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News_Naija
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News_Naija
Overhaul Nigerias Prisons
~2.6 mins read
THE recent exposure of a convicted armed robber, Haruna Ayo, caught processing travel documents at a Lagos passport office, starkly illustrates the deep rot within Nigeria’s correctional service system. Ayo, initially sentenced to life imprisonment, later reduced to 21 years, was not only able to plot an escape but nearly succeeded in leaving the country, thanks to the collusion of corrupt prison officials. His case is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a system in urgent need of reform. Ayo was serving his sentence at Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Centre, yet was escorted by warders to the FESTAC passport office to process his documents. The ruse unravelled when an impatient warder inadvertently revealed the inmate’s status, prompting immigration officials to detain both the prisoner and the warder. Two prison officials have since been suspended, and the Nigerian Correctional Service has launched an investigation. However, this response only scratches the surface. The rot in the NCoS predates the current Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. Nigeria’s prisons have become notorious for frequent and embarrassing jailbreaks, with at least 15 major prison breaks recorded between 2010 and 2023, resulting in many inmates escaping. Many of these incidents have been linked to poor infrastructure, inadequate security, and insider collusion. In 2021, the Owerri prison break saw over 1,800 inmates freed after gunmen attacked the facility, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities. Prison conditions remain dire. Overcrowding is rampant, with facilities built for 50,000 inmates now holding more than 75,000, many of whom are awaiting trial. Meals are reportedly inedible, and basic healthcare is often unavailable. These conditions have led to disease outbreaks and deaths, further underscoring the urgent need for reform. Corruption and inequality are rampant within the system. Wealthy or well-connected inmates routinely bribe their way into more comfortable accommodations, while ordinary prisoners endure squalid, cramped cells. High-profile cases abound. Cross-dresser Idris Okuneye (Bobrisky) allegedly served his sentence in a cosy private apartment. In Ebonyi, officials reportedly escorted a VIP inmate to meet his lover outside prison walls. There are disturbing reports of inmates being allowed to leave prison to commit robberies, sharing their loot with complicit officials. Such practices make a mockery of justice and the rule of law. Despite the rebranding of the Nigerian Prisons Service to the Nigerian Correctional Service under President Muhammadu Buhari, the change has been largely superficial. Systemic corruption and neglect persist, undermining any progress. In contrast, prison reform in other countries offers a change model. In Norway, Germany, Scotland, and Spain, inmates have access to education, vocational training, and meaningful work, all within secure but humane environments. In Scotland’s Addiewell Prison, inmates receive 40 hours a week of skill acquisition, preparing them for reintegration into society. In Germany, prisoners are required to work for pay, fostering responsibility and self-sufficiency. Crucially, prison officials in these systems are held to high standards, and collusion with inmates is rare and harshly punished. Tunji-Ojo has made strides in sanitising the passport procurement process, but his record on prison reform remains lacking. In the remainder of his tenure, he should prioritise a comprehensive overhaul of the correctional system. This includes rooting out corruption among prison officials, with swift and transparent prosecutions, improving prison conditions by addressing overcrowding, upgrading facilities, and ensuring access to adequate food and healthcare. He should enforce equality in the treatment of inmates, regardless of status or wealth and invest in rehabilitation programmes that equip inmates with skills for life after prison. Nigeria’s prisons reflect the broader challenges facing the country’s institutions. To reclaim the integrity of its justice system, Nigeria must build correctional facilities that uphold the law, protect human rights, and foster genuine rehabilitation, not just punishment.
Read more stories like this on punchng.com
Healthwatch
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Healthwatch
Two Jobs May Lower The Odds Of Dying From Alzheimer's Disease But Why?
~5.0 mins read
Driving a taxi or ambulance may help ward off the most common type of dementia.
Taxi and ambulance drivers were much less likely to die an AD-related death than people in other occupations. AD accounted for 0.91% of deaths of taxi drivers and 1.03% of deaths of ambulance drivers. Among chief executives, AD accounted for 1.82% of deaths, which is close to the average for the general population. While these differences may seem small, they translate to more than 40% fewer deaths related to Alzheimer's among taxi and ambulance drivers.
This benefit did not seem to extend to others with jobs involving navigation. For example, aircraft pilots (2.34%) and ship captains (2.12%) had some of the highest rates of death due to AD. Bus drivers (1.65%) were closer to the population average but still not nearly as low as taxi and ambulance drivers.
Other types of dementia did not follow this pattern. Rates of death due to dementia other than AD were not lower among taxi and ambulance drivers.
Information on death certificates. Researchers in this study used "usual occupation at the time of death" as provided by a survivor presumed to know that information. But that might not be accurate. And many people have more than one job over the course of their lives.
