Nigeria Health Watch
By Gabriel Oke and Onyinye Oranezi (Lead Writers) All diseases are devastating but poliomyelitis (polio), a scourge that impacted many countries, was especially devastating as a result of its impact on the lives of its victims, which in the most severe cases led to life-threatening paralysis and death. Though it could affect people of any […]
After decades of trials, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended a new malaria vaccine for children, adding a new development in the fight against the deadly disease. The vaccine RTS, S (Brand Name Mosquirix) is the result of over 30 years of research and development by GlaxoKlineSmith in partnership with PATH, the Malaria Initiative […]
Ifeyinwa Yusuf and Kenni Ndili (Lead Writers) A woman’s body undergoes many changes through pregnancy, birth and postpartum that affect her in several ways. Until recently there was limited discussion around the psychological effects of pregnancy and childbirth on the mental health of women. According to the World Health Organisation, one in three to one […]
Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is largely dependent on how a country finances its health system. Since the Abuja Declaration in 2001, Nigeria has been unable to allocate at least 15% of its national budget to health care therefore leaving the health system grossly underfunded. The health sector relies heavily on donor funding, meaning that […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a real and present global health security threat for almost two years now. Simultaneously, African countries like Nigeria have been experiencing an entirely different silent epidemic in the form of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). One such NCD is cardiovascular diseases, a set of heart related conditions that can lead to death […]
On September 14, 2021, Dr Charles Ezuma-Ngwu, launched a book titled ‘Universal Healthcare and Access to the Lower-income Population: An exploration of Capitation in Lagos, Nigeria’. A financial and budget analyst, Dr Ezuma-Ngwu wrote the book as an output from his PhD research to provide evidence that would encourage policy and action to deliver quality […]
Patience Adejo and Dara Ajala-Damisa (Lead Writers) Musa is a 32-year-old junior associate who works in a law firm. He used to love the Law profession, but unfavourable work conditions robbed him of that passion causing him to lose all interest in his work and the profession altogether. “My office is a toxic place,” he […]
Health is a human right and everyone, irrespective of location or socioeconomic status has a right to healthcare at their point of need. For a heavily populated country like Nigeria where there are income inequalities, there is a need to examine the healthcare system through the lens of health equity, which is accessible, affordable, and […]
Ifeyinwa Yusuf (Lead Writer) Growing up I dreamt of being a renowned obstetrician or surgeon like Ben Carson. After reading his book, Gifted Hands, I was pumped-up with zeal, so, using my monthly student allowance, I bought as many medical books as I could afford. I imagined what it would be like to live in […]
The COVID-19 pandemic not only exposed weaknesses in global health systems, it also provided us with an opportunity to course-correct and build more resilient health systems that will ensure health security for all. Taking advantage of this opportunity, on September 2 and 3, 2021, the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum convened a 2-day meeting with the […]
Onyinye Oranezi & Dara Ajala-Damisa (Lead Writers) Nigerians in the health sector and key stakeholders have waited with bated breath for the announcement of the new Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). This is following the appointment of its first Director General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu to lead WHO’s new Pandemic & […]
After the successful deployment of the first round of vaccines received from the COVAX facility in March 2021, Nigeria has received its second batch of vaccines from countries around the world; receiving 4 million doses of the Moderna vaccine from the United States through the COVAX facility and 177,600 doses of the single-shot Johnson & […]
In 2019, when my father was in the Intensive Care Unit of one of Nigeria’s biggest tertiary hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory, one of the most contentious issues my family experienced was the constant chasing after specialist doctors to assess him and answer our burning questions. We would wait hours for the single cardiologist […]
Nigeria is prone to seasonal disease outbreaks and in the last few years, a series of outbreaks including monkeypox, measles, Lassa fever, yellow fever, cerebrospinal meningitis and cholera have threatened the nation’s public health security. In 2020, while responding to COVID-19, Nigeria was at the same time tackling what was reported as the largest recorded […]