Health
Nigeria Records 46% Decline in Variant Polio Cases in One Year
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria recorded a 46 per cent decline in variant poliovirus cases compared to the previous year, according to the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).
The NPHCDA announcement came during the Second Quarter 2025 review meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care Delivery (NTLC) in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by the Emir of Argungu, Sa’Maila Muhammad Mera.
Polio or poliomyelitis is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children under five. It can cause paralysis, respiratory problems, and sometimes death.
The virus spreads through contaminated food, water, or direct contact. Most infections show no symptoms, but some cause fever, fatigue, and limb pain.
Polio is completely preventable through vaccination, which is why campaigns like Nigeria’s NTLC-led efforts are critical.
In his welcome remarks, Mr Mera urged members to intensify their efforts, stressing that the final stretch in the fight against poliovirus was often the toughest.
“We must not relent in our commitment to stopping the transmission of cVPV2 in our Emirates and Kingdoms.
”It is indeed a sacred duty we owe our people whom Almighty Allah has placed under our care,” he said.
The Emir also bemoaned the challenges in the uptake of other integrated services during vaccination campaigns, noting low acceptance of HPV vaccines and anti-malaria interventions in some areas.He called on traditional leaders to educate communities, reassure caregivers, and mobilise households to embrace all vaccines.
“We must redouble our efforts to educate our communities, reassure caregivers, and encourage households to embrace vaccination, as vaccines work,” he stressed.
The ruler also commended NPHCDA and its partners for introducing the strategic shift in vaccination campaigns and welcomed support from Gavi for intensified community sensitisation.
“This support is a clear attestation of the confidence and trust the global community has in the NTLC,” he said.
On his part, the chief executive of NPHCDA, Mr Muyi Aina, said that the reported poliovirus cases had declined from 78 per cent recorded last year to 46 per cent as of today.
“We don’t want to be caught unprepared. This is why we are calling on the collaboration of the media to complement the efforts of our traditional leaders. We are also a voice of the people, and time is not on our side,” he said.
Mr Aina also noted progress in high-burden states such as Kano and Katsina, where infections dropped by 85 and 84 per cent respectively.
He said that between April and June 2025, over 71 per cent of planned settlements were reached during campaigns, rising to 78 per cent in June, while vaccination coverage increased from 81 to 84 per cent.
He also addressed persistent challenges including fake finger-marking and insecurity, which he said undermined the credibility of the campaigns.
“When vaccinators are appointed from Abuja or state capitals, the community does not know them, and there’s no accountability.
“But when traditional leaders are involved in the selection, it improves trust and compliance,” he explained.
He emphasised that providing accurate information to parents remained critical, as no mother would knowingly endanger her child.
In the same vein, the Senior Programme Officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in Nigeria, Mr Sam Okiror, in a goodwill message delivered by its Representative on behalf of the Country Director, commended traditional leaders for their commitment to past immunisation drives, including the newly introduced Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
Dr Okiror noted the success of the strategy which empowered traditional leaders to supervise and hold vaccination teams accountable, adding that the approach helped address challenges such as fake finger-marking and non-compliance.
He, however identified two pressing obstacles; low routine immunisation coverage and insecurity in states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger, and Borno.
“Low routine immunisation rates, especially in northern states, continue to contribute to the transmission of variant poliovirus and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
”Traditional leaders can play a crucial role in encouraging fathers to support mothers in taking children for immunisation,” he said.
He also urged royal fathers to negotiate safe passage for vaccinators and other primary healthcare services in security-compromised communities.
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms Wafaa Saeed-Abdelatef, expressed optimism that Nigeria was nearing the final stretch of polio eradication.
She, however, warned that nomadic and mobile populations as well as children in insecure and hard-to-reach areas continue to miss vaccinations.
“We are hopeful that we are now at the final stretch in Nigeria, and also globally.
”Still, nomadic and other mobile populations characterised by frequent movement and limited access to healthcare services continue to pose a challenge to polio eradication efforts, along with other issues such as water and sanitation,” Ms Saeed-Abdelatef said.
