Health

Sinn Féin welcomes call for progress on Northern Ireland abortion services

Sinn Féin has welcomed a demand by the British government for progress on the introduction of abortion services in Northern Ireland, as the party denounced Democratic Unionist opposition to the provisions as “shameful and disgraceful”.

Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, Michelle O’Neill, accused the DUP and the Ulster Unionist party of trying to reverse legislation imposed by Westminster in 2019, which provided for terminations in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

“This is madness that needs to stop. Women are entitled to this. It needs to be delivered,” said the Sinn Féin leader at Stormont.

She was speaking after Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, wrote to the first minister, Paul Givan, and O’Neill to say he would soon “have no alternative but to take further steps to ensure that women and girls have access to abortion services as decided by parliament, and to which they have a right”.

O’Neill said: “I’m glad that I have the correspondences from Brandon Lewis that they will move if this blockage doesn’t end, they’ll move to commission the services. It’s long overdue and needs to happen now.”

Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in October 2019 after a Westminster vote and a supreme court challenge to laws that forced women with babies with fatal foetal abnormalities to travel across the Irish Sea for terminations.

There were 22 terminations of pregnancy in hospitals in Northern Ireland during 2019-20, according to the local department of health. The services are not widely available, which means some women seeking an abortion beyond 10 weeks in their pregnancy have had to travel to Great Britain for legally permissible terminations.

The charity Informing Choices NI said four of the five health trusts were offering medical abortions (via oral pills) for pregnancies up to 10 weeks but no extra funding or services had been provided to women seeking terminations for pregnancies of between 12 and 24 weeks since the abortion laws came into force in April 2020.

It said three health trusts had suspended early medical abortion care over the past year because of lack of staff, and on had not resumed the service at all.

“As a result of the ongoing failure to commission abortion services, women continue to be forced to travel to Great Britain. Three hundred and seventy-one people made this lonely journey from Northern Ireland in 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Ruairi Rowan, the charity’s director of advocacy and policy.

The Northern Ireland executive at Stormont has been formally directed by Lewis to commission the services before the end of March 2022.

“It’s really disgraceful and shameful that at this stage, over a year after it was legislated for, the DUP and the Ulster Unionist party have failed to commission, or blocked services actually being commissioned, to provide that care for women whenever it’s needed,” said O’Neill.

Two weeks ago Lewis said he was “hugely disappointed” that the Northern Ireland executive and Department of Health were “continuing to seem to wilfully neglect the welfare and rights of women and girls in Northern Ireland”.

There has also been criticism of Sinn Féin for abstaining on a vote at committee stage on a DUP-proposed amendment to the law to ensure there is no opening for future legislation allowing for abortions in the case of non-fatal foetal abnormalities.

Sinn Féin said the amendment, tabled by Givan, was a “deflection” designed to appeal to the DUP’s anti-abortion voters. Sinn Féin said it had no option but to abstain as it was opposed to abortion for non-fatal abnormality pregnancies and this was the position it took when abortion was legislated for in the Republic of Ireland, where it is the main opposition party.

Health

Yobe confirms 4 new polio cases

The Yobe Government has confirmed four new cases of polio in three Local Government Areas three years after the state was declared polio-free.

The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Babagana Kundi-Machina, made this disclosure while launching a campaign against the disease in Machina, a border LGA with Niger Republic, on Saturday.

He said that the State Government, in collaboration with its partners, had launched a state-wide outbreak response and vaccination exercise to address the situation.

“It is unfortunate that after three years of being certified polio-free, we have recorded a circulating polio virus outbreak in Bursari, Machina, and Yusufari LGAs,” Kundi-Machina said.

The State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Dr Hamisu Alhassan, pledged the organisation’s support to the state toward curbing the outbreak.

He called on the public to adopt preventive measures, including personal and environmental hygiene, hand washing, and immunisation to boost immunity and promote good health, especially among women and children.

On his part, the Emir of Machina, Alhaji Bashir Machinama, urged his people to cooperate with the government by accepting the vaccine.

Machinama thanked the State Government for its prompt response and pledged to sensitise his community to take relevant steps to contain the disease.

Health

Cholera kills 11 in Ebonyi

A cholera outbreak in Ndibokote village, located in the Ezza Inyimagu area of Izzi Local Government, has claimed the lives of 10 people, including a nursing mother who leaves behind a nine-month-old baby.

The outbreak, confirmed by Ebonyi State Health Commissioner Dr. Moses Ekuma through a statement issued by ministry spokesperson Lucy Anyim, has affected approximately 20 others who are currently receiving treatment. Health officials are working diligently to contain the disease and prevent further spread in the community.

Dr. Ekuma noted that Governor Francis Nwifuru has approved the procurement of essential medical supplies to manage the crisis.

Additionally, three treatment centers have been established in the affected area, including Iziogo Health Centre, Sudan Mission Onuenyim, and a facility in Ndibokote village.

Open defecation and poor hygiene practices, along with reliance on stream water for drinking, are believed to be contributing factors to the outbreak.

Residents have been urged to follow precautionary measures to reduce the risk of further infections. Health authorities are on high alert to ensure the situation remains under control.

Health

Fubara approves employment of 2,000 Medical personnel

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has approved the recruitment of 2,000 medical personnel and the payment of three years’ outstanding scholarship entitlements for medical students.

A press statement issued by Nelson Chukwudi, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, highlighted Fubara’s dedication to reversing the decline in academic standards in the state.

The Governor noted that in previous years, Rivers children were highly regarded for their academic excellence, a reputation that has since diminished due to the growing reward for mediocrity. Fubara vowed to restore this legacy.

Upon assuming office, Fubara said he was confronted with unpaid scholarship entitlements for medical students at the Rivers State University and that without hesitation, he authorized the release of funds, ensuring that students could continue their studies without frustration.

The Governor made these remarks during a courtesy visit by the accreditation panel of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), led by its Registrar, Dr. Fatima Kyari, at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

The delegation also included key officials from Rivers State University and the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh.

Fubara emphasized the importance of infrastructure and support for academic growth, aiming to restore Rivers State’s status as a hub for educational excellence.

He expressed his disappointment in the current societal trend of valuing cultism over intellectual achievement but reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to change this narrative.

During the meeting, Fubara also noted that 1,000 medical personnel would be employed through the Rivers State Health Management Board, while the remaining 1,000 would be engaged by the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).

He reiterated his commitment to promoting quality medical training and explained that his administration understands the financial challenges associated with medical education.

Dr. Fatima Kyari, speaking on behalf of MDCN, lauded the state’s commitment to infrastructure and training, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a high standard of medical education. She encouraged the state to further develop research opportunities to compete on a global scale.

Prof. Nlerum Okogbule, Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, expressed gratitude to Governor Fubara for his unprecedented support, stating that the university is now a top choice in Nigeria and that the College of Medical Sciences has significantly boosted its national and international reputation.