The Regional Director for Africa, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said about 2.5 million individuals contracted Tuberculosis (TB) in 2022 in Africa, equating to one person every 13 seconds. Moeti also said the number of TB deaths in 2022 reached 424,000, resulting in the loss of one life every minute – even when TB is preventable and treatable. …

The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Tuesday, voiced alarm at the rapid spread of measles, with more than 306,000 cases reported worldwide last year – a 79-per cent increase from 2022. The WHO Technical Adviser on Measles and Rubella, Natasha Crowcroft said: “We in the measles world are extremely concerned.” Measles is a highly contagious, serious airborne disease caused by …

The World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has restated its commitment to combat illicit tobacco trading across the globe. The WHO FCTC arising from a three-day Third Session of the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products which closed in Panama on Thursday, noted important decisions were taken to …

The Beninese government has received 215,900 doses of malaria vaccine at the Cotonou International Airport and will begin administering in February. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Beninese Minister of Health, Benjamin Hounkpatin, said the doses of vaccine were acquired by the government with the support of its partners in the health sector. The partners included the World Health Organisation (WHO), …

The World Health Organisation (WHO), on Wednesday, warned that the coronavirus disease is still a major threat despite partially passing under the radar. The United Nations agency noted that almost 10,000 COVID-19 deaths were reported in December, saying data from various sources pointed to increased transmission last month, fuelled by gatherings over the Christmas holiday period and by the JN.1 …

World Health Organisation (WHO), has approved the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Yaba Laboratory, as the Central Drug Control Laboratory (CDCL). The director-general of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who disclosed this on Thursday, said that the approval of the laboratory for the agency was a significant milestone in its dedication to ensuring the safety and …

Every year, 2.6 million people die from drinking alcohol, while over eight million also lose their lives from an unhealthy diet, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In a statement on Tuesday, WHO therefore called for increased taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to reduce deaths from these habits. It said that imposing taxes on alcohol and SSBs …

World Health Organisation (WHO) has said only 47 of 100,000 persons vaccinated for Human papillomavirus (HPV) may develop adverse effects due to the immunization. The Benue State coordinator of WHO, Dr Mohammed Abdulkarim, disclosed this yesterday during an interactive session with the media in Makurdi, the state capital. He said 78 per cent of the 47 serious events clearly indicated …

The World Health Organisation has recommended a new vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, for the prevention of malaria in children. The recommendation follows advice from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group and was endorsed by the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, following its regular biannual meeting held on September 25 -29. The global health …

The fight against the diphtheria outbreak in Kano State has received a boost with the donation of some items by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to support the state in its fight against the dreaded disease. The items include consignment which consists of 467 cartons of personal protective equipment (PPEs), apron protection, bag biohazard, examination glove (M, L, XL), surgical glove (6.5, …