NEWS
78th UNGA: Nigerian Gynecologist Innovates Postpartum Hemorrhage Treatment
Hadiza Galadanci, a distinguished Nigerian Gynecologist and Professor specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the College of Health Sciences, Bayero University Kano, has introduced her pioneering research on the treatment of Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH).
PPH, which involves the loss of over half a liter of blood within 24 hours after childbirth, is a critical issue in maternal health.
Ms. Galadanci presented her groundbreaking research during the 2023 Goalkeepers event held as part of the ongoing 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
Ms. Galadanci’s groundbreaking research includes two key innovations: a calibrated obstetric drape utilized in the E-MOTIVE study to detect excessive blood loss and a rapid 15-minute IV iron infusion for the treatment of severe anemia in expectant mothers.
These innovations hold the potential to save up to two million lives by 2030, addressing critical challenges related to maternal and child mortality on a global scale.
Speaking at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Pavilion within the UN headquarters in New York, she conveyed to the audience that her impact as a medical researcher could potentially save more lives than as an obstetrician.
She said “I could save one or two lives at a time as an obstetrician, while I could save 100,000 lives by becoming a medical researcher, so I decided to focus my research on areas that affect the lives of women, such as PPH.
“PPH is the number one cause of maternal deaths, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world. 14 million women experience this every year, and approximately 70,000 die from it.
“In a study we call the E-MOTIVE. I discovered that half of the women who have PPH are never even diagnosed. That’s because health care workers are busy and struggle with how much blood loss is too much blood loss.”
In her words, she emphasized that the presence of a simple drape positioned at the bedside enables rapid and precise measurement of collected blood. She emphasized that within a bustling labor ward, this seemingly minor addition can mean the distinction between life and death.
“Our study also found out when PPH is identified, the standard treatment of uterus massage, oxytocic drugs tranexamic acid, IV fluids and genital tract examination are often delivered one by one over several hours.
“We asked ourselves, why don’t we bundle these interventions, administering all the five at once and so we tried it and we decreased cases of severe bleeding by 60 per cent.
“Often, we didn’t need anything complicated to save lives; just drape and change of protocol. But the simple changes have huge benefits, lifesaving benefits, cuts to research without a doubt.
“Imagine a world where these treatments are available in every one room clinic, every labour ward and every hospital, how many mothers would be saved. That’s the work that is left for us to do.” she added.
As the first female Professor of Gynecology in northern Nigeria, Ms. Galadanci has earned global recognition from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for her groundbreaking innovations in the realm of maternal and newborn health, specifically geared towards reducing mortality rates.
NEWS
Moghalu Prescribes Good Governance As Panacea To Ethnic Agitation
The President of the African School of Governance, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu has admonished state actors against resorting to brutal force in the bid to muscle out separatist agitators.
In the aftermath of Mazi Simon Ekpa, the Finland based Biafran nationalist agitator being caught in legal web and the Nigerian government moving swiftly to seek his repatriation, the former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has cautioned that ‘We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.’
ALSO READ: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations
The political economist, while expressing his hope in Nigeria, made it clear that “hope is not a strategy”.
He bared his mind in a series of posts on his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Friday.
Moghalu wrote, “Despite sustained contemporary difficulties, I am hopeful about Nigeria. But hope is not a strategy. We need to improve state capacity for effective governance.
“We either fix our problems, or our problems will eventually “fix” us. No alternative to a renegotiated union.
“We must learn to be honest with ourselves and address the root causes of our problems. Why ignore them, when the problem is actually quite solvable? The problem with continuing with this approach is that when the danger crystallizes, those who thought they were benefiting from
NEWS
N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
International News
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt Chairman By Police
The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.