The reporter had to be introduced as an NGO worker helping children and women, to get her to agree to a meeting. Even then, she extracted a promise that she would be given “something” before she settled down for a chat. She looked cheerful but shy and carried her lean frame gingerly as if afraid she might fall down any minute.

Worried by the recent reports of the demise of Corps Members due to preventable or curable illnesses, the Federal Government has resolved to capture Corps members in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The Minister of Health, Dr. Isaac Adewole made this known on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting.

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health, has launched a campaign to ban smoking in 9 public places across the country. Ministry of Health in a communiqué issued yesterday said according to Section 9 of the Nigeria Tobacco Control Act 2015, once convicted, offenders are liable to a fine of at least N50, 000 and/or six months’ imprisonment.

HIV

Nigeria has initiated a number of strategies for the elimination of  Mother to Child Transmission  of HIV by 2020, Dr Sunday Aboje, National Coordinator, National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), Ministry of Health said.

A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Unitaid has commenced distribution of the generic version of the most advanced and effective antiretroviral drug known as Dolutegravir (DTG) in Kenya. The head of the Organization in West Africa, Robert Matiru stated that the choice of Kenya was informed by the worrisome spread of the virus in the country stressing over 25 million Kenyans currently have the disease and are battling for survival.

Scientists the world over have continued their quest for cure and ways to prevent terminal diseases including cancer.  As part of event to mark the 2017 World Blood Donor Day in Abuja on Thursday, the Laboratory Blood Safety Programme Manager, Institute of Human Virology, Abdullahi Abubakar has disclosed that blood donation lowers the risk of cancer and heart attack.