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Women, Youth, Persons With Disabilities Calls For End To Stigmatisation Of People With Albinism

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September is South Africa’s National Albinism Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to Persons with albinism, to highlight their pride, challenges, and finding solutions.

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During this month all endeavors should be channeled towards the provision of information on albinism to create awareness and education of the disability.

Albinism is a rare genetic condition that reduces the amount of melanin pigment formed in the skin, hair or eyes and occurs in all racial and ethnic groups throughout the world. People with albinism continue to face an uphill struggle to attain a life with dignity and equality and to fight against injustice and discrimination.

The declaration of 13 June by the General Assembly in 2015 as International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) highlights the critical need for the world to recognize the plight of persons with albinism.

We have the opportunity to pause, reflect, and remember that not all persons are treated equally and that many persons with albinism continue to suffer human rights abuses and violations, often invisibly and in silence.

People with albinism continue to face multiple forms of discrimination because it’s still profoundly misunderstood, socially and medically.

The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with the National Albinism Task Force will host an Albinism Community Outreach program and webinar for youth with Albinism to engage on pressing issues faced by youth and persons with albinism in the country and persons with albinism broadly. This month will be celebrated under the theme “Inclusion is

Strength,” which builds from last year’s theme of “United in making our voice heard.”

It aims to ensure the inclusion of the voices of persons with albinism in all sectors of life. It emphasizes the importance of inclusion of a diversity of groups from both within and outside the albinism community.

The 2023 albinism month theme will also highlight the importance and benefits of:

Including a broad spectrum of persons with albinism in albinism-related discussions, including youth, women, children, older persons, LGBTQ+, and persons with albinism of all races and ethnic backgrounds;
Collaborating and embracing albinism within the disability movement, and in other sectors where decisions affect persons with albinism; and
Seeking synergies with human rights groups and other groups from outside the albinism movement

This will help people to understand Persons with albinism and the challenges they face. People must understand that Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition that occurs worldwide regardless of ethnicity or gender.

People with albinism are entitled to civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights recognized in the Bill of Rights and our Constitution in South Africa. The DWYPD calls upon people in communities and workplaces both in the public and private sectors to organize Albinism Awareness Month activities these include, organized talks about albinism, fun days, picnics, charity walks, and fun runs.

South Africa has a White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which is a call to action for the government, civil society, and the private sector to work together to ensure the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities is achieved and this includes Persons with albinism.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are particularly relevant; both guarantee protection against discrimination.

Equality and non-discrimination are essential human rights principles for people with albinism, owing to their vision impairment and their needs regarding preventive measures to address their vulnerability to skin cancer.

A clarion call was made to all South Africans to treat persons with albinism with care, love, respect, and dignity, and try to assist and support them wherever possible.

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Nasarawa Government, UNICEF Join Forces To Combat Fake Drugs

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The Nasarawa State Government, in a bid to address the menace of counterfeit drugs in the state, has forged a partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to combat the proliferation of fake medications in primary and tertiary medical facilities across the state.

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The collaboration was announced by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, during an inspection visit to the Nasarawa State Drugs and Supplies Management Agency (NASDSMA) in Lafia, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Gwamna revealed that the ongoing upgrade of facilities, including warehouses at NASDSMA, aims to ensure the effective management and distribution of drugs in accordance with international standards.

He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and materials used in the project, describing it as the best in the North-Central Geo-Political Zone.

The commissioner further stated the importance of the agency in addressing the challenges of drug availability and affordability in public health facilities across the state.

He commended UNICEF for its significant contribution to the project, stating that it demonstrates the organization’s commitment to improving healthcare in Nasarawa State.

“I want to commend UNICEF for contributing 85 per cent of the total sum of the project. This is a clear indication that they love the people of Nasarawa State, and as a people, we are grateful to them for their support.

“And I can state clearly that with this huge investment in the infrastructure, and the ability to purchase drugs directly from the manufacturers, the era of supply of substandard and non-availability of drugs in our healthcare facilities is over.

“The prices of drugs in public facilities are now also affordable and uniform across the state because the agency also controls it. At the moment, we are also extending the gesture to private hospitals in the state who are willing to transact business with us,” He stated.

Gwamna, commended the contractor for working according to the specification of the project, stating that delivering quality healthcare services was one of the top most priorities of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration.

The commissioner reiterated the administration’s commitment to delivering quality healthcare services to residents and assured continued efforts to address health needs effectively.

The fight against counterfeit drugs has been a pressing issue in Nigeria, with recent seizures reported across the country.

Recall that in March, the Nigeria Customs Service discovered fake pharmaceuticals, including Augmentin tablets and Amoxycillin capsules, with an estimated value of N1.7 billion in Oyo/Osun Area Command.

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Taraba Local Government Workers Groan As Chairman Stops Salaries

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Workers of Bali local government area in Taraba State have been groaning over non-payment of their salaries for the past four months.

This has resulted in hunger, starvation, lack of access to health services, and other forms of hardship.

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The workers numbering 64 from different departments in the council said the local government chairman, Aboki Dauda, had withheld their salaries for the past four months without any justification.

The chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the council, Comrade Abdulmumuni Isa, confirmed the development.

The NULGE chairman said the problem started when the council embarked on staff audit and verification in December 2023. “The situation led to the removal of some of the staff members from the bursary which affected some of the genuine workers of the local government,” Isa said.

On their part, the workers said they have been on the payroll of the local government before Dauda was elected as its chairman.

One of the affected workers said, “We were genuinely employed in different departments of Bali local government area, we have our pay slips and have been collecting our monthly salaries. We have our promotions and all the required documents to prove to any authority as the council staff.

“The unjust treatment meted on us is unimaginable, we are passing through serious hardship, coupled with the national economic crisis and the one initiated by our council, it has not been easy for the past four months. Our children can’t return to schools; we can’t attend to medication nor eat well.”

The leader of the affected workers Mallam Kashimu Bello who unveiled the list of his colleagues said the workers have initiated plans to stage a protest at the Taraba State House of Assembly to submit their grievances to Governor Agbu Kefas.

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Aide Lauds Yobe Governor, Buni For Setting Up 140 Healthcare Centres

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Special adviser to the Yobe State governor on Hajj Operations, Alhaji Baffa Maina, has commended the governor, Hon Mai Mala Buni, for keeping to his campaign promises to the Yobe people, especially the construction of township roads, schools, model market, hospital, cargo international airport, and setting up of 140 healthcare centres.

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In an interview with newsmen in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, Maina said Buni is a servant of God who has shown integrity and accountability in the management of the state resources.

He said, “Buni has kept his promise for the construction of houses, roads, schools, and the establishment of primary health care centres.”

He said Yobe is the home of APC and that what the governor has been doing in fulfilling his campaign promises especially his urban renewal programme has made the campaign easier for all APC candidates in the state and nationally.

He said that he has brought development closer to the people by establishing 140 functional Primary Healthcare Centres, out of the 178 proposed for every political ward, adding that he has also upgraded six primary healthcare centres to general hospitals, and four general hospitals upgraded to specialist hospitals.

“We shall continue to be grateful and reassure the government of our continued support and loyalty. We hope that God will continue to grant you wisdom and protection,” he said.

“I want to use this opportunity to inform you that I am impressed by the performance of Governor Mai Mala Buni. He has done very well in security and project execution in Yobe State. We are proud of him and urge him to do more for the people,” he added.

He called on the opposition parties in the state to support the governor in the state’s interest.

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