By Damilola Samuel Health ministers from 47 African countries have begun discussions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on measures to strengthen healthcare systems and improve the continent’s response to emerging health challenges. The three-day meeting, which opened on Tuesday, is the 76th session of the World Health Organisation Regional Committee for Africa and brings together health […]

…. 20.6m cases, 9.8m deaths recorded worldwide in 2024 By Chioma Obinna The just-released GLOBOCAN report has revealed that the global cancer burden is rising sharply, with 20.6 million new cases and 9.8 million deaths recorded worldwide in 2024. It also showed that deep inequalities in prevention, early detection, treatment and cancer surveillance continue to […]

By Chioma Obinna Children are increasingly bearing the brunt of the global HIV response as funding cuts disrupt prevention, testing and treatment services, with 2.27 million children and adolescents aged 0–19 living with HIV in 2025. The UNAIDS Special Report for AIDS 2026, released Monday at the International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, showed […]

By Chioma Obinna The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, on Sunday rejected any attempt to weaken the professional composition of the Governing Council of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, warning that reducing professional representation could undermine regulation, medicine safety and public health. In a position paper signed by its National President, Pharm. Ayuba Ibrahim […]

By Chioma Obinna To reverse Nigeria’s medical tourism trend, Redeemer’s Health Village, a 300-bed multispecialty hospital established by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, in partnership with RoboMed Global Inc., USA, has launched a robotic surgery programme to bring advanced surgical care closer to Nigerians and reduce the need to travel abroad for complex […]

… Experts add: Register them where they are bornBy Chioma Obinna The first cry came, then the rush of hands. A newborn baby girl had just entered the world. While nurses attended to the mother and cleaned the baby, Emmanuel Joseph was already thinking beyond the excitement of fatherhood. He wanted his daughter to exist […]

…No cut, blood loss, nerve damage; robot can magnify tissues 10 times bigger – Lead surgeon By Emmanuel Iheaka Imo State, on Friday, performed first robotic surgery on a patient said to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. A United Kingdom-based Consultant Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgeon, Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, led the team that carried out the […]

… Over 200 patients on waiting list for transplantsBy Chioma Obinna The Eye Bank for Restoring Sight in Nigeria has disclosed that about 3.64 million Nigerians, representing about 1.5 per cent of the country’s population, are living with corneal blindness. The organisation also revealed that more than 200 patients are currently on its waiting list […]

… Warns painful, heavy periods are not normalBy Chioma Obinna Avon Medical Practice has used the story of a Nigerian woman who endured a decade-long battle with uterine fibroids, culminating in the removal of 17 growths, to spotlight the impact of the condition on women’s quality of life and the importance of timely medical care. […]

By Chioma Obinna The Youth Development and Empowerment Initiative, YEDI, has used its holiday camp to equip teenagers with practical life skills, HIV knowledge, financial literacy and health education, as part of efforts to help young people make informed decisions and become healthier and more responsible members of society. The weeklong YEDI SKILLZ Holiday Camp, […]

By Chioma Obinna Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN, has challenged local governments across Lagos State to make nutrition a budget priority, warning that the fight against malnutrition cannot succeed when nutrition interventions are left without dedicated funding at the grassroots. The organisation made the call during an advocacy visit to Epe Local Government […]

By Chioma Obinna A past President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and founding coordinator of the Coalition of African National Medical Associations (CANMA), Dr Osahon Enabulele, has congratulated African physicians, CANMA, the World Medical Association (WMA) and National Medical Associations (NMAs) across the continent on the successful completion of CANMA’s first Leadership Training Workshop. […]

By Chioma Obinna Avon Medical Practice has used the story of a Nigerian woman who endured a decade-long battle with uterine fibroids, culminating in the removal of 17 growths, to spotlight the impact of the condition on women’s quality of life and the importance of timely medical care. The healthcare provider recently screened a documentary: […]

By Chioma Obinna The Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, has secured an initial 70,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine from the global Ebola vaccine stockpile as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak. The release followed a request by the DRC government to the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, […]

By Chioma Obinna The Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, has secured an initial 70,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine from the global Ebola vaccine stockpile as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak. The release followed a request by the DRC government to the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, […]