Nigeria Launches National Action Plan on Women, Peace, Security

Nigeria Launches National Action Plan on Women, Peace, Security The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Al-Hassan, has called for recognition in Nigeria of the pivotal role of women in conflict management, conflict resolution and sustainable peace. Mrs. Alhassan made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the launch of the revised National Action Plan for the Implementation of the United Nation Security Council Resolution, UNSCR 1325, and Related Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security in Nigeria. The event was held at the Banquet Hall of Presidential Villa, Abuja. UNSCR 1325 was the first official and lawful global document to acknowledge the lopsided and heavier toll that war and conflict have on women and girls in Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs And Social Development developed the revised National Action Plan in partnership with the United Nation Security Council, UNSC. According to Mrs. Al-Hassan, in spite of women’s proven natural reconciliation and stabilizing roles in the family, they have continued to be excluded from meaningful participation in peace processes. “The UNSC had adopted Resolution 1325 13 years ago, acknowledging the underrepresentation of women in peace processes and calling on member states to take action to rectify the issues. “The resolution also acknowledged the disproportionate impact of violence on women especially in conflict contexts,” she said. Nigeria came on board in August of 2013 by launching the first National Action Plan to domesticate UNSCR 1325 with the support of the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) and UN Women. Eight NSRP-supported states domesticated the NAP in Nigeria. They are Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Rivers and Yobe states. “The first NAP had gaps and did not take care of emerging issues like the insurgency, violent extremism, among others, there was therefore very urgent need to have the NAP revised”, the minister said. “Insecurity and transnational border crimes, gender, responsive inclusion in peace architecture, violence against women, girls, children and communal crises are the major peace concerns of women. These, she said have been captured in the second NAP”, she added. The minister called on Nigerians to support government in actualizing gender balance into policies, programmes and organisations in Nigeria through the national gender policy. In attendance at the launching were the wives of state governors represented by wife of Bauchi State governor, Hadiza Abubakar; the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; diplomats; traditional leaders and representative of the Kaduna State governor. The representative of the Kaduna State governor, Hafsat Baba, said women affairs are of apex importance especially in driving matters in the society. “Our women are indeed an embodiment of all virtues and this is the right time for our inclusion in leadership, conflict resolution and important decision making. “The UNSCR 1325 is one sure platform that aids this process. I join the Hon. Minister to challenge all relevant stakeholders in our nation’s women and social development matters to rally round and ensure total and smart implementation of this action plan. “At such challenging times, Nigeria is in dire need for restructuring of her social safety net and revising of our National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 is a single most important step towards achieving that”. The governor spoke on the efforts put in place by the Kaduna State government in strengthening resolve of the UNSCR 1325. “In recognition of the importance of women inclusion in peace building processes, addressing violence against women and girls and ensuring peace and security operations, policies and programmes through integration of gender perspectives, Kaduna State launched its State Action Plan on women, peace and security (SAP Resolution 1325) in December 2016 with the support of NSRP towards achieving the programmes on wo

Heart attack risk' for common painkillers

 A fresh study suggests there may be a link between taking high doses of common anti-inflammatory painkillers - such as ibuprofen - and heart attacks. The paper, published in The BMJ, builds on a previous body of work linking these drugs to heart problems. This research suggests the risk could be greatest in the first 30 days of taking the drugs. But scientists say the findings are not clear cut. They say other factors - not just the pills - could be involved. In the study an international team of scientists analysed data from 446,763 people to try to understand when heart problems might arise. They focused on people prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib and naproxen) by doctors rather than those who bought the painkillers over the counter. 'Raise awareness' Studying the data from Canada, Finland and the UK, researchers suggest taking these Nsaid painkillers to treat pain and inflammation could raise the risk of heart attacks even in the first week of use. And the risk was seen especially in the first month when people were taking high doses (for example more than 1200mg of ibuprofen a day) . But scientists say there are a number of factors that make it difficult to be absolutely certain of the link. Are the painkillers definitely to blame? Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of statistics at The Open University, said the paper threw some light on possible relationships between Nsaid painkillers and heart attacks. But he added: "Despite the large number of patients involved, some aspects do still remain pretty unclear. "It remains possible that the painkillers aren't actually the cause of the extra heart attacks." He said if, for example, someone was prescribed a high dose of a painkiller because of severe pain, and then had a heart attack in the following week, it would be "pretty hard" to tell whether the heart attack had been caused by the painkiller or by whatever was the reason for prescribing it in the first place, It could even be down to something else entirely, he said. Prof McConway also pointed out that other influences on heart health - such as smoking and obesity - could not be taken into account fully and could be partly to blame. What should patients do? Doctors are already aware from previous studies that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could increase the risk of heart problems and strokes. And current UK guidelines state that Nsaids must be used carefully in people with heart problems and in some cases (such as very severe heart failure) they should not be used at all. Dr Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation, suggests patients and doctors weigh up the risks and benefits of taking high doses of these common painkillers, particularly if they have survived a heart attack or are at higher risk. Meanwhile, GP leader Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said it was important that any decision to prescribe was based on a patient's individual circumstances and medical history, and was regularly reviewed. She said that as new research was published, it was important that it was taken on board to help inform guidelines. But she added: "The use of Nsaids in general practice to treat patients with chronic pain is reducing, and some of the drugs in this study are no longer routinely prescribed in the UK, such as coxibs, as we know that long-term use can lead to serious side-effects for some patients." What about over-the-counter use? This paper looks at patients prescribed painkillers rather than people buying them in a shop or taking them without medical advice. And it suggests higher doses than those often recommended for one-off use (for example more than 1200mg of ibuprofen a day) carry some of the greatest risks. But Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said the study should also raise awareness among patients who self-medicated with Nsaids to treat their pain. According to NHS advice, people should generally take the lowest dose of Nsaids for the shortest time possible. And if people find they need to take Nsaids very often or are taking higher doses than recommended, medical advice should be sought. How big are the risks? Independent researchers say one of the main pitfalls of the study is it does not clearly spell out what the absolute risk - or the baseline risk of people having a heart attacks - is. And they say without an understanding of the baseline, it is then hard to judge the impact of any possible increase in risk. Meanwhile, Prof Stephen Evans, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said though the study indicated that even a few days' use was associated with an increased risk, it might not be as clear as the authors suggested. He added: "The two main issues are that the risks are relatively small, and for most people who are not at high risk of a heart attack, these findings have minimal implications." S:

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