A large-scale study has uncovered a worrying link between metabolic syndrome — a cluster of health conditions like high blood pressure and high blood sugar — and an increased risk of developing young-onset dementia, a form of the disease that strikes before the age of 65. Published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, the study tracked nearly 2 million Koreans aged 40 to 60 over an 11-year period through the country’s National Health Insurance Service. Researchers found that those with metabolic syndrome were 24% more likely to develop dementia than those without the condition. Read Also: WHO warns of rising dementia cases…
Author: Helen Okechukwu
Global immunization efforts are teetering on the edge as vaccine-preventable diseases resurge and health systems face unprecedented pressure. Marking World Immunization Week slated to run between 24 April to 30 April, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Gavi—the Vaccine Alliance—issued a stark warning: misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises, and significant funding cuts are endangering decades of progress and leaving millions vulnerable. Outbreaks of diseases like measles, meningitis, and yellow fever are rising dramatically, says WHO document shared on Thursday to journalists. Once-controlled illnesses, including diphtheria, are threatening to re-emerge, further straining health systems already battered by post-pandemic recovery challenges.…
To prevent health complications and mortality, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a warning against the consumption of Zovirax IV Infusion 250mg RN3T following a recall in Hong Kong. The manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Limited, made the notification voluntarily after receiving a complaint from its branch in Taiwan that batch RP8K contained glass-like particles. This was made via Nigeria’s anti-drug agency’s verified X account on Tuesday, stating that although the product was not listed in the NAFDAC database, it urged importers, distributors, retailers, healthcare providers, and patients to remain vigilant. “As a precautionary measure,…
The Lagos State Government has revealed that three hospitals, located in Ojo, Lagos Island, and Ketu-Ejirin, will be commissioned in the next twelve months as part of efforts to halt the brain drain among doctors and the japa syndrome. With over 33,000 doctors needed in the state, the Commissioner for Health Services, Prof. Akin Abayomi, noted that the state is left with 7,000 doctors to serve a population of 20 million people, which is below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended patient ratio of 1:200. During a chat with newsmen while marking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second year of his second…
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Kano State government have renewed commitment to eradicating polio, targeting no fewer than 4.1 million children for vaccination across the state. The commitment was made on Tuesday in Kano during a media dialogue on polio and routine immunisation, held ahead of the 2025 World Immunisation Week, says News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Speaking at the event, the State Immunisation Officer, Sa’adatu Ibrahim, said the immunisation week is part of efforts to sustain Nigeria’s polio-free status and prevent resurgence of the virus. Mrs Ibrahim said the target is to reach every child with…
After Nigeria was declared polio-free on June 18, 2020, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the outbreak of polio in Kano State and eight other states. While speaking with government officials and development partners in Kano on Tuesday, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Rahama Farah, explained that the outbreak was due to low routine immunization coverage, especially in high-risk areas. According to Farah, the variant poliovirus in circulation is type 2 (cVPV2), revealing that in 2024, Nigeria recorded 83 cases of cVPV2, describing it as a threat to the country’s efforts in eradicating the virus.…
Four suspects linked to the death of Chief Executive Officer of HMG Attitude Ltd, Hope Georgewill, have been neutralized by the Rivers State Police Command. The spokesperson of the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement shared with journalists on Tuesday, disclosed that despite the sum of N2 million being paid as ransom, Georgewill was killed and his remains have been recovered and deposited at the mortuary. The deceased, Georgewill, was abducted on 26 March alongside two others along Cotton Channel, Bakana River, by a gang of notorious sea pirates led by Preye Ngian-Ngian, a male native of Degema Local Government Area…
Nigerian authorities have disclosed that three of their officers have been hospitalized due to gunshot wounds sustained following a gunfight with yet-to-be identified armed men in Abuja on Thursday. The incident was said to have occurred during a late-night raid in the Jahi area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, according to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Friday. The operatives, acting on intelligence and surveillance, had stormed an uncompleted building near the NNPC area in Jahi, where they recovered 74 bottles of codeine, 10 litres of codeine syrup, 48 grams…
The Anambra State Police Command has announced the arrest of a suspected 33-year-old male serial rapist, Chidiebere Mbene, for allegedly killing Nwokedi Somtochukwu, aged 15. The police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, shared this statement on Friday, stating that the murder took place at Unubi, Nnewi South Local Government Area (LGA), on 15 April 2025. Ikenga further disclosed that before fleeing the scene, the suspect forcefully had carnal knowledge of the deceased’s elder sister. On receiving the news of the suspect’s arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State (CP) Ikioye Orutugu, praised the Nnewi community at large for their collaboration, which led…
Nigeria’s Health Minister, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has pledged to collaborate with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to improve and safeguard health sector data, in line with the 2023 Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA). The statement issued on Thursday noted that Prof. Pate made this declaration during a working visit led by the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji. While appreciating and expressing satisfaction with the work of the Commission, he shared the significance of introducing data protection to the National Council on Health to deepen data protection at the state level. The…
