Health

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has issued an emergency humanitarian waiver allowing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to continue providing life-saving HIV treatment in low-income countries. PEPFAR supports over 20 million people living with HIV, making up two-thirds of all people receiving treatment globally. However, its funding was temporarily halted for at least 90 days following President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Foreign Aid, leaving millions uncertain about their treatment.

A Nigerian medical professional, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, who is popularly referred to as Aproko Doctor on social media, has raised concerns over the Nigeria’s healthcare service delivery following the reported halt in the United States’ funding to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

The Benue State Government has officially confirmed the outbreak of rabies in Kwande and Gboko Local Government Areas. Dr. Aondoakaa Asambe, the Director-General of the Benue Bureau of Livestock Development and Transboundary Animal Diseases Control, announced this development in Makurdi, the state capital. Dr. Asambe stated that the bureau was notified of suspected rabies cases after reports emerged of multiple individuals being bitten by dogs in Adikpo, Kwande, and Gboko. A total of seven people were bitten by two dogs, prompting the government to initiate contact tracing to identify and monitor those affected.

A study by researchers from Canada and the United States has revealed that adults over 65 who experienced parental divorce during childhood may have a higher risk of stroke. Published in PLOS One, the study found that 1 in 9 adults aged 65+ whose parents divorced reported having a stroke, compared to 1 in 15 whose parents did not divorce. Researchers from the University of Toronto, Tyndale University, and the University of Texas at Arlington conducted the study.

Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has alerted Nigerians to an outbreak of Anthrax, a zoonotic disease, in Zamfara. Director, Information and Public Relations Department in the ministry, Ben Goong, made this known through a statement this afternoon in Abuja. According to Goong, Nigerian should be aware that there is an outbreak of the said disease recorded in a farm in Zamfara state.

Between December 30, 2024, and January 5, 2025, Nigeria reported 54 new cases of Lassa fever and 10 fatalities. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed these figures in its week one situation report for 2025, published on its website. The report indicated a decline in new confirmed cases from 70 in the final week of 2024 to 54 in the first week of 2025. However, there was an increase in suspected cases compared to the same period in the previous year.