Author: Helen Okechukwu

After a car lost control and hit six persons along G.U. Ake Roadof Rivers State, four have been confirmed dead while two are said to be receiving treatment at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH). The State Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed this in a document shared with journalists, stating that the incident occurred on 12 May at approximately 11:42 p.m. Iringe-Koko said the bodies of the four persons who lost their lives at the accident scene have been deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) Mortuary. Read Also: Uber, Indrive, Bolt drivers, others threaten to shut…

A major outbreak of chikungunya virus has struck La Réunion, with over 47,500 confirmed cases and 12 related deaths as of 4 May, 2025. The island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, had not seen an outbreak of this scale since 2005-2006. In Mayotte, another French territory nearby, locally transmitted cases have also reappeared for the first time in nearly two decades. The chikungunya virus is spread by infected Aedes mosquitoes and causes symptoms such as fever, joint pain, headache, rash, and fatigue. Although the illness is usually mild and self-limiting, it can cause severe complications in newborns, elderly…

The WHO has urged the people of Saudi Arabia to remain vigilant over the recent outbreak of Middle East respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-Cov) in the country.

The Lagos State Police Command has announced the arrest of a 28-year-old male ex-convict, Olayinka Oluwaseyi, for an alleged attempted robbery in the state. Oluwaseyi had been released from prison just three months ago for a similar offence. According to a statement shared on X on Wednesday by the state police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, the suspect, armed with a knife, was apprehended by patrol officers from the Ketu Division on May 13 at around 1:30 a.m. “His swift arrest was made possible by the timely intervention of the patrol team,” Hundeyin said in the statement.  Huneyin also revealed that the…

In efforts to tackle the recurring Lassa fever outbreak in West Africa, the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has revealed that three regional health organizations have been welcomed into the Lassa fever Coalition partnership to support vaccine access. The announcement was made during the recent Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Assembly of Health Ministers Meeting, with support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). The newly welcomed partners to aid in boosting efforts towards epidemic preparedness across West Africa include Corona Management Systems, Nigeria Health Watch, and Bloom Public Health. The new partners will assist the WAHO…

Gaining weight in early adulthood may be far more dangerous than previously thought, with new research revealing that becoming obese before the age of 45 significantly increases the risk of dying young. The findings, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain, show that the earlier in life individuals become obese, the greater the long-term consequences on their health. The study, which followed 620,000 Swedish adults aged between 17 and 60, found that individuals who became obese between the ages of 30 and 45 increased their risk of early death by 52 per cent. Read Also: OHID reports significant…

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter, has strongly condemned the stigmatisation of a deaf and mute child by women, particularly mothers, at the Azikiwe Police Division in Port Harcourt, where the child was taken for safety. In a statement jointly signed by Chairperson Susan Serekara-Nwikhana and Secretary Precious Ahiakwo-Ovie, NAWOJ expressed deep disappointment over reports that some mothers at the station mocked the child and referred to her as an “imbecile,” dismissing her as unworthy of care due to her disability. The statement read, “It is utterly disgraceful that women, who should naturally be protectors of…

To improve healthcare access and provide quality service delivery for citizens, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Health, Umma Kaltum-Ahmed, has charged newly elected members of the Expanded State Oversight Committee of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to partner and ensure funds are well managed. According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the newly elected members of the committee were inaugurated on Monday by Kaltum-Ahmed in Kaduna. Kaltum-Ahmed described the inauguration as a clear step forward in Kaduna State’s efforts to improve the health of its people. She stressed the key role of the BHCPF oversight committee, created under…

The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced it will no longer allow care workers to be recruited from overseas, in a move aimed at reducing low-skilled migration. Care providers have warned that the decision could worsen the country’s social care crisis. Recent figures show a sharp drop in the number of overseas care workers, from 143,900 in 2023 to just 26,100 this year, following earlier visa restrictions that banned workers from bringing dependents. Experts say the new policy could lead to around 7,000 fewer care workers, with many providers now facing staff shortages. This, they warn, could force more home…

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that the global nursing workforce has grown to 29.8 million in 2023, up from 27.9 million in 2018. However, the report shared on Monday warns that serious gaps remain between countries and regions, putting global health goals at risk. While the global shortage of nurses has reduced from 6.2 million in 2020 to 5.8 million in 2023, most nurses (78%) are concentrated in countries that represent just 49% of the world’s population. Low- and middle-income countries face challenges in training, employing, and keeping nurses, while richer countries rely heavily on…