The German government announced on Monday 26th August 2024 that it will donate 100,000 doses of Mpox vaccine from its military stockpile to combat the ongoing outbreak on the African continent. This substantial donation aims to address the urgent need for vaccines in affected countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, and neighboring East African nations.
The Federal Government (FG) has appointed Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group; Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings; and Femi Otedola, Chairman of Geregu Power Plc, to lead the national initiative aimed at eradicating malaria in Nigeria. This was disclosed by Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, during the inauguration ceremony of Nigeria End Malaria Council (NEMC) in Abuja.
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 40 confirmed cases were recorded out of the 830 suspected cases nationwide on Friday. The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, revealed this during the Joint NCDC/World Health Organisation National Mpox briefing with stakeholders and partners in Abuja.
President Bola Tinubu has approved a National Policy on Health Workforce to transform Nigeria’s healthcare and reintegrate Diaspora professionals to the healthcare sector. This was disclosed in a statement by Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate.
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in Ekiti State, has urged President Bola Tinubu to implement import duty and value-added tax (VAT) waivers on drugs and other medical consumables to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for Nigerians. In a communique issued after its 27th annual general meeting, the NMA also urged the President to implement the newly increased capitation rates of the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, and to strengthen the scheme to ensure broader coverage for Nigerians in the pursuit of Universal Health Coverage. Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti over the weekend, its newly elected state chairman, Dr. Oreyemi Ifedayo, stated that such a policy would not only help reduce the spate of sudden deaths among Nigerians but also create a more conducive environment for health practitioners in the country.
In its 2024 Global AIDS Report, "The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads," the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) outlined intentions to exterminate HIV/AIDS by 2030. UNAIDS stated that in order to attain the objective of eradicating AIDS as a public health concern, Nigeria and other low- and middle-income nations must see an increase in yearly investments in HIV interventions.
