Nigerian singer, Davido, just took to his snapchat account to reveal that he and his manager have just been robbed in South Africa.
The star revealed via a snapchat video that the incident took place as they made their way to their hotel.
The robbers are said to have gotten away with watches, jewelry and their passports.
On the bright side, no injuries were sustained and no lives were lost in the robbery.
The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Taraba State on Saturday announced plans to vaccinate no fewer than 760,128 children against measles in the state.
Mrs Mary Bajani , The UNICEF Consultant on Measles, told newsmen during "Media Orientation Workshop'' in Jalingo, that 3,999 workers had been trained for the exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise would hold between November 21 to November 25.
According to her, both temporary and permanent posts have been fixed at ward level to enable citizens identify locations for the exercise.
She said vaccine preventable disease had remained a major cause of under 5 morbidity and mortality in Nigeria.
``Measles burden reduction will significantly impact progress towards the attainment of the MDG4," she said.
Bajani said routine coverage remained sub-optimal in most local government areas, while the wards continued to record less than 80 per cent over the years.
``More emphasis must be laid to target children from 0 to 5 years, to curb the diseases,’’ she added.
An official of the state, Mr Philibus Daniel , said the workshop was organised to partner with the media in the fight against the child killer diseases.
Source:Pulse.ng
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon has described attacks on various locations in and around Paris on Friday as despicable.
In a statement issued in New York on Saturday, Ban condemned the attacks in which 127 people were killed and many others injured.
He expressed optimism that the French authorities would do all in their powers to bring the perpetrators to justice quickly.
The secretary-general extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for those injured.
The UN Chief said he stood with the government and people of France.
In a related development, members of the Security Council have said that they ``condemned in the strongest terms the barbaric and cowardly terrorist attacks.’’
The members expressed their sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Government of France.
They underscored the need to bring the perpetrators of the attacks to justice.
Source: pulse.ng
More than £37m has been raised so far for BBC Children in Need, beating last year's total of £32.6m.
One Direction, actress Dame Helen Mirren and Sherlock actor Martin Freeman were among the host of stars featured in Friday's fund-raising show.
Dermot O'Leary hosted this year's fundraiser, replacing Sir Terry Wogan after the 77-year-old pulled out for "health reasons".
BBC Children in Need tweeted that the total raised was a "record-breaker".
The show was also presented by Tess Daly, Fearne Cotton, Saturdays star Rochelle Humes and BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw.
Sir Terry pulled out for the first time since the annual TV event's launch in 1980.
The veteran TV presenter is having a procedure on his back and is understood to have withdrawn in line with doctors' advice.
O'Leary said: "Thank you so, so much.
"To Terry, I hope you're feeling better, I hope we get to enjoy a drop of the pure very soon and we're all doing you justice here."
This year a special Star Wars sketch with characters C3PO and R2-D2 was featured.
There were also performances by Selena Gomez, Years and Years, Ellie Goulding and a special appeal by Sir Tom Jones.
Source: BBC News
Adele's comeback single Hello has achieved platinum sales status three weeks after it was released.
The chart-topping song has sold more than 600,000 copies, earning it a commendation from the British Phonographic Industry.
Hello sold 34,000 more copies than this week's number two, Justin Bieber's Sorry, and was the most-streamed track with 4.7 million listens.
Elvis Presley's If I Can Dream was the number one album for a second week.
Presley's classic songs, reworked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, had a better run that its first week with 88,600 combined sales.
It is just short of the 2015 record set by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, who sold 89,110 copies of Chasing Yesterday in March.
Former X Factor winners Little Mix's third album, Get Weird, charted at number two, while Ellie Goulding's third solo album Delirium entered the charts at three.
A re-issue of The Beatles' album 1, which originally spent nine weeks at number one in 2000, also made the top five.
Ed Sheeran set a new record as his album x became the longest reigning in the top 10 for a British artist.
It has been in the chart for 73 consecutive weeks after being released in June 2014.
Adele's long awaited new album 25 is due for release on 20 November.
The acts of terrorism which took place in Paris Friday night are the latest part in what Pope Francis has called a “piecemeal World War III,” describing the attacks as “inhuman.”
“There is no justification for these things,” the pontiff said in a phone interview Saturday with TV 2000 , the official broadcasting station for the Italian Bishops Conference.
