Health
Diabetes: Costs of Treatment Skyrockets as Nigerian Body Joins Global Peers to Mark Annual Day November 14
Insulin vial, for instance, which used to cost about N4,000, now sells for about N18,000, representing over 400% increase.
The Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN) is joining the global community to mark this year’s diabetes day on Thursday.
The 14th day of November annually is officially designated by the United Nations as World Diabetes Day. It is the largest global diabetes awareness campaign organized by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
Dr Ejiofor Ugwu, the National President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, disclosed this said that this year’s theme – Diabetes and Well-being – is aimed at emphasizing the negative impact diabetes exerts on the physical, mental, social, and economic well-being of persons living with diabetes.
Dr Ejiofor, an Associate Professor of Medicine, Consultant Physician, Endocrinologist and Diabetologist, revealed that globally, about 540 million people, roughly 1 out of every 10 adults, currently have diabetes and the prevalence is rising relentlessly.
He said:” In Nigeria, about 6-8 million Nigerians (5.7%) have diabetes. This figure represents the tip of the iceberg, as two-thirds of diabetes cases in Nigeria are still undiagnosed due to a lack of routine screening. diabetes kills an estimated 30,000 − 40,000 Nigerians annually.”
Commenting on the treatment of diabetes, Dr Ejiofor added that in the past year, the cost of diabetes medications and consumables has gone astronomically high, beyond the reach of most patients. “
Insulin vial, for instance, which used to cost about N4,000, now sells for about N18,000, representing over 400% increase.
This poses a significant barrier to optimal diabetes care in Nigeria as the majority of patients can no longer afford care, resulting in increased diabetes complications and premature deaths,” he said. Recommendations To Improve Diabetes Care in Nigeria ·
The federal government should as a matter of urgency, subsidize diabetes medications and consumables to make them more affordable to the teeming population of people living with diabetes in Nigeria DAN recommends complete tax waiver in the importation of diabetes medications and consumables ·
The sugar-sweetened beverages tax, which was stopped in June 2024, needs to be revived, and there should be legislation to channel the funds accruing from it to diabetes and related non-communicable diseases prevention. ·
There is a need for a well conducted national survey on non communicable diseases as soon as possible. This will provide accurate data to guide healthcare policy making.
Health
BREAKING: NCDC Flags 2 New Suspected Ebola Cases in North-East
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported two new suspected cases of Ebola virus disease in the country’s North-East region.
In an update released on Saturday, October 31, 2026, the agency said the two individuals have been isolated. Contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is underway to confirm or rule out the infection.
“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results,” the NCDC stated. The agency advised the public to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation, and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.
The development comes after Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20. That case involved a 42-year-old woman who had travelled from Uganda to Abuja and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. She was later medically evacuated to Switzerland along with her husband.
Health authorities continue to monitor contacts linked to the earlier confirmed case while strengthening surveillance nationwide.
Health
Nigeria’s First Imported Ebola Patient Moved to Switzerland
Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed on Monday that the country’s first imported Ebola patient has been evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland.
In a statement posted on X, Pate said the patient was clinically improving, stable and conscious but remained potentially infectious, necessitating strict safety protocols throughout the evacuation process.
The patient travelled with her spouse, who has remained asymptomatic. The minister commended healthcare workers for their efforts in managing the case.
Pate assured Nigerians that public health measures remain in place to contain the virus and urged citizens to stay vigilant while relying only on credible information.
Health
Ebola: Nigeria Sends Back Swiss Woman Via Medivac Plane
The patient who is the wife of a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria was flown out of Nigeria this morning through a medivac plane which was already at the airport waiting to evacuate her.
A Swiss woman diagnosed with Ebola virus in Nigeria is set to be evacuated from the country early this morning through an air ambulance at the private jet wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Ohibaba News learned the patient who is the wife of a Swiss diplomat in Nigeria was flown out of Nigeria this morning through a medivac plane which was already at the airport waiting to evacuate her.
Our Reporter deployed to the General Aviation Terminal later obtained pictures of the arrival of a convoy of vehicular ambulance from Abuja city centre with diplomatic vehicles in the entourage.
The three vehicle convoy had an international Agency vehicle entering the Private Jet section of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.
Airport officials cordoned off the private wing of the airport but news men eventually obtained videos of a medivac plane with crews eventually evacuating the sick passenger suspected to be the Ebola index case due to the special nature of the medical evacuation.
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