The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first official guidelines to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major cause of serious lung infections in young children worldwide. RSV causes around 100,000 child deaths and over 3.6 million hospital stays each year, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Infants under 6 months are the most at risk. One of the new WHO position paper recommends is the maternal…

The Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) has developed 23 new herbal medicines, surpassing its 2024 target of 11. The announcement was made by the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Martins Emeje, during a public accountability event in Lagos. Emeje, a professor of Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, said the new remedies include treatments for diarrhoea, peptic ulcers, hepatitis B, sickle cell, diabetes, and immune boosting. He described the diarrhoea medicine as a…

A dramatic rise in bedbug populations over the centuries can be traced back to a pivotal shift in human behaviour, leaving caves to build cities, new scientific research said. Published in the journal Biology Letters, the study reveals that bedbugs have been parasitising humans for more than 50,000 years, but it wasn’t until the rise of early urban settlements around 12,000 years ago that their numbers began to soar. The…

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish eight advanced medical simulation centres across Nigeria to improve medical training and healthcare delivery. Speaking in Abuja during the inauguration of a 19-member Implementation and Monitoring Committee, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the centres would address the lack of simulation facilities in medical institutions. The committee is tasked with finalizing the project proposal, ensuring compliance with objectives, developing quality assurance…

Global COVID-19 activity is on the rise once more, reaching levels not seen since July 2024, according to recent data from sentinel surveillance sites. This was contained in the World Health Organisation (WHO) situational report shared to journalists on Thursday. The WHO reports that since mid-February 2025, the SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rate has climbed to 11 per cent, underscoring the need for continued vigilance. The increase in cases is being…

20 million Nigerians, representing 20 per cent of the country’s population, live with mental health conditions. A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates. According to the WHO, mental health problem is a disorder characterised by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour.  It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. There are many different types of mental disorders.  It…

A fast-spreading cholera outbreak in Sudan has left at least 172 people dead and over 2,500 infected within just one week, according to the country’s health authorities. The epicentre of the outbreak is Khartoum and its twin city, Omdurman, although infections have been reported in several provinces nationwide. The spike in cases, which began in mid-May, is overwhelming a healthcare system already stretched thin by ongoing conflict and severe resource…

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Fagbemi, SAN, and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), have expressed confidence that the amended NDLEA Act will boost Nigeria’s fight against drug abuse and trafficking once signed by President Bola Tinubu. Speaking at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control meeting in Abuja, Fagbemi, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Mohammed…

Doctors in England are demanding a 29% pay increase to restore real-terms earnings to 2008 levels, warning that failure to act now would deepen NHS challenges and worsen staff retention.  The British Medical Association (BMA), which represents resident doctors (formerly junior doctors), began balloting its members this week for potential industrial action. The move follows widespread criticism of the government’s latest pay offer—a 4% increase plus a £750 one-off payment…

About 20 newly built and upgraded Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) of Level Two have been commissioned across 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Niger State. For quality and easy access to health facilities in the state, Governor Umaru Bago, at the commissioning ceremony held in Minna, Niger State, vowed to construct an additional 40 health facilities in the coming months. Describing the project as a significant milestone initiated by his…

NACA has urged healthcare providers, and other stakeholders to work closely together to eliminate pediatric HIV and ensure an HIV-free generation for Nigerian children as the world marks Children’s Day

In a bold move to tackle maternal and neonatal mortality, the Ondo State Government in collaboration with the Federal Government (FG) has launched a five-day co-creation workshop aimed at reducing maternal and newborn deaths by 30% by the year 2027. The workshop, themed “Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiative (MAMMI),” brought together stakeholders in the health sector to develop a strategic template for the effective execution of interventions…