News
Cholera outbreak kills five in Plateau, 11 cases confirmed
The Plateau’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, says the state has recorded 11 confirmed cases of cholera, five deaths, and 53 suspected cases.
Mr Baamlong, who disclosed this to journalists on Sunday in Jos, said the confirmed and suspected cases were reported in the Pushit, Mangu 1 and Mangu 2 communities of Mangu Local Government Area.
According to Mr Baamlong, the state ministry of health is intensifying public health interventions to contain the outbreak, prevent further spread, and reduce its impact on affected communities.
He explained that the state had taken decisive actions to control the outbreak and protect its citizens by deploying additional response teams to the affected wards, scaling up treatment centres and isolation capacity, and the emergency procurement of rapid diagnostic test kits, intravenous fluids, and essential drugs.
The commissioner further said the ministry had activated an incident management system to ensure a comprehensive, multisectoral response to the outbreak.
“The activation of the IMS ensures a coordinated, efficient, and accountable response structure in line with national and international emergency response frameworks,” he said.
Mr Baamlong explained that cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
He urged residents of the Mangu LGA and neighbouring communities to remain vigilant and take preventive measures, including drinking safe water, maintaining proper hand hygiene, avoiding open defecation, and ensuring proper waste disposal.
He also advised residents to promptly report suspected cases of cholera to the nearest healthcare facility for immediate attention.
While reaffirming the state government’s commitment to safeguarding residents’ health and well-being, Baamlong called on development partners and other stakeholders to support the ongoing response efforts.
(NAN)
The federal government has announced that nearly 10,000 Nigerians benefited from specialist medical services, surgeries and other healthcare interventions under the 2026 Nigeria Diaspora Health Impact Initiative (NDHII).
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Saturday at the National Diaspora Merit Award Dinner and closing ceremony of the 2026 Diaspora Health Impact Initiative held at the Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.
Mr Salako said the initiative brought together thousands of Nigerian healthcare professionals in the diaspora who voluntarily returned to the country to provide specialist medical services, conduct surgeries, mentor healthcare workers and support local health systems.
He described the programme as a demonstration of patriotism and an example of how diaspora expertise could help improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
According to him, diaspora medical teams drawn from organisations in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Germany and South Africa delivered medical interventions across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Healthcare services
Mr Salako said the initiative provided medical consultations, specialist surgeries, diagnostic services, telemedicine, sickle cell screening and other healthcare interventions to nearly 10,000 Nigerians.
He added that more than 2,000 frontline healthcare workers were trained during the programme to strengthen the country’s capacity to provide quality healthcare after the medical missions ended.
Among the achievements highlighted by the minister were the training of over 1,000 frontline health workers on the Safer Births Bundle of Care in Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto states.
He also said more than 4,000 medical consultations and over 500 surgeries were carried out in Enugu, Imo and Abia states.
According to him, advanced interventional radiology, neurosurgery and endoscopy procedures were performed in Lagos, while healthcare workers in Edo State received training on ultrasound-based diagnosis of endometriosis.
He added that telemedicine and primary healthcare services were expanded in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State through the initiative.
Government plans
Mr Salako said the federal government would continue to strengthen engagement with Nigerian health professionals abroad by simplifying licensing procedures, facilitating locum arrangements and supporting customs and visa waivers for medical missions.
He added that the government would also encourage diaspora investment in hospitals, diagnostic centres and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
While acknowledging the migration of Nigerian health professionals, Mr Salako said the Tinubu administration was implementing reforms to improve healthcare financing, infrastructure, workforce welfare, and professional development.
ALSO READ: Pathfinder International launches initiative to drive women-led innovation in health, climate
He urged Nigerian healthcare professionals abroad to register on the newly launched Nigerians in Diaspora Advanced Health Programme (NiDAH) Portal and the Diaspora Health Registry to enable them to contribute more effectively to the country’s health sector.
Mr Salako also called for sustained collaboration through telemedicine, digital health, structured training partnerships, joint clinical research, technology transfer and public-private partnerships.
He commended the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), state governments, development partners and members of the joint planning committee for supporting the successful implementation of the initiative.
-
Business2 days agoLingzhi Global Champions Coffee Culture at Jos Awareness Campaign
-
Health2 days agoKano Renews Commitment to Eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, Syphilis
-
News14 hours ago
Monday.com is the latest tech company to blame AI for layoffs — here are 20 others
-
Business2 days ago
Nigerian Man Says ₦270,000 NELFUND Loan Helped Him Earn First ₦1 Million
