sugar-sweetened beverages on a regular basis are more prone to and have a 26% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely consume such drinks. In Nigeria, over 12 million people are living with diabetes, the highest in the continents. Excessive consumption of SSBs is associated with overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases. Several studies have linked excessive consumption of SSBs to overweight, obesity, etc. According to the WHO 2020 report, diseases linked to obesity are now among the three leading causes of death globally. An online survey through a cloud-based platform (Google Form) was conducted by David Arome to assess knowledge and perceptions on “Sugar-sweetened beverages among young people: more serious than you think”. The responses of the participants are shown in the infographic and chats below: What exactly is the sugar tax policy? The sugar tax policy as contained in Finance Act was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2021. All sugar-containing non-alcoholic and carbonated beverages produced Domestically in Nigeria are subject to an N10 per liter tax. The manufacturers are billed directly, rather than taxing the drink at the point of sale. The sugar tax is a renewed effort of the federal government in a bit to discourage the high consumption of SSBs and to generate extra revenue in funding health-related and other critical expenditures. The sugar policy tax rate is far short of the WHO’s 20% recommendation. It is so surprising that just a few African countries have imposed taxes on sugary drinks. Research published by Global Health Action on seven east and southern African countries—Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia further established the existence of an excise tax on sugary drinks, which fall below the WHO’s 20% recommended benchmark. According to a four-year study of 113,000 household research conducted in Southern Africa and published in The Lancet in April 2021, there has been a nearly 40% decline in sugar consumption in taxed beverages among South Africans. Bus conductor React “I consume a lot of carbonated drinks to gather energy for work said James Ali, a “bus conductor” who plies the Maraba to Area 1 route in Abuja”. Ali said the nature of his work necessitates the daily consumption of carbonated drinks to function optimally. He noted that addiction to carbonated drinks is a possibility due to excessive consumption, which translates into cravings. When asked if he was aware of the sugar tax policy, he said this was the very first time hearing about it. Many Nigerians, especially the young folks, do not know about the sugar tax policy framework and what it generally entices. This question concerns the level of education and awareness made to educate the young minds on the sugar tax policy. health experts React The drastic rise in the consumption of SSBs is on an exponential scale, especially among young people. Ibrahim Ahmed, a nutrition specialist with the Africa Youth Growth Foundation, said SSBs are endemic among young people. Statistics have shown that young demographics top the chart with a high consumption rate of sugar-sweetened beverages. The nutrition specialist noted that SSBs, as tasty and refreshing as they are, can harm the human body with excessive consumption. He added that research over time has successfully established a causal link between excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and the development of obesity, diabetes, and several other adverse health consequences. According to Gloria Agbo, a medical laboratory scientist with a Defense Reference Laboratory in Abuja, the high consumption of SSBs among young people is triggered by many factors. The most noticeable among them is its refreshing taste, friends’ influence, peer pressure, the availability of SSBs during parties, meetings, and weddings, and the use of pocket money. Gloria noted that substituting sugar-sweetened beverages with natural fruit juice, increased awareness creation, and educating young people on the consequences and health implications associated with excessive SSB intake will go a long way toward curtailing it. She enjoined parents to reduce the stockpiling of their children’s lunch boxes with SSBs and instead go for healthy foods. On the sugar target policy, the nutrition specialist commended the government for its sugar tax policy to curb excessive SSBs consumption. On a larger scale, the effect is still not felt in bringing down the indices of obesity and diabetes in Nigeria. He calls on the government to review the policy and strengthen awareness creation of the policy, as many Nigerians are unaware of its existence. Gloria added that If the trend in SSB addition is not addressed promptly, the country will be left with a young, sick generation facing a massive financial burden to care for their health. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as adhering to the recommended daily sugar intake limit and raising awareness, and taking action to reduce SSB consumption and the high SSB tax system, can potentially keep SSB addiction at bay and produce a young, healthy generation. It’s time to act smart and kick sugar to the curb because it contributes to so many diseases. This story was supported by Gatefield Pro-Health Journalism Fellowship
The body of the missing Director in the Ondo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Gbenga Olofingboyegun, has been recuperated by police analysts. Olofingboyegun was pronounced missing last Thursday by his relatives after he left his office in Akure, the state capital. His ravaged body was found and recognized, yesterday, in Akure, the state capital, by certain individuals through the suit he wore before he disappeared. A source let newsmen know that “his head has been cleaved off and removed; while his stomach was torn open by his attackers. His loved ones had purportedly thought that he was kidnapped and were trusting that the abductors will request a payoff installment. A family companion said “the casualty was still in the suits and tie he wore to the workplace while his breaking down body was found. “Every one of our endeavors to follow him since Thursday were unbeneficial until his decaying body was found in Saint Theresa’s Primary School next to Saint Peter’s Unity School in Akure. The state police picture producer, Funmi Odunlami, who affirmed the turn of events, said she didn’t know about the personality of the disintegrating body. That’s what odunlami said “Yesterday evening someone called to illuminate us that a decaying body was found at Saint Theresa, near St. Peter in Akure.” “At the point when the police arrived to eliminate the cadaver certain individuals came around and recognized him as the chief we have been looking for in the beyond three days. “It was his suit they used to distinguish him, however his head has been removed and his chest tore open while his digestive system was eliminated. “Examination has begun, his telephone was abandoned and a few different things as well. Along these lines, we will work with what we need to be aware assuming that he disliked anyone. Odunlami said the order has initiated an examination concerning the episode.
