46TH Annual General Meeting And Scientific Conference of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (Panconf 2015) International Conference Centre Abakaliki January 21st – 24th. 2015

 

COMMUNIQUE’

The 46th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) took place from 21st to 24th January, 2015 at International Conference Centre Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

 

The theme of the conference was Millennium Development Goals and the Invisible Nigeria child: How far so far? Sub-themes were Neonatal health, community case management and social issues on adoption. The Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Chief Martin N Elechi, represented by the Honourable Commissioner of Health, Dr Sunday Nwangele attended the opening ceremony and declared the conference open. The supervising minister of Health and the Honourable Minister of State for Health Dr Khaliru Alhassan was ably represented by the Director of Child Health, Dr B Adeniran. The Vice Chancellor of the Ebonyi State University, Prof. Francis Idike, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof C. Ekuma-nkama chaired the opening ceremony.

 

There were three pre-conference workshops/ trainings-Neonatal Resuscitation Training (NRT) for doctors and nurses, Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) for health workers, and Basic Life Support and Paediatric Advanced Life Support (BLS/PALS) course for doctors. Sixty eight participants, comprising 56 doctors and 12 nurses, were trained on NRT and resuscitation kits were distributed to all represented centres. Resource persons from Nigeria and the United States of America trained 48 doctors in BLS/PALS, while 79 health workers from all 13 local governments in Ebonyi state participated in the HBB training.

 

A press conference was held at the Sam Orninyi Egwu Press Centre, Abakalika-Enugu Expressway where the public was enlightened about the Paediatric Association of Nigeria, her vision, objectives, activities, and membership. There were courtesy call to the Chief Medical Director, Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki Fr P.O. Ezeonu, the Vice Chancellor Ebonyi State University Prof F. Idike and the Chairman Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers HRH Ezeogo Dr Agom Eze. An ealy morning sensitization walk with the theme: Reaching the Unreached was held on 20th January, 2015. This was sponsored by the office of the wife of executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief (Mrs) Josephine Elechi. About three hundred PAN members and members of the public participated in the five-kilometer walk that received coverage in both the print and electronic media. It ended with a health education session on hand washing, oral rehydration therapy and breast feeding at the Abakpa Main Market, Abakaliki.

 

Over six hundred delegates and resource persons (doctors, nurses and allied health workers) from across Nigeria and other parts of the world attended the conference. Dr A. C. Orjiako, an Orthopedic Surgeon, Philanthropist, Businessman and the Chief Executive Officer of SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Ltd, gave the keynote address on the theme of the conference. He drew attention to the rising tide in the number and the plight of the invisible Nigerian child; these are the orphans, the disabled, internally displaced children, street children, child hostages and prisoners, child solders and militants and many whose concerns are not commonly addressed . He urged Paediatricians to help the Nation find and focus on these invisible children, and advocate for increased social welfare for them. Though the MDGs have not been attained despite all efforts by the Federal Ministries will improve health outcomes.

 

 

There were four plenary sessions and eight symposia. The scientific sessions featured 80 oral 30 poster presentations cutting across different subspecialties of Paediatrics. A protocol on management of community acquired pneumonia produced by the Association was launched during the conference by the Ebonyi State Honourable Commissioner of  Health, Dr Sunday Nwangele. An eminent Paediatrician, Professor Kike Osinusi, was honoured with the Dr. and Mrs. Bolaji Ajenifuja Distinguished Paediatrician Award 2014.

 

During the conference, the following observations were made:

1. Growth is the most sensitive indicator of health and normal growth only occurs if a child is health. All children attending any paediatric setting should have their height and weight measured and plotted on an appropriated chart. A scaling up of the school health services to include growth monitoring so as to identify children with growth faltering.

2.  To reduce newborn death, skilled and well equipped birth attendants should be available to ensure that essential care is provided around labour, delivery and immediately after when the risks of death is greatest.

3.  Following the MDGs, globally, there has been a reduction in child mortality, scale up in immunization coverage, improvement in maternal health, reduction in HIV prevalence and reduction in death due to Malaria. New ways must be found to sustain the gains and deal with challenges.

4.  Nigeria is skill a distant cry from achieving the MDGs due to its slow rate in reduction of under-5, infant and neonatal mortality, There has been minimal change un reduction of neonatal health.

5.  Advocacy at all levels to refocus newborn health, invest in research, encourage and stimulate dialogue between policy makers and researchers to identify innovations for support of neonatal health

6.  There is need to strengthen training in social Paediatrics in order in to appreciate the role of the family, education, socio-cultural, spiritual, economic, environmental and political forces on the health an function of children.

7.  Endocrine disorders are on the increase especially Diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders and growth hormone deficiency. Challenges include diagnosis and availability and affordability of medications, especially insulin. No child should die from complications of diabetes due to lack of insulin.

8.  All tiers of Government should adopt the Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM) approach developed by the Federal Ministry of Health and development partners.

9.  The Prieumococcal conjugate vaccine is being rolled out in phases, starting December 2014 and the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) will be introduced in 2015 to consolidate the total eradication of polio.

10. PAN noted the cases of death due to hypernatraemin dehydration. This is due to improper preparation of Oral Rehydration Solutions. Therefore, PAN is planning the Constitution of a committee charged with setting up of guidelines on standardization of preparation of Oral rehydration Solutions in the country.

11. There is increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance to infections in Nigeria; this is due to poor prescription pattern and substandard antibiotics. There is need to regulate the source and standard of antibiotics available in the country.

12. The plights of the invisible child were noted. The contribution of the wife of the executive Governor of Ebonyi State Chief (Mrs) Josephine Elechi to the care of the invisible child through her Orphans and Vulnerable Children project (OVC) which is a component of her NGO, the Mother and Care Initiative (MCCI) was highly commended

 

The conference therefore made the following recommendations:

1.  Provision and strengthening of primary health care delivery services in every local government area so that no woman or mother will travel more than five kilometers to access care.

2.  Introduction of free qualitative and compulsory health care for pregnant women and children under five years. We hereby call on the National Assembly to speed up the passage into law pf the relevant bill.

3.  Government should also strive to achieve other MDGs that have indirect effects on child health to sustain the gains made so far.

4.  Attraction of Paediatricians, doctors and nurses to work in rural settings by provision of adequate incentives and infrastructural upgradement.

5.  Need to strengthen community health insurance scheme to reduce out-of-pocket spending health care services.

6.  Community development unit in the Federal Ministry of health should be given necessary recognition and retained in the Federal Ministry of Health to help in the implementation of maternal and child health strategic plans.

7.  A strong political will on the part of Government towards essential newborn care.

8.  Provision of highly qualitative Universal Basic Education to deal with the issues of illiteracy that is at the very root of many of our child health problems in the country

9.  PAN should be involved in all policies and legislation affecting children in the country

 

Signed

Prof Adebiyi Olowu

National President

 

Dr Jerome Elusiyan

National Secretary