Nigeria News

Abuja, In Nigeria, an estimated 6.2 million children missed out on receiving a single dose of their routine vaccines from 2019 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To reach these eligible children with life-saving vaccines, the government of Nigeria, through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is intensifying various strategies to optimize “Big Catch-up campaign” to improve vaccination coverage across the country.

Abuja, With Nigeria still accounting for 27 percent of global malaria cases and 31 percent of global malaria deaths, relevant stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO) reiterated to support the government to combat the effects of malaria in the country. 

Malaria is endemic in Nigeria and 32 years old Toyin Obasola and her family of six residing in Ibadan, Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria, is part of those who regularly fall ill from the disease. 

Osun - In accordance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate of improving public health services in Nigeria, over 500 residents of Osogbo community, benefitted from a free medical outreach programme at the Orisunbare Market in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State located in South-West Nigeria. 

The programme was organized with support from the Department of Community Medicine Osun State Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUN) Osogbo and the Osun State Ministry of Health. 

Abuja ‒ In mid-March, 16-year-old Saifullahi Bulama, residing in Garin Mu’azu, located in Sule Tankankar Local Government Area (LGA) in Jigawa State, Nigeria, was healthy and running around with his friends.  Suddenly, he contracted cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM).

He recounts how he went to bed that night and could not stand up the next morning. 

“My legs were not working. I had a temperature and my body was aching. I was rushed to the hospital, where I was admitted and treated for four days,” he says. 

Lagos - Sometime in February, Kazeem Ade, age seven, was recuperating from diphtheria on a hospital bed in the children's ward at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), in Lagos Southwest Nigeria.  

His mother, Mrs Ade, can now smile after enduring a nerve-racking week at the hospital where her son including dozen other children have been receiving treatment for diphtheria – a vaccine-preventable disease that has killed 62 people (mostly children) in the country. 

Abuja, 7 April, 2023 - Nigeria joins the globe to commemorate the 2023 World Health Day, which also doubles as the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO).

On April 7, 1948, 55 member countries came together and founded the WHO, with the mandate to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable – so that everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being.   

Calabar, 4 April, 2023 - Cholera is endemic in Nigeria. It is highly contagious and occurs in places without safe water and proper sanitation. It causes profuse diarrhoea and vomiting, and without treatment can quickly lead to severe dehydration followed by death .

At about 6:40 pm on 17 January 2023, Gift Sunday-James, (35 years) shouts for help as she approaches the Primary Health Centre (PHC) located in Ovomum, Obabura Local Government Area (LGA), in Cross River State. 

Osun, 31 March, 2023 - “I was coughing out blood persistently for weeks, had fever, weakness, night sweats, severe chest pain. I had bought drugs from a patent medicine store, but it was not working. 

I was later diagnosed with TB at the National Youth Service orientation camp when I fell ill,” says 23 years old Adewale Adebukola, residing in Osun state. 

Adebukola has since been placed on treatment and is getting better.