Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Nigeria still carries world’s highest malaria burden

Nigeria continues to lead the world in malaria cases and deaths, despite decades of global and domestic investments, according to the latest World Malaria Report 2024 released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The report draws on 2023 data from 83 malaria-endemic countries, including the territory of French Guiana, while also presenting trends in malaria morbidity and mortality globally and by region.

The report, which highlighted the 2023 global malaria incidence, shows that Nigeria accounted for 26 per cent of global malaria cases, again making it the most malaria-affected nation worldwide.

Out of the estimated 263 million malaria cases recorded globally in 2023, Nigeria accounted for 68 million (68,136,000). DRC Congo followed suit with 33 million cases. Uganda had over 12 million people affected by the disease in 2023, while Ethiopia logged 9.5 million of the global reported cases of the disease.

This shows that the four countries are among the 11 ‘High Burden to High Impact (HBHI)’ countries, a group responsible for 66 per cent of global malaria cases and 68 per cent of deaths in 2023.

Others are Mozambique (9.2 million), United Republic of Tanzania (8.5 million), Angola (8.2 million), Mali (8.2 million), Burkina Faso (8.1 million), Niger (7.9 million), and Côte dʼIvoire (7.8 million).

Nigeria also ranked highest in malaria-related deaths, contributing significantly to the 597,000 global fatalities. The WHO African Region, which includes Nigeria, accounted for 94 per cent of the total global malaria burden and 95 per cent of deaths.

Four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths globally, with Nigeria having 30.9 per cent, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo having 11.3 per cent. Niger (5.9 per cent) and the United Republic of Tanzania (4.3 per cent) are the two other nations that accounted for 10 per cent of the cases.

While mortality from malaria has declined slightly over the past three years globally, from 622,000 in 2020 to 597,000 in 2023, according to the latest WHO report, Nigeria’s data remain high, especially among children under five and pregnant women.

According to WHO estimates, the country also recorded the largest number of under-five malaria deaths.

By Mustapha Usman, ICIR

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Video - Nigerian teen sets record with massive artwork



At just 15 years old, Kaneyachukwu Tagbo Okeke has made history with a painting that spans over 130,000 square feet. Titled “Impossibility is a Myth,” the Guinness World Record breaking artwork gives a voice to the nonverbal artist and a message of hope to the world.

Monday, April 14, 2025

Nigeria's Malaria Hot-Spot Identified

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is reported to have the highest malaria burden in the world, accounting for 39.3% of global malaria deaths in children under five years in 2023.

According to recent reporting by GAVI, while the country’s annual malaria death toll has declined over the past five years, the case count has risen, with 1.4 million more malaria infections reported in 2023 than in 2022.

Bordering both Benin and Niger in Nigeria’s northwest, the Kebbi state has the highest malaria prevalence in the country at 49% of young children and the highest mortality rate.

The state’s high malaria prevalence has been linked to several factors, including rice cultivation.

Since rice farming requires stagnant water, it is a perfect breeding ground for virus-carrying mosquitoes.

Ahmad Muhammad Sani, a public health expert in Kebbi State, told GAVI on April 7, 2025, that he believes the malaria vaccine will help significantly lower malaria morbidity and mortality, especially when combined with existing preventive measures like the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor insecticide spraying.

Sani also encouraged parents to complete the four vaccine doses to protect children against malaria outbreaks.

“Some possible challenges relating to the vaccine effectiveness in this region include factors like high malaria transmission rates. Hence, full vaccination coverage is crucial. Parents should be aware that incomplete vaccine doses offer partial protection,” he said.

As of April 14, 2025, most malaria cases in the United States are travel-related. Two malaria vaccines are offered in Africa but are unavailable in the U.S.

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Nigeria struggles to rein in a widespread meningitis outbreak that has killed at least 150

Nigerian health authorities are struggling to contain a rapidly spreading meningitis outbreak that has so far killed 151 people across the west African nation, mostly in remote parts of the northern region with children affected the most.