Speaking in response to the Nov. 13 attacks, which are the deadliest acts of violence the city has seen since the World War II, the Pope said he is “moved and pained” by what happened, and expressed his closeness to those affected by the tragedy.
“I am close to the people of France, to the families of the victims, and I am praying for all of them,” he said.
“These things are hard to understand,” he said, adding that he “loves France very much.”
At least 128 people are confirmed dead and more than 180 wounded in terrorist attacks which targeted bars, restaurants, a concert hall, and a football stadium in the heart of Paris on Nov. 13. Around 80 people are listed in critical condition, according to the BBC.
The deadliest attack came when militants overtook the Bataclan concert hall, in which at least 82 people were killed, after the terrorists had seized dozens of hostages.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing the terrorists cry out “Allahu Akbar!” – Arabic for “God is Great!” The terrorists carried out the siege with suicide bombs and semi-automatic weapons. Police have said all eight attackers are dead.
In the wake of the attacks, Paris archbishop Cardinal André Vingt-Trois in a Nov. 14 statement appealed for the grace to be “artisans of peace.” He stressed that “we must never despair of peace if we are to build justice.
“Faced with the violence of men,” he said, “we can receive the grace of a steadfast heart without hate.” The French prelate called for people to not give in to panic or hatred.
“This morning I pray and I invite the Catholics of Paris to pray for those who were killed yesterday and for their families,” Cardinal André Vingt-Trois continued. He also called for prayers for the injured, those working to help those affected by the crisis, and the nation's leaders in order that they “remain together in unity and peace of heart.
"We ask for the grace to be artisans of peace. We must never despair of peace, if you justice," he said.
The BBC reports that French president Francois Hollande has called the attacks “an act of war” by ISIS.
The French president declared a nationwide state of emergency soon after the rampage began and closed the country's borders. Parisians were urged to stay in doors.
This is the second and deadlier of two sieges against Paris by Islamic terrorists in 2015. 12 people were killed on Jan. 7 when Islamic terrorists stormed the headquarters of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, sent a telegram to Cardinal Vingt-Trois on behalf of Pope Francis, assuring the archbishop of Paris of his prayers for those affected by “horrific terrorist attacks.”
“The Holy Father vigorously condemns violence, which cannot solve anything,” the telegram reads, according to Vatican Radio's translation of the message which was originally written in French.
“He asks God to inspire thoughts of peace and solidarity in all and to impart on families in this trial and on all of the French people, the abundance of His Blessings.”
The telegram by saying the Pope prays that God might “welcome the victims into the peace of His light and bring comfort and hope to the injured and their families,” and assured his “spiritual closeness” to the French people.
Source: Catholic News
Doctors at the University of Ibadan in partnership with the University of Illinois, Chicago, USA and University of Loyola, Chicago have discovered a permanent cure for Sickle Cell Anaemia.
Over five million Nigerians suffer from Sickle Cell Anaemia, a severe hereditary form of anaemia in which a mutated form of hemoglobin distorts the red blood cells into a crescent shape at low oxygen levels.
Professor of Medicine, Victor Gordeuk, who is the Director, Sickle Cell Centre, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA and his colleagues, Prof. Damiano Rondelli and Prof. Bamidele Tayo, University of Loyola, Chicago claim the cure is bone marrow transplant.
The experts accompanied by the Chief Medical Director, UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge, Dr. Titilola Akingbola, a haematologist and Dr. Foluke Fasola explained that the stem cell transplant is a standard procedure for the treatment of many blood cancers in both adult and children.
He said “With this chemotherapy-free transplant, we are curing adults with sickle cell disease, and we see that their quality of life improves fast within just one month of the transplant.
“About 90 per cent of the approximately 450 patients who have received stem cell transplants for sickle cell disease have been children.
Chemotherapy has been considered too risky for adult patients, who are often more weakened than children by the disease.
“Adults with sickle cell disease can now be cured without chemotherapy — the main barrier that has stood in the way for them for so long. Our data provide more support that this therapy is safe and effective and prevents patients from living shortened lives, condemned to pain and progressive complications.”
“In the new procedure, patients receive immuno-suppressive drugs just before the transplant, along with a very low dose of total body irradiation, a treatment much less harsh and with fewer potentially serious side effects than chemotherapy.
