Mental disorders now No.1 cause of disability worldwide, says The Lancet

By Admin

Mental illness has officially become the world's leading cause of disability, surpassing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and musculoskeletal conditions. 

 According to the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, more than 1.17 billion people—roughly one in seven people on Earth—were living with a mental health condition in 2023. Since 1990, the global burden of these disorders has surged by over 95.5 percent.

Anxiety and major depression are leading the quiet epidemic, which erodes quality of life over years and decades rather than claiming lives immediately.

The study, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in collaboration with partners at the University of Queensland and published in The Lancet, identified that mental disorders disproportionately impact people aged 15–19 and women. 

It examined the prevalence and burden of mental disorders across both sexes, 25 age groups, 21 regions, and 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023, making it the most comprehensive analysis of mental disorder burden to date.

The study assessed 12 mental disorders, with anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder (MDD) ranking 11th and 15th, respectively, in burden among 304 diseases and injuries worldwide. 

Mental disorders burden increased in every region of the world between 1990 and 2023.

In 2023, mental disorders accounted for 171 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally, placing these conditions as the fifth-leading cause of total disease burden.

 DALYs are a measure of overall health loss, combining years lived with disability and years of life lost due to premature death.

 Mental disorders accounted for more than 17 percent of all years lived with disability worldwide. This reflects the substantial and growing impact of mental disorders across populations. 

Recent increases have been driven largely by anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder. 

Since 2019, the age-standardized prevalence of major depressive disorder has risen by about 24  percent, while anxiety disorders have increased by more than 47 percent, both conditions peaking in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rise in mental disorders is a global phenomenon fueled by social isolation, economic insecurity, pandemic aftereffects, and modern stressors. 

As health systems struggle to expand services proportionally, researchers warn that society can no longer ignore the immense toll of these non-fatal but deeply debilitating conditions.

Experimental skin patch holds promise of skin cancer therapy

 By Admin

Researchers have developed a heat-activated skin patch that could offer a new, noninvasive way to treat melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.

The experimental treatment, described in the journal ACS Nano, uses a soft, stretchable patch that works much like a bandage. Once gently heated with a low-power laser, the patch releases copper ions designed to destroy melanoma cells beneath the skin while leaving surrounding healthy tissue largely unharmed.

Melanoma is usually treated through surgery because the cancer forms in the outer and middle layers of the skin. However, removing tumours without affecting nearby tissue can be difficult, especially when the cancer has started spreading.

A team of researchers led by Xin Li, Shi Chen, Meijia Gu and Ruquan Ye explored whether advances in nanotechnology could provide a safer and more targeted treatment option.

The scientists built the patch using laser-induced graphene, a porous carbon material created through laser etching. The tiny pores were filled with copper(II) oxide and then embedded into a flexible silicone polymer, producing a patch that is breathable, soft and chemically inactive until activated by heat.

According to the researchers, warming the patch to about 42 degrees Celsius, or 108 degrees Fahrenheit, causes it to release copper ions. These ions interact with the DNA of cancer cells and trigger oxidative stress, effectively killing the cells. 

The process is also believed to stimulate an immune response that could help prevent metastasis, the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.

Laboratory tests on cultured melanoma cells produced encouraging results. After the patch was activated with a low-power laser, most of the melanoma cells beneath it were destroyed, while the movement of surviving cancer cells slowed significantly.

The researchers then carried out a preliminary 10-day study using mice with melanoma. Patches were applied to the animals and activated with a laser on the first and fifth days of treatment.

By the end of the study, melanoma lesions had been reduced by 97 percent. Tissue analysis also showed that the cancer cells had not spread beyond the tumour area. Importantly, the researchers found no evidence that copper ions had accumulated in the animals’ blood or major organs, easing concerns about possible toxicity.

The research team said the findings suggest the technology could eventually become a safe, targeted and reusable treatment option for melanoma patients.

Although the results are still at an early stage and human trials have not yet begun, the researchers believe the patch could represent a significant step toward less invasive skin cancer therapies in the future.

Lagos tightens surveillance as Ebola spreads

 

By Admin

There is no immediate threat of Ebola in Lagos state in the wake of the ongoing outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this in a statement, said Lagos remains on high alert and has activated its biosecurity and emergency response systems to detect and contain any possible outbreak.

 Abayomi said that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case has been recorded in Lagos State, even as the DRC is experiencing its 17th Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus.

He explained that the outbreak, which has so far claimed about 177 lives from nearly 700 suspected cases, is currently limited to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern due to the difficult conditions affecting containment efforts in the impacted regions.

“The Lagos Biosecurity Bio-shield was built to protect and remains ready to respond to biological shocks. Preparedness for us is not a temporary reaction; it is a permanent culture embedded within our health system. The State's preparedness framework was first rigorously tested during the Ebola outbreak and significantly strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains actively engaged in responding to recurrent public health challenges, such as Cholera, Diphtheria and Lassa Fever outbreaks", Abayomi said.

