Jigawa State has made significant strides in child health, reducing the Under-5 mortality rate from 213 to 161 per 1,000 live births between 2018 and 2023, UNICEF said. The United Nations Children Emergency Fund, Nigeria’s Chief of Health, Dr. Shyam Sharan Pathak, disclosed this at the closeout ceremony of the Jigawa State Government/Gavi PHC-MoU at the Government House, Dutse. UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of Health, who represented the UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, said the...

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, has applauded President Bola Tinubu for approving an increment in the retirement age for medical consultants from 65 to 70 years and other core skilled/clinical healthcare workers. Prof. Mohammad Aminu, MDCAN President made the position of the Association while speaking with journalists in Jos, the Plateau State capital. According to him, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, who played the critical...

…Launches $1bn HOPE Programme for Healthcare Reform The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved ₦4.5 billion for the purchase of HIV treatment packs to support Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS. This approval comes after the United States government granted an emergency humanitarian waiver, reversing an earlier decision to pause funding for HIV treatment in developing countries, including Nigeria. The funding freeze had been introduced under US President Donald Trump as part of a broader review of...

Following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention NCDC has intensified surveillance at Nigeria’s entry points, including airports. The agency has also advised Nigerians to avoid non-essential travel to affected countries. Dr. Jide Idris, NCDC Director-General in a public health advisory confirmed that there are no reported cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria. The agency, according to him, has updated its emergency contingency plan, strengthened...

Clinical staff at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, OAUTHC, in Ile-Ife, Osun State has threatened to commence industrial action on February 3, 2025 over unpaid salaries. The strike is expected to impact medical services at OAUTHC, potentially disrupting healthcare delivery in the region. In a statement jointly signed by its chairman, Dr Olufemi Ogundipe, and the general secretary, Dr Tajudin Adetunji, MDCAN, said the decision follows a directive from the southwest zone of...

A significant financial relief has come for patients dealing with kidney-related conditions, as Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, has reduced the cost of kidney dialysis from N40,000 to N12,000 per session. Usman Abdullahi Koli, Head of the Public Relations Unit of the hospital in a statement issued on Wednesday said already, over 45 patients have benefited from the subsidized dialysis services. The statement added that the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Yusuf...

The medical team at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist Hospital, Minna has successfully conducted the first brain and knee surgeries. The first brain surgery, performed by a team led by Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr. Uthman Uthman, successfully treated a 19-year-old male who suffered a severe brain injury and skull fracture. The patient is currently recovering in the newly remodeled Amenity Wing of the hospital. Similarly, a surgical team led by Orthopaedic Surgeons, Abdullahi Mohammad and Mustapha...