Health

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has given the federal government till Jan 31, 2024, to implement the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS. President of the association, Dr Uche Ojinmah, gave the ultimatum on Sunday during the closing ceremony of the association’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja. Ojinmah stressed that the association cannot guarantee industrial harmony after the ultimatum if the government fails to meet their demands amongst which is the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure. While stressing how doctors have been making great sacrifices he further urged the government to implement the newly approved accruement allowance with arrears from June 2022.

The House of Representatives has expressed concern toward reviewing laws and policies in order to address environmental disasters that poses serious threat to Nigerians.

The Federal Government (FG) through the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammed Pate has announced it would unveil Universal Healthcare (UHC) Initiative. This was revealed by Pate on Monday while commemorating UHC Day which is celebrated annually on December 12.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is in meltdown following another deadly virus emerged, adding a fifth to the list of those already wreaking havoc worldwide this month. Anthrax, which was first spotted in 1752, has already made its way to Europe after reducing Zambia to chaos with the virus detected in 684 people as of November 20. Four deaths have been reported among the cases specified. Five countries in the East and southern Africa are presently experiencing anthrax outbreaks, with over 1100 suspected cases and 20 related deaths reported since the beginning of 2023. A total of 1166 suspected and 37 confirmed cases have been recorded in African countries including Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where the disease is endemic, with seasonal outbreaks every year, according to data reported to WHO.

A variant of the flu strain H1N2, similar to one that is currently circulating in pigs, has been detected in a human for the first time in the UK, according to public health officials. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the disease has not previously been detected in humans in the country. The person reportedly experienced a mild illness and has since fully recovered. However, the UKHSA mentioned that they have not yet worked out how the person became infected and the case remains under investigation. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong warning cautioning against the abuse and misuse of antibiotics stressing that same is denting their efficacy and contributing to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The warning came on Thursday following a survey conducted by the WHO’s European chapter on antibiotic usage patterns. The study, carried out in 14 countries mostly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia revealed concerning trends, indicating that antibiotics were frequently prescribed for conditions such as the common cold (24 per cent), flu-like symptoms (16 per cent), sore throat (21 per cent), and cough (18 per cent).