Health

The Republic of Congo has announced an epidemic of Monkeypox (mpox) after 19 cases were confirmed across five departments, including the capital Brazaville. Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus. It can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Mpox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, with cases often found close to tropical rainforests where there are animals that carry the virus. Evidence of monkeypox virus infection has been found in animals including squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, different species of monkeys, and others. The disease can also spread from humans to humans. It can be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets, and contaminated objects.

The shutting down of some pharmaceutical companies leaving the country coupled with the hyper inflation that has hit the country after the removal of fuel subsidy by President Tinubu administration, prices of malaria, antibiotics, anti-diabetes, hypertension drugs and other related products have soured leading to fears of increased mortality and reduced life expectancy among Nigerians.The danger has manifested more vicious as retail prices for the most commonly used medication in country have skyrocketed by at least 300 per cent in the last six months unchallenged. 

The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email. On Wednesday last week during a routine test, Nigeria's regulator recalled a batch of Benylin syrup, having found a high level of diethylene glycol in the product. Diethylene glycol is toxic to humans when consumed and can result in acute kidney failure, although there have been no reports of harm in the latest incident. The contaminant, alongside another closely related toxin, has been linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Cameroon since 2022. However, there is no evidence that these incidents are linked to the new recalls.

In an effort to address the rising number of cancer cases in Nigeria, the Federal Government (FG) has announced plans to launch a comprehensive national cancer registry and data system. This was revealed by the Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Dr. Usman Aliyu during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday. He said a centralized cancer registry is necessary, adding that lack of funding from government and private health centres has impeded its establishment.

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned the general public about the cough syrup, Benylin Pediatrics Syrup manufactured by Johnson & Johnson with batch number 329304 and manufactured in May 2021 due to expire this month, April 2024. The cough syrup was found to contain unacceptably high level of Diethylene glycol and caused acute oral toxicity in laboratory animals. In an effort to halt its circulation, the agency has recalled the product, which is a vital method of managing risks associated with an unhealthy/faulty product.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) in its weather prediction alert, warns of impending heat stroke in Abuja, Kano, and many other northern states due to the scorching heat waves. Heat stroke, also known as sunstroke, is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is unable to control its temperature. According to the meteorological agency, on Saturday 6th April, residents of these states might suffer extreme heat, which would make them prone to heat-induced conditions. It notes that Abuja, Kano, Sokoto, and Kogi states were categorized under Extreme Danger, and residents were advised to take precautionary steps as they were likely to experience heat or sunstroke. Some other states in this category are Kebbi, Katsina, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Niger, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Benue, and Kwara.