“ Donor cells from a healthy and tissue-matched sibling are transfused into the patient. Stem cells from the donor produce healthy new blood cells in the patient, eventually in sufficient quantity to eliminate symptoms. In many cases, sickle cells can no longer be detected. Patients must continue to take immunosuppressant drugs for at least a year.”
Nestle Nigeria, makers of Milo has re-launched the very popular children’s breakfast beverage drink, with addition of a new ingredient, Activ-Go.
The event took place on Tuesday, at the company’s Lagos headquarters. Active-Go is made from Protomalt, a malt Extract made from malted barley grains, which provides energy and contains vitamins B, C and Calcium.
Speaking at the re-launch, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nestle Nigeria, Dharnesh Gordhon, said the re-launch of the widely successful drink, was a symbol of the company’s dedication to innovation and renovation.”
“I am particularly proud of the innovation that went into the new Milo with Activ-Go which we are presenting today. It is a unique blend of vitamins and minerals that helps the individual to achieve the Milo promise, the promise of energy when you need it the most, and the inspiration that guarantees victories on the road to success.”
Nestle’s Category Manager for Beverages, Olufemi Akintola, lent his support by saying Active-Go supports energy release, muscle function, and bone maintenance that are essential for physical activity in children.
Engaging in physical activities such as exercise and sports is an important part of a healthy successful lifestyle.”
The Vice President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Bartholomew Brai, made short presentation during the re-launch, where he endorsed the drink as a good source of energy.
Milo, a ready-to-drink chocolate and malt powder beverage that can be mixed with either hot or cold water, was originally developed by Thomas Mayne in Sydney, Australia in 1934. Now produced by Nestle, it has grown to become one of the most popular beverage drinks in many parts of the world.
Source: Beverage Industry News
The Nigeria’s National Health Act, (NH Act) 2014, stipulates that 50 per cent from federal government grant; grants by international donor partners and funds from any other source shall be given to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for the provision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for all citizens. ODIRI UCHENUNU writes on the structure NHIS has put in place to achieve this.
The Nigeria’s National Health Act, (NH Act), 2014 is without doubt one singular instrument required to unlock economy and the greatest transformation for the Health Sector.
The act establishes a Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to be financed from Federal Government Annual Grant of not less than one per cent of its Consolidated Revenue Fund; grants by international donor partners and funds from any other source.
Out of the fund, the Act states that 50 per cent shall be used for the provision of basic minimum package of health services to citizens, in eligible primary and secondary health care facilities through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); 20 per cent shall be used to provide essential drugs, vaccines and consumables for eligible primary health care facilities; 15 per cent shall be used for the provision and maintenance of facilities, equipment and transport for eligible primary healthcare facilities; 10 per cent shall be used for the development of Human Resources for primary health care and 5 per cent of the fund shall be used for emergency medical treatment to be administered by a committee appointed by the National Council on Health.
According to analysts, the Act was set up to achieve the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) target.
The UHC implies ensured access to and use of high-quality healthcare services by all citizens and protection for all individuals from catastrophic financial effect of ill health. It can be a major determinant to improved health outcomes for all citizens, especially the poorest.
The UHC can also help to reduce maternal and infant mortality rate as pregnant women will now have access to free delivery services while their children are assured of standard paediatric services in the nation’s health facilities.
Nigeria is eager to expand access to health insurance, as it can play an important part of an overall strategy to achieve UHC and since its launch in 1999; NHIS has been the major initiative to expand health insurance in Nigeria.
The President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr Kayode Obembe, said the Act which seeks to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of the people of Nigeria to have access to health services has provided a proper template for the take-off of the UHC.
Obembe said if 50 per cent of the fund is judiciously expended for primary health care through the NHIS, the appalling health indices of Nigeria would seriously improve by leaps.
He said, “It is alright to say that 50 per cent of the basic health fund is committed through NHIS. But for the funds to get to rural areas, the community has to provide counterpart fund equivalent to 25 per cent of the fund for disbursement.”
How are they going to muster the 25 per cent requested as counterpart funding? Would the states pay up regularly? How can UHC be achieved? These are some of the questions that are begging for answers.
The assistant general manager, NHIS, Dr Christopher Okoh, while speaking with Leadership correspondent said state governments can muster the 25 per cent if they are able to pursue way of innovation and by using the accruable sum from the save one million lives to set up health insurance agencies.