The commissioner explained that Lagos strengthened its disease response capacity after the 2014 Ebola outbreak and further improved its systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that the state continues to maintain active surveillance against infectious diseases including Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria.

Abayomi said the Lagos State Incident Command System, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, remains fully operational to coordinate rapid emergency response efforts.

He also disclosed that the Lagos State Emergency Operations Centre is working round the clock through a network of epidemiologists and disease surveillance officers monitoring public health developments in real time.

The Lagos State Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba has also maintained preparedness through isolation facilities, intensive care units and infectious disease specialists, while the Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory and Biobank Facility within the hospital continues enhanced surveillance and testing operations for high-risk pathogens.

The commissioner said the state government is collaborating with Port Health Services, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and other agencies to strengthen monitoring at airports, land borders and seaports.

He added that passengers arriving from East and Central African countries are currently undergoing heightened health screening and surveillance.

Further, he said community health workers, community development associations and civil society groups have also been integrated into the state’s disease surveillance network to support early detection and reporting.

Emergency medical supplies including personal protective equipment, gloves and sanitizers have been strategically stocked across the state, while ambulance services remain on standby for rapid deployment. he noted.

“Our focus remains firmly on prevention, early detection, prompt reporting and swift multi-sectoral response. Lagos remains vigilant, organized and safe,” he said.

The state government advised residents, especially those returning from Congo or Uganda or those who recently had close contact with travelers from the affected countries, to seek medical guidance if they develop any symptoms or health concerns.

Residents were encouraged to contact emergency numbers 767 or 112, or reach the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health on 08023169485 for assistance or information.

Commonwealth names Nigeria top country progressing in cervical cancer elimination

L-R: Chair, Commonwealth International Cervical Cancer Taskforce, Dr Miriam Mutebi; Ms Sofiat Akinola, Director, Health Policy & External Affairs, Roche Diagnostics; Health Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat, Dr Janneth Mghamba; Acting Senior Director, Social Development Youth and Gender Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat, Jennifer Namgyal; Chair of the CHCF,  Leslie Ramsammy, former Guyana Minister of Health and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN Office in Geneva, during the launch of a new “Compendium of Case Studies on Cervical Cancer Elimination” by the Commonwealth Secretariat at the inaugural Commonwealth Health Coordination Forum that held in Geneva, Switzerland.

By Admin

Nigeria’s efforts to reduce cervical cancer cases have drawn attention at the Commonwealth level, with the country listed among 12 member nations making progress in vaccination, screening and treatment.

Nigeria was singled out for her nationwide rollout of the single dose HPV vaccine campaign introduced in October 2023 under the leadership of First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu. Officials at the meeting said nearly 17 million girls had been vaccinated by early 2026.

The recognition came during the launch of a new “Compendium of Case Studies on Cervical Cancer Elimination” by the Commonwealth Secretariat at the inaugural Commonwealth Health Coordination Forum that held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The activity was held ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) under the theme “Shaping the Future of Cancer Across the Commonwealth”.

The new report, produced with support from member states and Roche Diagnostics, was presented before health ministers, policy experts and development partners concerned about the growing burden of cervical cancer across Commonwealth countries.

Across much of the developing world, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths among women, largely because many cases are detected late and access to screening remains limited.

Discussions at the forum focused heavily on financing. Countries shared concerns over shrinking donor support and rising healthcare costs, while calling for stronger domestic funding mechanisms to sustain cancer prevention and treatment.

During a session on cancer financing co-chaired by the Director General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Aliyu Malami, who represented the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, participants argued that cancer services must remain part of Universal Health Coverage despite economic pressures facing health systems.

Alongside the report, the Secretariat also introduced a Cervical Cancer Advocacy Toolkit aimed at helping First Ladies and spouses of Heads of Government drive awareness campaigns in their countries.

In a message contained in the foreword, Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Botchwey said women’s health should occupy a more central place in public policy discussions across member states.

"First Ladies have a unique capacity to mobilise public attention, influence national dialogue, and inspire action on issues of profound social importance,” she said.

“This toolkit has been developed to support First Ladies, Spouses and partners of Heads of Government in leading informed, strategic, and impactful advocacy for cervical cancer elimination across Commonwealth countries.”

She said by placing women's health, equity, and dignity at the centre of national priorities, progress can be accelerated towards a future where no woman dies from a preventable disease.

Former Guyana Minister of Health and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Leslie Ramsammy, who chaired  the forum,  said: "Our purpose today is to identify where Commonwealth co-operation can add practical value. This includes strengthening national cancer control plans, improving early detection and diagnosis, expanding access to treatment and palliative care, and improving data systems for better planning and accountability."

