Author: Helen Okechukwu

Mauritania has achieved a major public health victory with the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced. The certificate of validation was presented during the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in Geneva to Health Minister Abdallahi Sidi Mohamed Wedih and Ambassador Aïcha Vall Vergès. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, praised the country’s milestone, calling it a sign of hope for other nations still battling the disease. “This is another example of the incredible progress we have made against neglected tropical diseases,” he said. Mauritania’s fight against trachoma dates back to the 1960s, but the…

The Kano State Government, in partnership with the GAMMUN Centre for Care and Development, has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing and managing hypertension through public awareness and advocacy.

To strengthen and improve quality access to medicines, diagnostics, and medical oxygen, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), in a strategic partnership with Unitaid, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance the manufacturing of health products in Africa. Unitaid, established in 2006, is a global health organisation that helps people in low- and middle-income countries get fast access to new and affordable health products, with over 100 important tools provided. This deal, which was signed during the 78th World Health Assembly, aims to improve a sustainable regional manufacturing system, positioning it as a central pillar…

A new study, which is at its early stage of development, has suggested that mushrooms could be used to treat patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease due to a component found in them. A group of researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, in a report published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, highlighted this discovery using the hallucinogenic drug psilocybin. The hallucinogenic drug psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, according to the report, has potential benefits and may aid in improving mood, cognition, and motor symptoms for those who suffer from the degenerative movement disorder. By 2040, a report disclosed that…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a sharp rise in yellow fever cases in South America. According to the report from 29 December 2024 to 26 April 2025 (with Ecuador’s data updated to 2 May),  212 confirmed cases of yellow fever have been recorded in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Sadly, 85 people have died, giving a high fatality rate of 40%. This year’s number is three times higher than the 61 confirmed cases reported in 2024, raising serious concern among health officials. Yellow fever is a serious viral disease spread by mosquitoes. It can cause fever, chills, vomiting,…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two octogenarians—80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru and 82-year-old Uloma Uchechi Sunday—alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom, in a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking. Ayuba, a convicted ex-drug dealer, was arrested in Sabon Gari, Kaduna, with 2.3kg of skunk. He admitted to peddling drugs for 46 years. In Abia, NDLEA operatives raided Uloma’s home in Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village, recovering methamphetamine, tramadol, skunk, and N130,600 cash. She confessed to running the trade with her daughter after her son’s death. Read also: NDLEA arrests woman concealing 2.5kg of cocaine in private parts, handbag At Port Harcourt Onne…

Nigeria Customs Service has hand over large consignment of smuggled and unregistered pharmaceutical products worth N24.6 million to the NAFDAC.

Health experts have called for urgent intervention from governments globally due to the growing number and implications of obesity, stating that 2 in 3 adults aged above 25 may become obese by 2030 if nothing is done. One of the researchers who compiled the World Heart Federation report, Mariachiara Di Cesare, a Professor of Population Studies and Global Health, emphasized the need for health systems to strengthen and provide affordable healthcare access for obesity and cardiovascular disease patients. However, the World Heart Report attributed green spaces, access to affordable food, a shift towards desk jobs, and longer working hours to…

Health officials in the United Kingdom (UK) have issued a warning to the public about unregulated nasal tanning sprays being sold online.

The Enugu State Government has announced plans to upgrade secondary healthcare facilities across all 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state. The goal is to reduce maternal and newborn deaths by strengthening emergency care services. This was made known by the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, during a health meeting in Enugu on Friday. The meeting focused on the findings of a health facility assessment for Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC). Prof. Obi said the upgrades are part of efforts to build a healthcare system capable of handling emergencies during childbirth. Read Also: NGO calls for…