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Two-Thirds Households In Nigeria Lack Money For Healthy Food — NBS Survey

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A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has highlighted the harsh realities faced by Nigerian households, with two-thirds struggling to afford healthy and nutritious meals due to financial constraints. The report, titled Nigeria General Household Survey – Panel (GHS-Panel) Wave 5 (2023/2024), sheds light on the deepening multidimensional poverty and the impact of diminishing purchasing power caused by rising prices of goods and services.

Food Insecurity

The report reveals widespread food insecurity, with 66.7% of households unable to eat nutritious or preferred foods in the past month due to a lack of money. Other findings include:

  • 63.8% of households consuming limited types of food.
  • 62.4% expressing worry about insufficient food supplies.
  • 60.5% eating less than they felt necessary.

The survey also notes a significant increase in food insecurity over time. Between Waves 4 and 5, the proportion of households worried about inadequate food rose from 36.9% to 62.4%.

Energy Access and Power Blackouts

Access to electricity varies significantly between urban and rural areas, with 82.2% of urban households connected to the power grid compared to just 40.4% in rural areas. However, households face an average of 6.7 power blackouts per week.

Traditional cooking methods dominate, with 65.0% of households using three-stone stoves and 70.2% relying on wood as fuel. Despite this, the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is steadily increasing.

Basic Infrastructure and Sanitation

The survey highlights significant gaps in basic infrastructure:

  • Many households lack proper toilet facilities and rely on informal waste disposal methods, with 45.6% dumping waste in bushes or streets.
  • Tube wells or boreholes are the primary sources of drinking water for many households.

Asset Ownership and Housing

Asset ownership has declined since 2018/19. Key findings include:

  • 66.7% of households owning mobile phones, while 21.3% have internet access.
  • 70.4% of households own their homes, with rural ownership higher at 80.1% compared to 49.1% in urban areas.

Implications

The survey underscores the urgent need for policy interventions to address poverty, food insecurity, and inadequate infrastructure in Nigeria. Rising inflation, coupled with inconsistent access to energy and basic amenities, continues to erode the quality of life for millions of Nigerians.

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Health

Chinese Scientists Developing Pregnancy Robots

Dr Zhang Qifeng, who founded the company IT Kaiwa Technology, said the robot will replicate the entire process from conception to delivery where the sperm and egg will be fertilised inside the robot then it will grow to term 9 months later.

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Scientists in China are developing the world’s first life size ‘pregnancy robot’ capable of carrying a baby to term and giving birth.

Dr Zhang Qifeng, who founded IT Kaiwa Technology, said the robot will replicate the entire process from conception to delivery where the sperm and egg will be fertilised inside the robot then it will grow to term 9 months later.

The robot aims to offer a pregnancy alternative for women who wish to avoid the burdens of pregnancy and the dramatic changes it makes to woman’s body.

The robot will be equipped with an artificial womb that receives nutrients through a hose.

It is expected to be released next year, with a selling price of around US $13,555.

Feminist activists have been strongly opposed to the use of artificial wombs because it could lead to the ‘end of women’.’

The real question now is, will men, once the artificial womb is perfected, want to keep women around? How would the baby feel the emotions and the bond between mother and child?

(Facebook)

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Health

Customs intercept expired pharmaceuticals at Apapa port

Adeniyi explained that on receipt of credible information, a 40ft container with registration number, MRSU6407089, was jointly examined by officers of the NCS and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

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The Nigeria Customs Service seized seven containers of expired drugs and prohibited medications, three containers of expired food items, particularly margarine, and three containers of absolutely prohibited used clothing at the Apapa port.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, estimated that the duty paid values of the seizures made on Monday, arms included, was more than N10 billion.

Adeniyi explained that on receipt of credible information, a 40ft container with registration number, MRSU6407089, was jointly examined by officers of the NCS and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

The container was adjudged clean, but a secondary search by the two agencies revealed the concealment of 202 cans of Colorado loud, that is, Canadian drugs.

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Health

Chikungunya: Could It Happen in Nigeria?

WHO’s Technical Lead for Arboviruses, Dr Diana Rojas-Alvarez said the warning was being sounded early to give countries a fighting chance.

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The World Health Organisation, WHO, on Monday warned of a global resurgence of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease, following major outbreaks in La Réunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius since March.

However, Nigeria is not yet on the list of countries currently battling chikungunya outbreaks, but public health experts warn that the nation’s environmental conditions make it highly susceptible.

The outbreaks, WHO said, have now spread to South and East Asia, mirroring patterns seen 20 years ago when a wave that began in the Indian Ocean swept across continents, infecting nearly half a million people.

“This further spread is highly concerning because it follows a trajectory we’ve seen before-one that can quickly escalate into a global public health emergency,” WHO stated in its advisory.

The agency also confirmed that the virus continues to spread in endemic regions, with the Americas already reporting over 200,000 cases this year alone.

WHO said that about 5.6 billion people worldwide now live in areas suitable for the spread of Aedes mosquitoes-the Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus which transmit chikungunya along with other diseases such as dengue and Zika.

Chikungunya has been detected or transmitted in 119 countries globally. In communities with little or no immunity, WHO warned that the disease can infect up to three-quarters of the population in a short period, severely straining healthcare systems.

WHO’s Technical Lead for Arboviruses, Dr Diana Rojas-Alvarez said the warning was being sounded early to give countries a fighting chance.

“We are raising the alarm early so countries can prepare early through surveillance, mosquito control, and public awareness-to avoid overwhelming health services,” she explained

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