Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system is facing a critical manpower deficit, as the number of licensed doctors has dropped to about 40,000, far below the estimated 300,000 needed to adequately serve a population of over 220 million, PUNCH HealthWise can authoritatively report. In 2024, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, revealed…
A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has had her nursing licence cancelled in Australia after a tribunal found she repeatedly slept during night shifts at an aged care facility, putting elderly patients at risk. As reported by Daily Mail on Friday, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on January 20 ruled that Ms Okembunachi’s actions in…
By Kingsley Agim and Jessica Ubi Cross River State has commenced a bold reform of its health education sector with the initiation of processes to affiliate state-owned nursing colleges with the University of Calabar (UNICAL) for the award of university degrees, in line with Governor Bassey Otu’s broader health system transformation agenda. The affiliation will…
By Ovat Abeng The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Anambra State Government, has assured parents and caregivers of the safety and effectiveness of the measles–rubella (MR) vaccination scheduled to be introduced in the state. The assurance was given by the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ASPHCDA), in collaboration with…
By Kelvin Obambon The Cross River State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Evidence Action Nigeria has announced a landmark achievement in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), revealing a near 50 percent reduction in Soil-Transmitted Helminth (STH) and an even more dramatic decline in Schistosomiasis (SCH) infections…
By Kingsley Agim Merit, transparency and professionalism have taken centre stage in Cross River State as screening begins for candidates seeking selection into the second cohort of the National Health Fellows Programme (NHFP), a key initiative aimed at strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) delivery at the grassroots. The screening exercise, which is being conducted nationwide…
Medical experts have issued a stern warning to the public, revealing that the common habit of eating until one feels completely full significantly increases the risk of life-threatening non-communicable diseases, including cancer, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Speaking on the growing health concerns in Nigeria, experts noted that cultural beliefs are partly to blame. In many…
By Our Reporter Authorities in Cross River State have apprehended and arraigned at least ten unlicensed traditional medicine practitioners. The arrests follow a formal complaint lodged by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) regarding illegal “trado-medical trade fairs” being held at the Calabar Municipality Council Headquarters. The NMA’s intervention was prompted by concerns that these “quacks”…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing circulation of banned food products, including pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste, in markets across Nigeria. The agency, in a press release on 6 December 2025, warned that these items are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s…
By Ovat Abeng As the World commemorate this year 2025 World Aids Day, the wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has warned everyone to remains extra cautious of any affair that can lead to HIV transmission disease. The warning was contained in her commemoratory message signed and made available to Journalists in Awka…
