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NCDC Confirms 162 deaths from Lassa Fever in first-half of 2023

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Lassa fever has killed no less than 162 persons since the start of year 2023, this is according to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, on Thursday.

The number of states said to have recorded death toll to the ravaging disease is put at 28. They are – Ondo, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Ebonyi, Nassarawa, Kogi, Taraba, Gombe, Enugu Kano, Jigawa, Oyo and FCT, among others.

According to report, on May 1, 2023, the mortality toll of Lassa fever in Nigeria was disclosed to be 154 while it recorded 897 confirmed cases and a total of 4,908 suspected cases.

In its 16th-week Lassa fever situation report, the NCDC explained that the 897 confirmed cases were recorded from 26 states and 103 local government areas from January 1 to April 23, 2023.

The Centre, on Thursday, disclosed this in its 20th-week Lassa fever situation report shared on its Twitter handle (@NCDCgov), adding that 944 confirmed cases and 5, 593 suspected cases of the disease were recorded so far since January 2023.

“Cumulatively, from week 1 to week 20, 2023, 162 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate of 17.2% which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2022 (19.8%).

“In total, for 2023, 28 states have recorded at least one confirmed case across 106 LGAs,” the centre’s 20th-week report read.

It maintained that, “the number of suspected cases increased, compared to that reported for the same period in 2022.”

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NCDC : Rainy Season To Increase Cholera Outbreaks in Ten States

They are Adamawa, Enugu, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Kwara.

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says that raining and flooding will increase cholera outbreak in ten prone states.

They are Adamawa, Enugu, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Kwara.

NCDC, in a statement, yesterday, said the alarm followed flood predictions issued by the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency indicating that the aforementioned states would experience heavy rainfall and flooding between 13th and 17th April 2026.

NCDC noted that, already, cases of cholera are on the rise across the cholera-prone states, and that could simply be attributed to the rainy season, and flood that might have contaminated people’s sources of food and water.

It said: “Recent national surveillance data show increasing cholera activity across multiple states.

Flooding during this period can rapidly increase the risk of disease outbreaks due to contamination of drinking water sources, disruption of sanitation systems, and increased exposure of communities to unsafe environmental conditions.

Importantly, these risks are preventable with early action.”

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FG effects 20% tarrif slash on pharmaceutical products

Reacting to the development, the  President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ayuba-Tanko Ibrahim, described the tariff cut as a positive step but cautioned that the gains would depend on complementary policy actions.

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the Federal Government had in a document dated April 1, 2026, by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, approved sweeping tariff adjustments across 127 product lines, including antimalarial medicaments now pegged at 20 percent, as part of efforts to stimulate growth and ease the cost of critical imports.

Reacting to the development, the  President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ayuba-Tanko Ibrahim, described the tariff cut as a positive step but cautioned that the gains would depend on complementary policy actions.

“A drop in duties on drugs and pharmaceutical products is quite laudable. In normal circumstances, this should signpost a drop in prices of these products and promote accessibility to drugs and healthcare, albeit legitimately.

“The PSN appreciates and commends the commitment of the federal government in the ensuing scenario,” he said.

Emphasising that more is needed to be done to sanitise the sector, Ibrahim said: “It is noteworthy that the federal government must do a little more in terms of regulation and control of drug matters in Nigeria.

‘’Government must see a need for urgent intervention with a template akin to an all-purpose special vehicle that can help fix fundamental issues pertaining to local manufacture and drug prices.

” There is also a need to support local content in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, APIs, and vaccines availability to increase the contribution of the pharmaceutical sector to national GDP, ’’ he said.

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Resident Doctors Suspend Strike, Ask Members to Resume on Wednesday

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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its planned indefinite nationwide strike and directed all members to resume duties on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

The decision was announced on Tuesday following successful last-minute engagements with the Federal Government and other stakeholders over the contentious suspension of the Professional Allowance Table (PAT) and other welfare issues.

NARD had earlier declared a total and comprehensive strike effective from 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, protesting the government’s move to halt implementation of the revised allowance structure, unpaid promotion arrears, and other outstanding agreements.

In a statement, the association said the suspension was reached after productive discussions, though it issued a fresh ultimatum, warning of renewed industrial action if demands are not fully met by April 21, 2026.

Patients and healthcare facilities across the country, which had braced for disruption in services, are expected to see normal operations resume from Wednesday morning.

NARD urged its members to return to work promptly while maintaining that the core issues remain unresolved and will be reviewed at the next National Executive Council meeting.

The development brings temporary relief to the public health system amid ongoing concerns over doctor shortages and welfare in Nigerian teaching and specialist hospitals.

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