Global life expectancy for both sexes has increased from 46 to 73 years, with the biggest gains in the poorest countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. The WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, made this known during an online media conference, where he said after years of war, the organisation realised that it was better to work with one other than fight with one another.
Ghebreyesus noted that the organisation also realised that a healthier world was a safer world. “Their vision was clear, but bold: the highest possible standard of health, for all people. To achieve that vision, they agreed to set up a new organisation.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has on Monday said Nigeria is expected to receive about nine million doses of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV). This was disclosed by the WHO country representative, Walter Mulombo, during the opening ceremony of the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) training on OCV requests and campaign planning in Abuja. According to Mulombo, the training organized by the WHO is aimed at integrating the OCV into the emergency and preventive measures of cholera in Nigeria.

Ondo State government has informed that a total of 34 persons have died of Lassa Fever in the state from January to date. Prof. Francis Faduyile, Special Adviser to the state governor on Health, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure on Sunday.

The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, (UNICEF), has informed that about 4.16 million girls and women are at risk of genital mutilation even as two million cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) would be recorded by 2030 as a result of COVID-19 disruptions globally. The officer in charge, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF Field Office, Enugu State, Mrs. Maureen Zubie Okolo, made the disclosure on Friday during a one-day zonal media dialogue in collaboration with Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA) Umuahia. Themed ‘Accelerated Investment to End Female Genital Mutilation’.

President Muhammadu Buhari, during the inauguration of the National Council on Population Management (NCPM), has urged the country to control its population so as to improve the quality of life and standards of living among citizens. Therefore, launched the Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development. President Buhari warned that Nigeria, despite having Africa’s largest population in Africa and seventh (7th) globally, is still growing and most of its population are within the fertility stage, youthful with over 72% of below the age of 30.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has has appointed the founder of The Well-being Foundation Africa (WBFA) and wife of former Senate President Bukola Saraki as Ambassador for Global Health. Her appointment was disclosed in a statement issued by the WHO Foundation, an independent grant-making entity created by the World Health Organization in 2020 aimed at supporting the Organization’s efforts to address the most pressing global health challenges.

The World Health organization (WHO) said that a scientific review of existing evidence found that consumption of such sweeteners was also linked to an increased risk of Type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in the long run. Artificial sweeteners provide sweetness to food and beverages like tea and coffee, without adding significant calories. They are also widely used ingredients in pre-packed food. Hence, they have become a popular choice, especially among those who are trying to burn extra calories or loose weight. WHO made the caution on Monday recommending against the use of ‘non sugar sweeteners’ (NSS) to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs. “Because weight loss and maintenance of healthy weight must be sustained over the long term to have a meaningful impact on health, evidence of minor weight loss or reduced BMI over several months or less, as observed in the … trials, without additional evidence of long term impact, does not represent a health benefit,” WHO said in its report.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) after a virtually held National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on 15th May 2023, declared a five-day warning strike following the failure of the Federal Government to meet her demand. The five-day strike commences on Wednesday, May 17, and ends on Monday, May 22. Recall, On April 29, 2023, the association issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement the agreements or face industrial action of which the ultimatum elapsed on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday said mpox is no longer a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). Director-General of the agency, Tedros Ghebreyesus, made the declaration following a recommendation by the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee at its fifth meeting on Friday, May 12. Mpox is a less severe cousin of the now-eradicated smallpox virus. It is endemic to parts of West and Central Africa and has typically been contracted from a rodent or small mammal. The virus can spread through contact with body fluids, sores or items such as clothing and bedding contaminated with the virus. Also, it can be spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, typically in a close setting.

Contrary to the news making rounds online that indomie noodles have been banned by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the agency has come out to debunk the news of ever placing a ban on the product, assuring consumers not to fret as the product is safe for consumption. Despite the scare the Director-General/Chairperson, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has requested the public who consume the product to go ahead with its consumption “NAFDAC did not ban Indomie,” Professor Adeyeye said yesterday. Indomie has been on the government prohibition list for many years to encourage local manufacturing.”

The World Health Organization has said that a batch of contaminated India-made cough syrup has been found in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. The WHO said that the tested samples of Guaifenesin TG syrup, made by Punjab-based QP Pharmachem Ltd, showed "unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol”. Both compounds are toxic to humans and could be fatal if consumed. The drug was brought to WHO’s attention earlier in April.  This marks the latest in a series of medicines manufactured by India-based pharmaceutical firms and distributed in different countries that are alleged to be of poor quality and potentially harmful to consume. WHO however has to specifically say if any deaths or injuries were linked to Guaifenesin.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), has granted approval for the R21/Matrix Malaria Vaccine (Recombinant, Adjuvanted) developed by scientists at Oxford University. Nigeria became the second country to approve of the use of the vaccine after Ghana's approval, which is adjudged to be 80 percent effective. The only vaccine previously endorsed for malaria by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is the RTS, S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine which is 29 percent effective in preventing severe malaria. The Director-General of NAFDAC Mojisola Adeyeye made this revelation on 17th April 2023 at a press briefing “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in exercising its mandate as stipulated by its enabling law, NAFDAC Act CapN1, LFN 2004 is granting registration approval for R21 malaria vaccine”

The Federal Government has revealed plans on stepping up its surveillance and all health protocols at all international airports in the country, in response to the increase in the spread of the novel virus COVID-19. In the quest of curtailing the spread of the virus, a revisit to the relaxed scientific approach will be needed, by creating awareness and involving the public with increasing vaccination, hence travelers will now fill out health forms, in addition to temperature checks. The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire made this known while speaking at the 17th Edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard on 10th January 2023.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it is collaborating with its partners on renaming the monkeypox virus and its variants. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the Director-General (DG) of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus who stated that the new name would be announced as soon as possible. Last week, more than 30 international scientists signed a document that called for the renaming of the monkeypox virus because “a continued reference to, and nomenclature of this virus being African is not only inaccurate but is also discriminatory and stigmatizing”.

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally departed for the United Kingdom for his two-week medical vacation days after returning from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) 50th anniversary, Nairobi, Kenya. The president is expected to undergo his routine medical check-up.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has said it will invest $3 billion to support Africa's vaccine manufacturing capacity. Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB President said this during at the 35th African Union Summit on Saturday in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia, explaining that the funds will ensure Africans get greater access to quality healthcare.

The Federal Government has launched a National HIV self-testing (HIVST) and Pre-Exposure (PrEP) communication strategy. The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Gambo Aliyu disclosed this, saying the national HIVST and PrEP communication strategy are approved tools in the HIV combination prevention package for people with a substantial risk of HIV infection.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has on Tuesday announced that Nigeria is currently experiencing a fourth wave of the COVID-19, following the recent surge of confirmed cases in the country. The Director-General, NCDC, Dr. Ifeday Adetifa made the announcement in a statement on Monday, saying the development was sequel to the 500 percent increase in COVID-19 cases recorded in the past two weeks.