The 2nd Annual Convention of the Abia State University Medical Alumni Association, UK London 2017

The 2nd Annual Convention of the Abia State University Medical Alumni Association, UK London 2017 Theme: Efficient and Cost Effective Healthcare. Date: Sunday 30th April 2017 Venue: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Dartford Bridge, Crossways Business Park, Masthead Close, Dartford, London, DA2 6QF.

Equivalent to 5 CPD points subject to peer group approval.

9.00am Registration and networking

Session One- (Queen Elizabeth Suite)

Moderators – Dr Chile Ogugua and Dr Collins Iwuji

09.30am	National Anthem (Nigeria and UK)
09.35am	Welcome Address – Dr Zuby Chile General Practitioner London (LOC Chairman and Secretary ABSU Medical Alumni, UK)
09.40am	Opening Speech – Dr Chinedu Umeadi President ABSU Medical Alumni, UK
09.50am	Prof Bond Anyaehie Global Coordinator, ABSU Medical Alumni Association Topic: ABSU Medical Alumni Association; A global perspective
10.00am	Special guest of honour and guest speaker His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON Former Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Topic: Democracy and Governance and possible role of medical doctors in diaspora in Nigeria governance
10.20am	Dr John Ahukannah Honourable Commissioner for Health, Abia State, Nigeria. Topic: Update on Abia State Healthcare Delivery System: The Journey So far
10.35am	Professor Uche Ikonne Vice Chancellor, Abia State University. Uturu. Topic: The state of education in Nigeria and how medical professionals in diaspora can get involved
10.55am	Prof Chuks Kamanu. Immediate Past Chief Medial Director  Abia State Umiversity Teaching Hospital, Aba   Topic: Abia State University Teaching Hospital today; possible roles of the ABSU medical Alumni Association, UK in its further development
11.10am	Prof Francis Akpuaka Pioneer Provost, Abia State University College of Medicine   Topic: Sustaining Motivation and Enthusiasm in Medical Practice: A Pace Setter’s perspective
11.35am	Questions & Answers
11.40am	End of Session One

11.40am           Coffee Break / Networking (Duration – 20 minutes)

Session Two (Queen Elizabeth Suite)

Moderators – Dr Lisa Ekeledo and Dr Chinyere Osy-Eneze

12.00am	Dr Chinedu Umeadi Consultant psychiatrist and Forensic Medical Examiner Lead Consultant, Salford directorate, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust; and National Clinical Lead for CRG Medical Services UK Border Force Contracts. Topic: Efficient and Cost Effective Healthcare
12:20pm	Dr Sandra Ukpaka General Practitioner with special interest in Dermatology Southview Park Surgery, Basildon, Essex Topic: Dermatology: More Than Skin Deep
12.45pm	Dr Thaddeus Iheanacho President ABSU Medical Alumni USA/Canada, Consultant Psychiatrist, and Lecturer Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University, USA Topic: Improving Access to Mental Health In Nigeria: The role of Nigerian Psychiatrists in Diaspora
1.10pm	Dr Obiyo Nwigwe Consultant in Emergency Medicine Lead for Medical Education, Accident and Emergency Department Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust Topic: Efficient Emergency Medical Care in Developing Countries: Is it Worthwhile?
1:35pm	Questions and Answers
1.40pm	End of Session Two

1.40pm       LUNCH Break / Networking (Duration – 50 minutes)

Session Three(Queen Elizabeth)

Moderators – Dr Nkechi Nwosu and Dr Iheanyichukwu Oteh

2.30pm	Dr Ibrahim Imam Consultant Neurologist, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Trust Topic: The Importance of checklists in medical practice: A case example with Neurology
2.55pm	Miss Hannah Uwakwe-Mangse Registrar, Breast and General Surgery Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust Topic: Efficient and Cost Effective Healthcare; Surgical Perspective
3.20pm	Dr Uche Oguekwe Family Physician with special interest in elderly medicine and therapeutics Diagnosis Medical Centres, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Topic: Putting your health first; A perspective on physicians burn out
3.45pm	Mr Ily Maisanda ACMA, CDM, ASA MSc Chartered Management Accountant Maisanda & Co Topic: Financial Planning and Tax Implications for the HealthCare Professional
4.00pm	Question & Answers
4.05pm	Closing Remarks and vote of thanks – Dr Amigo Odina (LOC Member and Vice President ABSU Medical Alumni, UK)
4.15pm	End of Session Three