In the view of the Assistant Director-General, Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care, World Health Organisation, Dr Jeremy Farrar, "We need to address cancer initiatives in a continuum, by examining three strategic areas: promotion, prevention and treatment.

“The best way of connecting is to make sure that our health systems work for everybody in an equitable and accessible way. We have to reconnect our politics and our policies with communities and health.  This health forum could help us push that forward."

Discussions on cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and care were informed by the findings of the Lancet Oncology Commission on Cancer in the Commonwealth.

Chairman of the forum and former Guyanese Health Minister, Leslie Ramsammy, said the Commonwealth must focus less on broad declarations and more on practical support in areas such as diagnosis, treatment access, palliative care and health data systems.

Also speaking, Jeremy Farrar of the World Health Organisation said stronger health systems are essential if cancer prevention programmes are to succeed.

He said prevention, screening and treatment must work together rather than operate separately.

Countries highlighted for notable interventions included Australia, which combined HPV vaccination with organised screening and self collection methods, and Bangladesh, which carried out a large scale HPV vaccination campaign backed by digital tracking systems.

Kenya was recognised for using multi sector partnerships to implement its national cancer strategy, while Zambia was cited for integrating cervical cancer screening into HIV care services through a single visit screen and treat approach.

In a recorded message to delegates, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali urged deeper collaboration across the Commonwealth, saying no country could eliminate cervical cancer alone.

Recommendations from the forum are expected to feed into future Commonwealth health meetings as member states pursue the long term target of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat by 2050.

100,000 zero-dose children vaccinated in Lagos

 

By Admin

More than 100,000 previously unreached children have now been identified and vaccinated under a targeted campaign aimed at reducing the growing burden of zero dose children in Lagos State.

The campaign, known as the Better Opportunities for Optimised Targeted Intervention (BOOST) project for Zero-Dose and Unimmunised Children in Nigeria, is being implemented in Lagos by Save The Children International, Nigeria, in collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCB), with support from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

The intervention is focusing on hard-to-reach communities in Ikorodu and Alimosho Local Government Areas.

Speaking during a courtesy call to the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State PHCB, Dr. Ibrahim Mustapha, the Chief of Party for the Immunisation Programme at Save The Children International, Dr. Olatunde Adesoro, said, “Lagos accounts for the largest share in absolute numbers because of its huge population and expanding informal settlements.

"In Lagos, particularly in Alimosho and Ikorodu local governments where we are working, we are targeting about 140,000 zero dose children," Adesoro said.

"Out of that target, our last count showed we had already reached over 100,000 children, that means we are on track."

Adesoro said many of the children are concentrated in migrant settlements, riverine areas, slums and densely populated informal communities where access to healthcare services remains poor.

"They are in migrant communities, hard to reach communities, informal settlements and slums."

Further, he said a major breakthrough of the project is the deliberate mapping of neglected communities and the use of outreach services to take vaccines directly to families unable to access health facilities because of distance or economic hardship.

"The first thing we did was identify where these zero dose children are and work with community people to reach them and ensure immunisation services get to them.  

“One of the things we do is take services directly to them because many of them find it difficult to come to facilities," Adesoro said.

He emphasised that reducing the number of unreached children was critical to preventing future disease outbreaks in Lagos and across Nigeria.

"The risk is not just for them, it is also for the community as a whole," he noted.The current intervention is being used as a pilot model that could eventually be scaled up by the Lagos State Government across other local government areas.

Midwife investment is non-negotiable for mother, child survival -- NANNM

 By Admin

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the 2026 International Day of the Midwife with the theme “One Million More Midwives”, key health stakeholders have demanded for increased investment in the training, retention and welfare of midwives, warning that the country cannot reduce maternal and newborn deaths without rapidly expanding its skilled birth workforce.

Making the call in Lagos during a symposium organised by the Directorate of Nursing Services, Lagos State Ministry of Health, the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Comrade Christiana Adeboboye, decried the shortage of midwives, saying it has become a major threat to safe pregnancy, safe delivery and postnatal care.

Adeboboye, who said midwives remain central to maternal and child survival, called for greater investment in midwifery education, improved infrastructure and stronger welfare packages to make the profession more attractive.

“We are short of midwives, we need more midwives because they are critical to safe pregnancy, safe delivery, and the postpartum period. This is why we are advocating, locally and globally, for greater investment in midwifery. 

“We need more midwifery colleges, and more training institutions. We need to produce more midwives at university level and at every level where midwives can be trained. We are advocating for more midwives, better empowerment for midwives, and better infrastructure,” she said. 

Adeboboye argued that achieving the maternal and child health targets under the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 would require stronger partnerships between government, professional bodies and development partners.

On the challenge of brain drain, she called for urgent expansion of training opportunities through more midwifery colleges and increased production of midwives at both university and professional levels, focusing on retaining those already in the system.

