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29 November, 2008
Letal cough syrup
BBC News
'Bad syrup' kills Nigerian babies
Nigeria's food and drug agency says that 25 children aged between three months and four years have died after taking a contaminated teething syrup.
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control said it had shut down the Lagos-based manufacturer, Barewa Pharmaceuticals.
It said the syrup, called My Pikin, had been tainted with diethylene glycol.
The substance, used in engine coolant and anti-freeze, triggered kidney failure in the children, it said.
The children died at three hospitals in Lagos, Ibadan and Zaria.
At least 10 other children are reported to have been brought to hospital.
The NAFDAC said symptoms among the children who had taken the syrup included diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and convulsions, and that they had not been able to pass urine for several days.
The agency said it had first received reports of possible contamination on 19 November and had begun to confiscate the syrup two days later.
"NAFDAC officers nationwide have been directed to mop up all batches of the offending drug from circulation," the agency's head, Dora Akunyili, was quoted as saying.
She also appealed to mothers to stop using the medicine on their children.
'Bad syrup' kills Nigerian babies
Nigeria's food and drug agency says that 25 children aged between three months and four years have died after taking a contaminated teething syrup.
The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control said it had shut down the Lagos-based manufacturer, Barewa Pharmaceuticals.
It said the syrup, called My Pikin, had been tainted with diethylene glycol.
The substance, used in engine coolant and anti-freeze, triggered kidney failure in the children, it said.
The children died at three hospitals in Lagos, Ibadan and Zaria.
At least 10 other children are reported to have been brought to hospital.
The NAFDAC said symptoms among the children who had taken the syrup included diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and convulsions, and that they had not been able to pass urine for several days.
The agency said it had first received reports of possible contamination on 19 November and had begun to confiscate the syrup two days later.
"NAFDAC officers nationwide have been directed to mop up all batches of the offending drug from circulation," the agency's head, Dora Akunyili, was quoted as saying.
She also appealed to mothers to stop using the medicine on their children.
Abortion in Nigeria
Saving Nigerians from risky abortions
By Andrew Walker BBC News website, Abuja
When she discovered she was pregnant, Faith stole a few thousand naira - about $40 - from her mother to pay for a secret abortion.
The 21-year-old wasn't ready to have a baby, she said.
She doesn't have enough money to look after a child as she earns only 300 naira per day, just over $2.5 (£1.30).
"They put iron inside me, it pains a lot," she said in a written answer to questions from the BBC.
"I was vomiting, and felt sad."
The "doctor" was not trained to perform abortions, and may not have been qualified at all.
Faith is fortunate to be alive.
Figures show that 10,000 women die every year in Nigeria from unsafe abortions, carried out by untrained people in unsanitary conditions.
That is 27 deaths every day.
According to the US-based Guttmacher Institute, that is one sixth of the total number of women who die worldwide from such procedures.
Traditional 'doctors'
In Nigeria abortion is illegal unless the life of the woman would be at risk if she were to give birth.
But the Guttmacher Institute estimates that more than 456,000 unsafe abortions are done in Nigeria every year.
Some women go to traditional healers to terminate their pregnancies.
Methods include trying to break the amniotic sack inside the womb with a sharp stick. This causes infection and in extreme cases the tissue inside the body can start to die.
"They're pulling out intestines," says gynaecologist Dr Ejike Oji, of Ipas, an international organisation working to secure reproductive rights for women.
Another method is to pump a toxic mixture of fiercely hot Alligator chilli peppers and chemicals like alum into their bodies.
"The women go into toxic shock and die," Dr Oji said.
Taboo
Abortion is a taboo subject in Nigeria. The BBC couldn't find any woman who had an abortion willing to speak about it openly.
But 12 women responded to questionnaires about their experiences.
The women were contacted though a doctor who arranges abortions by trained doctors at a medical clinic in the capital Abuja.
"People know I am into women's issues," she says, "so when a woman comes to an organisation looking for help, they send them to me." The doctor did not want to be identified because she feared the authorities would prevent her from providing a service she says saves lives.
All but one of the 12 women are single, and all are below the age of 27. Two are still in secondary school.
All of them earn less than $60 (£30) a week.
