Nigeria News

Abuja, 20 May 2019 – “I first discovered I was HIV positive in 1998 when I was pregnant and attended my first antenatal check-up,” says Mrs Lucia Enyia who has lived positively with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for 22 years. Adhering strictly to her antiretroviral drug routine and principles of the Prevention of Mother-To-Child HIV transmission (PMTCT) intervention, Mrs Enyia’s three children are all HIV negative. 

Abuja, 06 May 2019 – Nigeria joined the rest of the world to commemorate the  Fifth United Nations  Global Road Safety Week (UNGRSW) from 06 to 12 May, 2019. Stemming from the  UN General Assembly resolution 64 of 2551, the UN Global Road Safety Week has been held approximately every two years since 2007, with each year focusing on a new theme. 

Maiduguri, 7 May 2019 - Prior to admission at the World Health Organization (WHO)-supported Stabilization Centre, at Umaru Shehu Hospital, in Maiduguri, Borno state, 2-year old Aminu weighed 5.2kg and measured 8.5cm on mid-upper circumference indicating critical signs of malnutrition with medical complications and required urgent inpatient care. After two weeks of treatment, Aminu is gaining weight and visibly recuperating from his medical complications associated with severe acute malnutrition.

Yenagoa, 28 April 2019 -“We had not seen vaccination teams in our community for a very long time. Sometimes we have to stay for months without vaccinating our children, if we don’t take our children to the mainland to get them vaccinated”, says Mr. Atebakuro Oton George, a fisherman and father of five, residing at Itohono-ama settlement of Minibie ward of Bayelsa State.

“Now on weekly basis, health workers brave the Seas and visit our communities to vaccinate our children”, an elated Mr. George continues.

Abuja, 26 April, 2019 - Nigeria has joined the rest of the world to commemorate the 2019 World Malaria Day on 25 April. During a Press briefing in Abuja on 25 April, 2019,  Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole in his message underscores this year’s theme; ‘Zero Malaria Starts with me’; to call for “renewed effort towards ending the scourge of the disease for good”.

Abuja 16 April 2019 – Over the past 18 months, Nigeria has recorded substantial improvement in routine immunization (RI) performance. Prior to the establishment of the National Emergency RI Coordination Centre (NERICC) on 04 July 2017, Nigeria’s immunization coverage was very poor and fluctuated significantly over the last decade.

Maiduguri, 10 April, 2019 - With on-going Measles outbreak in Borno State, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal and State authorities, Gavi, the Vaccine alliance and Measles partners are organizing a 2-phase vaccination campaign to protect children aged between 6 and 71 months against the disease. During the first phase, 437,515 children were successfully vaccinated while 838,582 children more will be targeted in the second phase.

Owerri 04 April 2019 –  In Imo, indigenes are hopeful that the recently introduced State Health Insurance Scheme (ISHIS) will fast-track Universal Health Coverage (UHC). 

This year’s commemoration of World Health Day (7 April) with the theme, Universal Health Coverage: everyone, everywhere, every time, shines a spotlight on the advantages UHC can bring to all people and in all places and why it is needed so much.

Abuja 31 March 2019 - Abubakar Salau is only 16 years old but receiving treatment at Karu General Hospital Psychiatry ward for his addiction to ‘snuff.’ 

“I used to mix liquid glue with old tobacco to make my snuff. Whenever I sniffed it, the feeling was surreal,” he says. “Snuff destroyed my life though. I lost so much weight, dropped out of school and hurt members of my family. When I recover fully, I plan to educate teenagers like myself on the dangers of tobacco,” he claims.

Abuja, 25 March 2019- The Nigerian Federal Minister of Health on 25 March 2019 launched a report of a catastrophic cost survey on TB concluded in 2018. 

Presenting the document in Abuja, as part of weeklong World TB Day commemoratory activities, the Minister of Health, who was represented by Mr Felix Ogenyi said, “In Nigeria, TB, a disease that affects mostly the poor and low socio-economic population, usually leaves the patient and households with devastating financial loss.” A survey was conducted between 2017 -2018 to confirm this and to evaluate its impact.”