Health tips, medical news, breakthroughs, and information on staying healthy and well-informed.
From Ida Mbuthia As a medical practitioner, I am very fortunate to be educated in the often-subtle workings of the human body. This has served me, not only in my profession and with patients but also personally, as I recognise potential medical issues in myself and seek care when I feel something isn’t quite right….
In the besieged city of El-Fasher, Sudan, doctors have reported the closure of one of the last functioning hospitals following an attack. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the medical charity assisting the hospital, described it as the only facility in El-Fasher still providing treatment to injured civilians. Rumors have circulated for several days about shelling at…
The Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) has committed N1 million as a start-up grant for the Emergency and Health Hazards Trust Fund dedicated to health journalists. During a congress of the Association of Nigeria Health Journalists (ANHeJ) in Abuja, AHBN Coordinator Dr. Aminu Magashi announced the initiative and personally contributed N250,000 to the fund. AHBN…
The Federal Government has threatened to go after the management of any hospital that refused to attend to emergency patients. The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, gave the warning at the ‘Unlock Grants Award’ ceremony in Abuja on Sunday. In October 2023, the media was awash with the viral report of how a victim…
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), alongside its partners, is advocating for continued handwashing, personal hygiene, and other preventive measures practiced during COVID-19 to combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). This call was made during the annual review meeting of the Commonwealth Partnership for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS 2) in Abuja, themed “Celebrating Progress and…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted large consignments of codeine-based syrup and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, worth over N2,185,000,000.00 at the Port Harcourt seaports, Onne, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja. NDLEA also said its officers, with the cooperation of other security agencies, on Friday,…
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with development partners, is conducting a survey on tobacco use among adolescents aged 10 to 17 years. Additionally, the Ministry plans to carry out the second round of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey by the end of 2024. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare,…
The Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has closed more than 350 pharmacies and medicine stores in Jigawa State. Pharmacist Stephen Esumobi, Director of Enforcement for PCN, announced this during a press briefing at the Federal Secretariat in Dutse, the state capital. He stated that the enforcement team’s visit to Jigawa was part of PCN’s ongoing…
Free medical outreach aimed at providing essential healthcare services to 50,000 Lagos State residents is set to commence today, May 30, following a directive from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who disclosed this, said that the initiative, which will hold in all six health districts, is in fulfilment…
A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) advocating for women’s health, Center for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) in collaboration with Pathfinder International, has reiterated the need to amplify diverse voices in other to address issues on women’s health. This they said would ensure that current high maternal deaths are reduced through awareness creation on the promotion…
CRANIUM Integrated Solutions Ltd, a complete hospital information management system designed to manage all aspects of a hospital operation, has tasked the federal government on digitization of hospitals, to ease the stress of patient healthcare delivery in the country. This is even as the firm has posited that hospitals operating manually would go into extinction….
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has visited the Abuja Orphanage Home with food items, toiletries and cash, towards improving the well-being of the children. Donating the items, the newly elected leadership of the NMA, led by the president, Dr Bala Muhammad Audu, said the gesture was part of the association’s humanitarian welfare package for vulnerable…
Kwara State has launched a vaccination campaign to inoculate over 300,000 girls, aged nine to fourteen, against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) across its 16 local government areas. At the vaccination flag-off in Ilorin, organized by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in collaboration with the Kwara State government, NPHCDA Executive Director Dr. Muyi…
In observance of this year’s Children’s Day, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) emphasized that no child should be born with HIV, particularly in an era of advanced medical technology. Dr. Temitope Ilori, the director-general of NACA, underscored that Children’s Day, celebrated annually on May 27, reminds us of the preciousness of…
The Federal Government has allocated N260 billion for the revitalisation of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) nationwide. During a sectoral ministerial press briefing in Abuja, held to mark President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, announced the initiative. He stated that the number of PHCs would…