Two women said they had abortions before, and two other women said their boyfriends refused to let them use contraception.
Most of them did not tell their partners or their families they were pregnant, and had to borrow money from friends to pay for the abortion.
At the doctor's clinic it costs $169 (£86) for the operation.
In unqualified hands, an abortion could cost as little as $4 (£2).
"It's expensive, but they realise its better than spending 500 naira and then having permanent medical problems or dying," says the doctor.
She gives the women a pill normally used for treating stomach ulcers.
This causes the womb to contract and start bleeding.
The doctor, with the approval of another consultant, can then go ahead and perform the abortion, because they can say it appeared the woman's life was at risk.
"These women are very young," says the doctor.
"They are often not married, sometimes still in school. There are serious social consequences if they were to have the child. They might not be able to afford to raise them."
Married women may seek abortions because they already have more children than they can afford.
Two attempts to change the law were stopped by conservative women's groups.
They say a change in the law would promote promiscuity, and weaken the moral fibre of Nigeria.
"Making more abortions available is not the answer," says Saudata Sani, a female member of the House of Representatives for Kaduna state, in northern Nigeria.
"Women need to be educated about their rights over their body and given opportunities to plan their families, but it must be done in a way that protects public morality."
Other medical specialists say that the law is just a part of the picture.
"Even if it was possible to get a legal abortion, many women would not be able to get a safe one," said Dr Francis Ohanyido, the president of the International Public Health Forum.
"Medical facilities vary widely and it is almost impossible to guarantee quality."
Cultural taboos mean even if there was a clinic in their town, it would be impossible for most women to go there, he said.
Among the 12 women the BBC questioned, five said they believed it would be wrong to make abortion more easily available.
Sharle, a 25-year-old university student, who had an abortion so she could continue her education, said she regretted what she did, saying it was against God's commandments.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7328830.stmPublished: 2008/04/07 01:37:58 GMT© BBC MMVIII
By Andrew Walker BBC News website, Abuja
When she discovered she was pregnant, Faith stole a few thousand naira - about $40 - from her mother to pay for a secret abortion.
The 21-year-old wasn't ready to have a baby, she said.
She doesn't have enough money to look after a child as she earns only 300 naira per day, just over $2.5 (£1.30).
"They put iron inside me, it pains a lot," she said in a written answer to questions from the BBC.
"I was vomiting, and felt sad."
The "doctor" was not trained to perform abortions, and may not have been qualified at all.
Faith is fortunate to be alive.
Figures show that 10,000 women die every year in Nigeria from unsafe abortions, carried out by untrained people in unsanitary conditions.
That is 27 deaths every day.
According to the US-based Guttmacher Institute, that is one sixth of the total number of women who die worldwide from such procedures.
Traditional 'doctors'
In Nigeria abortion is illegal unless the life of the woman would be at risk if she were to give birth.
But the Guttmacher Institute estimates that more than 456,000 unsafe abortions are done in Nigeria every year.
Some women go to traditional healers to terminate their pregnancies.
Methods include trying to break the amniotic sack inside the womb with a sharp stick. This causes infection and in extreme cases the tissue inside the body can start to die.
"They're pulling out intestines," says gynaecologist Dr Ejike Oji, of Ipas, an international organisation working to secure reproductive rights for women.
Another method is to pump a toxic mixture of fiercely hot Alligator chilli peppers and chemicals like alum into their bodies.
"The women go into toxic shock and die," Dr Oji said.
Taboo
Abortion is a taboo subject in Nigeria. The BBC couldn't find any woman who had an abortion willing to speak about it openly.
But 12 women responded to questionnaires about their experiences.
The women were contacted though a doctor who arranges abortions by trained doctors at a medical clinic in the capital Abuja.
"People know I am into women's issues," she says, "so when a woman comes to an organisation looking for help, they send them to me." The doctor did not want to be identified because she feared the authorities would prevent her from providing a service she says saves lives.
All but one of the 12 women are single, and all are below the age of 27. Two are still in secondary school.
All of them earn less than $60 (£30) a week.
Two women said they had abortions before, and two other women said their boyfriends refused to let them use contraception.
