NACA To Hold First HIV Prevention Conference

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and other development partners are set to optimise innovative HIV prevention and strategies for increased domestic funding towards community ownership and sustainability of HIV. The event which will be held between 7 and 9 May in Abuja, was contained in a statement issued on Friday and signed by the agency's public relations officer, Toyin Aderibige. The conference tagged "Accelerating HIV Prevention to End AIDS through Innovations and Community Engagement," aims at opening dialogue on optimistic innovative HIV prevention approaches towards achieving HIV epidemic control. It will also showcase a diverse array of sessions including dedicated tracks on youth empowerment, community engagement sessions, leadership discussions, plenary sessions, sponsored sessions, and special sessions.

World Malaria Day: Sub-Saharan Nations Roll Out Malaria Vaccine

Three Sub-Saharan nations, namely Benin, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, have launched a significant program for malaria prevention in Africa. The program is a large-scale rollout of a life-saving malaria vaccine that aims to target millions of children. The vaccine's launch is announced on Tuesday 25th April 2024 in commemoration of World Malaria Day, and it seeks further to scale up vaccine deployment in the African region. Over 30 countries in the African region have shown interest in the vaccine, and several of them are scheduled to roll it out in the next year with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

As Drug Price Sour Amidst Poverty, Drop In Life Expectancy Eminent In Nigeria – Expert

The shutting down of some pharmaceutical companies leaving the country coupled with the hyper inflation that has hit the country after the removal of fuel subsidy by President Tinubu administration, prices of malaria, antibiotics, anti-diabetes, hypertension drugs and other related products have soured leading to fears of increased mortality and reduced life expectancy among Nigerians.The danger has manifested more vicious as retail prices for the most commonly used medication in country have skyrocketed by at least 300 per cent in the last six months unchallenged. 

Alleged Nido Infant Milk Not Registered In Nigeria - NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stated that the alleged Nido infant milk formula, which is said to contain excess sugar or honey, is not registered in Nigeria, is not known to the agency, and is not in circulation. This comes after an investigative documentary aired on Al-Jazeera, an international cable network, which accused Nestle of adding excessive sugar to its NIDO Infant Formula and selling it to poorer countries like Africa.

Republic Of Congo Declares Mpox Epidemic

The Republic of Congo has announced an epidemic of Monkeypox (mpox) after 19 cases were confirmed across five departments, including the capital Brazaville. Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus. It can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. Mpox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, with cases often found close to tropical rainforests where there are animals that carry the virus. Evidence of monkeypox virus infection has been found in animals including squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, different species of monkeys, and others. The disease can also spread from humans to humans. It can be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets, and contaminated objects.

WHO Raises Awareness On 'Likely' Contaminated J&J Syrup

The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email. On Wednesday last week during a routine test, Nigeria's regulator recalled a batch of Benylin syrup, having found a high level of diethylene glycol in the product. Diethylene glycol is toxic to humans when consumed and can result in acute kidney failure, although there have been no reports of harm in the latest incident. The contaminant, alongside another closely related toxin, has been linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in Gambia, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and Cameroon since 2022. However, there is no evidence that these incidents are linked to the new recalls.