While cases first recorded in October have spread to 23 of Nigeria’s 36 states, nearly half of the deaths, 74, were reported this year, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control said this week, with local partners describing the recent rise in fatalities as “alarming.”

Most deaths from the disease have been mainly due to infected people not going to health facilities or arriving there late with severe complications, NCDC spokesperson Sani Datti told The Associated Press, a common problem in past outbreaks in the country.

The current outbreak has hit Africa’s most populous country as its health sector reels from U.S. aid cuts ordered by the Trump administration in February that have affected multiple countries. Nigeria relied heavily on such aid over the years to help fight similar outbreaks and support its underfunded healthcare systems.

Seasonal meningitis outbreaks are common during the dry season, especially in northern Nigeria. Almost all the worst-hit states are in the north, where health providers have warned the outbreak is rapidly spreading in hard-to-reach areas.

Meningitis, more common during the hot season in Nigeria, affects the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It’s a major public health challenge for a country already grappling with “the world’s highest burden of malaria,” according to the World Health Organization.

Last week, Nigeria received the first batch of more than 1 million vaccine doses from the global vaccine alliance Gavi, described by local officials as a crucial milestone in disease response.

The Nigeria CDC also said it is working with state authorities to scale up disease surveillance with a focus on tracking new cases, laboratory testing, and public sensitization campaigns to curb the outbreak.

Campaigns are also being rolled out, urging residents to take precautionary measures and seek immediate medical attention if they are experiencing symptoms such as high fever, stiff neck and severe headaches.

However, access to hospitals remains a huge problem, local partners say.

“We have seen hundreds of admissions and scores of deaths in just a few weeks. The high fatality rate is due to access (to) care, there are challenges with that and low vaccination coverage,” said Simba Tirima, Nigeria’s country representative for French medical charity Doctors Without Borders, or MSF.

Tirima told the AP that the most vulnerable are residents in remote areas who often arrive late to MSF facilities.

“We know that meningitis progresses rapidly, and patients' (conditions) can deteriorate in 24 hours,” he said, calling for mass vaccination campaigns.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Video - Nigeria’s kidney crisis as experts push for reforms



Chronic kidney disease affects 15 percent of Nigeria's population, with an estimated 45,000 deaths annually due to kidney failure. A new subsidy has however cut dialysis costs by 80 percent in select hospitals.

Monday, March 10, 2025

Video - Nigeria’s heatwave raises health concerns



Health experts in Nigeria warn that the ongoing heatwave could worsen existing medical conditions, especially among vulnerable populations. The country's meteorological agency predicts temperatures will exceed 40°C in the upcoming months.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Video - Health experts concerned as Lassa fever cases surge in Nigeria



Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control, NCDC reported nearly 300 cases of Lassa fever in the country since the beginning of the year. Health experts are calling for urgent measures to control rats, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

A mother's mission to help Nigerians with cerebral palsy

Although Babatunde Fashola, affectionately known as Baba, is 22 years old, he is less than 70cm (2ft 4in) tall.

He has cerebral palsy and requires lifelong care. He can neither speak nor walk and is fed via a tube attached to his stomach.

As a baby, he was abandoned by his parents but 10 years ago, he found a home at the Cerebral Palsy Centre in the Nigerian city of Lagos.

"Baba weighs about 12kg [26lb]. He is doing well," the facility's founder, Nonye Nweke, tells me when I visit.

Ms Nweke and her staff work around the clock to support him and other youngsters living with permanent brain damage.

Although there is a lack of official data, cerebral palsy is believed to be one of the most common neurological disorders in Nigeria. In 2017, a medical professor from the University of Lagos said 700,000 people had the condition.

For many of those living with cerebral palsy in the country, their condition was caused by a common phenomenon among newborns - neonatal jaundice.

