The Federal Ministry of Health has begun the implementation of approved Task-sharing and Task-shifting Policy for essential healthcare services which authorize lower cadres of health workers including Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) to administer implants and intra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUCDS) other than Nurse and Midwives only.

France has banned the sale and ordered a recall of several baby formula milk and baby food products made by French dairy giant Lactalis after the discovery of salmonella bacteria, consumer protection agency DGCCRF said in a statement.

The recall includes products for export, including to China, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, Romania, Serbia, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Colombia and Peru.

The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State has successfully carried out its first kidney transplant on two patients on Friday about 10:00 am.

The kidney transplant which commenced on Thursday December 7, was conducted on the patients free of charge.

The operation, which lasted for more than ten hours from procurement of kidney from the donor to actual transplanting for the recipient, was carried out by a team of surgeons led by Dr Obi Ekwenna from University of Toledo Medical centre, USA and other surgeons from FMC Umuahia.

The federal government has taken pertinent steps including deployment of health officers, resources and strategies to all states of the country to investigate, test and treat tuberculosis patients for free.

According to the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTLCP), one of the major challenges hindering the eradication of tuberculosis in Nigeria is identified low case finding and contact tracing.

The Programme National Coordinator, Dr Adebola Lawanson, made the disclosure at the review meeting organised by Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in Lagos.