Annual General Meeting of the ABSU Medical Alumni, UK   Venue: Queen Elizabeth Suite Chair: Dr Amigo Odina (Chair Board of Trustees) 16:30 - 17:30

12.00pm to 15.00pm   Children’s Party (Venue – Hextable suite)

12.00pm	Entertainment –
13:30pm	Lunch
15:00pm	End of party.

Red Carpet Photoshoots – Starts 7.00pm

7.30pm GALA DINNER(Queen Elizabeth Suite)

·        Nigerian National Anthem

·        Speech by the president Dr Umeadi

·        Three course meal (Nigerian)

·        Light hearted speeches by Prof Ikonne, Prof Akpuaka, Prof Kamanu, Prof Anyaehie,  Chair of the board of trustees Dr Odina, and other Alumni who may wish to speak

·        Another course of Nigerian meals later in the night

·        Nigerian DJ all night (1am)

·        Professional dancers

·        MC Mark (Comedian of the United Nations) will officiate the evening

End of convention

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Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance (ATLAS) website, from Pfizer!

Pfizer Inc. today announced the launch of the company’s Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance (ATLAS) website, which is designed to provide physicians and the global health community with easy access to critical data on the efficacy of various antibiotic treatments and emerging resistance patterns across more than 60 countries. Understanding evolving bacterial resistance patterns is a key element in managing the rise of antimicrobial resistance. To that end, ATLAS can not only help physicians select the most appropriate treatment choices for their patients, but also enable global health authorities to develop data-driven antimicrobial resistance mitigation strategies. Pfizer will formally unveil ATLAS on April 22nd at the annual meeting of the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ECCMID) in Vienna.

“ATLAS underscores our continued commitment to providing patients and physicians with meaningful resources that can help ensure appropriate utilization of antibiotics and improve infection prevention and control.”
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Mobile devices and applications provide many benefits for healthcare professionals including increased access to point of care tools, which have been shown to support better clinical decision making and improved patient outcomes. In response to this need, Pfizer also offers ATLAS as a mobile application to enable rapid access to important resistance information at the point of patient care.

ATLAS offers an interactive platform that enables physicians to evaluate data, conduct analyses, and export tables and figures that include parameters such as pathogen, region, specimen source and in vitro susceptibility data. The ATLAS database is updated every six months with new resistance data from healthcare institutions in more than 60 countries as these become available. ATLAS can be accessed by visiting: www.atlas-surveillance.com.

“An important aspect for physicians when treating patients is knowledge; knowledge of where certain resistant bacterial infections tend to occur and knowledge of which antibiotics remain effective against them,” said Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, Chief Medical Officer of Pfizer Inc. “ATLAS underscores our continued commitment to providing patients and physicians with meaningful resources that can help ensure appropriate utilization of antibiotics and improve infection prevention and control.”

About Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

The World Health Organization (WHO) characterizes antimicrobial resistance as one of the biggest threats to global health, that can affect anyone at any age in any country, threatening our ability to treat serious infections and provide standard medical procedures. Gram-negative bacteria, the cause of many healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), have become increasingly resistant to many available antibiotic treatments. These infections are associated with increased patient mortality and cost of care. At present, approximately 700,000 deaths per year are attributed to antimicrobial resistance globally, with an increase to 10 million predicted by 2050 if no action is taken to address this issue.

