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The House of Representatives has directed 11 airline operators to refund the sum of N3,451,076,527 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) within 21 days. The resolution was contained in the report of the House Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Honourable Bamidele Salam on the ‘alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds to MDAs of government from 2020 to 2022’ passed by the House on Thursday, October 10, 2024. From the report submitted to the Committee by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (oAuGF), the operators were part of the 92 beneficiary institutions that got allocations from the total sum of N1,323,754,296,732.77 COVID-19 intervention funds.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) recorded a rise in Lassa fever cases in week 39 of 2024, with Ondo and Edo states reporting nine new confirmed cases. The NCDC stated this on its official website, based on latest Lassa Fever Situation Report. The agency said that this marked an increase from four cases reported in previous week, raising the total number of infection and deaths in the year to alarming levels.
The NCDC revealed that “the country is witnessing a surge in Lassa fever cases, with the total number of infections in 2024 rising to 1,018 across 28 states.

The Federal government has announced the commencement of zero Value Added Tax (VAT) on pharmaceutical products and medical devices to reduce drug prices in the country. This was contained in a statement signed by the Head of Information in the Federal Ministry of Health, Alaba. R. Balogun reveals that the Executive Order on harmonized implementation framework has been cleared to be gazetted.

Over 10 persons have died in fresh outbreak of cholera in Ebonyi State. The deaths were recorded in Ndibokote village in Ezza-Inyimagu, Agbaja Autonomous Community, Izzi local government area. Commissioner for Health Moses Ekuma made this disclosure on Thursday. Ekuma also revealed that over 20 other persons from the area have been hospitalised for suspected cholera infection. He said infected persons were rushed to three hospitals in the area by the State Government in collaboration with the Local Government and health partners. The hospitals include: Sudan United Mission Hospital, Onuenyim Agbaja; Sudan United Mission Hospital Izziogo and Izziogo Health Centre.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed substandard products, including counterfeit drugs and medical devices, valued at ₦43 billion in Ibadan, Oyo State. The destruction took place on Thursday, September 19, at the Moniya dump site in Akinyele Local Government Area, in the presence of security agencies, representatives from the Oyo State government, and other stakeholders.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has given the approval of the MVA-BN vaccine as the first vaccine against monkey pox to be added to its prequalification list. The prequalification approval was made known on the WHO website this afternoon, noting that the vaccine is expected to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak of the disease.