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The number of children dying globally before their fifth birthday has reached a historic low, dropping to 4.9 million in 2022, the latest report by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME) revealed. The report reveals that more children are surviving today than ever before, with the global under-5 mortality rate declining by 51 per cent since 2000. Several low-and lower-middle-income countries have outpaced this decline, showing that progress is possible when resources are sufficiently allocated to primary health care, including child health and well-being. For example, the findings show that Cambodia, Malawi, Mongolia, and Rwanda have reduced under-5 mortality by over 75 per cent since 2000.

Public health expert Dr. Gabriel Ameh has urged Nigerians to stay hydrated and prevent fatigue as the period of abnormally hot weather sets in the Federal Capital Territory. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, Ameh noted that the high temperatures combined with the unstable power supply could cause illnesses, endanger cattle, or possibly result in fatalities.

The Federal Government (FG) through the Federal Ministry of Environment has launched the National Deratization framework exercise aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of Lassa fever across the country. This was made known during a press briefing by Mahmud Kambari, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment who represented the Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako.

The House of Representatives has demanded the Federal Government to investigate as well as curtail the spread of an unknown disease that has killed many in Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State. The Federal House requests that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare urgently deploy its personnel to verify the nature of the disease. The House also urged the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention put-up surveillance measures to contain the spread of the disease and ensure that adequate treatment is extended to affected victims. 

The Rivers State Ministry of Health has confirmed a fresh outbreak of Lassa fever with four cases recorded and one person reportedly dead. This was revealed in a statement issued by the Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, during a press conference today.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) voiced an alarm on Tuesday, February 20, over the measles cases that have been rising so fast. Natasha Crowcroft, WHO's technical adviser on measles and rubella, who said Measles cases are significantly underreported noted that "We in the measles world are extremely concerned." In 2023 there were more than 306,000 cases globally, which is a 79 per cent rise from 2022. Measles is a viral infection that's serious for small children but is easily preventable by a vaccine. The disease spreads through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing. The UN health organization models the data every year to produce more precise numbers. In 2022, it projects 9.2 million cases and 136,216 measles fatalities.