Health news.
Plateau State has reported 469 suspected diphtheria cases and 31 deaths. The government has vaccinated 160,000 children and established isolation centres as cases begin to decline.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued an interim public health advisory requiring travellers from countries with active Ebola transmission to complete Health Declaration Forms as part of enhanced surveillance measures. The advisory follows the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has now recorded over 7,600 cases and nearly 3,700 deaths, with Nigeria placing itself on high alert to prevent the importation of the deadly virus.
Surgeons at Redeemer's Health Village in Ogun State remotely operated on a kidney cancer patient in Abuja, 500km away, in what doctors describe as West Africa's first telerobotic surgery, using a China-made Toumai surgical robot
Nigerian diagnostics firm Ash Biomedical has announced the production of seven own-brand rapid test kits covering HIV, malaria, hepatitis, and pregnancy, with 15 million test kits delivered over 15 years through 66 government contracts across 27 states. Managing Director Adetoyese Shodeinde says the milestone reflects years of investment in quality and regulatory compliance, as the company prepares to commission a manufacturing facility in Abuja by the first quarter of 2027
A new study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology links regular tadalafil use to a slightly higher glaucoma risk, though experts stress the absolute risk remains low and advise routine eye monitoring
New tuberculosis vaccines expected to reach the market from 2029 could save an estimated 7.3 million lives and generate up to $135 billion in economic benefits for low- and middle-income countries by 2050, ending more than a century of reliance on a single licensed TB vaccine.
The WHO reports 1,153 new mpox cases and 7 deaths across 11 African countries in a six-week period, with Madagascar recording the highest burden amid surveillance challenges
Health workers at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, have embarked on an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, allowances, and poor working conditions, paralysing services at Nigeria's foremost teaching hospital. The strike, declared after the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum to the hospital management and the Federal Government, has left thousands of patients stranded and raised fresh concerns about the collapse of tertiary healthcare in the country.
The World Health Organization has issued a stark warning that non-communicable diseases now account for 37 per cent of all deaths in Africa, up from 24 per cent in 2000, with nearly two-thirds of these deaths occurring prematurely. As World Patient Safety Day 2026 focuses on "Safe Care for Noncommunicable Diseases," WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Mohammed Janabi has called for urgent action to protect millions of patients from avoidable harm during long-term treatment.
Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after new diagnoses surged to 2,016 in 2025 , 16 times the level recorded in 2019 , with an estimated one in 60 adults now living with the virus. Health Minister Atonio Lalabalavu warned that an "outbreak-level response is no longer sufficient," as injecting drug use, low condom use, and mother-to-child transmission drive an epidemic that has claimed the lives of 18 babies in a single year.
Ultimate Health HMO boss Lekan Ewenla advocates for a shift from out-of-pocket payments to preventive health insurance, highlighting diaspora remittances and informal sector packages as key drivers for reducing sudden deaths
The United Nations has warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has now claimed nearly 3,500 lives and infected over 7,200 people across 62 health zones, risks spiraling further out of control as a critical funding shortfall leaves responders scrambling to contain the virus. With the $1.3 billion humanitarian response only 49 per cent funded and weekly cases doubling in parts of North Kivu, aid officials are pleading for international emergency medical teams and
