Author: Helen Okechukwu

As mpox continues spreading across new regions, Africa CDC and WHO have updated their joint Continental Response Plan, intensifying efforts to control outbreaks, expand vaccination, and build a long-term, sustainable public health response. Mpox, a viral illness transmitted mainly through close contact, causes painful skin and mucosal lesions, fever, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. While historically a zoonotic disease, mpox has increasingly spread between people, especially following the emergence of the clade IIb and clade Ib variants in 2022 and late 2023, respectively. This led to the declaration of public health emergencies by Africa CDC and WHO in August…

Most of us don’t think twice about how we sleep — but your favorite sleep position could be doing serious, long-term damage. From heart strain to increased dementia risk, experts warn that the way you sleep might be quietly sabotaging your health. Despite its importance and essentiality to human, sleep posture remains an under-researched area. Most studies focus on aches and pains, but the risks go far deeper. “What you do in the day generally triggers the pain and discomfort that is felt when you sleep in certain positions,” says Dr. Kat Lederle, sleep scientist and author of Sleep Sense.…

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has unveiled plans to distribute 10,000 health kits, including scrubs, to aid nurses and midwives across the South-West region as part of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI). Tinubu’s wife, Oluremi, on Thursday announced this during her visit to Akure, the state capital of Ondo State. While addressing the Ondo State Council of Obas, Mrs. Tinubu sought their collaboration to end key health problems such as genital mutilation, Hepatitis B, among other health issues affecting Nigerian women. She urged the royal fathers to support her advocacy in circulating the initiatives across their localities to end mother-to-child…

Gokana stakeholders have appealed to the Rivers State Police Command and Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), to enable sustainable development and protect key national infrastructure within the LGA. The stakeholders made this call on Wednesday during an interactive session with the Commissioner of Police (CP) Olugbenga Adepoju and service chiefs, following a directive from Ibas. Gbere Kpakol, the youth leader, attributed the issue of pipeline vandalism to the lack of youth engagement and called for collaboration between paramount rulers and operating companies. He noted that despite Gokana hosting the largest manifold in the state, the majority of…

Seventeen-year-old teenager, Quadri Alabi, who gained wide attention by standing in front of Peter Obi’s convoy during the 2023 general election, has finally regained freedom after spending several months in Nigeria’s Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos. Alabi was discharged after Magistrate Olorunfemi confirmed that the legal advice issued by Dr. Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, showed that there was no evidence to substantiate the allegation of armed robbery against him. Inibehe Effiong, Alabi’s lawyer, in a signed document shared on X on Thursday, announced Alabi’s freedom while demanding that…

To curb the effect of fake drugs among patients, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public alert over the circulation of counterfeit Artemether/Lumefantrine tablets branded as Aflotin 20/120 in Nigerian markets. The agency issued a warning that the fake drug poses a serious threat to public health and could result in treatment failure, prolonged illness or death. In a statement released on its website recently, NAFDAC disclosed that the counterfeit product was identified and reported by Ajanta Pharma Limited, the main manufacturer based in Mumbai, India. According to the agency, the batch…

Women who experience early menopause—before the age of 40—face a significantly higher risk of cognitive decline compared to those who undergo menopause later in life, according to a new study led by a team of researchers. The study, published on Tuesday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, was conducted by researchers from Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science. It aims to help clinicians better understand patients’ risks of developing dementia. The researchers launched the study to investigate the underlying factors contributing to the global rise in dementia cases…

A recent study has suggested that a widely used diabetes drug, taken by millions of people, may reduce the aggressiveness of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. Researchers from the University of Cambridge discovered that metformin, an inexpensive and commonly prescribed treatment for type 2 diabetes, may help prevent AML, based on studies conducted on mice. The study highlighted that individuals who take metformin often share a common genetic mutation linked to AML. The research team focused on a genetic change in a gene called DNMT3A, which is responsible for about one in six cases of AML.…

Health Canada has officially approved NanoSpeed Diagnostics’ Test4D Serum, a rapid point-of-care test designed to detect vitamin D levels from blood serum, marking a significant milestone for the Alberta-based biotech company. It was made known on Tuesday following its announcement of obtaining approval. The approval follows last year’s ISO 13485 Medical Device Single Audit Program (MDSAP) certification of NanoSpeed’s manufacturing facility in Alberta — a crucial step in meeting regulatory standards and securing domestic clearance. Test4D Serum uses NanoSpeed’s proprietary technology to assess 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH vitamin D), offering both qualitative and quantitative results. It was originally launched in 2013 as…

About 3 million children are said to receive the polio immunization vaccine during the campaign period scheduled to take place between April 26 and 29. According to Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCA) Executive Secretary, Dr. Shamsudeen Yahaya, this was revealed in Katsina while speaking with newsmen, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), government officials along with other partners in an interview. To commemorate World Immunisation Day, he said the exercise aims to create awareness and save children from preventable death, while urging parents to engage. Also he also encouraged media to propagate the gospel to sensitize parent about the…