Health
WHO: United States membership withdrawal takes effect
Reacting to the development, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed regret over the decision and urged the United States to reconsider.
The United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially took effect on Thursday, exactly one year after President Donald Trump ordered the country to pull out of the global health body.
Under the terms governing WHO membership, a withdrawal becomes effective after a mandatory one-year notice period, which expired on Thursday 22 January, following the executive order signed by Trump shortly after he took office in 2025.
Although the agreement requires the United States to settle all outstanding financial obligations before withdrawal, that condition has not been met. However, the WHO has no legal mechanism to enforce payment or prevent a member state from exiting the organisation.
Reacting to the development, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed regret over the decision and urged the United States to reconsider.
“The withdrawal is a loss for the United States and also a loss for the rest of the world,” Tedros said, adding that the organisation remains open to the country’s return.
President Trump had justified the decision by accusing the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, as well as other global health emergencies.
He also cited the organisation’s alleged failure to implement necessary reforms and its inability to operate independently of political influence from member states.
Health
NCDC : Rainy Season To Increase Cholera Outbreaks in Ten States
They are Adamawa, Enugu, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Kwara.
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.”
Health
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.
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.
Health
Resident Doctors Suspend Strike, Ask Members to Resume on Wednesday
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.
-
News3 days agoFG Graduates 774 Former Terrorists From Defence Hqt ‘s Training Camp
-
Business2 days agoFCCPC says didn’t ban MTN, Glo, Airtel data loans
-
News3 days ago2026 UTME starts today nationwide
-
News3 days agoFG begins 2.5km rural road linking three Enugu communities
-
News2 days agoJUST IN: Tinubu Signs ₦68.32 Trillion 2026 Budget
-
News2 days agoUTME 2026: System Glitch Disrupts Exam at Abuja CBT Center
-
Business2 days agoCBN introduces money market instrument NOFR
-
International2 days agoSouth Korea Successfully Navigates First Oil Tanker Through Red Sea Amid Strait of Hormuz Blockade
