Health
Rotary International Gives Nigeria $7.7m to End Polio
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Nigeria will receive about $7.71 million from Rotary International to support campaign to eradicate polio in the country.
A statement issued by Rotary this week said the fund is part of the $49.5 million it set aside to help eradicate polio in the world.
The global organisation noted that with just 11 confirmed polio cases so far in 2017, the world is on the brink of eradicating polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that once paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children each year.
According to Rotary, the $49.5 million earmarked for this campaign will support efforts to end polio in the three countries where polio remains endemic: Afghanistan ($9.32 million), Pakistan ($8.94 million), and Nigeria ($7.71 million).
Further funding will support efforts to keep six vulnerable countries polio-free: Chad ($2.37 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo ($4.5 million), Guinea ($961,000), Somalia ($1.62 million), South Sudan ($3.77 million), and Sudan ($2.56 million).
An additional $7.74 million will go toward surveillance activities in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean region.
“To protect all children from polio, world governments and donors must see through their commitments to fund critical work and support rigorous disease surveillance in both endemic and at-risk polio-free countries,” says McGovern. Rotary has committed to raising $150 million over the next three years, which will be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, yielding $450 million for polio eradication activities, including immunization and surveillance.
This funding support is coming ahead of Rotary International’s 5th annual World Polio Day celebration on October 24.
This year, the event will be co-hosted by Rotary and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and held at the foundation’s headquarters in Seattle.
The program will feature an update on the global fight to end polio and an array of guest speakers, celebrities, and public health experts.
People around the world can view the livestream of the event at this link https://www.endpolio.org/world-polio-day on October 24 at 2:30pm Pacific time.
“Rotary and its partners are closer than ever to eradicating polio,” says Michael K. McGovern, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee, which leads the organization’s polio eradication efforts. “World Polio Day is the ideal opportunity to celebrate our successes, raise public awareness, and talk about what is needed to end this paralyzing disease for good.”
In a show of solidarity and to raise awareness and funds for polio eradication, Rotary clubs around the globe will host nearly 1,900 events for World Polio Day.
They include a viewing party of the livestream in Fond du Lac, Wis; a Rock vs. Polio music event in Curitiba, Brazil; placing of End Polio Now piggy banks in local businesses to collect donations in Viljoenskroon, South Africa; a soccer game in Cairo, Egypt between the street children of Hope Village Society and students from local engineering colleges; and a golf fundraiser in Yoshiwara, Japan.
Speaking recently during a visit to Michael McGovern, Chair, International Polio Plus Committee (IPPC) to Nigeria, the Governor of Rotary District 9110, Lagos and Ogun States, Dr Adewale Ogunbadejo, efforts are being made to eradicate polio within the next three years from the face of the earth.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
To boost public healthcare delivery, the health-tech subsidiary of Interswitch, Interswitch eClat, has deployed its eClinic Electronic Medical Records (EMR) platform across public health facilities in Abia State.
This would be done in phases, with the kick-off phase to span six public health facilities, including three primary healthcare centres, two secondary facilities, and one tertiary hospital, creating an end-to-end digital care pathway that strengthens patient referrals, supports continuity of care, and enables data-driven decision-making across all levels of service delivery.
The EMR solution is built to reduce patient waiting times, strengthen referral processes, and ensure the secure handling of both clinical and administrative data, supported by a hybrid infrastructure that enables local hosting with cloud-based backup.
Officials of the leading African technology company held talks with the state government, especially from the Abia State Ministry of Health in Umuahia.
They discussed the implementation framework, and expected outcomes of the proposed eClinic deployment.
Discussions focused on deploying Interswitch’s eClinic solution in alignment with Abia State’s broader healthcare reform agenda under the current government’s administration, particularly the transition from fragmented, paper-based systems to secure, interoperable digital platforms across public health facilities.
“The Ministry of Health in Abia State is excited about the digitisation of health facilities, starting with Interswitch’s eClinic pilot phase involving three primary, two secondary, and one tertiary health centre.
“This initiative will enhance efficiency, accountability, and patient care by linking records across different levels of care.
“Global evidence shows that digital health improves access, reduces the cost of care, and maximises human resources while personalising services for our people.
“This partnership with Interswitch represents a key deliverable for this administration and aligns with the Governor’s vision for a modern, technology-driven health system,” the Commissioner for Health for Abia State, Mr Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, said.
“Abia State has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation and system reform. The alignment of the state’s healthcare priorities with national health digitisation objectives creates a solid foundation for meaningful progress.
“Interswitch’s eClinic platform is designed to improve hospital operations by automating workflows, securing patient data, and providing healthcare managers with reliable insights to guide decisions.
