Health
Kenya Meets Guinea Worm Free Certification Criteria
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Following a comprehensive evaluation in the last two weeks by the International Certification Team (ICT), Kenya has finally met the criteria for Guinea worm free certification status.
The team for evaluating the status of Guinea Worm Disease found no evidence of Guinea Worm transmission in the last three years, in the presence of adequate surveillance and follow- up of rumours of the disease, putting the country on track to the Guinea Worm-free certification status.
The team will present its recommendations to the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm) Eradication (ICCDE), which will in turn make a decision on the certification of Kenya’s free status when it meets in Geneva next February.
The mission, initiated and facilitated by WHO, was led by the ICT Chair Dr Joel Breman, and had been convened in response to an official request by the country last August for assessment towards Guinea Worm certification. Kenya had interrupted indigenous GW transmission in 1994 after the last GW case was contained. Several imported cases from South Sudan up to 2005 were also contained.
The evaluation teams visited 21 counties among them the three former endemic counties of Turkana, West Pokot and Trans Nzoia, 88 health facilities, 159 communities and 1691 individuals.
Making the presentation in Nairobi, deputy head of the ICT Dr Ashok Kumar, said the teams had found great awareness among the community about the disease and the cash award, especially in the former endemic areas, namely, Turkana, West Pokot and Trans Nzoia.
The evaluation shows a national knowledge of the GW disease at about 60 per cent (59.6%) while in former endemic counties knowledge was at 100 per cent. Knowledge of the cash reward was at 88.3 per cent nationally and 97 per cent in former endemic counties.
The criteria used to evaluate the country included Guinea Worm endemicity, adequate surveillance, investigation of recent guinea worm rumours, cross-border considerations with GW endemic or formerly endemic counties, accessibility and non-reporting areas and unsafe drinking water.
The team made recommendations and cautioned that the country needed to remain vigilant and sustain its status through continued surveillance, community awareness, safety of water resources, reporting and recording to check out any potential imports from bordering states. Kenya is bordered by South Sudan and Ethiopia which remain endemic to GW and have a high number of refugee movements.
“We have found several strengths and some gaps. Some of the most positive things we have noted include surveillance of GW disease and other diseases,” Dr Breman had earlier said.
Dr Kumar said there was need to continue with surveillance, especially along the borders, and to ensure that continued awareness and education through schools, markets, religious institutions and community awareness is sustained.
He said the provision of clean water was key and commended UNHCR for the provision of safe water at Kakuma Refugee camp which houses 195,000 people. Nandapal Border Clinic where refugees are screened before entering the country was a good practice, he added, since it helped monitor any GW disease imports.
The positive recommendations of the ICT were received with great elation by Director of Medical Services, Dr Jackson Kioko, who assured the team of government commitment and maintenance of good practices in surveillance, community education, reporting and universal access to safe drinking water.
“As we approach certification to a GW-free country, we recognize the need to be vigilant and acknowledge your recommendations for strengthening our health system.”
He acknowledged technical support from WHO Kenya and the role it had played for the country’s readiness for certification as well as other partners like UNICEF which facilitated efforts to interrupt GWD.
WHO Kenya Representative, Dr Rudi Eggers, noted WHO would continue to support Kenya in its efforts to eradicate the disease. He said there were still gaps that needed attention including the need to invest in surveillance and safe drinking water.
He acknowledged the role played by different groups and organizations including the Carter Centre which had supported Guinea Worm interruption in Kenya and other partners including AMREF, UNHCR, Kenya Red Cross and UNICEF as well as groups like the community health volunteers and health workers who have made great contribution to the journey to GW certification.
“Should Kenya be declared Guinea Worm free after this evaluation, it will have been a historical and significant public health milestone, in the world, the second disease declared eradicated in Kenya after small pox,” Dr Eggers had earlier said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of its efforts to safeguard public health in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has strengthened its regulatory framework for blood and blood products.
A statement signed on Thursday by the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that to achieve its goal, the agency will collaborate with relevant authorities and stakeholders to establish a robust regulatory framework that promotes the availability of safe, quality-assured and efficacious blood and blood products, while strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
NAFDAC said it intends to partner with government institutions, healthcare providers, blood establishments, development partners and other stakeholders for the robust oversight.
Mrs Adeyeye disclosed that already, her organisation has received the support of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate.
According to her, NAFDAC has been given the mandate to regulate blood and blood products in line with global best practices and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation that these products be subject to oversight by National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) for medicines.
She said blood and blood products are classified as essential medicines and must be consistently available with assured quality, safety and affordability, stressing that the aim is to protect patients throughout the blood transfusion chain.
Effective regulatory oversight will support the quality and safety of blood products from donor assessment and collection through testing, processing, storage, transportation and use, the NAFDAC chief noted.
