Nigeria Health Watch
Every year from August 1–7, Nigeria joins over 170 countries globally to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. This is one of the greatest outreach vehicles for the promotion of optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. The event, formally endorsed by the 1990 WHO Innocenti Declaration and policymakers across the globe, reaffirms commitment to breastfeeding […]
Over 20 million Nigerians infected with hepatitis- Minister. FG Plans $3bn Budget for Immunisation. Giving hope to pregnant COVID-19 patients: LUTH in giant strides. Ensuring access to family planning commodities in rural areas. Malaria deaths could surge due to COVID-19 if not checked – Nigerian govt. Need for Political Will in Disease Preparedness. FG rejects […]
Two hundred and nineteen (219) – That is the number of lives lost to Lassa fever between January and June 2020, according to the latest data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Nigeria has been experiencing a yearly outbreak of the viral haemorrhagic fever since it was first identified in Borno state in […]
By Dara Ajala-Damisa & Chibuike Alagboso (Lead Writers) The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people work in Nigeria and the response has required a multi-sectoral approach with all arms of the government keyed into the response. This led to the setting up of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 which brought together the Ministers from […]
By Dr. Obehioye Aimiosior (Guest Writer) Amaka’s husband died from COVID-19. It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon and she was still dealing with the reality of not being there during his last moments. It was barely five days after his death when she received her COVID-19 result. She was dealing with the overwhelming sadness that […]
On April 11, 2020, exactly one month after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Kano State confirmed its first positive COVID-19 case. In the same month, the state witnessed what was described as “mysterious” deaths, claiming hundreds of lives including the Emir of Rano and seven professors from Bayero University Kano (BUK). […]
Editor’s Note: On Monday, July 13, 2020, Nigeria’s health community was saddened by the news of the passing of Professor Lovett Lawson, Chairman, Board of Directors, Zankli Medical Centre, Abuja. Lawson, a professor of infectious diseases and a passionate advocate for Nigeria’s Tuberculosis community, was 72, and was the Patron of the Stop TB Partnership […]
“This article was produced in collaboration with Maternal Figures, a database of maternal health interventions implemented in Nigeria.” At Amorji Nike Primary Healthcare Centre [PHC] in Enugu East local government council, more than a dozen women with their children wrapped in their arms sit patiently in a waiting room at the premises. The women came […]
By Atinuke Akande-Alegbe and Vivianne Ihekweazu (Lead writers) Since the first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Nigeria on the 27th of February, 2020, the political, economic and health establishment has focused on the response. It was clear that Nigeria like the rest of the African continent was about to face a major […]
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Kenya, the government has taken strict preventive measures to contain its spread. Some of these measures include compulsory wearing of masks all the time while in public places, washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds several times a day, maintaining a distance of at […]
By Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi (Lead Writer) Queen Wisdom is a petty trader who had come to buy some food items for her business at the Rumuokoro Market in Port Harcourt. She was seen wearing a face mask. When she heard of the coronavirus outbreak from international news channels, she was skeptical, and she felt coronavirus won’t […]
“Waves keep coming, that’s the one thing you can count on in life” — Gerry Lopez Following the easing of the lockdown restrictions, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has created the perfect storm that runs the risk of worsening many of the already poor health indicators in Nigeria. From transport restrictions, to anxiety among health care […]
Is COVID-19 the same as malaria? No. COVID-19 and malaria may have similar symptoms but they are very different diseases with different modes of transmission and treatment. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, and humans become infected by mosquito bites. COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets that we inhale through our nose or our mouth. COVID-19 […]
By Mike Lawal (Guest Writer) She was only nine years old when she walked into the consultation room with her outraged mother, a neighbour and a police officer. With eyes filled with tears, her mother muttered, “My daughter was raped yesterday”. Her daughter was sexually assaulted by a close relative, and the police needed a […]