Health
Lagos Denies Meningitis Deaths
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, Mr Jide Idris, has debunked reports that the outbreak of meningitis in the country has claimed the lives of two persons in the state.
A statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs in the Ministry of Health, Mrs Adeola Salako, quoted the Commissioner as denying the reports, which was carried by several news media, excluding Business Post.
Mr Idris described the reports as false and capable of causing undue panic in the state.
“The report carried by some newspapers and online platforms is untrue and does not represent the reality of the situation in Lagos State as at today.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there are two main types of meningitis.
“The epidemic prone meningitis, which is referred to as Cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM), is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria Meningitides.
“Its occurrence is seasonal or cyclical, depending on the level of herd immunity and climatic conditions.
“The second type of meningitis is Non-Epidemic Meningitis, which is usually caused by a virus or other bacteria, but not by Neisseria Meningitides.
“The Non-epidemic meningitis occurs without any seasonal pattern or periodicity,” the Commissioner explained.
On April 7, 2017, the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control released statistics claiming that CRM killed two people in Lagos State. The statistics also indicated that three cases were recorded in the state so far.
But the Commissioner said that a Disease Surveillance Notification Officer in the Lagos Island Local Government had sometime in March reported nine suspected cases of meningitis from Massey Street Children Hospital with two deaths.
He said, however, that none of these was confirmed as due to CSM.
“Although, all the nine cases presented with clinical features of meningitis at that hospital, laboratory tests proved that they were either due to Haemophilus influenza or Streptococcus pneumoniae and not Neisseria meningitides.
“The ministry was also notified last week of a three-year-old boy, presenting clinically as meningitis at a registered private facility in Lagos, but the laboratory investigations did not confirm CSM.
“The blood culture yielded no growth but the urine culture yielded Klebsiella and not meningococcus; the patient is already responding to treatment.
“None of these cases, presented with a history of recent travel to any area with an outbreak of meningitis and neither were visits from such areas recorded with the aforementioned cases,” he said.
Mr Idris has appealed to the public to observe a high standard of personal and environmental hygiene as a preventive measure against the outbreak of the disease.
He said that such hygiene measures should include washing of hands with soap and water frequently and thoroughly. He therefore called for calm.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A partnership to advance high-quality patient-centred healthcare in Nigeria has been entered into between Iwosan Investments Limited and Mayo Clinic Global Consulting.
The aim is to advise and support Iwosan in delivering world-class healthcare services that will positively impact both local and regional communities.
This includes the enhancement of Iwosan’s hospital network starting with Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals and the development and integration of the Lagos Medipark Hospital.
Mayo Clinic Global Consulting will to provide strategic advice on organizational objectives and clinical practice.
Under the consulting contract, Iwosan will work with Mayo Clinic experts on several projects to advance high-quality, patient-centred healthcare in Nigeria.
Mayo Clinic is a global leader in serious and complex healthcare. Mayo Clinic Global Consulting is designed to share Mayo Clinic’s unique, comprehensive capabilities and knowledge.
The focus of this engagement is to help the Iwosan network improve administrative efficiencies and effectiveness and to enhance medical practice and patient care through the application of Mayo Clinic’s integrated clinical care and practice models.
“This marks a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering exceptional healthcare services to the people of Nigeria.
“With guidance from Mayo Clinic Global Consulting, we are confident in our ability to set new benchmarks in healthcare excellence in our region,” the chief executive of Iwosan Investments, Mrs Fola Laoye, stated.
Iwosan Investments is a healthcare investment company with an ongoing commitment to revolutionize healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is increasing efforts to block the entry of substandard and counterfeit products into Nigeria, particularly from China and India, the country’s two largest pharmaceutical trade partners.
This was revealed by Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the agency, emphasised that the Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) scheme has significantly strengthened regulatory control over imports from these nations.
The two nation’s account for 60 per cent of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical imports and yet, there is a lot of counterfeit and substandard medicines from these countries.
She said, “Because most of these drugs come from China and India, the CRIA scheme is operational in those two countries,” adding that, “It ensures that only safe and high-quality products are shipped while preventing the export of substandard and counterfeit products.”
She note that NAFDAC has appointed and accredited CRIA agents in China and India to conduct rigorous pre-shipment inspections to tackle the issue.
In addition to appointing CRIA agents in China and India, NAFDAC is collaborating with COTECNA, a global testing, inspection, and certification service provider, to enhance quality control measures.
Mrs Adeyeye urged stakeholders to engage with these CRIA agents before shipping any consignment to Nigeria, saying, “I strongly encourage you to engage with CRIA agents before shipping any consignment–that is, to our stakeholders– from China, India, or Nigeria. You have the flexibility to choose from any of the listed CRIA agents to ensure compliance and safeguard the quality of imported products.”
NAFDAC also introduced an electronic platform, the Port Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS), to enhance document verification and streamline inspection processes.
Mrs Adeyeye noted that CRIA agents will ensure that rejected shipments carrying drugs will not find their way to the country.
She urged stakeholders to visit NAFDAC’s official website for guidelines on product registration, labelling, and shipment requirements to ensure compliance with regulatory standards in order to prevent such lapses and ensure only approved products enter Nigeria.
Nigeria’s leading insurance company, AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, has announced the release of the AXA Mind Health Report 2025. This comprehensive study underscores the critical importance of mental health in the workplace and among young people.
According to Omowunmi Mabel Adewusi, General Counsel and Human Resource Director of AXA Mansard, the Mind Health Report is part of AXA’s ongoing commitment to promoting positive mental well-being and reducing stigma through holistic approaches.
She said, “The state of mind health in the world continues to give cause for concern, with a lot of people currently experiencing a mental health condition. This fifth edition of the report shows a worrying trend among our youth.
“We also observe an interesting trend in the workplace that reveals work impacts employees’ mental health either as a source of support or a source of issues.”
The AXA Mind Health Report 2025 reveals significant insights into the mental health landscape, highlighting the challenges that young adults and employees face.
According to the report, 44% of young adults (18-24) currently suffer from mental health conditions, with excessive use of social media and financial instability being major contributing factors.
Additionally, work-related stress, including excessive workload, tight deadlines, and a lack of work-life balance, remains a significant concern for employees.
Adewusi further emphasized the importance of prioritizing mental health in the workplace, explaining that mental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being. Organizations must implement policies that support their employees.
“For us at AXA, this realization is at the heart of our We Care Programme, which affords our employees benefits such as flexible working hours, access to professional counselling services, monthly health workshops, a supportive work environment, menstrual, extended paternity, and caregiver leave benefits.
“The findings of the AXA Mind Health Report 2025 highlight the urgent need for proactive measures to address mental health issues in the workplace and among the youth. We are calling on business leaders, government agencies, and other stakeholders to foster a wellness culture that promotes positive mental health and supports individuals in reaching their full potential.”
The 2025 study, conducted in collaboration with IPSOS, aims to identify mental health and wellness issues in global society to build solutions to mitigate them. A total of 17,000 respondents from 16 countries participated in the survey.
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