Health

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna A nongovernmental organization (NGO), Pathfinder International Nigeria, and partners has trained 34 Nigeria journalists and social media influencers on Smart Advocacy for Strategic Action (SASA), Family Planning (FP) and Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH). The two-day capacity-strengthening workshop, held in Abuja, was organized by the Pathfinder project on the listed issues and their importance in Nigeria. The project was organized in conjunction with PPDARO and Jhpiego of Kenya. Our correspondent who took part inthe SASA training workshop, reported that the project sought to promote FP and MNCH outcomes in Nigeria through advancing citizen-led advocacy on…

*Vital Early Warning Alert On Diabetes, Cancer, Respiratory Diseases, Others *Timely Knowledge, Management Could Help Prolong Life Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can predict your personal risk of more than 1,000 diseases, and forecast changes in health a decade in advance. Named Delphi-2M, it looks for “medical events” in a patient’s history, such as when illnesses were diagnosed, together with lifestyle factors such as whether they are or were obese, smoked or drank alcohol, plus their age and sex. The generative AI tool was custom-built by collaborative efforts by experts from the European Molecular Biology…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu A group, the Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF), has decried the soaring cost of drugs for managing asthma in the country. It also deplored the dearth of specialised doctors for treatment of the ailment in Nigeria. Asthma, which is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, is one of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide and a leading cause of avoidable suffering and death. Chairman of the Foundation, Professor Chiwuike Uba, told newsmen in a press briefing on Friday in Enugu that in Nigeria, “the scale of the problem is sobering." Professor Uba noted that with…

*Again, Urges Higher Excise Duty On Sugary Drinks By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu A body, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), has commended the Federal Government (FG)'s decision to develop a draft policy to earmark revenues from excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) for health financing. In a statement signed by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA described the decision as a decisive opportunity for the President Bola Tinubu administration to leave a legacy of sustainable funding for Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system and to protect the health of Nigerian citizens. Speaking at a recent national…

From Rosemary Ameh, Sokoto Sokoto State-based representative health expert, Dr Bala Gadanga, has highlighted the importance of a golden hour for mother and child after delivery. He defined golden hour as the first hour immediately after delivery, saying it allows for bonding between mother and the new-born baby. He stated these at the commemoration of this year’s World Breastfeeding Day, when the state chapter of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOAJ) embarked on an advocacy outreach to Yar Akija Primary Healthcare Centre. According to Dr Gadanga, the first hour after childbirth, when initiating breastfeeding, significantly boosts the baby’s immunity and…

By Mohammed Ali Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has proposed a $100 (about N152,297) levy on all international flights into and out of Africa to support the creation of a continental health fund. He made the proposal at the Africa Health Sovereignty Summit held in Accra, Ghana , today, August 5, 2025. The initiative, he said, would help reduce Africa’s reliance on external donors and promote long-term financing for health systems across the continent. Obasanjo said the proposal was inspired by Ghana’s 'Ghana Beyond Aid' agenda and could serve as a starting point for what he called an 'Africa Health Without…

By Sarah Johnson Every Monday and Tuesday morning, Bosede Oluwaokere, 48, wakes up at home in Ilorin city in west Nigeria, gets dressed and walks to a nearby stream. She sits beneath a tree and pulls her skirt up around her thighs. For the next six hours she stays in the same spot waiting for a specific type of fly to land on her, so she can catch it using a small plastic tube. Oluwaokere is a human flycatcher – or human landing catch, as the World Health Organization (WHO) terms it – which is considered the “gold standard” for…

By Annabel Bourne While it is tempting to take the lift or escalator rather than use the stairs, even scaling just a few flights a day could give your health and mind a boost. According to research, climbing stairs can have surprising benefits for both your physical health and your brain without needing to hurtle up two steps at a time or break records. Climbing stairs has been found to improve balance and reduce the risk of falling for older people and improve their lower body strength. Other studies also find that climbing a couple of flights of stairs can…