She emphasised the critical role of traditional rulers in breaking transmission in the Lake Chad region where cultural and linguistic ties extend across 17 countries.
She also sought the support of traditional rulers in the upcoming integrated measles, rubella, and polio vaccine campaign, which will introduce a new vaccine into Nigeria’s routine immunisation programme.
Ms Saeed-Abdelatef also confirmed progress in primary health care revitalisation, noting that over 1,160 facilities have been upgraded nationwide, with another 2,800 in the process of being equipped.
“More than 54,000 zero-dose children were reached last year, and 774 health fellows have been deployed to strengthen local-level service delivery,” she said.
She noted that traditional leaders’ engagement remained central to vaccination successes, ensuring supervision, accountability, and improved compliance among caregivers.
“With sustained collaboration among government, communities, media, and traditional institutions, Nigeria can finish strong in its race to eliminate the virus,” she said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Lagos State government has kicked off an initiative to ensure that every newborn is screened for Sickle Cell Disease within 48 to 72 hours after birth using a simple heel-prick test.
It was gathered that babies identified as being at risk will immediately be placed on preventive care while awaiting confirmatory testing.
The Head of the Haematology Department at the Alimosho General Hospital, Dr Olubukola Orolu, revealed that an estimated 150,000 babies are born annually with Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria, giving the country one of the highest SCD burdens globally.
She, however, applauded the Lagos State Government and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) for introducing the state-wide newborn screening programme, describing it as a major step towards reducing childhood deaths associated with the disease.
The commencement of this scheme coincides with the 2026 World Sickle Cell Day, themed Young Voices Rising for Sickle Cell Disease – Closing the Survival Gap: Equity in Sickle Cell Disease.
It highlights the importance of listening to the experiences and aspirations of young people living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Mrs Orolu noted that SCD warriors are increasingly breaking barriers as advocates, leaders, students and change-makers, adding that their voices have continued to reshape the narrative through advocacy for equitable, patient-centred healthcare, self-care and experience sharing.
She, therefore, called for equal access to quality healthcare, survival opportunities and dignity for everyone living with Sickle Cell Disease.
Also commenting, the chief executive of Alimosho General Hospital, Dr Akinyele Akinlade, described Sickle Cell Disease as an inherited blood disorder that is not contagious, noting that individuals living with the condition are more susceptible to infections.
He advised SCD warriors to stay well hydrated, avoid stress, and protect themselves from extreme cold or heat, as these are common triggers of sickle cell crises, adding that these preventive measures can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of crises.
One of the participants, Ms Borokini Zainab, an SCD warrior and student nurse, expressed appreciation to the organisers for the enlightenment programme.
Sharing her personal journey, she spoke about the challenges of balancing recurrent pain crises with her academic pursuits and personal life. Despite moments of frustration, she encouraged fellow warriors not to lose hope.
“Don’t let sickle cell put you down. Be encouraged from within. Don’t let your dreams be shattered because of this,” she said, adding that her personal experience with Sickle Cell Disease inspired her to pursue a career in nursing so she could support others living with the condition.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A 12-week health-tech incubation programme tailored for early-stage founders in Nigeria has been introduced by an innovation and venture-building platform, Evon Labs.
This initiative, known as HealthX Catalyst, will help participants to create scalable, investable solutions for Africa’s urgent healthcare issues.
The programme is underway, with 12 selected founders nearing the final weeks of intensive incubation, ending with a Demo Day on June 24, 2026, at the UNDP innovation centre in Lagos, where the small business owners will present their solutions to an audience of investors, healthcare leaders, development organisations, and technology partners.
The initiative selects early-stage healthcare founders and immerses them in a structured 12-week development process. Throughout this period, participants receive personalised and group mentorship from seasoned professionals across the healthcare, technology, and business sectors.
They also receive structured support for startup development, including refining business models, developing value propositions, and validating markets.