About Pfizer’s Commitment to Antimicrobial Resistance:

Today, Pfizer is the leading global provider of anti-infective medicines in the industry, offering patients access to a diverse portfolio of more than 80 products. Pfizer recognizes the serious public health threat associated with AMR and has taken significant steps to address this issue. In early 2016, Pfizer was a signatory of the Declaration on Combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a global call-to-action drafted and signed by more than 100 companies and 13 trade associations encouraging greater industry and government collaboration to address the issue of antimicrobial resistance. As a follow-up to the AMR Declaration, Pfizer and 13 industry partners unveiled the “Industry Roadmap to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance,” a comprehensive plan of action, that lays out four key commitments we pledge to deliver by 2020. For more information on Pfizer’s commitment to AMR, please click here.

About Pfizer Anti-Infectives

Since its pioneering work on penicillin in the 1940s, Pfizer has been actively engaged in the research and development of innovative medicines, policies and educational programs to address the evolving needs of patients and physicians in the area of infectious diseases.

For more than 30 years, Pfizer has been a leader in developing and implementing innovative public-private partnerships designed to address unmet medical needs and global public health issues. Today, our patient assistance programs expand access to potentially lifesaving medicines and provide educational resources that empower patients and physicians in the fight against infectious disease.

Pfizer Inc.: Working together for a healthier world®

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.pfizer.com. In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @PfizerNews, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer.

Source: WWW.BUSINESSWIRE.COM

Acedemia takes on global health

The Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) held their 8th Annual Conference in Washington DC this week. More than 1,700 people from every corner of the globe gathered for three days to explore how the world’s academic institutions can best contribute to improving global health. This year’s meeting was particularly interesting given the contrast between current prospects for financial support for global health and the trajectory of support over the last 15 years. That contrast made several of the key topics discussed at CUGH even more salient to me.


CUGH exists in its robust form in large part due to the remarkable and unprecedented increase in investments in global health made during the first decade of this century. Official development assistance for global health increased an average of 11% per year during that decade resulting in about $35 billion per year (source). HIV/AIDS investments led the way due to PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), but other notable investments came from the President’s Malaria Initiative, other bilateral donors, and the ramp up of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other foundations. These investments created demand for talented international health professionals of all types.


Universities responded with an explosive growth in new departments and schools focusing on global health. Students flocked to these new schools to acquire the skills needed to define and solve the many diverse and exotic global health challenges.



As greatly expanded programs rolled out, there was a need to figure out how best to direct investments. The field of implementation science developed rapidly to fill this need. Implementation science has many definitions, but, in essence, addresses how to take what we know works (based on evidence) and apply it in the field for maximal impact. If a program has an obstacle or problem, implementation science can help find a solution.



At the CUGH meeting, there was a good deal of discussion on the proposed cuts to US-funded global health research and programs. The Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes for Health (NIH) was highlighted as a crucial program to keep, as it carries out exactly the type of effort on human capacity building for global health that the world needs now. Many participants expressed concerns about the perceived growth of anti-science and anti-data thinking, particularly in the context of the many new and remaining global challenges being studied by those in attendance.



The breadth of global health challenges is stunning: from pandemics of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, to emerging infectious diseases like SARS, MERS, H1NI flu, Ebola and Zika, to a global surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory, as well as mental illness and injuries. At CUGH, the prestigious journal Lancet launched a new journal Lancet Planetary Health that will address the interplay between health outcomes and the determinants of health in our living and physical world. Several sessions highlighted the importance of climate change on the health of human, animals and the environment, and their complicated interactions.



The Global Virome Project presented on their efforts to characterize the vast number of viruses circulating in animal species that might jump or “spill over” to humans, causing new disease outbreaks. Bats, a possible reservoir for Ebola virus, were identified as a particularly important source of new viruses. The Zika epidemic underscored the importance of entomology, the study of insects, as well as the remarkable newness of birth defects related to a virus that can be transmitted by mosquitos and sex.



