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Nigerians dying quietly from toxic preservatives in foods – scientists

Food processors and sellers across Nigeria are using toxic chemicals to improve the look of many food items, including cassava flour, beans and fish, scientists have said. The experts explained that with the practice, millions of people are subjected to the risk of experiencing kidney problems and cancer. They claim that weak government testing capacities and informal food supply chains leave traders and fishermen with little oversight and offer almost no protection to unwary consumers. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships), University of Ibadan, Professor Adenike Adeyemo, stated that many of the toxic chemicals are added as preservatives but are not safe for human consumption. Adeyemo, a professor of Aquatic Epidemiology and Toxicology, declared that the...

House of Reps queries health minister on whereabouts of Chinese doctors

Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have questioned the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, demanding activities and whereabouts of the Chinese doctors. The lawmakers at their plenary on Tuesday said they are not satisfied with the statement of the Minister that the Chinese doctors are not guests of the Federal Ministry of Health but that of a Chinese firm in Abuja. The resolution of the House stems from a motion of urgent public importance raised by Representative Dachung Bagos. The House, in a separate motion, also resolved to investigate the status of medical and pharmaceutical research in the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. They expressed worry that Nigerian scientists and researchers have not been given the necessary support and funding for medical research. The Minister o...

House of Reps urges speedy production of local coronavirus vaccines in Nigeria

The House of Representatives has stressed the need for speedy production of local vaccines for the treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The House also mandated its standing Committees on Healthcare Services, Health Institutions and Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria to invite the Hon. Minister, Federal Ministry of Health, the Executive Director/CEO, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Executive Director, May and Baker Nigeria PLC to brief the Committees and deliberate on possible ways of getting the needed legislative support to fast track the production of vaccines in Nigeria and report back within four (4) weeks for further legislative action The resolutioms followed the adoption of a motion on notice, moved by Rep. J...

Chris Oyakhilome’s TV station sanctioned in UK over coronavirus claims

A TV channel in the UK owned by one of Nigeria’s most flamboyant evangelical pastors has been sanctioned by Ofcom, the broadcasting authority in London, BBC reports. According to BBC, the authority punished Chris Oyakhilome’s Loveworld Limited, which runs the Loveworld channel that can be viewed in the UK, “after a news programme and a live sermon included potentially harmful claims about causes of, and treatments for Covid-19”. Pastor Oyakhilome has linked the virus to 5G networks and alleged that it was part of a plot to create a “new world order”. Such views have been widely condemned by scientists, who say the idea of a connection between Covid-19 and 5G is “complete rubbish” and biologically impossible. Ofcom said that the programme “Loveworld News included unsubstantiated claims that...

No ‘miracle cure’ for coronavirus until clinical trials prove Madagascar’s herbal medicine

Scientists are putting an herbal remedy from Madagascar, purported to cure COVID-19, to the test. Researchers at Germany’s Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, in Potsdam, are collaborating with a U.S. company, ArtemiLife, to test an extract from the plant Artemisia annua to determine its effectiveness in speeding recovery from the virus. “We are working with two independent laboratories to ensure the highest possible quality and exclude any bias in the results,” Peter Seeberger, lead researcher, told VOA in an email response. Seeberger is hopeful the first results will be back soon. “We have collected a significant body of data but are again repeating the work to make sure any results are reproducible multiple times,” he said. “Within the next couple of weeks, we will be in a ...

SGF: Nigeria did not request for Madagascar herbal medicine

The Nigerian government has said it did not request for COVID-Organics, a herbal medicine used by Madagascar to treat COVID-19 patients. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, made this known at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Thursday. Mr Mustapha said the medicine was offered as a general gesture of ‘brotherly love’ from the Malagasy government to all African countries. “Nigeria did not ask Madagascar for any solution, the Madagascar government decided to airlift quantities meant for African countries. ”It was taken in the spirit of African brotherly love to Guinea Bissau and we have asked our ambassador there to establish the location, the quantity and he has done that,” he said. Mr Mustapha, at a past briefing, had noted that t...

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