Latest Nigeria health news and updates
Photo: Dr. Paul Bangirana of Makerere University Severe malaria may affect children’s cognitive abilities and academic performance for years after recovery, with survivors recording lower overall cognitive ability and mathematics scores than children who did not experience the disease, a 2026 study has found. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association…
More than one million trained health professionals across Africa are without meaningful employment despite a continent-wide shortage of 5.5 million health workers, highlighting a widening gap between health-sector needs, training and employment opportunities for young professionals. The figures, cited at the Ubuntu Rising 2026 gathering in Cape Town, South Africa, have prompted more than 80…
Photo caption: Manuela Siakou, Heal by Hair ambassador, Lomé, 2026. A study has found that 30 per cent of women surveyed in Togo turn to their hairdressers first when facing personal difficulties, while fewer than one per cent approach health professionals initially, highlighting the role of trusted community relationships in mental health support. The findings…
Admissions for malnutrition at health facilities supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in northeast Nigeria rose by 18 per cent in the first nine months of 2026, with young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers worst affected. The facilities recorded nearly 20,000 cases between January and September 2026, up from about…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that breast cancer killed about 694,000 women globally in 2024, with major disparities in survival persisting between low- and high-income countries. The WHO, in its message marking the 2026 Breast Cancer Awareness Month, said 2.4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide in 2024, while 8.2 million…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said about one million people die every year from bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warning that the growing threat requires stronger action across human health, agriculture, food systems and the environment. Acting Director of the WHO Department of Antimicrobial Resistance, Dr Jean-Pierre Nyemazi, disclosed this at a press conference held…
Human-induced climate change is exposing up to 560 million children aged between zero and nine years to at least one additional month of dangerous heat every year, with children in South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa among the worst affected, a new global study has found. The research, led by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)…
The National President of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Dr. Ifeanyi Casmir, has warned that the current Ebola outbreak in parts of Central Africa could become one of the most dangerous in recent years if urgent measures are not taken to strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory systems and emergency response mechanisms across…
Gender justice advocates and reproductive health experts have called for menstrual health and dignity to be recognised as a fundamental human rights issue, warning that millions of women and girls worldwide continue to face discrimination, exclusion and worsening period poverty amid economic hardship, climate disasters and humanitarian crises. The call was made during a virtual…
The World Health Organization has prequalified the first-ever malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and young infants. The development marks a major breakthrough aimed at closing a long-standing treatment gap for one of the most vulnerable populations. It was announced ahead of World Malaria Day 2026, the global health body said the newly approved medicine,…