Self-selection. Perhaps people who are prone to AD find navigation more challenging than others, and so tend to avoid these occupations. Similarly, it's possible that people who are less prone to AD tend to have better navigational skills and are more likely to pursue jobs for which that's an advantage. In this way, self-selection, rather than the occupation itself, could have contributed to the study's results.
Confounders. The study's findings could be due to factors other than those assessed by the study (confounders). For example, it's possible that people whose lifelong occupation is driving a taxi or ambulance are less likely than others to smoke. Since smoking is a risk factor for AD, the lower rate of smoking, rather than the occupation, could contribute to fewer AD-related deaths among these drivers.
Chance. The findings could be due to chance, especially because there were just 10 AD-related deaths among taxi drivers. Even a small number of overlooked deaths due to AD could sway the results.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disease. Despite decades of research, science has not pinned down causes or discovered highly effective treatments. And while a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other measures can help people slow or avoid AD, we badly need more routes for preventing it.
That's why a new study is so intriguing — and potentially game-changing. Researchers have found that the risk of death due to AD is markedly lower in taxi and ambulance drivers compared with hundreds of other occupations. And the reason could be that these drivers develop structural changes in their brains as they work.
Drawing a connection between Alzheimer's disease and work
In the past two decades, small studies demonstrated that London taxi drivers tend to have an enlargement in one area of the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved with developing spatial memory. Interestingly, that part of the brain is one area that's commonly damaged by AD.
These observations led to speculation that taxi drivers might be less prone to AD than people with jobs that don't require similar navigation and spatial processing skills.
A recent study explores this possibility by analyzing data from nearly nine million people who died over a three-year period and had occupation information on their death certificates. After accounting for age of death, researchers tallied Alzheimer's-related death rates for more than 443 different jobs. The results were dramatic.
What did the study find?
Why would driving a taxi or ambulance affect the risk of AD-related death?
One possible explanation is that jobs requiring frequent real-time spatial and navigational skills change both structure and function in the hippocampus. If these jobs help keep the hippocampus healthy, that could explain why AD-related deaths — but not deaths due to other types of dementia — are lower in taxi and ambulance drivers. It could also explain the older studies that found enlargement in parts of the hippocampus in people with these jobs.
And why aren't bus drivers, pilots, and ship captains similarly protected? The study authors suggest these other jobs involve predetermined routes with less real-time navigational demands. Thus, they may not change the hippocampus as much.
What are the limitations of this study?
A single research study is rarely definitive, especially an observational study like this one. Observational studies can only identify a relationship — not establish a firm cause — between a protective factor and a condition like AD. There could be other explanations for the findings. For example:
And even if driving a taxi or ambulance could lower your risk of AD-related death, what's the impact of GPS technology now in widespread use? If these jobs now require less navigational demand due to GPS, will the protective effect of these jobs evaporate?
How might this new study help you reduce your risk of AD?
You might wonder if these findings can be applied to anyone who wants to lower their risk of AD. For example, could outdoor treasure-hunting activities that require complex navigational skills, such as orienteering and geocaching, help stave off AD? At least one small study found that orienteering experts had better spatial memory than orienteering novices.
Could puzzles, video games, or even board games designed to build spatial skills reduce the risk of AD? Think Rubik's Cubes and jigsaw puzzles, Minecraft and Tetris, chess and Labyrinth. A round of Battleship, anyone? And if these activities are actually helpful, how often would you need to play?
I look forward to the results of studies exploring these questions. Until then, it's best to rely on experts' recommendations to reduce your risk of AD, including high-quality sleep, diet, and regular exercise.
The bottom line
I find this new research about taxi and ambulance drivers having lower rates of AD-related death fascinating. Considering how often we hear about the risks of certain jobs, it's encouraging to hear about occupations that might actually protect you from disease.
If confirmed by other research, the results of this study could lead to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease — and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
profile/5170OIG3.jpeg.webp
Healthwatch
Two Jobs May Lower The Odds Of Dying From Alzheimer's Disease But Why?
~5.0 mins read
Driving a taxi or ambulance may help ward off the most common type of dementia.
Taxi and ambulance drivers were much less likely to die an AD-related death than people in other occupations. AD accounted for 0.91% of deaths of taxi drivers and 1.03% of deaths of ambulance drivers. Among chief executives, AD accounted for 1.82% of deaths, which is close to the average for the general population. While these differences may seem small, they translate to more than 40% fewer deaths related to Alzheimer's among taxi and ambulance drivers.
This benefit did not seem to extend to others with jobs involving navigation. For example, aircraft pilots (2.34%) and ship captains (2.12%) had some of the highest rates of death due to AD. Bus drivers (1.65%) were closer to the population average but still not nearly as low as taxi and ambulance drivers.