Okoh said, “We are thinking that if the federal government is able to operationalized the national health act and state governments are able to pursue way of innovation by using the accruable sum from the save one million lives to set up health insurance agencies, we will be able to work together to ensure all Nigerians are enrolled into the health insurance scheme.”
He said NHIS is working ways that can help to decentralized health insurance scheme where all the state will have their health insurance agencies. He said, “NHIS is going to leverage on other fund resources, outside the 50 per cent. We are going to meet the state governments through their health insurance agencies, which have already been established in some of the states in Nigeria, and with these health insurance agencies, money will be disburse to the NHIS.”
The assistant general manager said NHIS is working already with the national primary healthcare development agency, to develop minimum healthcare packages and with that, NHIS expects the state to adopt it or to make increase based on their capacities to fund.
Speaking on how the money will be disbursed, Okoh said, “NHIS will be disbursing money to those states based on the vulnerable. We will be doing what is called equalization from the centre. What this means is that NHIS will not be keeping all the monies in the polls. We will be resident at the state health insurance agencies and will disburse money based on equalization from the funds that will be accruing to it from the national health act and other funding sources to facilitate coverage of the vulnerable at the state level.”
Speaking on how UHC can be achieved, he said
the only way to achieve UHC is through universal health insurance and social health insurance. He urged Nigerians to accept and buy into health insurance so that the UHC will be a reality in no distance time.
He said NHIS, as at April last year, enrolled all its enrolees to get treatments from all tertiary diseases in any federal hospitals in Nigeria. He said, “This is a means to give back to our enrolees that are suffering from conditions from tertiary diseases like cancer, oncology etc. So what we did was to write to identified centre of excellences that can provide this service and also wrote to Health Maintenance organisations (HMOs) and told them to refer patients that have been identified to having these conditions.
“It has been on in areas of oncology and we have a lot of patients in national hospitals and other centres of excellence taking treatment from our funds. We have done a lot of successful cardiac surgeries in Garki hospital in Abuja, we have done a lot in Enugu at its centre of excellence for cardiovascular surgery. We have done a lot on neurosurgery, hip replacement and knee replacement. We have also done successfully renal transplant in Ife,” said Okoh.
He said one of the major reasons for the tertiary disease intervention was to make Nigeria a tourist destination for medical excellence, so as to reduce the capital flight and to tell Nigerians that these surgeries that they go to India to do can be done successfully in Nigeria.
“We want to change the perception of Nigerians that NHIS is not only covering malaria, but also covering those things that are outside its formal sector benefit package. We are also working with some NGOs in the country, by funding some surgeries even though they are not in NHIS scheme,” he added.
Speaking on how one can be enrolled into the NHIS scheme, he said, “Are you a civil servant at the state level or federal level? Are you a market woman? We have programmes for both the formal sector and the informal sector. For artisans, we have the urban self-employed skill where the artisans can come together as a group and access healthcare.
Source: Google
As the events of the ongoing Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) unfolds, founder Chioma Ude, has described the festival as poised to be the next big thing in film festival.
“I saw a lot of potential,” Ude said of the motivation behind founding AFRIFF five years ago.
“I saw ten years from where I was standing. There is a film festival right now and it’s growing. But I see beyond that. I see a film market, I see a content production. I see development. We train a lot of young adults and we’re trying to bridge the gap already. I see advancement.”
Five years after, AFRIFF has become a hub for African film practitioners. “This year is a huge year for us,” Ude said. “We’ve attained a lot of credibility. We’re set to be the most vibrant film festival.”
With this year’s theme as ‘Accessing Africa’, AFRIFF which is sponsored by Access bank, started on Sunday, November 8, had sessions for film screenings, training, parties and an award ceremony. The venues for the screenings are Genesis Cinemas at The Palms, Lekki, Genesis Cinemas at City Mall, Onikan and Silvebird Galleria, Victoria Island, while training holds at Afrinolly Space, Ikeja.
“We actually give out cash awards, about thirty to thirty five thousand US dollars for different categories.”
There are three categories of films – feature, documentary and shorts – at AFRIFF. Thirteen different categories of awards will be given onSaturday, November 14. A jury composed of Pedro Pimenta, Soheir Abdel Kader, Prof Hyginus Ekwuazi, Teddy Mattera, Dr Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Dapo Oshiyemi, Serge-Armand Kouami Noukoue and Asha Lovelace will determine the winners.
