Nigeria News

Kaduna, Nigeria  29 September, 2015 - The Kaduna State government in North West Nigeria has disclosed that the series of productive consultations and technical support received from the World Health Organization (WHO) remain  the basis for improving access to basic health care, including strengthening health systems and achievement of milestones in the country.

Kaduna, 29 September 2015 - With Nigeria at a defining moment of polio eradication, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative (WR), Dr Rui Gama Vaz has embarked on townhall meetings with major stakeholders to consolidate on gains recorded.

Abuja, 16 October 2015 - The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the government, has recently intensified its efforts to reach the most marginalised, hard-to-reach and nomadic communities of the North Central region of the country.

Following the adoption of a blueprint, states of Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau are working assiduously to provide the required health interventions to pastoral nomadic populations in their respective states with a view to boost population immunity and improve disease surveillance. 

Abuja, 26 October 2015 – Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally removes Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries. The announcement comes after the historic achievement of the country in interrupting the transmission of wild poliovirus for a period of 15 months, which exceeds WHO’s target for interruption. Only 2 countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan) remain polio-endemic, down from more than 125 in 1988.

Abuja, 14 November, 2015: The recent removal of Nigeria from the list of polio endemic countries notwithstanding, the Immunization, Vaccines and Emergencies (IVE) cluster of the World Health Organization (WHO) is re-strategizing for the final push to eradicate polio in Nigeria. In its latest strategy, the cluster plans to leverage on the recorded gains in interruption of WPV towards certification in 2017.

Abuja, 16 November 2015: Climate change is threatening to worsen health problems in Nigeria, the World Health Organization warns in a new Climate and Health Country Profile 2015, published today.  Increased temperatures, intense heatwaves, more extreme rainfall and  floods are expected to intensify existing challenges of communicable diseases, food insecurity and poverty, if action is not taken. 

Abuja, 23 November, 2015: Nigeria has launched the 2015 Measles campaign in Abuja, targeting the vaccination of 39 million children between 9 and 59 months of age across the country. The two-phase follow-up campaign is scheduled to be implemented in the 19 states of the North and the Federal Capital Territory from 21-23 November 2015, while 28 January-1 February 2016 are the dates reserved for the southern states.

Osogbo, Osun, 27 November 2015: Policy makers in Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states have pledged their direct engagement and oversight to strengthen routine immunization in the South West zone, following a report of a vaccine derived polio virus (VDPV) case in Osun state in November 2015.

Abuja, 02 December, 2015: Nigeria has  commemorated the  2015 World AIDS Day with the national theme of “Getting to Zero - ending HIV/AIDS by 2030” which reverberates the global vision of achieving zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDs related deaths by 2030.

National commemoratory events spanned the whole week and included HIV testing and counselling at internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and selected Armed Forces barracks in the Federal Capital Territory, annual HIV lecture; special prayers; a novelty match and a ministerial press briefing.

Abuja, 10 December 2015 - The induction programmed for newly recruited staff into the World Health Organization, Nigeria Country office, a new WHO African Region (AFRO) initiative in furtherance of the   transformation agenda, has been successfully concluded. The 2-day intensive course was held in Abuja on 8 and 9 December with 19 participants drawn from across the country.