Other types of dementia did not follow this pattern. Rates of death due to dementia other than AD were not lower among taxi and ambulance drivers.
Information on death certificates. Researchers in this study used "usual occupation at the time of death" as provided by a survivor presumed to know that information. But that might not be accurate. And many people have more than one job over the course of their lives.
Self-selection. Perhaps people who are prone to AD find navigation more challenging than others, and so tend to avoid these occupations. Similarly, it's possible that people who are less prone to AD tend to have better navigational skills and are more likely to pursue jobs for which that's an advantage. In this way, self-selection, rather than the occupation itself, could have contributed to the study's results.
Confounders. The study's findings could be due to factors other than those assessed by the study (confounders). For example, it's possible that people whose lifelong occupation is driving a taxi or ambulance are less likely than others to smoke. Since smoking is a risk factor for AD, the lower rate of smoking, rather than the occupation, could contribute to fewer AD-related deaths among these drivers.
Chance. The findings could be due to chance, especially because there were just 10 AD-related deaths among taxi drivers. Even a small number of overlooked deaths due to AD could sway the results.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disease. Despite decades of research, science has not pinned down causes or discovered highly effective treatments. And while a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other measures can help people slow or avoid AD, we badly need more routes for preventing it.
That's why a new study is so intriguing — and potentially game-changing. Researchers have found that the risk of death due to AD is markedly lower in taxi and ambulance drivers compared with hundreds of other occupations. And the reason could be that these drivers develop structural changes in their brains as they work.
Drawing a connection between Alzheimer's disease and work
In the past two decades, small studies demonstrated that London taxi drivers tend to have an enlargement in one area of the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved with developing spatial memory. Interestingly, that part of the brain is one area that's commonly damaged by AD.
These observations led to speculation that taxi drivers might be less prone to AD than people with jobs that don't require similar navigation and spatial processing skills.
A recent study explores this possibility by analyzing data from nearly nine million people who died over a three-year period and had occupation information on their death certificates. After accounting for age of death, researchers tallied Alzheimer's-related death rates for more than 443 different jobs. The results were dramatic.
What did the study find?
Why would driving a taxi or ambulance affect the risk of AD-related death?
One possible explanation is that jobs requiring frequent real-time spatial and navigational skills change both structure and function in the hippocampus. If these jobs help keep the hippocampus healthy, that could explain why AD-related deaths — but not deaths due to other types of dementia — are lower in taxi and ambulance drivers. It could also explain the older studies that found enlargement in parts of the hippocampus in people with these jobs.
And why aren't bus drivers, pilots, and ship captains similarly protected? The study authors suggest these other jobs involve predetermined routes with less real-time navigational demands. Thus, they may not change the hippocampus as much.
What are the limitations of this study?
A single research study is rarely definitive, especially an observational study like this one. Observational studies can only identify a relationship — not establish a firm cause — between a protective factor and a condition like AD. There could be other explanations for the findings. For example:
And even if driving a taxi or ambulance could lower your risk of AD-related death, what's the impact of GPS technology now in widespread use? If these jobs now require less navigational demand due to GPS, will the protective effect of these jobs evaporate?
How might this new study help you reduce your risk of AD?
You might wonder if these findings can be applied to anyone who wants to lower their risk of AD. For example, could outdoor treasure-hunting activities that require complex navigational skills, such as orienteering and geocaching, help stave off AD? At least one small study found that orienteering experts had better spatial memory than orienteering novices.
Could puzzles, video games, or even board games designed to build spatial skills reduce the risk of AD? Think Rubik's Cubes and jigsaw puzzles, Minecraft and Tetris, chess and Labyrinth. A round of Battleship, anyone? And if these activities are actually helpful, how often would you need to play?
I look forward to the results of studies exploring these questions. Until then, it's best to rely on experts' recommendations to reduce your risk of AD, including high-quality sleep, diet, and regular exercise.
The bottom line
I find this new research about taxi and ambulance drivers having lower rates of AD-related death fascinating. Considering how often we hear about the risks of certain jobs, it's encouraging to hear about occupations that might actually protect you from disease.
If confirmed by other research, the results of this study could lead to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease — and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
profile/5170OIG3.jpeg.webp
Healthwatch
Salmonella Is Sneaky: Watch Out
~5.2 mins read
Here's what to know and do to evade bacteria that sickens millions every year.
diarrhea and a fever higher than 102° F
diarrhea that doesn't improve after three days
bloody stools
vomiting so severe it prevents you from keeping liquids down.
adults 65 and older
pregnant women
children under 5
people whose immune systems are weakened by diseases (such as cancer) or treatments (such as immunosuppressing drugs).
