Author: Helen Okechukwu

As the fight against illegal drug usage continues, the authority of Kenya and its United State (US) partners has united to fight against narcotic abuse among Kenyans. Kenya’s Delegation on Cooperation and Partnership in combating drug abuse, led by Mr. Mohamed Amin, Director of Criminal Investigations, met with Mr. George Papadopoulos, Principal Deputy Administrator of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to discuss strategies for tackling narcotics. The meeting was held on Wednesday. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the challenges of drug sale, distribution, and consumption. The U.S. pledged to support Kenya by providing training, resources, and strategic…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the first Mpox vaccine, Lc16m8, for children to combat the increasing rate of the viral disease. The authorized drug was approved under “emergency use” and prescribed for children aged one and above. The United Nations (UN) on Tuesday acknowledged the drugs will be granted for usage. The WHO expressed, “This decision is expected to facilitate increased and timely access to vaccines in communities where Mpox outbreaks are surging.” Save the Children recently reported a sharp rise in Mpox cases among children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with a surge of over…

Health experts and stakeholders have emphasized the importance of proper nutrition in promoting a healthy society, highlighting ignorance, not poverty, as the root cause of malnutrition. Speaking during the launch of the Nutrition Support Centre (NSC) at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr. Titilayo Falade of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) stressed the economic and social toll of malnutrition, saying, “It affects health, raises medical costs, and impacts GDP.” Experts attributed the root cause of malnutrition among children to poverty. Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, represented by Bolaji Ayoola, noted that healthy mothers are…

The Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, says the state health ministry will work closely with the Federal Health Ministry to enforce a free Caesarean Section (S-C) for all expecting mothers. Dr. Filani said this development will boost maternal healthcare services in public facilities in the state as he lauded the Federal Government’s policy of free C-S. While flagging the off-refresher training of frontline health workers under the aegis of Ekiti State Health Vanguards on Monday, he made this declaration. The training aims to improve the competency of healthcare workers in the state. The chairman of the Forum…

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…