Several African countries, including Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Senegal and Rwanda, have already established regulatory oversight of blood and blood products by their NRAS, she added.
Mrs Adeyeye pointed out that NAFDAC’s renewed regulatory preparedness builds on its broader transformation into a modern, science-based regulatory authority.
Already, it has attained WHO Maturity Level 3, completed WHO Global Benchmarking ML3 re-assessment, obtained WHO prequalification for its drug laboratory, and established internationally accredited laboratory and quality management systems. These capabilities provide a strong foundation for the effective regulation of blood and blood products.
As part of its preparedness, NAFDAC has established a dedicated Vaccines, Biologicals and Medical Devices Registration and Regulation Directorate to oversee the registration and regulation of these products.
The agency established a Vaccines, Biologicals and Medical Devices Laboratory Services many years ago, but became a Directorate in 2024, responsible for quality control, including laboratory testing and lot release, while the Directorate of Evaluation and Research provides oversight of Good Manufacturing Practices. An ultra-modern laboratory facility is also being developed to further strengthen its capacity for the assessment and quality control of vaccines and biologics.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An organisation known as GoMed Nigeria is offering free reproductive health services to Nigerian students through a digital self-care platform.
This is being delivered through a partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Lagos State Government.
The pilot scheme will be available to students of the University of Lagos. They will enjoy easier and more private access to essential health products, accurate information, and professional support.
Young Nigerians face some of the highest rates of unintended pregnancy and unmet need for contraception in the world.
Cost, distance, stigma, misinformation, and fears about confidentiality routinely stop students from seeking the products and guidance they need, with consequences that include unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted infections and interrupted education.
The self-care platform is designed to remove each of these barriers. Through the platform, students receive free contraceptives and other sexual and reproductive health commodities provided through the Lagos State Ministry of Health and UNFPA, exclusive discounts on health essentials, and fast, discreet delivery directly to campus and student hostels.
Students can also access trusted sexual and reproductive health information and services through UNFPA’s SoftLife 247 and U-Plan platforms. Through U-PLAN, they can chat directly with qualified Family Planning Service Providers to receive accurate information and address their concerns. They can also confidently engage with GoMed’s registered pharmacists for confidential, judgement-free guidance on medicines and other health products.
“Students should be able to get reliable health information and essential products without cost, distance or fear of judgement becoming barriers.
“This platform brings free sexual and reproductive health commodities, other affordable health products and professional guidance together, with discreet delivery directly to students on campus,” the chief executive of GoMed Nigeria, Mr Anthony Edeki, said.
Also speaking, UNFPA in Nigeria Resident Representative, Muriel Mafico, said, “As the UN agency mandated for “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”, we are committed to reducing preventable maternal deaths and addressing the unmet need for family planning, including by providing and overseeing access to life-saving commodities worldwide.
“Working alongside our partners, we’re helping roll out the digital Self-Care Platform—so that vital, life-changing information can reach more people, more easily. Together, we want to empower Nigeria’s next generation to make informed health choices and achieve stronger health outcomes and a brighter future.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A financing framework to accelerate the electrification of health facilities nationwide has been approved by the federal government.
The approval was announced at the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) of the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), a presidential programme jointly coordinated by the Federal Ministries of Power and Health and Social Welfare.
The committee was constituted to ensure reliable electricity in at least 30 per cent of Nigeria’s health facilities by the end of 2027.
At the meeting, chaired by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Mr Isiaq Salako, and co-chaired by the Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, members of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) presented the recommendations under consideration.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr Salako said the Steering Committee approved a financing framework to mobilise investment for healthcare electrification, alongside a facility energy management framework requiring participating hospitals to build sustainable systems for managing their energy infrastructure.
He said the committee also cleared eight (8) private sector proposals for further engagement, drawn from about 70 submissions received during the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Week in Lagos.
The Health Minister added that Energy Management Teams are already in place at federal tertiary hospitals, with state governments being encouraged to set up similar structures. The initiative will now be institutionalised through dedicated budgetary provisions and a full-time Project Coordination Unit to oversee implementation.
On his part, Mr Tegbe declared that the initiative must now move from announcements to actual project delivery.
Describing the NPHI as one of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s flagship programmes, he said the emphasis should shift towards commissioning completed projects that Nigerians can see for themselves, rather than further groundbreaking ceremonies and public messaging.
He emphasised the need for teaching hospitals, state hospitals, and primary healthcare centres to be fully energised, noting that the Rural Electrification Agency has already energised 5 Federal Teaching Hospitals and several other health facilities nationwide.
He also tied the initiative directly to patient outcomes, arguing that dependable power would end hospitals’ reliance on emergency generators, and pledged that the Ministry would continue to prioritise the initiative’s funding needs while ensuring value for money.
