Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed Pavel Ursu as its new representative to Nigeria, thereby bolstering its endeavors to enhance healthcare outcomes and fortify health partnerships throughout the nation. Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar applauded Ursu's appointment during the official announcement in Abuja, expressing confidence in the potential for deeper collaboration with the WHO under his leadership.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned that antibiotic resistance is becoming a major global threat, with one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections resistant to antibiotic treatments in 2023, with more than 40% of antibiotics losing potency against common blood, gut, urinary tract, and sexually transmitted infections between 2018 and 2023, records show. The problem was most severe and worsening in low- and middle-income countries and those with weaker healthcare systems, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance report, which gathered data on more than 23 million bacterial infections from 104 countries.

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday, flagged off the introduction of the integrated measles-rubella vaccine campaign at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. This initiative targets 106 million children aged nine months to under 15 years in two phases as part of a collective effort to end vaccine-preventable childhood diseases and safeguard the nation’s future.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced an 18-month grace period, giving food manufacturers until early 2026 to fully comply with new regulations aimed at eliminating industrially produced Trans-Fatty Acids (TFAs). This initiative, rolled out as part of a comprehensive strategy and roadmap, marks Nigeria’s shift from policy adoption to active. enforcement of its internationally recognised standard: limiting industrial TFAs to no more than two grams per 100 grams of total fat or oil.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in a bid to sanitize public health, has condemned fake and expired medical products worth over N15 billion at the Moniya dumpsite in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday raised alarm over the country’s dire doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:9,083, a figure it described as far below international standards. In a statement released to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, the association announced that beginning October 1, 2025, resident doctors nationwide will no longer be compelled to work continuous shifts beyond 24 hours. The communiqué was jointly signed by NARD President, Dr. Mohammad Suleiman; Secretary-General, Dr. Shuaibu Ibrahim; and Publicity and Social Secretary, Dr. Abdulmajid Ibrahim.