Health

The Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, Mohammed Nasir Sambo says about 83 million Nigerians are estimated to benefit from the newly introduced compulsory health insurance law that was recently assented into law as National Health Insurance Authority Act, NHIA Act, by President Buhari. The statement was disclosed by the Director General of the National Health Insurance Authority, Mohammed Nasir Sambo during a one-day news conference/workshop for health reporters on NHIA Act in Abuja yesterday.

The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, have issued the Federal Government a two weeks ultimatum to implement a minimum wage and hazard allowance or meet their wrath in form of indefinite industrial action. The threat was issued through a communiqué jointly signed by the NARD President Dr. Dare Ishaya; Secretary General, Suleiman Abiodun, and Publicity Secretary, Alfa Yusuf and was made available to pressmen yesterday at the end of the National Executive Council Meeting and Scientific conference of the Association.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed that the monkeypox outbreak that was recently declared a public health emergency was discovered to be more prevalent among men who sleep with their counterparts. WHO Director General, Tedros Ghebreyesus stated this yesterday during a media briefing where he declared the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency of global concern. Ghebreyesus said, “So, in short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little and which meets the criteria in the International Health Regulations,”.

President Muhammadu Buhari has given an ultimatum to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, to submit his report latest by May 2022 ending on covid-19 vaccine production in Nigeria. Buhari gave the directive today, Wednesday when he received the leadership of the Nigerian Integrated Biopharmaceuticals Industries Consortium (NIBI), led by Mr. Vilarugel Cuyas, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Fred lad. Mr. President lauded the NIBI as being a European company made up of biotechnology companies Merck, Unizima, Rommelag, and Fredlab for collaborating with Nigeria to start up PIA Bio-Pharma to establish a world-class Bio-Pharma Industry complex for a manufacturer of Vaccine and essential therapeutics in Nigeria.

The Minister for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora has raised the alarm that the Lassa fever epidemic in the country requires urgent attention as it has claimed about 132 persons from January 2022 to date alone. The Minister revealed that in 23 states of the federation about 3,746 cases were reported with 691 confirmed. Dr. Mamora made this revelation in Abuja during the ministry’s bi-weekly COVID-19 update, saying the outbreak of Lassa fever is on the rise with a case of fatality rate of 19.1percent.

Following the decline in cases of COVID-19 in the country especially the variant, the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) has reviewed the country's response to the pandemic. This was made public by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) who doubled as the chairman of the PSC, Boss Gida Mustapha, today in Abuja said this followed the reduction in cases of importation of the new variant. Availability of vaccines and their accessibility to members of the public was also what necessitated their committee action coupled with the global reduction, he said.