The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that more than 409,000 cholera and acute watery diarrhoea cases, including 4,738 deaths, were reported in 31 countries between 1 January and 17 August 2025. WHO on Friday issued a warning of a very high risk of spread noted that conflict, floods and weak health systems fuel outbreaks. According to the global health organisation, about six countries have recorded fatality rates above 1%, pointing…

The Kenya government has underscored the central role of nutrition in achieving Vision 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union Agenda 2063, stressing that proper nutrition is essential for health, productivity and economic growth. This was disclosed via the Kenya Ministry of Health social media page on Friday. Speaking during a Media Roundtable Breakfast on Nutrition Advocacy in Nairobi, Veronica Kirogo, Head of the Division of Nutrition…

The Child Protection Network (CPN) has taken a major step toward safeguarding vulnerable children in Sokoto State with the inauguration of a technical working committee to drive the implementation of an alternative child care policy. State Coordinator of CPN, Mr. Usman Ahmad-Suka, said the initiative targets children in orphanages, shelters and other homes outside their immediate families, many of whom face neglect, poor feeding, inadequate schooling and lack of essential…

The Rivers State Anti-Quackery Committee has intensified its clampdown on unlicensed medical operators, sealing no fewer than 72 health facilities and arresting 12 individuals since it commenced operations. Committee chairman and Director of Medical Services, Dr Vincent Wachukwu, told journalists in Port Harcourt recently that the arrests have led to ongoing investigations and, in some cases, prosecutions. According to him, quackery remains widespread despite repeated raids by the state government.…

Children in England will, for the first time, be offered a free vaccine against chickenpox from January 2026, in what ministers are calling a major step to strengthen childhood immunisation. The move means the varicella jab, currently available only privately at around £150, will be included in the NHS childhood vaccination programme and given as part of a new four-in-one injection protecting against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (MMRV). The…

Malawi is confronting a severe shortage of tuberculosis (TB) medicines, with health officials warning that national stocks will be exhausted by the end of September, raising fears that thousands of patients may see their treatment interrupted or halted altogether. The crisis comes only months after the World Health Organization (WHO) commended the country for significant progress in the fight against the disease, announcing earlier this year that Malawi had managed…

A new global assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has found that one in four people worldwide remain without access to safe drinking water, despite progress in recent years. This was contained in documents shared to press men on Tuesday while nothing that the report, Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: special focus on inequalities, was launched to coincide with…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the circulation of falsified batches of Postinor-2, a popular emergency contraceptive pill. In a public notice released on Friday, 22 August, the agency confirmed receiving a report from the Society for Family Health (SFH), the authorised marketing company, disowning the affected batches. According to NAFDAC, the counterfeit products were identified after a careful review…

More than half a million people in England are now living with a confirmed dementia diagnosis, the highest number on record, as the NHS rolls out new home monitoring technology to help patients stay safe and supported. Figures released by NHS England show that 506,549 people are now living with a confirmed diagnosis, up from 490,163 recorded at the same point last year. Health leaders say the milestone reflects growing…

Tragedy struck in Borno State on Monday when a boat ferrying farmers across the River Kubo in Shani Local Government Area (LGA) capsized, claiming three lives. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the day, involved about 20 farmers who were heading to their farmlands with harvested yams. According to the North-East zonal office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 17 passengers were rescued, while three bodies…

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has highlighted the value of art in promoting recovery, mental wellbeing and public health, stressing that creative expression is increasingly being recognised as a catalyst for positive change in healthcare. In a document shared on Monday, it was noted that the health commissioner underscored this on Sunday during the  opening of the inaugural Lagos Arts and Health Festival, held at the…

A 17-year-old girl identified as Emma has drawn global attention after revealing her lifelong struggle with gastroparesis, a rare and often misunderstood medical condition that leaves her unable to eat food in the traditional sense. Emma, who posted her story on TikTok under the username emmakok, explained that she was born without a functioning stomach and has relied on feeding tubes since infancy. Her video, uploaded in July but gaining…