This is caused by a build-up of bilirubin, a yellow substance, in the blood, meaning the babies' skins have a yellow tinge.

Professor Chinyere Ezeaka, a paediatrician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, tells the BBC that more than 60% of all babies suffer from jaundice.

Most babies recover within days. More severe cases need further medical intervention - and even then the condition is easily treatable.

Children are basically exposed to ultra-violet light to dissolve the excess bilirubin in their red blood cells. The treatment lasts a few days depending on the severity.

However, in Nigeria this treatment is often not immediately available, which is why the country is among the five with the most neurological disorders caused by untreated jaundice in the world, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Any treatment for neonatal jaundice "must occur within the first 10 days of life, else [the condition] could cause permanent brain damage and severe cerebral palsy", says Prof Ezeaka.

To make matters worse, the West African country lacks facilities to care for those with neurological disorders. There are just three cerebral palsy centres, all privately run, in Nigeria, which has a population of more than 200 million.

Ms Nweke - a single mother - set up the Cerebral Palsy Centre after struggling to find support for her own daughter, Zimuzo.

"When I took her to a day-care [centre], they asked me to take her back because other mothers would withdraw their children. As a mum, I must say it was quite devastating," Ms Nweke tells the BBC.

Zimuzo is now 17, and Ms Nweke's Cerebral Palsy Centre provides full-time support for others with similar experiences.

On the day I visit, colourful playtime mats and toys are neatly arranged on the floor. Mickey Mouse and his friends converse on a wide-screen television in the lounge.

Twelve youngsters, some as young as five, gaze at the TV, their bright environment ignored for a moment. They are all immobile and non-speaking.

At lunchtime, caregivers help the youngsters eat. Some take in liquified food through tubes attached to their stomachs.

Carefully and slowly, the carers support their heads with pillows and push the contents of their syringes into the tubes.

The youngsters are fed every two hours and require regular muscular massages to prevent stiffness.

But they are the lucky 12 receiving free care from the Cerebral Palsy Centre, which is funded exclusively by donors.

The facility has a long waiting list - Ms Nweke has received more than 100 applications.

But taking on more youngsters would require extra financial support. The cost of caring for someone at the centre is at least $1,000 (£790) a month - a huge amount in a country where the national minimum wage is about $540 a year.

"As a mum, I must say it's quite overwhelming. You have moments of depression, it gives you heartaches and it is quite expensive - in fact it's the most expensive congenital disorder to manage," Ms Nweke says.

"And then of course, it keeps you away from people because you don't discuss the same things. They are talking of their babies, walking, enjoying those baby moments. You are not doing that. You are sad," she adds.

Ms Nweke explains that she adopted Zimuzo from an orphanage.

A few months after taking her new daughter home, Ms Nweke realised Zimuzo was not developing in the same way as the children around her were. She was assessed at a hospital and diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Ms Nweke was told she could take Zimuzo, who was then just a few months old, back to the orphanage and adopt another baby instead, but she refused.

"I decided to keep her and I began researching what the disorder was about, the treatment and type of care my child would need - she's my life.

"I was also told by the doctors she won't live beyond two years. Well here we are - 17 years later," says a smiling Ms Nweke.

A lack of awareness and adequate medical support hinders the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal jaundice in Nigeria.

Ms Nweke also says the common local belief that children with congenital disorders are spiritually damaged or bewitched leads to stigmatisation.

Some children with neurological disorders - mostly in Nigeria's rural areas - are labelled witches. In some cases, they are abandoned in prayer houses or cast out of their families.

Ms Nweke is not alone in her mission to dispel myths and improve care.

The Oscar Project - a charity aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of neonatal jaundice - recently began operating in Lagos.

The project is named after Vietnamese-born British disability advocate, Oscar Anderson, whose untreated jaundice caused his cerebral palsy.

"We're equipping health facilities at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels with the equipment to treat jaundice, primarily light boxes, but also detection and screening equipment," Toyin Saraki, who oversaw the launch, tells the BBC.

