Category: Health

Understanding blood types and genotypes is crucial for emergencies, such as blood transfusions during accidents. However, knowing one’s genotype, particularly before marriage, is equally important to avoid having children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).   Blood genotypes determine an individual’s blood type, which is inherited from our parents and remains constant throughout our lives. The four main blood types are A, B, AB, and O, classified based on the presence of antigens on red blood cells. Additionally, the Rh factor can be present (Rh-positive) or absent (Rh-negative), further defining blood…

In the light of the reports of recent cholera outbreak in Lagos and Ogun States, the Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria (SoTLAN) has called on the government to commission Public Analysts to carry out comprehensive water quality testing in the affected areas.   The outbreak has already resulted in cases of death which can be attributed to inadequate public awareness of the remote and immediate causes, as well as the preventive measures, highlighting the critical need for immediate action to safeguard public health.   “But it is only…

As efforts to integrate human immunodeficiency virus with non-communicable diseases to enhance health outcomes continue to gain traction, leading medical researchers met at the 2024 HLB-SIMPle Annual conference in Gaborone, Botswana (28th-30th May 2024), where all the 6 study sites in the 6 different countries in Africa, namely, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana presented updates of their ongoing studies.   HLB-SIMPLe is an acronym derived from Heart, Lung, and Blood Co-morbiditieS IMplementation Models in People Living with HIV, and it is an alliance made up of researchers…

Did you also come across the trending video on how to protect yourself from prostate cancer as a man? I doubt you would be surprised why this is only about men. Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that develops on the prostate gland, which is a part of the male reproductive system, so they’re unique to men.   There are three different types of prostate cancer: 1. Adenocarcinoma; 2. Small cell carcinoma; 3. Sarcomas, neuroendocrine tumours, and transitional cell carcinomas.   Back to the medical practitioner, identified as Dr.…

The National Youth Service Corps has said that it would continue to deploy all resources at its disposal to compliment Federal Government’s efforts towards achieving universal health coverage as part of its social welfare programmes. The Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General YD Ahmed stated this while flagging off the nationwide first quarter 2024 of Special Health Initiative For Rural Dwellers (HIRD) programme held at Sarki-Gosa Community in Abuja.   He said the HIRD is a platform on which the NYSC caters for the health needs of the rural dwellers,…

Cameroon launched the world’s first routine vaccine programme against malaria on Monday. It is one of 20 African countries planning to introduce the drug this year, according to global vaccine alliance Gavi. Here are some key facts. The RTS,S malaria vaccine, developed by British pharmaceutical GSK, opens new lab and sold under the brand name Mosquirix, was backed by the World Health Organisation in July 2022. It underwent trials in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. It acts against P. falciparum, the deadliest strain of malaria spread by anopheles mosquitoes, and the…