Additionally, participants gain access to a network of healthcare practitioners, sector experts, and industry leaders, along with targeted investment-readiness assistance to prepare them to engage with investors and strategic partners after the programme.
The result is a cohort of founders who move through the programme not simply with a refined pitch, but with a validated business model, a stronger professional network, and a clear pathway to growth.
To accelerate the most promising solutions beyond the programme, monetary grants will be awarded to the top three founders to support product development, pilot implementation, market validation, and early-stage scaling.
It was learned that HealthX Catalyst was developed in response to a structural gap in the African health-tech ecosystem.
Across the continent, a growing number of entrepreneurs are building solutions to healthcare problems from access and diagnostics to service delivery and health data infrastructure. Yet many of these early-stage ideas fail to progress beyond concept, not for lack of vision, but for lack of structured support: mentorship, startup development frameworks, industry access, and early-stage funding pathways. HealthX Catalyst was built to provide exactly that.
“Africa does not have a shortage of healthcare innovators. What it has lacked is the infrastructure to turn its ideas into sustainable businesses. HealthX Catalyst is that infrastructure, a serious, structured programme designed to take founders from early-stage ideas to investable startups.
“What we are seeing from this first cohort is exactly what we set out to create: founders who are not just building products, but building businesses that can scale and create lasting impact,” the founder of Evon Labs, Ms Isioma Udeozo, said of the unveiling of HealthX Catalyst.
The partners of the programme are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Odua Investment Company Limited (OICL), Washington University of St Louis, Missouri, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and Brooks Insights.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The sum of $250,000 in humanitarian funding is to be provided by Binance to support the frontline response to the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The cryptocurrency exchange said the funds would be used to enable rapid response in high-risk and underserved areas, where access to healthcare infrastructure, protective resources, and timely public health information remains limited.
The money will be shared equally between the Uganda Red Cross Society and Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), supporting urgent interventions in affected and high-risk communities.
Binance’s contribution will help strengthen emergency medical care and treatment, community awareness and prevention campaigns, contact tracing and containment support, and the provision of sanitation supplies and protective equipment for frontline workers.
By supporting both immediate response activities and preventative education, Binance aims to contribute to reducing transmission and strengthening community resilience.
“Communities across Africa continue to show extraordinary resilience in the face of complex challenges, but frontline responders should not have to face crises like this alone,” the co-chief executive of Binance, Mr Richard Teng, said.
“The teams working to contain the Ebola disease outbreak are delivering vital, life-saving support under incredibly difficult conditions.
“We are proud to support both the Uganda Red Cross Society and Doctors Without Borders as they work to protect vulnerable populations, strengthen local response efforts, and deliver urgent care where it is needed most,” he added.
Also commenting, the Secretary General for the Uganda Red Cross Society, Mr Robert Kwesiga, said, “Strong partnerships are essential during public health emergencies since we are not able to manage the outbreak alone.
“The support from Binance comes in so timely and handy, and will help us respond more rapidly, reach more at-risk communities, and reinforce the frontline services needed to help contain the outbreak and save lives.”
The MSF Emergency Programme Manager, Trish Newport, while speaking on the initiative, said, “The number of cases and deaths we are seeing in such a short timeframe, combined with the spread across several health zones and now across the border, is extremely concerning. In Ituri, many people already struggle to access healthcare and live with ongoing insecurity, making rapid action critical to prevent the outbreak from escalating further.”
Caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment, this Ebola disease outbreak has placed acute pressure on already fragile health systems in eastern DRC and the wider region.
Local authorities, international agencies, and humanitarian organisations are racing to contain it and protect affected communities.
Binance’s support is intended to reinforce these efforts at a critical moment. It reflects the company’s broader commitment to supporting communities across Africa through programmes focused on education, financial inclusion, digital skills development, and community empowerment.
In this case, Binance is extending that commitment to urgent humanitarian and public health needs by working alongside trusted organisations with deep frontline expertise.
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