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) labor unions have suspended their planned strike, which was set to commence on Monday, May 20. This decision followed an agreement and resolution reached during a special session convened by the House Committee on Aviation and Technology. Committee Chairman Mr. Abiodun Akinlade Ishaq announced the resolution after a nearly nine-hour…
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno has approved the recruitment of 200 health workers to complement the ongoing government’s intervention in the state’s primary healthcare sector. Eno gave his approval at Ikot Nkwo in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of the state while commissioning the new Primary Health Centre. This is according to…
The outbreak of an unidentified disease in Zamfara State has now claimed 13 lives, with over 500 reported cases, primarily affecting children and women in several communities. This alarming situation continues to challenge local healthcare systems and raise concerns across neighbouring regions. A local health source confirmed on Sunday that, “In Tsibiri village of Maradun…
Richard “Rick” Slayman, a 62-year-old man who made history as the first person to receive a genetically edited pig kidney transplant, has died two months after the groundbreaking surgery, according to his family and a statement from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he had the transplant. The Boston hospital in a statement issued…
According to the Zamfara State Government, four lives have been claimed by an unknown illness and 177 others have been infected in the State. The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Aisha Anka, revealed this in a statement issued in Gusau on Friday by the Information Officer of the ministry, Malam Bello Ibrahim. According to…
A Port Harcourt-based businesswoman, Ada Bolingo, has got her friends and followers worried after she left an alarming note on Facebook. In the post dated Monday, May 6, 2024, Ada revealed that she’s been struggling with her mental health for a long time and is beyond help. “I’m taking the cowardice way out and…
Written by Taiwo Olatinwo Maintaining good health is a cornerstone of a fulfilling life. Yet, amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, many individuals overlook the importance of regular medical checkups. However, prioritizing routine checkups plays a vital role in preventing illnesses, detecting potential health concerns early, and promoting overall well-being. Here’s why medical…
The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced an extensive initiative with the aim of accelerating the elimination of malaria in the country and improving the health outcomes of its citizens. During a high-level dialogue session held in Abuja, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, outlined key components of the…
Despites huge investment in the fight against the endemic, malaria is still a major public health issue in Nigeria, with an estimated 68 million cases and 194,000 deaths in 2021. This is even as stakeholders, at a medical outreach, in commemoration of 2024 World Malaria Day, orgainsed by Westfield Development Initiative in partnership with Diya…
The Kano State Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA) has taken decisive action by sealing off Sassauka Clinic and Diagnosis Centre located in Rimin Kebe. The Director of PHIMA, Professor Salisu Ibrahim, affirmed that the closure was enforced due to multiple infractions detected at the facility. Professor Ibrahim clarified that discrepancies were found in the…
The Kwara State government, on Saturday, flagged off another round of polio immunisation campaign for children under the age of five in the state. The exercise, which is second in series in the year, is expected to cover all the nooks and crannies of the state. At a press briefing in Ilorin, the state…
The Nigeria LNG (NLNG), has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with three hospitals to complete the second phase of its multi-billion-naira Hospital Support Programme (NLNG HSP). The NLNG Hospital Support Programme (HSP) is NLNG’s national Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative aimed at boosting the healthcare delivery system in 12 federal university teaching hospitals and health…
During a pivotal gathering in Abuja on Tuesday, aimed at enlightening Nigerians on a groundbreaking innovation, Dr. Mao Mao, a distinguished scientist from China, revealed the development of a software designed to detect nine distinct types of cancer. The software, named “OncoSeek,” marks a significant leap in bolstering governmental efforts to alleviate the economic and…
Faced with sky-high inflation, low salaries and an overstretched healthcare system, doctors and nurses are leaving Nigeria in their thousands every year for better opportunities abroad. Between 15,000 and 16,000 doctors have departed in the past five years, according to Nigeria’s Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate. Today, Africa’s most populous country has just 55,000 doctors for a population…
Kebbi State Government has announced that it provided free treatment to 23,542 patients with mental illness at the Zauro Psychiatric Medical Outreach since 2023. The Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Muhammad Sani-Aliyu, shared this information during a weekly ministerial press briefing organized by the state’s Ministry of Information and Culture. Sani-Aliyu mentioned that the ministry has…
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that over 400,000 individuals in the North East region gained access to clean and safe water in 2023. During the commemoration of the 2024 World Water Day in Maiduguri, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Phuong Nguyen, announced the organization’s efforts in providing water services to communities in Adamawa,…
