2014

WEST AFRICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS (NIGERIA CHAPTER)

38th ANNUAL GENERAL AND SCIENTIFIC MEETING (VENUE: SOKOTO)

7TH -11TH JULY, 2014

COMMUNIQUÉ

PREAMBLE

The 38th Annual General and Scientific Meeting of the West African College of Physicians (Nigeria Chapter), was held at the Giginya Coral Hotels from the 7th to the 11th July, 2014.

  • The Governor of Sokoto State, His Excellency Alh (Dr) Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko- Sarkin Yamman Sokoto, ably represented by Dr. Buhari Bello Kware (Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Sokoto) declared the conference open. Other dignitaries at the Opening Ceremony included, the Vice Chancellor, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto represented by the former Provost of the College of Health Sciences, UDU, Prof Hameed Ahmed, OON, the Chief Medical Director of UDUTH, Sokoto, represented by the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, Dr Anas Sabir and a past NMA President, Dr M. I. L. Shehu (mni).
  • The Theme of the Conference was “GOVERNANCE AND THE FUTURE OF THE HEALTH SECTOR IN NIGERIA” and the Sub Themes were
    • ‘’Substance Abuse among Youths’’
    • ‘’Health sector Personnel conflicts in Nigeria”
    • ‘’MDGs:2015 Targets in Nigeria-Myth or Reality’’
    • ‘’Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)’’
  • One hundred and Fifty five (155) delegates from different parts of Nigeria attended the meeting.
  • The Academic activities of the meeting included the following:
    • The Sir Samuel Manuwa Memorial Lecture, entitled “Child Poverty; Good Governance; what outcomes?” was delivered by Dr Angela Okolo on behalf of the Faculty of Paediatrics.
    • The Annual Symposium was mounted by the Faculty of Psychiatry.

       The Topics of the symposium were:

  • ’’Management Approaches to Substance Use Disorders in Youths”
  • ‘’Addiction: A Developmental Disease?”
  • ”Substance Abuse- Why the focus on Youth’’

A plenary session was held and the Topics were:

  • The Merits and advantage of traditional Long and Short Cases method of Medical Examination
  • Moving public Health Practices and Profession in Nigeria

 Several  Scientific papers were presented during the Conference .The Topics covered the different subspecialties  and topics included, Coronary Heart Disease, Cerebrovascular  Disease, Congenital Heart  Disease, Hepatitis vaccine, Nutrition  in Children, HIV/AIDS, Tetanus, Measles, Substance Abuse, Lifestyle Medicine, Occupational Health issues, Maternal Health Issues and Oncology among others.

OBSERVATIONS

  1. Good governance is central to effective, equitable and efficient health care delivery.
  2. Informed policy formulation by those in government translates to better health care delivery.
  3. A healthy youth makes a healthy workforce which paves the way for a healthy and prosperous nation.
  4. Adolescence is the developmental period of highest risk. It is the period onset of problematic alcohol and other drug use.
  5. Delinquency, gangs, drug trafficking, prostitution, and growing numbers of youth homicides are linked to youth substance abuse.
  6. The current insecurity in Nigeria is partly as a result of substance use and abuse.
  7. The level of poverty among families in the country is appalling and is fuelling the current state of insecurity.
  8. Sir Manuwa lecture -

RECOMMENDATIONS

General

Governance MUST be targeted at attaining effective, efficient and equitable health care services to all citizens in our country.

Recommendations to Governments

  1. The Government should establish programmes aimed at Substance abuse prevention among youth.
  2. There is need for incorporation of substance abuse preventive programme into the Primary and Secondary school curriculum.
  3. Change should be engendered through parental education on parent-child communication about substance.
  4. The Government MUST improve on the current efforts to end the insecurity that is affecting all sectors of our economic life in the country.

RESOLUTIONS

The West African College of Physicians (Nigeria Chapter) reaffirms its commitment to:

  1. Excellent delivery of healthcare services at the specialty level in the subregion
  2. The provision of infrastructural facilities for the training of Medical Specialists in Nigeria.
  3. Playing an advisory and consultative role to the Governments in the planning and the delivery of health services in Nigeria.