Health

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has urged Nigerians to prioritise their health by knowing their HIV status even as they celebrate the Yuletide. The Director General of NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, made this public in a statement signed by the Head, Public Relations and Protocol of the agency, Toyin Aderibigbe, on Sunday. Dr. Ilori said Christmas is a time for joy and celebration, but it also presents an opportunity to make informed and responsible decisions about one’s health.

German authorities announced on Monday the detection of four cases of the new Clade 1b variant of the mpox virus, including two infections in school-aged children, in a community near Cologne. The first case was linked to a family member’s recent trip to Africa, with subsequent testing confirming the virus in three other family members, according to a press release from the local authorities. The affected family is now under quarantine, reported Xinhua.

Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu the wife of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to rebuild the health care sector in Nigeria. The first lady, while recently addressing an audience at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the National hospital, Abuja, stressed the relevance to investing in the health of Nigerians thereby calling on stakeholders to reflect on, and deliver positively to the course. She maintained the fact that every Nigerian deserves quality health care, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Codix Group, a subsidiary of Colexa Biosensor Ltd, has been approval by the World Health Organisation, WHO, to commence the packaging of a WHO Prequalified Rapid Diagnostic Test kit at its factory in Nigeria. With this development the Colexa Biosensor is now allowed to locally package the WHO Prequalified HIV Rapid Diagnostic Test in the country and distribute.

A new mysterious illness, referred to as “Disease X” by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has claimed the lives of at least 31 people, mostly children, in the remote Panzi region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO reported on Sunday that 406 cases of the illness have been recorded in Kwango Province, located about 435 miles southeast of Kinshasa, the capital. Over half of the fatalities were children under the age of 5, many of whom were severely malnourished. Some estimates suggest the death toll could be as high as 143, though the exact number is difficult to verify.  

The Federal Government through Ministry of Health and social welfare has declared that victims of gunshot should get full access of medical attention in any healthcare facility with or without police clearance.