Author: Helen Okechukwu

Nigeria has commenced the long-awaited Mpox vaccination drive on Monday, as healthcare workers and individuals with poor immune systems in hospitals receives their dose across Abuja. According to Reuter, it was acknowledged that this rollout comes over a month behind schedule. The country, Africa’s most populous, received its first batch of 10,000 vaccine doses from the United States in August. The delivery followed the World Health Organization’s renewed declaration of mpox as a global public health emergency – the second in two years. Mpox is endemic in Nigeria, which has reported 94 confirmed cases so far this year, with no…

A non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Idimma Health Initiative has trained the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on the ways to identify and respond to people living with mental issues in Kaduna State. In the two-day workshop, the Executive Director of the group, Aisha Buba, explained the role of security personnel in responding to mental health victims, including those attempting to commit suicide. The security force is trained to be first responders to such cases. Buba highlighted the importance of the training, saying it will aid in equipping the force to handle such health issues quickly and ensure the victims receive adequate support…

Baku COP Presidencies Continuity Coalition for Climate and Health, a new coalition, has pledged to boost health-climate commitment for quality healthcare delivery. The new coalition was formed during the United Nations Climate Change Conference Baku (COP29). WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “This initiative unites the visionary leadership of five COP presidencies that span this critical time for action, underscoring a commitment to elevate health within the climate agenda.” Explaining the agenda of the new coalition, Dr. Ghebreyesus said, “This coalition represents a collective will to prioritise climate and health now and for the future.” The new coalition was…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has renewed its partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), aimed at enhancing collaboration and intelligence sharing. The MOU was officially signed on Thursday, 14 November, during the Comptroller-General of Customs’ Conference in Abuja. The Voice of Nigeria newspaper disclosed that this agreement marks a crucial step forward in protecting public health and ensuring national security. NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted the importance of this renewed partnership in a statement released on Friday. She noted that the collaboration is essential for…

Health experts are urgently calling for increased investment in healthcare services to combat the rising rate of child mortality in Nigeria’s rural areas. According to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), these regions record 2,300 child deaths daily, underscoring the critical need for improved maternal and child health services. The statistics presented by Oluseyi Olosunde, a Health Officer with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), during a Media Dialogue on Child Mortality in Jos, Plateau State, highlight a stark contrast between rural and urban child mortality rates. Rural areas report 157 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 92 per…

To fight against malaria, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with Swiss Pharma Nigeria (Swipha), supported Nigeria with $2.3 million to receive 4.8 million doses of malaria treatment tablets. Swipha, in collaboration with the U.S. Government’s President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and USAID, is set to revolutionize access to affordable, life-saving medicines in Nigeria and across West Africa. This strategic partnership addresses long-standing obstacles in the local production of high-quality pharmaceuticals, a critical need in a region where fewer than 10% of medicines meet global standards. Swipha recently achieved a major milestone with the World Health Organization’s…

Hadiza Balarabe, the deputy governor of Kaduna State, has announced that the state has surpassed the 90% target set by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA). Speaking on Friday during a retreat with newly elected local government chairpersons, Balarabe revealed that Kaduna State achieved a remarkable 98% scorecard, reflecting the commitment of Governor Uba Sani’s administration to improving primary healthcare services. The Cable report disclosed that in 2015, Kaduna State ranked 15th among the 36 states with a 55% performance says the deputy governor. The deputy governor urged the local government leaders to build on this progress and address…

As the fight against polio virus continues, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with Edo State Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Agency, and Edo State Ministry of Communication and Orientation has called for the sensitization of the people of Edo State. The call aims to intensify awareness of polio vaccine immunization among children within the state to advert children’s death due to the rise in Africa. On a New Telegraph report shared today, it was noted that a one-day review of non-Polio Supplemental Immunization Activities (NPSIA) was observed. Appealing to key stakeholders, Mrs. Enogie Elfrida Omogun, the…

The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Professor Adetokunbo Fabamwo, has called for legal and systemic reforms to address Nigeria’s maternal health crisis. Speaking at the 6th Abimbola Aina Omololu-Mulele Annual Lecture in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Professor Fabamwo emphasized the urgent need to reform the country’s restrictive abortion laws. The lecture held at the historic Old Great Hall of the College of Medicine, Idi-Araba, titled “The Tortuous Road to Maternal Mortality Reduction in Nigeria: Avoidable Stranglehold on Liberal Abortion Laws, ” was shared via their X handle today. The event was chaired by Emeritus Professor…

Marking World Diabetes Day, the Lagos State Ministry of Health, in partnership with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Health Matters Incorporated, and the Nigeria Governors Forum, has provided free healthcare services to Lagosians. During the free medical checkup at the Secretariat complex, participants, including public servants, trooped into the building to get free diabetes screenings to identify potential risks early. The aim and objective of the programme titled “Diabetes and Well-Being” was to create awareness and access free diabetes screening, while the need for a healthy lifestyle was emphasized. The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun…