Author: Swift Wave Reporter

Federal Ministry of Health says it is working with key stakeholders to ban flavored tobacco, including `Shisha’ to proctect children from getting enticed with the product across the country.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, made the remarks while briefing newsmen in commemoration of 2018 World No Tobacco Day on Monday.
He said that tobacco, whether Shisha, cigar or cigarette, was harmful to the health, adding that the ministry was working with key stakeholders toward an eventual ban of the product in the country.
Adewole added that people import tobacco under a different brand called `Shisha’, saying that flavored tobacco was not acceptable in Nigeria.
Corroborating the position of the minister, the Director-General of Consumer Protection Council, Babatunde Irukera, said Standard Organisation of Nigeria was in charge of creating industrial standard of products in Nigeria.

He added that SON Technical Committee in respect of tobacco standard in the country placed Shisha in the class of any tobacco product, hence, it was not an illegal product now.
He said the ministry had developed a work plan on some provisions of the National Tobacco Control Act which stakeholders could immediately implement before the approval of the NTC Regulations.
He explained that the work plan had outlined education, enforcement and monitoring for compliance, including the ban on sale of tobacco products to and by anyone below 18 years of age, among others
The minister said the 2018 World No Tobacco Day has “Tobacco and Heart Disease” as its theme and the slogan is “Tobacco Breaks the Heart – Choose Health, Not Tobacco”.

He added the theme and slogan highlighted the link between the use of tobacco products and heart and other cardiovascular diseases.
He said the theme called for increased awareness on the impact of tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke on cardiovascular health.

The 2018 World No Tobacco Day therefore provides Nigeria the opportunity to make commitments to promote heart health by protecting people against the use of tobacco products.
Country Representative of World Health Organisation, …

Popular Tanzanian conjoined twins Maria and Consolata Mwakikuti have reportedly died after they were hospitalized for heart conditions in December 2017.

The twins who were joined from the navel downwards and shared organs like the liver and lungs, had two hearts and separate heads and arms had great plans for their future and reportedly fought hard for their lives.

The high school graduates whose parents died while they were still infants, were raised by the Catholic charity Maria Consolata, which had adopted and named them.

Reports of their demise on Saturday has spread nationwide leaving Tanzanians in shock and mourning the ever joyous and seemingly happy twins who despite their predicament managed to make an indelible mark in the lives of all.

A young woman who survived an accident that killed two other passengers has shared her testimony with gospel singer Frank Edwards.

The woman, whose name was given simply as Chalene, said she took a bus from Onitsha heading to Port Harcourt and noticed immediately they boarded that one of the tyres was faulty.

She mentioned this to the driver but he ignored her. She also expressed her concern to the woman beside her but no one paid attention.

In the course of their journey, the car tyres bursted and the car somersaulted multiple times. The woman beside her who she earlier complained to died in the accident. A male passenger also died but Chalene survived.

She shared her story on Instagram and tagged Frank Edwards. She told him she was listening to his song titled Idi Ebube when the accident occurred.

She wrote:

Survivor. Jesus saved me. I came out alive and unhurt. @frankrichboy I can’t stop praising this God. #wedontdie. We live and proclaim the goodness of God

Read her message to Frank Edwards below.

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A girl who was believed to have died two years ago and was buried shocked her community yesterday as she returned to her parents’ home in the quiet Masala town in Ndola, Zambia.

The girl, whose name was given only as Winnie, reportedly died of an illness and her body was deposited in the morgue. She was later buried at Mitingo cemetery and her family came to live with the pain of the loss.

However, the community was left shocked yesterday when the same girl returned home. The girl told her family that it was a banana tree that was buried, not her.

Hundreds of residents gathered at the Central Police where the parents and the girl were kept as they waited for a DNA test to be authorized and conducted on the girl.

The girl’s death certificate and birth certificate were also tendered to the police to assist in the investigation.

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A medical practitioner, Dr Ayopo Adeyemi, on Sunday warned women against the use of artificial eyelashes, commonly used to enhance beauty, in view of its grievous consequences.

Adeyemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the health implications of fixing false eyelashes included corneal abrasions or ulcers, damage of the natural eyelashes, eye sensitivity, amongst others.

She said fixing of artificial eyelashes had become an increasingly popular trend in the fashion world as most ladies, regardless of the health implications, seek perfection and glamour.

According to her, natural eyelashes had its natural way of preventing dirt, sweat, bacteria and other foreign materials from entering into the eye by trapping and keeping out anything that comes near.

Adeyemi, a practitioner at Mushin General Hospital, Lagos, said false eyelashes would accommodate the dirt, thereby causing different forms of allergy and infections.

“The use of harmful chemicals on the eyelashes can cause them to fall out quicker than they naturally would and it is also dangerous when tools to be used come in close proximity to the eye.

“Artificial eyelashes can cause trauma to the eye either through the glue and other materials used or unprofessional operators; there could be introduction of microbes into the eye causing conjunctivitis of all types.

“The lashes themselves can cause allergic conjunctivitis trapping and retaining dirt around the eye,” she said.

Adeyemi advised ladies to minimise the rate at which they fix false eyelashes if they must retain healthy natural ones.…