Most of them did not tell their partners or their families they were pregnant, and had to borrow money from friends to pay for the abortion.
At the doctor's clinic it costs $169 (£86) for the operation.
In unqualified hands, an abortion could cost as little as $4 (£2).
"It's expensive, but they realise its better than spending 500 naira and then having permanent medical problems or dying," says the doctor.
She gives the women a pill normally used for treating stomach ulcers.
This causes the womb to contract and start bleeding.
The doctor, with the approval of another consultant, can then go ahead and perform the abortion, because they can say it appeared the woman's life was at risk.
"These women are very young," says the doctor.
"They are often not married, sometimes still in school. There are serious social consequences if they were to have the child. They might not be able to afford to raise them."
Married women may seek abortions because they already have more children than they can afford.
Two attempts to change the law were stopped by conservative women's groups.
They say a change in the law would promote promiscuity, and weaken the moral fibre of Nigeria.
"Making more abortions available is not the answer," says Saudata Sani, a female member of the House of Representatives for Kaduna state, in northern Nigeria.
"Women need to be educated about their rights over their body and given opportunities to plan their families, but it must be done in a way that protects public morality."
Other medical specialists say that the law is just a part of the picture.
"Even if it was possible to get a legal abortion, many women would not be able to get a safe one," said Dr Francis Ohanyido, the president of the International Public Health Forum.
"Medical facilities vary widely and it is almost impossible to guarantee quality."
Cultural taboos mean even if there was a clinic in their town, it would be impossible for most women to go there, he said.
Among the 12 women the BBC questioned, five said they believed it would be wrong to make abortion more easily available.
Sharle, a 25-year-old university student, who had an abortion so she could continue her education, said she regretted what she did, saying it was against God's commandments.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7328830.stmPublished: 2008/04/07 01:37:58 GMT© BBC MMVIII
the experience of an Italian tourist
From blog "Turisti per caso"
This is a very positive description of Lagos and Nigeria made by an italian joung lady.
Her father works in Lagos and she goes to Nigeria every Chritsmas to stay with him ad explore the country.
She has already seen many places and she advices tourists to go and see many different places. She enjoyed particullarly travelling by car from Lagos to Abuja.
Il viaggio di Giada D.
Sono anni che mio padre lavora in Nigeria, tra Lagos ed Abuja (la nuova capitale della Nigeria) e quasi ogni anno passo le mie vacanze natalizie con lui.La Nigeria non è, forse, una meta vacanziera rinomata ma certo fare un viaggio lì significa vedere veramente cos'è l'Africa, senza il turismo di massa e le mete prestabilite. E' un viaggio tutto da da costruire e scoprire.A Lagos è pieno di italiani che lavorano lì da anni che organizzano feste e barbecue sulla spiaggia.Comunque, per darvi alcune informazioni per orientarvi questi sono i posti che meritano di essere visti.Sicuramente, per chi arriva a Lagos senza contatti sarà dura all'inizio. Innanzitutto, all'aeroporto sarete "braccati" da centinai di neri che si proporranno di portarvi valigie ed accompagnarvi ovunque lo vogliate. Sconsiglio di affidarsi ad uno di loro, potrebbe andarvi bene ma anche molto male. Prendete un taxi ufficiale, contrattate il prezzo e fatevi lasciare all'Eko hotel, uno dei migliori hotel di Lagos. La situazione ideale sarebbe conoscere qualcuno che vive lì e che sarà ben felice di assistervi, potrete conoscere gli italiani del posto al casinò, in qualche ristorante alla moda, come il ristorante italiano "C'era una volta". Le spiagge più belle, ovviamente con le meravigliose onde dell'oceano, sono Tarqua Bay e Light House dove si arriva con il banana boat che parte davanti alle ambasciate a Victoria Island. Altra spiaggia che merita di essere vista è Eleko beach, vicino Epe, dove, invece, si arriva con un'ora di macchina. Sconsiglio di fermarsi su quelle poche spiagge di Lagos.Un viaggio emozionante è farsi in macchina da Lagos ad Abuja, la capitale a 800 km. Nel tragitto attraverserete villaggi, bush, strade che tagliano la foresta in maniera magica, un quadro di colori, profumi ed emozioni che resteranno impresse per sempre. Per il viaggio premunitevi di cibo e bibite perchè non è facile trovarli nei vari villaggi che incontrerete (l'igiene a volte lascia a desiderare!). Nel tragitto fermatevi a Kaduna e a Lokoja lungo il fiume Niger, dove, se siete fortunati, potrete ammirare qualche ippopotamo a bagno!Arrivati ad Abuja andate allo Sheraton. Ad Abuja c'è la Moschea più grande del west africa e sicuramente vale la pena vederla!Certo Lagos, con la nomea di città pericolosa e cara, non è una meta per il turismo di massa ma offre senz'altro uno spaccato dell'Africa "nera" più vero di tanti altri posti, con tutti i rischi connessi. A me ha lasciato il segno ed un mal d'africa inguaribile.Per chi fosse interessato sarò felice di dargli maggiori informazioni.A prestoGiada
This is a very positive description of Lagos and Nigeria made by an italian joung lady.
