In April 2025, Nigeria’s health sector confronted a combine of urgent challenges and growth.
In April 2025, Nigeria’s health sector confronted a combine of urgent challenges and a few growth. From rising illness outbreaks and deepening concerns over HIV and immunisation gaps, to authorities-led interventions targeting main healthcare and clinical training, the month reflected the nation’s ongoing strive against to stability crisis response with long-period of time reform.
Right here’s a peek at some of the famous ideal health stories in April
Global health agencies warn of rising illness outbreaks
In April, international health agencies warned that rising outbreaks of measles, meningitis, and other vaccine-preventable ailments are threatening a few years of immunisation growth.
This warning came from the World Nicely being Organisation (WHO), the United International locations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF), and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, as they marked World Immunisation Week from 24 to 30 April.
According to the agencies, the growth made over a few years in reducing child mortality is at threat as a consequence of funding cuts, misinformation, population enlighten, and ongoing humanitarian crises.
They entreated governments and donors to increase international efforts to guard lives and sustain vaccination programmes.
Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom memoir very most life like HIV cases in Nigeria – Philosophize
A brand fresh memoir by the Nationwide Company for the Adjust of AIDS (NACA) has shown that Rivers Explain has the best series of Individuals Living with HIV (PLWHIV) in Nigeria.
The memoir titled “2024 HIV Spectrum Estimates’ indicates that Rivers Explain accounts for 208,767 HIV cases, adopted by Benue Explain with 202,346 cases, whereas Akwa Ibom ranks third with 161,597 cases.
The memoir indicates that Lagos Explain, Nigeria’s business hub, accounts for 108,649 cases, taking fourth space nationwide.
Right here’s adopted by Anambra with 100,429 cases, whereas the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has one in every of the best numbers in the North-Central field with 83,333 reported cases.
According to the memoir, better than two million of us are currently living with HIV across the nation, highlighting the need for sustained efforts in prevention, testing, and access to treatment.
Yobe targets 80% vaccination protection by 2026
In a welcome enlighten, the Yobe Explain Government acknowledged it is dedicated to achieving 80 per cent vaccination protection by 2026, as share of ongoing efforts to shut immunisation gaps and give protection to youngsters from vaccine-preventable ailments.
Speaking at a one-day media dialogue commemorating the 2025 World Immunisation Day in Damaturu, the Explain Commissioner for Nicely being, Muhammad Gana, acknowledged strategic actions are being applied to prevail in underserved and vaccine-hesitant communities.
Mr Gana careworn out that unvaccinated youngsters pose a serious public health threat and make a contribution to repeated outbreaks of ailments equivalent to diphtheria, cholera, cerebrospinal meningitis, and vaccine-derived polio.
“To achieve herd immunity and safeguard our communities, we must reach at least 80 per cent coverage by next year,” he acknowledged.
Nigeria has the best series of unvaccinated youngsters globally – UNICEF
In April, the United International locations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF) published that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, currently bears the best burden of unvaccinated youngsters globally.
A Nicely being Officer at UNICEF, Bashir Elegbede, acknowledged about 2.1 million Nigerian youngsters–representing 24 per cent of the estimated 8.7 million below-one population–haven’t received a single routine vaccine dose.
He acknowledged these youngsters are most regularly known as “zero-dose” (ZD) youngsters because they’ve now not received any vaccine according to the nationwide routine immunisation time desk.
The international purpose, he illustrious, is to minimize the series of zero-dose youngsters by 25 per cent by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030.
Nigerian govt to rehabilitate 18 clinical colleges with N110 billion – Legit
The federal authorities has deployed N110 billion from the Tertiary Training Belief Fund (TETFund) Excessive Impact Intervention Project for the rehabilitation of clinical colleges in 18 institutions.
The project, which forms a key pillar of the Nigerian academic sector renewal initiative, used to be unveiled during the inauguration of the Ministerial Committee on TETFund Excessive Impact Intervention Project.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Minister of Training, Tunji Alausa, emphasised that the intervention used to be a appropriate away response to the urgent wish to beget better Nigeria’s ability to train clinical professionals.
He acknowledged the clinical professionals might perhaps perhaps perchance be trained across four key disciplines: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing.
According to him, the project covers 18 universities across the six geopolitical zones and can rehabilitate and modernise key infrastructure, including lecture theatres, laboratories, clinical environments, and pupil hostels.
11 million of us living with diabetes in Nigeria – Expert
A clinical examiner from Aminu Kano Teaching Medical institution (AKTH), Kano, Zubairu Iliyasu, has acknowledged that better than 11 million of us are currently living with diabetes in Nigeria, with many extra remaining undiagnosed.
Mr Iliyasu, a professor, emphasised the urgent need for frequent public sensitisation on adopting extra healthy lifestyles to strive against the growing threats of diabetes and obesity.
He spoke at the 14th Annual Total Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Clinical Endocrinologists of Nigeria (ACEN), themed “Endocrinology and Public Health.”
61.5 million Nigerians vaccinated against malaria, yellow fever, HPV, others – Legit
The federal authorities acknowledged no fewer than 61.5 million Nigerians, largely youngsters had been vaccinated against measles, yellow fever, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), malaria, and Mpox from October 2023 till date.
The Govt Director of the Nationwide Vital Nicely being Care Building Company (NPHCDA), Muyi Aina, acknowledged during the 2024 measles and yellow fever campaigns, 25.9 million youngsters had been vaccinated against measles across 26 states, whereas 22.5 million received yellow fever vaccines in Lagos, Yobe, and Borno states.
He furthermore illustrious that Nigeria successfully managed a cholera outbreak in eight states, including during flooding in Borno, thru vaccination and other interventions.
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Mr Aina acknowledged the agency is working to give a grasp to the usual of health campaigns to address outbreaks linked to gaps in routine immunisation protection.
Nigerian govt revitalised 901 PHCs, targets additional 2,700 by 2025
The Nigerian authorities has revitalised 901 Vital Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the nation during the final year, as share of efforts to increase the nation’s healthcare design.
The Govt Director of NPHCDA, Muyi Aina, acknowledged the revitalisation drive–applied in collaboration with deliver governments, enlighten companions, and the non-public sector–is aimed at ensuring every ward in Nigeria has at the least one fully purposeful PHC able to offering round the clock care.
Mr Aina added that over 2,700 PHCs are currently undergoing upgrades, with completion centered by the waste of 2025.
Lassa Fever: Death toll rises to 127 – NCDC
The Nigeria Centre for Illness Adjust and Prevention (NCDC) acknowledged it recorded 674 confirmed cases of Lassa fever and 127 deaths in 14 weeks.
It illustrious that the deaths resulted in a case fatality price of 18.8 per cent — a shrimp increase from the 18.5 per cent recorded during the identical period in 2024.
The NCDC acknowledged it recorded 4,025 suspected cases from January to April.
The centre talked about that the cases had been across 18 states and 93 local authorities areas, out of which 674 had been confirmed.
