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A new mysterious illness, referred to as “Disease X” by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has claimed the lives of at least 31 people, mostly children, in the remote Panzi region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO reported on Sunday that 406 cases of the illness have been recorded in Kwango Province, located about 435 miles southeast of Kinshasa, the capital. Over half of the fatalities were children under the age of 5, many of whom were severely malnourished. Some estimates suggest the death toll could be as high as 143, though the exact number is difficult to verify.  

The Federal Government through Ministry of Health and social welfare has declared that victims of gunshot should get full access of medical attention in any healthcare facility with or without police clearance.

A number of recently conducted research is now linking African ancestry to an heightened risk of prostate cancer and the possibility of more aggressive disease progression. A landmark study by the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate Consortium (MADCaP) Published in the journal Nature Genetics in October, which analysed data from nearly 8,000 participants across five African countries, is shedding light on the genetic risks specific to African men. The research, which is the largest genome study on prostate cancer conducted on the continent revealed three genetic regions, or loci, associated with higher prostate cancer risk, with variations unique to African populations.

The Nigeria government has reaffirmed its commitment to putting an end to the HIV/AIDS epidemic by the year 2030. This was expressed during the World Aids Day which is commemorated on 1^st December every year to honour the people who have died due to infection by the disease or those who are living with it (PLWHIV). 

The Federal Government has integrated malaria vaccine into the national immunization routine, to end $1.1bn annual loss to health crisis. The Minister for Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, at the inaugural meeting of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN) held in Abuja, described malaria as not just a health crisis, but also an economic and developmental emergency that must be eliminated.

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted Nigerians about the circulation of fake malaria drugs, Combiart Dispersible Tablet 20/120mg in the country.