Project Oscar, backed by consumer health firm Reckitt, is training 300 health workers in Lagos. The hope over the first year is to reach 10,000 mothers, screen 9,000 children and introduce new protocols to try and prevent babies with jaundice from developing cerebral palsy.

In a country where the public health system is overstretched, the government has little to say about the disorder, although it lauded the Oscar project's goals.

Treatment for neonatal jaundice is significantly cheaper than the cost of lifelong care, doctors say.

First launched in Vietnam in 2019, Project Oscar has helped about 150,000 children in the Asian country.

Mr Anderson, 22, says he wants to prevent other children experiencing what he has been through.

"People with disabilities are not to be underestimated," he tells the BBC.

He is working to ensure screening for every newborn infant for neonatal jaundice, and, with the support and courage of mums, midwives and medical professionals, ensure there is better understanding and quicker treatment.

However, achieving this is a hugely ambitious goal in Africa's most-populous country, where thousands of babies are born each year with neonatal jaundice.

Regardless, Mr Anderson is determined to defy the odds.

"The work doesn't stop until every baby is protected against neonatal jaundice," he says.

By Nkechi Ogbonna, BBC

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Nigeria makes strides in cancer control, views decentralization of services to expand access

Nigeria has advanced its national cancer control programme in the last decade and is making steady progress towards expanding care for millions of people, an international assessment has found. Nigeria is strengthening institutional response, increasing resource allocation and building its oncology workforce and services to tackle its cancer burden, according to the review.

The imPACT review, carried out by the IAEA, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) upon request from the Nigerian Government, evaluated current health system readiness for cancer care and progress since a previous assessment in 2011.

With 220 million people, Nigeria has the largest population in Africa, densely spread across a country with a land mass of 900 000 square kilometres. However, the distribution of health services is uneven, concentrated around larger cities and not easily accessible for many Nigerians outside main urban centres. Noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, are a significant health problem; according to 2022 IARC figures, the number of new cancer cases in Nigeria is estimated at nearly 128 000 per year.

The most frequent types of cancer among Nigerian men are prostate, colorectal and liver cancers. Breast cancer, with over 32 200 new cases and more than 16 300 deaths per year, is the most common cause of death from cancer among Nigerian women. Cervical cancer also poses a major challenge, accounting for the second largest number of female cancer deaths in Nigeria.

In October 2024, an imPACT review team comprising IAEA, WHO and 12 independent experts from Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, the United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe visited key sites relevant to cancer control in Nigeria, including university hospitals and primary health care centres. The review team not only brought together a wide pool of expertise, but also fostered regional and south-south collaboration to support capacity building following the review.

The team, on the ground in Nigeria from 14 to 24 October 2024, interviewed local health authorities and held extensive consultations with cancer stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups. They also met with partners that could potentially support the country in scaling up access to cancer services, including the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, among others.

The review found that Nigeria has taken positive steps to strengthen cancer care since the last imPACT mission to the country in 2011, including through the establishment in 2023 of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT). The institute has since launched the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan 2023-2027 and is working with several partners to implement its activities in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, hospice and palliative care, as well as data management and advocacy.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance access to cancer diagnosis and treatment across the country, we are working closely with the Federal Ministry Of Health and Social Welfare to establish comprehensive cancer treatment centres and diagnostic facilities across all the six geopolitical zones,” said NICRAT Director General Usman Aliyu. “We are also partnering with stakeholders towards strengthening cancer control programs at both the federal and state levels to address the rising burden of cancer in Nigeria.”

The imPACT review sought to create a baseline analysis of the current cancer care situation to support Nigeria in building strategic partnerships to expand care, including under broader global cancer efforts such as the IAEA’s Rays of Hope, WHO’s breast and cervical cancer initiatives, and IARC’s cancer registry initiative. The assessment also helped determine national capacity building needs in oncology, pathology and palliative care, among others.

