On the 10th of October we attended the 2nd annual lecture and dinner of the Global Infectious Disease Initiative (GIDI) aimed to train, educate, and enlighten the medical community on new developments for top infectious diseases. In attendance were representatives from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, public and private health sector, medical students, local and international experts in infectious diseases, and other distinguished guests.
This year’s event featured the launch of a new telemedicine service at the outpatient clinic of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) – a major upgrade for LUTH. The telemedicine platform will allow health workers at LUTH to work closely in consultation with a panel of American Board Certified infectious disease physicians to further elevate the standard of care provided. This was launched in collaboration with University of Lagos College of Medicine.
During the event, lectures on various infectious diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuberculosis (TB), and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) were delivered by world-renowned experts.
Some interesting facts shared during the event include:
- ⅓ of the world’s population is infected with TB and multi-drug resistant TB is the number one resistant organism killing people worldwide
- HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease and at least 50% of sexually active people will get it, however it is hard to detect because it has no symptoms and the body’s immune system can fight it, so it can come and go without anyone knowing. Often one of the first indicators of HPV infection is when someone has cancer.
- There have been many advances in HIV treatment. In the 1990s, HIV positive people were taking as many as 20-30 pills per day. Now it’s about 1-2 pills per day and by the end of this year, a new drug in the form of a monthly or bi-monthly injection will be released to make it even simpler and easier for patients to comply with the treatment
- Depression may be related to changes in the microbiology of our digestive systems. It has been shown that when you take a germ from a depressed rat and give it to another rat, the second rat will get depressed
Overall it was a great event for learning and connecting with experts doing great work in the area of infectious diseases and one of the biggest takeaways was the need for prevention.
Let us all ensure we do our part in protecting ourselves from infectious diseases by practicing good hygiene and handwashing; supporting our immune systems with the right diet and adequate sleep; and reporting to health facilities for professional help when needed.