“Beyond improving patient experience, it supports stronger revenue tracking, operational efficiency, and accountability. Our focus is to ensure the success of this pilot phase and deliver tangible improvements across productivity, service delivery, and patient satisfaction,” the Vice President for Health Ecosystem (Public Sector) at Interswitch, Mr Babatunde Fadeyi, stated.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To commemorate World Cancer Day observed on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Polaris Bank Limited is bankrolling free screenings for breast and prostate cancers across the country.
The financial institution partnered with a non-governmental organization (NGO) known as Care Organization and Public Enlightenment (COPE) for this initiative.
At least 100 women would be screened during the exercise, scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, at the C.O.P.E Centre on 39B, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
The exercise will be conducted by trained health professionals and volunteers, ensuring participants receive both screening services and educational guidance on cancer prevention, self-examination, and follow-up care.
To participate in the free breast cancer screening programme, the applicants must be women, must be Polaris Bank account holders, and must have registered ahead of the day via bit.ly/BCS2026, with selection based on early and confirmed submissions.
Polaris Bank said the initiative was designed to promote awareness, screening, early detection, and preventive care, reinforcing its belief that access to health services is a critical foundation for individual and economic well-being.
The organization is already supporting an on-going free prostate cancer screening programme for 250 men aged 40 years and above across Nigeria.
The prostate cancer screening is being conducted at the Men’s Clinic, situated at 18, Commercial Avenue, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos, providing accessible, professional medical support for male participants seeking early detection and preventive care for prostate cancer.
Both initiatives (free breast and prostate cancer screenings) directly aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) through improved access to preventive healthcare and early detection services, SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by prioritizing women’s health and empowerment, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through strategic collaboration with civil society organizations such as C.O.P.E to deliver community-centered impact.
Educational materials, community engagement sessions, and digital awareness campaigns will be deployed to reinforce key messages around early detection, lifestyle choices, and the importance of regular medical check-ups.
The Head of Brand Management and Corporate Communications for Polaris Bank, Mr Rasheed Bolarinwa, emphasised that early detection remains one of the most effective tools in the fight against cancer.
By Adedapo Adesanya
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of the World Bank, and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) have partnered to provide Naira-denominated financing to NSIA Advanced Medical Services Limited (MedServe), a wholly owned healthcare subsidiary of the country’s wealth fund.
Supported by the International Development Association’s Private Sector Window Local Currency Facility, this financing enables MedServe to scale critical healthcare infrastructure while mitigating foreign exchange risks. IFC is a member of the World Bank Group.
The funds will support MedServe’s expansion program to establish diagnostic centers, radiotherapy-enabled cancer care facilities, and cardiac catheterisation laboratories across several Nigerian states.
These centres will feature advanced medical technologies, including CT and MRI imaging, digital pathology labs, linear accelerators, and cardiac catheterisation equipment, thereby enhancing specialised diagnostics and treatment.
MedServe provides sustainable service delivery with pricing that matches local income levels, helping ensure broader access to affordable oncology care for low-income patients.
The initiative will deliver over a dozen modern diagnostic and treatment centers across Nigeria, create 800 direct jobs, and train more than 500 healthcare professionals in oncology and cardiology specialties.
The total project size is $154.1 million, with IFC contributing roughly N14.2 billion ($24.5 million) in long-tenor local currency financing, marking IFC’s first healthcare investment in Nigeria using this structure.
This comes as Nigeria advances its aspirations for Universal Health Coverage. This partnership provides an opportunity to leverage private investment to complement government efforts to expand oncology care and diagnostic services.
IFC’s provision of long-tenor Naira financing addresses a significant market gap and unlocks institutional capital for healthcare infrastructure with strong development upside while MedServe’s co-location strategy with public hospitals maximises capital efficiency and strengthens the public-private ecosystem, establishing a replicable platform for future investment.
“This partnership with IFC represents a significant milestone in NSIA’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare ecosystem through sustainable, locally anchored investment solutions,” said Mr Aminu Umar-Sadiq, managing director & chief executive of NSIA.
He added, “By deploying long-tenor Naira financing, we are addressing critical infrastructure gaps while reducing foreign exchange risk and ensuring that quality diagnostic and cancer care services are accessible to underserved communities. MedServe’s expansion underscores our belief that commercially viable healthcare investments can deliver strong development impact while supporting national health priorities.”
“This ambition is consistent with our broader vision for Africa, one where resilient health systems and inclusive growth reinforce each other to deliver long-term impact across the continent,” said Mr Ethiopis Tafara, IFC Vice President for Africa.
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