“We are working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other partners under the sector-wide approach framework to promote synergies and enhance coordination for cancer control across at all levels, including the integration of cancer prevention and early diagnosis interventions within the primary health care setting,” said Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Country Representative in Nigeria.

In May 2024, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited Nigeria and pledged increased cancer care support through the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative. Nigeria expressed interest to expand radiotherapy services – including brachytherapy to treat for example cervical and prostate cancers – in all its 36 states.

“The imPACT Review was well-timed, considering the country’s plans to expand cancer care access within the framework of the IAEA’s Rays of Hope and technical cooperation programme,” said Mickel Edwerd, Section Head in the IAEA Department of Technical Cooperation and member of the review team. “The findings provide a key starting point to increase cancer care access for millions of Nigerians.”


Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Nigeria adopts multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cube standards to reduce malnutrition and child mortality

The Nigerian government has enacted a new industrial standard for bouillon which includes a provision for adding vital micronutrients. The new standard specifies the inclusion of iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12 on a voluntary basis in nationally produced and imported bouillon cubes to reduce malnutrition and child mortality.

An international team, including researchers from the University of California, Davis, worked with the government of Africa's most populous country to model the public health benefits of fortifying bouillon cubes, a staple in West African cooking. While fortification standards for foods like wheat flour and edible oils are in place, these foods have limited impacts on dietary quality because they are either not consumed frequently or in sufficient amounts by those most in need.

Bouillon cubes, however, are a popular ingredient in West African cooking, consumed by the vast majority of households regardless of socioeconomic status or location, offering a more equitable pathway for impact.

The policy change has the potential to save over 57,000 lives of children under the age of 5 in Nigeria between 2023 and 2030, the research team predicts.

Micronutrients are essential dietary elements that help regulate the physiological functions of cells and organs—supporting healthy growth and development during critical phases of life. Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in West Africa, contributing to poor child health, development and mortality.

Addressing micronutrient deficiencies

Led by the UC Davis Institute of Global Nutrition and Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, experts Stephen A. Vosti, Reina Engle-Stone, Katherine Adams, Michael Jarvis and their national and international collaborators, including UC Davis alum Seth Adu-Afarwuah, developed and used the Micronutrient Intervention Modeling (MINIMOD) tools to generate the evidence needed by the many stakeholders involved in the international bouillon fortification project. Two studies have been published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

In parallel, researchers from UC Davis, in collaboration with the University of Ghana, conducted a community-based study to test the acceptability of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cubes with different levels of iron, zinc, vitamin A, folic acid and vitamin B12 by women and their households. All formulations were well-liked by more than 90% of the respondents, suggesting that a broad array of formulations of the micronutrients can be used for further research and to test the impacts of the bouillon cubes on nutritional status and other outcomes.


The team followed this work with a randomized controlled study in the same region to gauge the impact of the multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon on micronutrient status and related outcomes. Results of this study, supervised by UC Davis researcher Sika Kumordzie, are being analyzed.

"This was the first field-based study undertaken to measure the impacts of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon. It therefore provides an important 'cornerstone' of evidence needed to understand the impact of fortification of bouillon in contexts where the condiment has broad and equitable reach," said Engle-Stone.

Using the MINIMOD tool in three countries (Burkina Faso, Senegal and Nigeria), this study showed important gaps in the availability of nutrients in the household food supply to meet dietary requirements for children. Folate, zinc and vitamin A show the highest inadequacy levels, with iron and B12 problematic, but to a lesser extent. In collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, the Lives Saved Tool was used to estimate the impacts of fortification with selected micronutrients (vitamin A, folic acid and zinc) on child mortality.

According to national household data from Senegal, based on food intake alone, 92% of women of reproductive age nationally have dietary inadequacy of folate. Adding fortified bouillon to the existing wheat flour fortification program would decrease national inadequacy to 23%. Researchers also suggest that bouillon fortification would substantially decrease inadequacies among children in vitamin A, zinc and folate, with modest gains for vitamin B12 and minimal impact on iron inadequacy.

