Health

The Federal Government on Tuesday officially flagged off the implementation cycle of the $933 million grant donated to the country by the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria between 2024 and 2026. Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare while speaking during the ceremony in Abuja revealed that the grant would support the building of a resilient and sustainable system for health for pandemic preparedness, ensuring health security for all citizens, especially vulnerable populations such as women and children under the age of five. As the Chairman of the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), Dr. Pate emphasized the grant’s role in supporting the government’s efforts against the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. He said Nigeria is the highest recipient of the Global Fund grant in the 2021-2023 implementation periods with over $1.2 billion including COVID-19 allocation.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has alerted its residents over the resurgence of Lassa fever cases, with two confirmed cases and four suspected cases, the administration has activated the Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) based on risk assessment and the need to interrupt further transmission. This update was revealed on Monday in the nation's capital by the FCTA's Secretary, Health and Environmental Services Secretariat, Dr.Adedolapo Fasawe, noting that there was no mortality, after an alert of Lassa Fever her Secretariat received from a clinician in Bwari General Hospital. Fasawe noted that investigations that were immediately initiated revealed the cases, children of 14 months and 13 years old respectively, who had contact with their mother in Bauchi and became at high risk.

The Lagos State Government has publicized its ban on the usage and distribution of single-use plastics and Styrofoam packs, widely known as 'takeaways' immediately. This was revealed in a statement on Sunday by the states' Commissioner, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab. According to the statement, which was posted on X by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kunle Adeshina, the use of these plastics has caused a menace in the environment. It read, “Most drainage channels in the state are daily clogged up by Styrofoam and other plastics through its indiscriminate distribution and usage despite the regular cleaning and evacuation of the drains with humongous amounts.“The Commissioner added that the State Government cannot fold its hands and watch the continued desecration of its environment especially for a coastal city.”

In a world where the rhythm of life often takes precedence, the health of our hearts can sometimes be overlooked. However, as we navigate the intricate journey of daily existence, it becomes too important to pay attention to the very organ that keeps our life’s symphony in motion, the heart. Enter the realm of superfoods, a category of nutrient-packed wonders that have taken centre stage in promoting overall health. In this exploration, we turn our focus specifically to the heart, unravelling the extraordinary potential of superfoods in fostering cardiovascular well-being. Highlighted below are some foods that help keep the heart healthy:

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restored funding for 13 national health regulators, which were initially not captured in the 2024 budget. This was disclosed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Ali Pate on Wednesday after the FEC meeting, which was held in the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Recall that in June 2023, the Budget Office of the Federation, in a memo stated that 30 agencies would no longer be funded as decided by the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS).

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday officially certified Cape Verge as a malaria-free country in a significant achievement for global health. This is a substantial victory especially given that the mosquito-borne disease continues to kill hundreds of thousands of people on the continent, said the WHO. Cape Verde is the third country in the WHO African region to attain this status, following Mauritius and Algeria, certified in 1973 and 2019, respectively. Globally, only 43 nations have been certified as Malaria-free by the WHO. This feat has therefore placed Cape Verde among the elite group that has received such certification from the WHO. For this certification, a country has to prove that the domestic chain of transmission has been broken for at least three consecutive years.