Her father works in Lagos and she goes to Nigeria every Chritsmas to stay with him ad explore the country.
She has already seen many places and she advices tourists to go and see many different places. She enjoyed particullarly travelling by car from Lagos to Abuja.
Il viaggio di Giada D.
Sono anni che mio padre lavora in Nigeria, tra Lagos ed Abuja (la nuova capitale della Nigeria) e quasi ogni anno passo le mie vacanze natalizie con lui.La Nigeria non è, forse, una meta vacanziera rinomata ma certo fare un viaggio lì significa vedere veramente cos'è l'Africa, senza il turismo di massa e le mete prestabilite. E' un viaggio tutto da da costruire e scoprire.A Lagos è pieno di italiani che lavorano lì da anni che organizzano feste e barbecue sulla spiaggia.Comunque, per darvi alcune informazioni per orientarvi questi sono i posti che meritano di essere visti.Sicuramente, per chi arriva a Lagos senza contatti sarà dura all'inizio. Innanzitutto, all'aeroporto sarete "braccati" da centinai di neri che si proporranno di portarvi valigie ed accompagnarvi ovunque lo vogliate. Sconsiglio di affidarsi ad uno di loro, potrebbe andarvi bene ma anche molto male. Prendete un taxi ufficiale, contrattate il prezzo e fatevi lasciare all'Eko hotel, uno dei migliori hotel di Lagos. La situazione ideale sarebbe conoscere qualcuno che vive lì e che sarà ben felice di assistervi, potrete conoscere gli italiani del posto al casinò, in qualche ristorante alla moda, come il ristorante italiano "C'era una volta". Le spiagge più belle, ovviamente con le meravigliose onde dell'oceano, sono Tarqua Bay e Light House dove si arriva con il banana boat che parte davanti alle ambasciate a Victoria Island. Altra spiaggia che merita di essere vista è Eleko beach, vicino Epe, dove, invece, si arriva con un'ora di macchina. Sconsiglio di fermarsi su quelle poche spiagge di Lagos.Un viaggio emozionante è farsi in macchina da Lagos ad Abuja, la capitale a 800 km. Nel tragitto attraverserete villaggi, bush, strade che tagliano la foresta in maniera magica, un quadro di colori, profumi ed emozioni che resteranno impresse per sempre. Per il viaggio premunitevi di cibo e bibite perchè non è facile trovarli nei vari villaggi che incontrerete (l'igiene a volte lascia a desiderare!). Nel tragitto fermatevi a Kaduna e a Lokoja lungo il fiume Niger, dove, se siete fortunati, potrete ammirare qualche ippopotamo a bagno!Arrivati ad Abuja andate allo Sheraton. Ad Abuja c'è la Moschea più grande del west africa e sicuramente vale la pena vederla!Certo Lagos, con la nomea di città pericolosa e cara, non è una meta per il turismo di massa ma offre senz'altro uno spaccato dell'Africa "nera" più vero di tanti altri posti, con tutti i rischi connessi. A me ha lasciato il segno ed un mal d'africa inguaribile.Per chi fosse interessato sarò felice di dargli maggiori informazioni.A prestoGiada
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