Reductions in folate inadequacy among women of reproductive age, and in vitamin A and zinc inadequacies among children, could lead to significant reductions in child mortality, according to previously published studies by the team.

"We're pleased to see the government of Nigeria implement these new standards," said Vosti. "We hope these models will support discussions and policy changes needed to tackle preventable health problems throughout West Africa and more broadly."

By Neelanjana Gautam, Medical Xpress


Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Nigeria begins malaria vaccine rollout

Nigeria, the country with the most malaria deaths worldwide, began rolling out a vaccine against the disease for the first time.

The vaccine — which is being administered to children up to five years old, the worst affected population — has an effectiveness rate of 75%, meaning other prevention tools are still necessary.

We are confident that this vaccine, in combination with other preventative measures, will drastically reduce the burden of malaria in Nigeria,” the World Health Organization’s Nigeria representative earlier said.

Africa accounts for almost the entirety of global malaria deaths, with Nigeria, the continent’s most prosperous nation, representing nearly a third of those in 2022.
Billions of dollars lost every year to malaria

Besides the human toll, estimates suggest Africa loses billions of dollars a year in productivity and health expenses linked to malaria. In turn, a 90% reduction in case incidence by 2030 — part of the Sustainable Development Goal target on malaria — could boost the GDP of malaria-endemic countries by $142.7 billion, according to research conducted by Oxford Economics Africa on behalf of Malaria No More UK. The corresponding increase in international trade would also significantly benefit the global economy, the report added.

Human movement is one of the biggest challenges to eliminating malaria, two scientists noted in The Conversation. Vulnerable populations are also more likely to travel significant distances, and high rates of mobility are associated with greater onward transmission, they wrote. In the US, a combination of public health measures and infrastructure improvements helped to eliminate malaria in the mid-twentieth century. But malaria hospitalizations have increased in recent years as people travel into the country from malaria-endemic areas, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

By Mizy Clifton and Jeronimo Gonzalez, Semafor

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Video - Health workers relieved as mpox vaccination campaign starts in Nigeria



The government started the long-delayed program on Monday. The effort targets medics and those with low immunity. Now fully protected, many health workers say they feel confident they can help curb the spread of the virus.

CGTN

Monday, November 11, 2024

Video - Nigerian government urged to address health worker shortage



Statistics by the United Nations health agency indicate Nigeria has the third biggest shortage of healthcare workers globally. The professionals migrate abroad annually partly due to poor pay and insecurity. Experts now want the government to put measures in place to counter this trend.

CGTN

Related story: Video - Nigerian health workers seek increased government support to control malaria

 

Friday, October 18, 2024

Video - Nigeria implements zero-tax policy on pharmaceutical products



President Bola Tinubu's executive order granting VAT and customs waivers on pharmaceuticals and medical devices is designed to reduce prices and boost local manufacturing of badly needed medicines. The initiative is part of the health ministry's effort to strengthen the healthcare value chain.

CGTN

Video - Malnutrition rates rise in Nigeria



Healthcare workers have reported a rise in severe malnutrition among young people in the Lake Chad region, where years of conflict have devastated agriculture and worsened food security. Humanitarian agencies estimate 6.1 million people will face food shortages in the coming months.

CGTN

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Nigeria to take delivery of malaria vaccines

Nigeria is set to receive its first shipment of the highly anticipated malaria vaccines on Thursday, marking a significant step in the country’s fight against one of its deadliest diseases.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) announced that the vaccines would be received in Abuja by Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) confirmed the event through an invitation sent by the agency on Wednesday in Abuja.

NAN reports that the arrival of the vaccines is an initiative by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to distribute malaria vaccines to high-burden countries across Africa, including Nigeria.

