The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has today, destroyed expired, unregistered, counterfeit, and smuggled drugs and related products worth ₦10,991,458,374.60. Accordingly, the destroyed products were seized items from five states of the Southwest Zone region (excluding Lagos) and Kwara State in the North Central Zone due to its proximity, and were all incinerated in Ibadan for the destruction.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) inducted 606 medical and 16 dental foreign-trained doctors into the medical profession in the country.
The Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, has expresses concern over the number of doctors leaving the country due to poor payment of wage. The Chairman of the NMA, Kano State branch, Abdurrahman Ali lamented that 15, 000 medical doctors exit Nigeria as of 2024 due to poor remuneration. Ali revealed this during a media conference reflecting on the progress and issues confronting doctors at the year’s physician week with the theme ‘Ensuring Universal Applicability in Remuneration: a Panacea to Talent Retention in the Healthcare System’.
Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU) have been directed to proceed on a seven-day warning strike, commencing from midnight on Friday. The National Chairman of the Union, Kabiru Minjibir while addressing journalists in Abuja, added that the strike comes after a fifteen day notice of industrial action issued to the Federal Government. Minjibir highlighted some of their demands to include immediate implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), payment of a twenty-five percent review of its arrears from June to December 2023.
Consultant at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has disclosed that the centre recorded 300 child cancer cases in one year. Abidemi Omonisi, a consultant pathologist, revealed this at the ‘In-Country Mission Programme Action for Cancer Therapy’ (imPACT) review in Abuja. The impact is a division of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), assesses countries’ cancer control capabilities, identifies challenges, and informs them of gaps to aid future control plans and implementation. Omonisi did not say which year the cases were recorded but said they indicated an increase in childhood cancers in Nigeria, warranting prominence and attention.
The Nigerian Government has received the first batch of the R21 malaria vaccines from Gavi, to scale up malaria vaccination in the country. The Minister of Health, Ali Pate, noted that the vaccines arrived as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to eliminate malaria in the country. He said the vaccines would be distributed to states with the highest burden of the disease, particularly Kebbi and Bayelsa and would serve as a complement to other treatments for malaria. Pate added that the vaccine has proven to be safe and efficient for malaria treatment.