The presentations highlighted that, while not as exotic, NCDs will dominate the global burden of disease for the foreseeable future. While we are making progress in controlling several endemic infectious diseases, the World Health Organization projects that NCDs will be responsible for a significant increase in deaths over the next decade. In 2011, the United Nations convened a High-level Meeting on NCDs. Despite this recognition of the increasing importance of NCDs, there was no substantial new international commitment of funding to address the problem. Most countries were left to their own devices to do the best they can within the constraints of their health care systems. There is a tremendous amount to do.

As the planet’s population grows from  7.5 billion now to 9.7 billion in 2050 (half of the increase will come in Africa) there will be an ever-increasing need to have our best minds working on global heath. CUGH represents an essential component. We need to do all we can to support the institutions that help generate new evidence on global health challenges and then apply this evidence through innovative solutions.

The Consortium of Universities for Global Health’s (CUGH) eighth annual Global Health Conference was hosted by Johns Hopkins University and Makerere University.


Source: http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58f0fc99e4b0156697224ec8

Author/Contributor: Dr. Timothy Mastro,

A global development leader tackling the world’s most urgent challenges

Book Launch: Alumni Profile and Achievement

Dr Gloria N Harrison is an International medical graduate with over twenty years’ experience in Mental Health and Addictions.

She completed her primary Medical education from the Abia State University Uturu in 1997.

She started working at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia from April 2000 to August 2009 in the mental health department where she rose to become a Principal Medical Officer 1.

In the quest for further education she left the shores of Nigeria to the United Kingdom, first obtaining a Master’s degree in The Clinical and Public Health Aspects of Addiction at the Kings College London in Denmark Hill in 2010.

Dr Gloria has a passion for Addiction Psychiatry and worked for four years with St Mungos Housing Association providing succour to the homeless and those whose lives have been blighted with drugs and alcohol.

She now works with The Priory Group in the Rehabilitation and Recovery department. A job she enjoys whilst writing her novels and children’s’ books.

She has attempted and passed both parts of the PLAB exams and is fully Registered by the General Medical Council.

Dr Gloria lives in the United Kingdom with her husband Richard and five sons.

She enjoys writing, travelling, sightseeing, cooking and watching movies.

This book is intended primarily for International medical graduates who have come to the UK to find better career paths.



The aim is to describe diagnostic methods which depend on the trained clinician and on the basic equipment generally available.



I hope it will be of value to doctors even after passing PLAB exams.



Throughout the writing of this book, emphasis has been placed on accurate information of the different OSCEs being given.



If you have succeeded in reading this book and passing your exams then I shall feel amply satisfied.



London 2017





DrGNHarrison



Dr Gloria N Harrison

MBBS Absu, MSc Addictions- Kings College London

Staff Grade doctor Rehabilitation and Recovery Adult Psychiatrist



T:   01580 202213

F:   01580 201006

W: www.priorygroup.com

Panelists call for more group efforts to improve international sustainability.

Northwestern professors and representatives from various global health-oriented student groups spoke during a Thursday event about the need for increased collaboration on international sustainability efforts.
Northwestern Global Brigades, Engineers for a Sustainable World and AIESEC, a global nonprofit that organizes service trips for university students, organized the panel as part of Global Sustainability Week. The panel featured anthropology and global health studies Prof. Peter Locke, lecturer Michael Diamond and McCormick Prof. Kimberly Gray.
Tiffany Teng, former education chair for NU Global Brigades, said the idea of Global Sustainability Week began as a way to educate students who were interested in traveling abroad with the organization. As more groups showed interested in partnering with NU Global Brigades, the week shifted to include the entire student body, Teng said.
“I’m hoping that because there’s a wide variety of events, someone can go to at least one event and can learn something about sustainability,” the Weinberg senior said.
Global Brigades is an international nonprofit that sends students on skill-based programs to communities that require aid in transitioning to sustainable environment. The brigades aim to educate and help members of struggling communities on issues such as public health, business and infrastructure, Teng said.
Unlike other international nonprofits, Global Brigades sends teams of students to the same communities every three to four months to ensure that they can sustain themselves, Teng said. The NU chapter of Global Brigades focuses on medical trips to Panama and Nicaragua to set up clinics and treat patients, she said.
McCormick sophomore and AIESEC member Ian Su, who attended the event, said he went on a Global Brigades trip last spring to Nicaragua and spent his summer in Kazakhstan on an AIESEC trip. Service trips like the brigades allow students to have a well-rounded international experience, Su said.
“When I was abroad doing service, it wasn’t just about me helping them,” he said. “It was more about learning new cultures, interacting with the locals and coming back with a better understanding of what is going on in that part of the world.”
The panel also focused on the need for extended collaboration between NU and the communities students travel to. The panel emphasized the need for larger international organizations such as NU Global Brigades and AIESEC to connect with local aid organizations to strengthen those relationships and ensure the communities remain sustainable.
Diamond, who lectures in the global health studies program, said international sustainability trips can be unintentionally damaging to communities that are trying to be sustainable.
“When engaging in direct service, you must be aware of the social, political, economical consequences that may arise because of it,” Diamond said. “You have to remember it’s a privilege to visit that community.”