The NPHCDA said that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the country would officially unveil the malaria vaccines on Thursday to help protect children from the life-threatening disease.

NAN reports that the introduction of the malaria vaccine is expected to significantly reduce malaria cases and deaths, especially in vulnerable populations.

The government has developed a strategic distribution plan to prioritise regions most affected by malaria, particularly in rural areas where access to healthcare is limited.

The rollout will begin in these high-burden regions before expanding nationwide.

The expected vaccines, known as RTS, S/AS01 (Mosquirix), have been proven to reduce malaria cases and mortality among young children in large clinical trials across Africa.

Nigeria will be the third African country to introduce the vaccine, following Ghana and Kenya, which began using the vaccine in 2023.

Meanwhile, malaria remains a serious public health issue in Nigeria, affecting 97 percent of the population.

Transmission occurs all year-round in the southern regions and lasts up to three months in the northern regions.

The primary malaria vectors are “Anopheles coluzzii” and “Anopheles gambiae”, with “Anopheles funestus” playing a secondary role in some areas.

Nigeria accounts for 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of global malaria deaths, making it the country with the highest malaria burden in the world.

The prevalence of malaria among children under five years dropped from 42 per cent in 2010 to 23 percent in 2018.

There are significant disparities between rural (31 per cent) and urban (13 per cent) populations, as well as socioeconomic groups.

The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) launched the High Burden, High Impact (HBHI) approach in response to the ongoing malaria crisis.

The goal is to reduce malaria prevalence to below 10 percent and malaria-related deaths to fewer than 50 per 1,000 people by 2025.

Efforts have included switching to injectable artesunate for severe malaria treatment and increasing coverage of preventive malaria treatments for pregnant women.

The percentage of pregnant women receiving at least three doses of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine increased from 16.6 per cent in 2018 to 31 per cent in 2021.

However, challenges such as low antenatal care attendance and limited access to treatment remain obstacles to further progress.

NAN reports that public health experts are optimistic about the vaccine’s potential to save lives.

They believe that this vaccine, when combined with other preventive measures, will significantly reduce the malaria burden in Nigeria and bring the country closer to achieving the goal of a malaria-free Africa.

Vanguard

Related story: Video - Nigerian health workers seek increased government support to control malaria

Monday, October 14, 2024

Video - Nigerian health workers seek increased government support to control malaria



According to Nigeria's Ministry of Health, about 55 million people in the country contract malaria annually. Out of those, 90,000 die. Health experts are now urging the government to scale up efforts to address the issue.

CGTN

Monday, October 7, 2024

Nigeria reports 359 cholera deaths in first nine months of year

More than 350 people have died from cholera in Nigeria in the first nine months of this year, a 239% jump from the same period last year, data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) showed on Monday.

Cholera, a water-borne disease, is not uncommon in Nigeria where health authorities say there is a lack of potable drinking water in rural areas and urban slums.

NCDC said 359 people had died between January and September compared to 106 during the same period last year.

The number of suspected cholera cases also surged to 10,837, up from 3,387 the previous year, with most of those affected being children under five years old.

Lagos, the country's commercial capital, recorded the highest number of cases, NCDC said.

Authorities in northeastern Borno said on Friday that a cholera outbreak had hit the state, which is also dealing with flooding that has displaced nearly 2 million people. 

Reuters

Friday, October 4, 2024

Borno state hit by cholera amid flood devastation

A cholera outbreak has hit Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, already reeling from floods that displaced nearly 2 million people, an official said on Friday.

Cholera outbreaks are not uncommon in Borno, the epicentre of a 15-year-old Islamist insurgency that has displaced thousands into camps and strained sanitation facilities and potable water sources.

Borno Health Commissioner Baba Mallam Gana told reporters that 17 cases have been recorded following tests, but no deaths so far.

"However, we are recording an increasing number of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD)/suspected Cholera which is not unconnected with the flood devastation," Gana said.

