Health

The United Nations (UN) has pledged to support Nigeria on implementing its ageing policy. The policy framework is intended to inform discussion and the formulation of action plans that promote healthy and active ageing. Mr Oleg Serezhin of the Technical Cooperation Unit, Division for Social Policy and Development of Economic and Social Affairs, UN, said that the global body was committed to bringing its resources to support Nigeria on ageing.

Nigerian officials are partnering with their counterparts in South Africa to brainstorm on water management. The meeting, which got underway in the penultimate week, follows the request from the Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC) to undertake a technical study tour of South Africa to share water regulatory best practices.

There’s still quite a bit scientists do not know about the microbiome: the vast collection of microorganisms living within your body. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that peoples lifestyle and habits, from the foods they consume to the medications they take, may influence these bacterial colonies.

Even drinking seems to have an effect.

A new study, published Tuesday in the journal Microbiome, finds that drinking alcohol may alter some of the approximately 700 types of bacteria in a person's mouth and probably not for the better.

The study finds that alcohol may give rise to strains of oral bacteria that are linked to a heightened risk of some types of cancer, gum disease and heart disease, while simultaneously suppressing varieties that can protect the body from infection.

Past research has found similar results in animals, but the new paper is among the first to demonstrate such a link in humans.

Pfizer Inc said on Monday that U.S. regulators declined to approve the company’s biosimilar of Roche’s blockbuster treatment for breast cancer, Herceptin, and sought additional technical information.

The company said the requested information did not relate to safety or clinical data submitted in the application.

Eating too much sugar during pregnancy could affect your child's intelligence and memory, a new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine has found.

The study, found that when pregnant women or their offspring consumed large quantities of sugar, more than 50 grams per day, children performed more poorly on cognition tests, particularly those related to memory or learning, according to the Daily Mail.

Substituting diet sodas for those containing real sugar was also associated with poor cognition. Conversely, fruit consumption in young children was linked to higher scores on the same kinds of tests.

Trauma Awareness and Resilience Initiative (TAR), an NGO, has called on the Federal Government to establish special trauma care centres across the country to mitigate traumatic experiences among children. Mr Francis Onyekwue, the Coordinator of TAR, who made the appeal said it was important due to the recent insecurity situation in the country.