According to the AFRIFF Project Director Afie Braimoh, putting the whole festival together annually has been a challenge.
“From the beginning of the festival to the end of the festival, we have very topical discussions on every aspect you can think of that affects the film industry. We have master classes. It is very intense but the good news for this festival is there is something for everybody.”
“The challenge is getting everything together,” she said. “There are so many moving parts. It peaks up in the middle when we ask people to submit films when we go through the intense process of shortlisting the films.”
Going back memory lane from the first edition, Ude said AFRIFF now has more credibility.
“As you grow, more credible people would send in their movie,” she said. “The criteria is very tough. You’re no longer competing with your local counterpart. You’re competing at the international level. So people now understand what it takes to submit a film into AFRIFF. And so, we’re getting quality films.”
Last year, 250 films were submitted and 90 were screened. But this year’s edition witnessed over 600 film submissions of which 180 will be screened. Also, this edition had participants from 35 African countries and 25 non-African countries.
And unlike last year when 200 students registered to participate in the training, this year’s edition of AFRIFF had more 300 students registered. The training covered financing, marketing and distribution of movies while training will hold in areas such as cinematography, screenwriting, acting and production design.
There is also opportunity for 15 students to go to US courtesy of Ford Foundation and Relativity Studios and learn more about films while Africa Magic has promised the students jobs on the front end and back end when they are done.
As the countdown for the 2015 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award thickens, the organizers have announced that the voting phase will close as scheduled by midnight of Sunday, November 15, 2015.
According to the spokesman for the award and the Executive Director, Unmissable Incentives Limited, Mr. Kayode Idowu, the voting phase, which started on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 is expected to close as stipulated in the timelines of the 2015 award.
Idowu urged sports loving Nigerians who still wish to vote for their Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year to take the opportunity of the remaining few days to do so before the deadline. He noted that interested members of the public should send SMS SMOTY for Sportsman of the Year or SWOTY for Sportswoman of the Year and the name of the athlete to 33140 or nominate through twitter using the hashtag #SWOTY or #SMOTY and the name of the choice winner to @ngrsportsaward.
In the meantime, the panel of the Nigerian Sports Award has released the list of shortlisted nominees for the media categories of 2015 Nigerian Sports Award.
The 2015 Nigerian Sports Award event is scheduled to hold on Friday, November 20, 2015, at the Marquee, Oceanview, Eko Hotel, Lagos.
Source: The Guardian
Collated African 2018 World Cup second round, first leg qualifying results Friday:
At Antananarivo
Madagascar 2 (Andriatsima 27, Rakotoharimalala 59) Senegal 2 (Diouf 71, Mane 81)
At Mitsamiouli, Comoros
Comoros 0 Ghana 0
At Nairobi
Kenya 1 (Olunga 9) Cape Verde 0
At Sfax, Tunisia
Libya 1 (Saleh 48-pen) Rwanda 0
Note: post-Moamer Kadhafi-era violence prevented fixture being staged in Libya
At Benguela, Angola
Angola 1 (Gelson 2) South Africa 3 (Rantie 14, Gabuza 20, Jali 82-pen)
At Niamey
Niger 0 Cameroon 3 (M’bia 36, Aboubakar 39, Salli 40)
At Monrovia
Liberia 0 Ivory Coast 1 (Cyriac 44)
At Nouakchott
Mauritania 1 (N’Diaye 22) Tunisia 2 (Khazri 62, Chikhaoui 68)
At Lobamba, Swaziland
Swaziland 0 Nigeria 0
Played Thursday
At Bujumbura
Burundi 2 (Amissi 38, 83) Democratic Republic of Congo 3 (Bolasie 5, Mubele 86, 88)
At Windhoek
Namibia 0 Guinea 1 (N. Keita 27)
At Cotonou
Benin 2 (Sessegnon 45-pen, Bello 84) Burkina Faso 1 (Nakoulma 51)
At Lome
Togo 0 Uganda 1 (Ochaya 40)
At Agadir, Morocco
Morocco 2 (El Arabi 30, Bammou 66) Equatorial Guinea 0
Played Wednesday
At Maputo
Mozambique 1 (H. Pelembe 55) Gabon 0
At Merowe, Sudan
Sudan 0 Zambia 1 (Kalengo 28)
Second legs: Nov 14, 15, 17
Source: The Guardian