Almost 500 cases of AWD have been recorded, Gana said, with five local government areas mostly affected.

Flooding in Borno began when a dam overflowed following heavy rains, displacing millions from their homes and damaging health facilities and other infrastructures.

Gana said that to combat the latest outbreak, the state got 300,000 oral cholera vaccine (OCV) doses from the federal health ministry, which have been distributed across displacement camps and flood-hit communities.

The state is waiting for an additional 600,000 doses of the vaccine to ensure adequate coverage, he said.

By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Nigeria preventive care gets boost as Hospital unveils advanced procedures

To reduce the high cost of curative therapies, Medic Partners Multi Specialist Hospital last week launched a range of advanced procedures designed to prevent medical challenges from the onset. The multi-specialist wellness centre located in Victoria Island, Lagos officially opened Wednesday, promising to assist Nigerians in navigating the challenging economic climate by providing preventive care and increasing awareness of their health conditions.

The Chief Medical Director, of Medic Partners Multi Specialist Hospital and preventive care specialist, Busola Ayelowo-Eso, explained that the disturbing prevalence of preventable diseases in Nigeria informed the centre’s establishment.

Despite a significant increase in the awareness of preventable diseases such as hypertension or end-stage renal disease, Ayelowo-Eso said many are not keen on undertaking comprehensive medical screening.

“A lot of Nigerians have this I don’t-care-attitude of if it’s not disturbing me, why should I look for it? So, preventive medicine is one speciality that hasn’t gotten so much awareness. Nigerians don’t believe in treating what is not broken.

“We still have a very long way to go in preventive medicine because the World Health Organization (WHO) says that at least once a year an average person or an individual should have a medical check-up. In Nigeria, until they start feeling ill, they don’t go to the hospital. So, until we get to that point where everybody knows that once a year, I should check myself irrespective of how I feel, we are not there yet. It’s a growing concern that is being addressed daily.”

The founders of Medic Partners Multi Specialist Hospital have invested in advanced diagnostic and treatment services to aid early detection and management. Specifically, the facility operates with advanced imaging technologies including digital X-rays, and 4D ultrasound, which provide high-resolution images that allow for accurate and early diagnosis of various conditions.

It runs a fully automated laboratory that provides comprehensive laboratory services from routine blood work to specialized diagnostics like genetic testing and molecular diagnostics, within a short time. Automation minimizes human involvement and reduces the risk of errors in terms of reporting.

In terms of kidney care, the facility is equipped with a six-bedded dialysis unit to tackle renal issues among an estimated 50 million people Nigerians who are affected. It has also invested in a fully functional cardiac unit where stress tests, procedures and other heart-related screenings are conducted.

Other specialities are endoscopy and minimally invasive surgeries where its surgical team specializes in minimally invasive techniques, reducing recovery times and improving patient outcomes.

“It offers a comprehensive wellness program where we provide holistic wellness check-ups that include advanced diagnostic tests, personalised health assessments, and preventive care strategies, helping patients maintain their health and prevent diseases.

“These advanced services reflect our commitment to providing world-class healthcare and ensuring that our patients have access to the best diagnostic and treatment options available”.

Speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Medic Partners, Akin Eso explained that the centre will prioritise exceptional patient experience along with good practices aligned with international standards.

He emphasised that the facility is equipped to bridge the gap for those seeking quality healthcare locally, having assembled top medical expertise and technologies. This reduces the need for medical tourism, providing solutions right here in Nigeria.

The facility operates with a dedicated team of approximately 40 medical professionals and 15 support staff. The medical team includes specialists in family medicine, dermatology, cosmetic surgery, nephrology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, and geriatrics.

“At Medic Partners we are transforming healthcare delivery, ensuring quality. That’s why we prioritise not only providing premium medical services but also ensuring that every interaction is seamless, comfortable and tailored to your needs,” Eso said. 

By Chioma Obinna, Vanguard