Using hot water and soap, wash cutting boards or plates on which you cut into raw foods — including vegetables and fruit — before using those surfaces for other purposes. If possible, use separate cutting boards for produce, meat, and fish.
Refrigerate or freeze foods that are perishable, prepared, or left over within two hours to thwart salmonella growth.
Always wash hands well with soap and water before preparing food and after contact with animals, using the toilet, or changing diapers.
If you have a sick pet, take extra care handling its feces and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
Don't let young children touch high-risk animals, such as turtles, frogs, chickens, or ducks. "And if you're taking young children to a petting zoo, they should not be petting animals unless you can disinfect their hands immediately afterward," she says.
Older adults and those with compromised immune systems should take extra care to wash and cook foods thoroughly.
People who have had a transplant (such as a kidney transplant) should not keep reptiles or amphibians as pets.
Pop quiz: what is Salmonella? If you've ever had a run-in with this bacteria, you know it can cause a food-borne illness called salmonellosis, a form of food poisoning. But you may not know that Salmonella bacteria sicken an estimated 1.35 million people every year in the United States. What's more, it's the leading cause of hospitalizations and deaths due to food poisoning.
And Salmonella bacteria can be sneaky — not only by triggering unusual complications, but infecting people in startling ways, says Dr. Elizabeth Hohmann, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. One patient she treated showed up with an abdominal aortic aneurysm — a dangerous bulge in the lower section of the body's largest artery — that looked infected. Testing revealed a culprit some would find surprising: Salmonella.
"It's just an interesting organism and it can be kind of scary," she says.
How do people get infected by Salmonella?
Many of the foods Salmonella bacteria lurk in are raw or undercooked. Breaded raw chicken products like nuggets and chicken Kiev are one way it may reach your table. But a variety of foods have been implicated — including organic basil, cantaloupes, ground beef, nut butters, raw cookie dough, eggs, raw or unpasteurized milk, and flour.
Backyard poultry are another source of Salmonella outbreaks. Even small pets such as turtles and frogs, along with dog food, have contributed to multistate outbreaks in recent years.
You can also become infected by handling contaminated food and spreading the bacteria from your hands to your mouth. Additionally, you can spread it to others on your hands or even on your clothes without becoming sick yourself.
"It's a bug that's carried in stool and animal feces and is also present in the environment," Dr. Hohmann says. "So it can set up shop in lots of different inanimate objects, soils, and machinery, especially in moist environments."
What symptoms can Salmonella cause?
Most of the time Salmonella infection leads to gastroenteritis, usually causing just an upset stomach, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. These symptoms can start as soon as six hours after ingesting the bacteria. Typically, symptoms resolve on their own within two to three days.
Some people have such mild symptoms they're barely noticeable. "The classic case might be a college student who eats a burrito from a sketchy place, gets sick for a couple of days, gets better, and doesn't think anything of it," says Dr. Hohmann.
Sometimes symptoms are more serious, such as severe abdominal cramping and bloody diarrhea, or unexplained high fever and marked fatigue. These symptoms require a call to your doctor.
How is salmonellosis treated?
Most people will get better on their own without any medicines. Replacing lost fluids by sipping water or electrolyte drinks to avoid dehydration will help.
Call a doctor if you have
Treating the infection with medicine comes with an annoying paradox, Dr. Hohmann says. If doctors decide to prescribe antibiotics, the person taking the medicine may shed the organism for longer than if they were never treated. "Then that person may have the opportunity — either through poor personal hygiene, sex, or working as a food worker — to spread it to others," she explains. "It's challenging."
What complications can Salmonella lead to?
Some people get sicker with salmonellosis than others, with seemingly no rhyme or reason. But certain folks are especially vulnerable to serious infection, including:
A small percentage of those infected can have Salmonella in their blood, which can spread the infection to other parts of the body such as the urinary tract, bones, joints, or central nervous system (brain and spinal fluid).
And, like Dr. Hohmann's patient with the abdominal aortic aneurysm, on rare occasions Salmonella can lead to unusual blood vessel complications in people who already have atherosclerosis, blockage of the arteries caused by plaque buildup.
What steps can you take to avoid Salmonella?
We all can take steps to avoid the food poisoning, illness, and hospitalizations that Salmonella exposure can cause.
Dr. Hohmann and the CDC suggest these strategies:
Take additional steps to help more vulnerable people stay healthy:
"You hate to make people paranoid, so that we're washing our lettuce leaves with soap, but it's worth thinking about these things, particularly if you have people in your household who are susceptible — which is an increasing number of people," Dr. Hohmann says.
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