“When we train people, we are not training them to leave, although it is a free world and people can go wherever they choose, but there must be retention strategies that make them feel they can stay and contribute to their country.

“Midwives are specialists, yet there is no specialist allowance for them. If specialists are paid according to their expertise, then midwives should also be properly compensated for the specialised work they do.

“Midwives working in rural and riverine communities should have access to good housing, accommodation, and transportation. We have communities behind the waterways, and people there still need skilled birth attendants. We must think beyond incentives. We must create conditions that attract, retain, and encourage midwives,” she said.

The Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ismail Abdulsalam, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Oladipo Oluwaloni, the call for one million more midwives could not have come at a better time.

“Nigeria, as one of Africa’s most populous countries, still faces a high maternal mortality rate. The Federal Government and Lagos State Government are making efforts to reduce this. Lagos State has been proactive over the years through maternal and child health centres across the state, as well as through the general hospitals. We also advocate greater investment in the education and training of more midwives.

“The Governor of Lagos State, together with the Ministry of Health and the House of Assembly, has approved the Lagos State University of Medicine and Health Sciences, aimed at producing more doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals.

 “The Lagos State government is also trying to encourage workers. Recently, the Governor approved a ₦50,000 wage award for civil servants, but beyond remuneration, we must also provide an enabling environment for midwives to work.

“We want to reduce maternal mortality, perinatal mortality, infant mortality, and deaths related to childbirth; we also need stronger public-private partnerships. Through corporate social responsibility, the private sector can support government efforts because the government cannot do everything.

The Policy and Advocacy Coordinator on the BOOST Project with Save the Children International, Dr. Itunu Dave-Agboola, remarked that Lagos State was reducing maternal and child mortality over the years.

“But there is still much more to do. We continue to experience serious brain drain in the health sector, and we appeal to the government to do more to attract and retain skilled professionals. Inadequate human resources make the work overwhelming for nurses and midwives. They are overworked and under pressure,” she said.

Urging government to take stronger action against quackery she lamented that quacks continue to deceive mothers and families, and lives are being lost because of it.

“We appeal for increased domestic resource mobilization for routine immunisation and maternal and child health. Many children are still dying from preventable diseases, especially in hard-to-reach and riverine communities, we must ensure that they too have access to quality healthcare services,” she said. 

Nigeria targets breakthrough therapies in push for medicine security

By Sola Charles 

Nigeria has launched a new push to expand access to advanced medical treatments positioning gene therapy and other frontier technologies as central to the country’s long-term medicine security strategy.

Outlining the development in Abuja during a high-level engagement involving the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, global non-profit Caring Cross, and key research and industry partners, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said Nigeria is moving deliberately to close the gap between scientific discovery and patient access, particularly in areas where life-saving treatments remain out of reach for many.

Salako said the Tinubu led administration is prioritising health innovation as part of its broader efforts to strengthen national resilience, drive local production, and reduce dependence on external supply chains.

At the centre of the discussions was the potential introduction of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, an advanced form of treatment showing promise in managing conditions such as sickle cell disease and certain blood cancers.

While widely explored in other regions, CAR-T therapy remains largely inaccessible across Africa, and changing this reality requires deliberate investment in research, partnerships, and the systems needed to translate innovation into real-world care.

“Our goal is clear, to ensure that breakthroughs in science are not distant concepts, but accessible solutions for Nigerians,” he said.

The engagement also highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing pharmaceutical and research reforms, anchored by the Presidential Initiative on Vaccine and Biologicals Production (PVAC), aimed at strengthening local manufacturing, expanding vaccine and biological production, and building a more coordinated innovation ecosystem.

The Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom  represented by the Director, Health Planning, Research & Statistics, described the meeting as a convergence of science, policy, and opportunity.

Kaxhollom noted that emerging fields such as gene therapy and regenerative medicine are redefining modern healthcare and present an important opportunity for Nigeria to leapfrog traditional limitations in access to treatment.

 “Partnerships like this are critical to ensuring that innovation translates into sustainable improvements in our health system,” she said.

Caring Cross CEO, Dr. Boro Dropulic, highlighted the organisation’s work in expanding access to cellular and gene therapies globally, with a focus on affordability and scalability in low- and middle-income countries. 

He pointed to the rising burden of genetic and blood-related diseases in Nigeria, particularly among children, as a compelling case for accelerating access to next-generation treatments.

The Director-General of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NOPRID),  Dr. Obi Adigwe, outlined steps already taken to position Nigeria as a leader in pharmaceutical research and development on the continent.

 These include securing major international research funding, strengthening regional collaboration, and advancing infrastructure for local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Asigwe noted that Nigeria is increasingly adopting a coordinated, multi-sector approach that brings together government institutions, research bodies, and global partners to drive innovation at scale.