Source: Elizabeth Byrne, Reporter
April 14, 2017.
https://dailynorthwestern.com/2017/04/14/campus/panelists-call-for-more-group-efforts-to-improve-international-sustainability/

The International Business Committee of the ABSU Medical Alumni Association.

The International Business Committee of the ABSU Medical Alumni Association.

 

You are all welcome to join the International Business Committee of the ABSU Medical Alumni Association. The committee (which is open to both Alumni members and non-members) will assist in fundraising and help attract (targeting up to 500) International Businesses, Partners, Academic Institutions, Philanthropists, Donors, Stakeholders -  both governmental and non-governmental, to participate in one of  Alumni's major developmental projects, the 'Center for Global Health'.

 

This Independent Center, which will be an owner-operated Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with an estimated  construction cost of about $20 million, when completed. It will be a world-class facility for public health and primary care practice in ABSUTH, Aba.

 

It will bring many solutions to health care crises in the region, through international  collaboration. The goal of this project will be our driving force and motivation.

 

These Stakeholders and our Alumni's International Business Committee alike, will join forces in the building of the Center. Individuals and businesses are welcome to participate.

 

The center will also house a few businesses alongside, such as bookstores, restaurants, gym and recreational facilities,  banks, guest-house and a Modern Convention Center (Alumni Auditorium)

 

Although, the bulk of the funding will come from our Stakeholders, Investors, sponsors and donors, but we will individually contribute financially if we are to be interested in the ownership of an office-practice at the Center. Example, an office-practice Suite (500 sq. feet) in the complex may cost $20,000 to own and operate, by individuals or business corporations.

 

This project will  demonstrate our collective passion for success!

The Proposed 'Centre for Global Health' Project

The ABSU Medical Alumni Association Inc. is on a mission to connecting Nigerian health care services, Physicians, healthcare professionals and researchers to global health care resources, including the US health care resources, thereby bridging the gap in global  health disparity. One of the major ways of achieving this innovative project is through the development of healthcare infrastructure, notably the timely construction of a state-of-the-art global health facility in Abia State University Teaching Hospital Campus, Aba, Nigeria.

Public-Private-Partnership – The ABSU Medical Alumni Association Inc. sees the government as a powerful player in healthcare delivery to partner with in achieving these goals. Our first objective is to propose to the Abia State Government, the building and development of a Center for Global Health Practice. In this modern facility, which will be located in the Medical School, groups of global researchers and practitioners would independently offer a state of the art population health care services and cutting edge medical research programs in primary care  and global public health, to serve the global and local community alike.

The Center will be a large building complex housing up to about 500 offices; built, owned and operated by a consortium of global health players, individual specialists and the Abia State Government. The immediate task will be to bring all stakeholders  to together to see the vision of advancing global health care and contribute their share of improving health care in Abia State.

Building this kind of modern facility fitted with IT infrastructure is a key factor underpinning population health research and practice, much needed in undeserved areas of the world.