Health

Federal Government Collaborates With Gavi For Urgent Cholera Vaccine Support

Published

1 year ago

June 29, 2024

The Federal Government has collaborated with the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, to ensure emergency vaccine donations in case of a shortage, as cholera outbreaks are expected to surge across the country.

This move comes as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) activates its Emergency Operation Centre to coordinate response efforts and contain the spread of the disease.

Gavi’s CEO, Dr. Sania Nishtar, expressed concern about the ongoing cholera outbreak in Nigeria and assured support for the government’s response, including requesting emergency vaccine doses if needed.

The NCDC’s Director General, Dr. Jide Idris, explained that the Emergency Operation Centre will serve as the nerve centre for coordinating response efforts across the country, supporting affected states, and facilitating rapid communication, data analysis, and decision-making processes.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, emphasized the need for a multi-sectoral approach to address the social determinants of health and prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases like cholera.

Health

I Went to a Health Center in Abia, Got Free Medical Tests, Free Diagnosis, Free Drugs

Published

6 days ago

July 8, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Because I have confidence in the standard of healthcare our government is providing in Umuahia South and Abia in general, I went to one of our health centers for treatment.

Test was done free and drugs were given free.

The new Abia is here.

Dr Alex Otti, we proud of you.

Enyinnaya Nwosu

Health

Nigeria records 145 Lassa fever deaths in 2025

Published

2 weeks ago

June 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 145 deaths from Lassa fever in 2025 as the country continues to battle the viral hemorrhagic disease across 18 states.

According to the latest situation report released on Friday by the NCDC for epidemiological week 24 (June 9–15), Nigeria recorded 766 confirmed cases from 5,678 suspected infections.

The case fatality rate stood at 18.9 per cent, up from 17.6 per cent during the same period in 2024.

The agency said that the states most affected were Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi, which accounted for 91 per cent of the confirmed cases.

It said that Ondo alone contributed 31 per cent making it the epicentre of the outbreak.

In spite a decline in new confirmed cases — down to eight from 11 the previous week — the Nigerian public health agency said that health authorities remained concerned about the high fatality rate.

The agency said that this was driven by late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour, and unsanitary living conditions in high-burden communities.

According to it, efforts to contain the outbreak have included the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to 10 states, risk communication, environmental sanitation campaigns, and training of health workers in high-risk areas.

The NCDC also de-escalated its Incident Management System to alert mode while integrating Lassa fever messages into wider disease awareness campaigns.

The agency has appealed to the public to avoid contact with rodents and to seek prompt medical care at designated treatment centres at the first sign of symptoms such as fever, headache, or bleeding.

The agency continues to urge Nigerians to maintain hygiene, report symptoms early, and avoid contact with rodents and their secretions.

“The public is also encouraged to follow NCDC advisories and utilise the toll-free line 6232 for inquiries,” it said.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rats.

It can also spread from person to person through bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or infected medical equipment.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, and in severe cases, bleeding from the body openings.

Health

Polio immunization: Sensitization campaign helped us to overcome resistance in Kano – Educator

Published

3 weeks ago

June 25, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The Health Educator of Warawa Local Government Area (LGA) in Kano State, Bello Jafaru, says community sensitization and strong support from traditional leaders helped them overcome vaccine resistance in the just-concluded polio immunization campaign.

In an interview with Daily Post, Jafaru revealed that the campaign targeted 57,754 children in the local government, but they were able to immunize 59,391 children, surpassing the target.

“We did massive sensitization before the campaign. We held advocacy meetings, taskforce meetings, and town hall meetings with stakeholders. We explained the challenges we had in the previous campaign and what we needed from them to avoid repeating vaccine resistance.”

He recalled that in a previous round of polio vaccination, some parents in one of the wards, ( Jigawa ward) resisted the vaccine until traditional leaders stepped in.

“We had to do community dialogue in that settlement. The people told us their concerns, and we listened. That helped us solve the problem,” he added.

Jafaru said the recent campaign also faced challenges.

He gave instances where a woman refused to allow her children to be vaccinated.

“But thanks to our non-compliance committee and the support of traditional leaders, we were able to resolve it. The committee first spoke to her, and when that didn’t work, the Hakimi instructed that she and her children be brought for immunization.”

He explained that the non-compliance committee is made up of representative from each ward, including health workers and community influencers.

“They are doing their best. They were the ones who convinced the woman before involving the traditional ruler,” he said.

Jafaru advised parents to take polio immunization seriously.

“It is free, safe, and protects children from polio and other diseases. Parents should take their children to the health facility to be vaccinated,” he said.

This comes as the Kano State Government, in collaboration with UNICEF, continues its campaign to ensure that no child in the state suffers from polio by December 2025.