Category: Health

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Nigeria’s healthcare system is facing growing pressure as the migration of frontline health workers, particularly doctors and nurses, continues to rise, leaving hospitals understaffed and patients struggling to access quality medical care across the country.

The trend, popularly referred to as the “Japa syndrome,” has seen increasing numbers of healthcare professionals relocate to countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and Saudi Arabia in search of better opportunities.

The development has continued to generate concern among health experts, government officials and citizens over the long-term impact on Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system.

Some medical practitioners who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja identified poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions, insecurity and limited career opportunities as major factors driving the exodus of healthcare workers.

A medical doctor at General Hospital Suleja, Dr Mercy Agu, described the situation as alarming, warning that hospitals were becoming overstretched as experienced personnel continued leaving the country.

“Many hospitals are overwhelmed because experienced personnel are leaving almost every month.

“Doctors now attend to more patients than they should, and this affects service delivery,” Agu said.

According to her, many healthcare workers endure long working hours with little motivation, while worsening economic conditions and poor welfare packages have made survival increasingly difficult for professionals in the sector.

Another physician, Dr Grace Okafor, said the migration trend had placed enormous pressure on the few remaining healthcare workers, resulting in exhaustion, stress and growing cases of burnout in hospitals nationwide.

“We are exhausted. In some departments, there are only a handful of doctors handling duties meant for many people. Burnout is becoming common,” Okafor said.

A Nigerian doctor currently practising in the United Kingdom, Dr Munir Abdulazeez, said the decision to leave Nigeria was difficult but became necessary because of poor working conditions and limited opportunities for professional growth.

“I loved serving in Nigeria, but the environment was discouraging. Better pay, access to modern equipment, and career advancement opportunities influenced my decision,” Abdulazeez said.

Similarly, a nurse who recently relocated to Canada, Mrs Rauda Bello, said many healthcare professionals were leaving the country in search of dignity, stability and improved welfare conditions.

“In Nigeria, healthcare workers often work under stressful conditions without adequate support. Abroad, there is respect for the profession and better welfare packages,” Bello said.

Health analysts warned that the continued migration of skilled professionals could further weaken Nigeria’s healthcare system, particularly in rural communities where access to qualified medical personnel and essential healthcare services remains limited.

Public health experts also stressed the need for policies aimed at retaining healthcare workers through improved welfare packages, better working conditions and stronger investment in medical training institutions across the country. (NAN)

INTERNATIONAL (NPA) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Australia for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in global efforts to combat neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and in improving the health of Indigenous communities.

Trachoma, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. Repeated infections can scar eyelids, turn eyelashes inward, and ultimately cause blindness if untreated. WHO Director‑General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Australia, saying the achievement reflects “sustained commitment, strong partnerships, and a focus on reaching populations most affected by health inequities.”

Australia’s achievement reflects decades of targeted public health action, particularly in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities where trachoma persisted despite its earlier disappearance from the rest of the country. Efforts intensified in 2006 with the launch of the National Trachoma Management Programme, which implemented WHO’s SAFE strategy — surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental improvement. Sustained screening, treatment, and prevention activities, alongside improvements in housing, water, sanitation, and hygiene, steadily reduced prevalence.

Health Minister Mark Butler hailed the milestone as “a win for the eye health of communities across Australia,” while Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy emphasized the leadership of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in achieving elimination.

Australia becomes the 63rd country globally and the 16th in the Western Pacific Region to eliminate at least one NTD. WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, commended Australia’s achievement and urged vigilance to maintain the status. WHO continues to support countries working toward the global target of eliminating trachoma by 2030.

Other countries validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem are: Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Togo, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam.

GENEVA, Switzerland (NPA) — Global efforts to combat viral hepatitis are delivering measurable progress in reducing infections and deaths, but the disease remains a major global health challenge, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report released at the World Hepatitis Summit in Geneva.

The report shows that Nigeria is among ten countries accounting for 69% of hepatitis B‑related deaths worldwide in 2024, alongside China, India, Ethiopia, and others. Nigeria also features among the top ten countries for hepatitis C‑related deaths. Despite global gains — including a 32% drop in new hepatitis B infections and a 12% fall in hepatitis C deaths since 2015 — the WHO warns that progress remains too slow to meet 2030 elimination targets.

WHO Director‑General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that eliminating hepatitis is achievable with sustained political commitment and financing, but noted that stigma, weak health systems, and inequitable access to care continue to leave millions undiagnosed and untreated. The report calls for stronger vaccination coverage, expanded treatment access, and improved harm‑reduction services, particularly in Africa, where Nigeria and other countries carry a disproportionate share of the global burden.

Updated WHO estimates indicate that 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection in 2024, with Africa accounting for the majority of new hepatitis B cases. Alarmingly, only 17% of newborns in the region received the hepatitis B birth‑dose vaccination, underscoring gaps in maternal and child health services. The report emphasizes that every untreated infection represents a preventable death, urging countries to integrate hepatitis services into primary care and scale up community outreach.

Despite these challenges, WHO highlighted success stories in countries such as Egypt, Georgia, Rwanda, and the United Kingdom, where strong political will and investment have delivered measurable progress. The report concludes that with existing tools — vaccines, antiviral therapies, and curative treatments — hepatitis elimination is possible, but only if countries like Nigeria accelerate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment efforts to meet the 2030 targets.