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In July, Nigeria’s public health landscape was shaped by a wave of urgent alerts, government interventions, and fresh initiatives. From cholera warnings and renewed investments in primary healthcare to the expansion of neonatal insurance and rising climate-related health risks, the month highlighted both the country’s persistent challenges and its ongoing efforts to strengthen health systems.
Here’s a look at some of the most important health stories in July
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Over 80,000 children at risk as cholera spreads in West, Central Africa — UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that more than 80,000 children are at high risk of contracting cholera as the rainy season intensifies across West and Central Africa.
In a new report, the UN agency said the heightened risk is being driven by ongoing cholera outbreaks in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), raising the likelihood of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries.
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Other countries such as Chad, the Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo are also dealing with active epidemics.
Meanwhile, Niger, Liberia, Benin, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon remain under close watch due to their vulnerability to infection.
FG disburses N20 billion to over 4,000 PHCs in Northern Nigeria
The federal government disbursed over N20 billion to support 4,362 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in the last two years.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, explained that 274 projects have been executed across 35 tertiary hospitals in northern Nigeria, serving over 4.5 million outpatients and 1.6 million inpatients.
The minister noted that the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration to improving national health outcomes is being matched with action, with the provision of health infrastructure across all levels of healthcare delivery nationwide.
NHIA to expand health insurance to newborns, partners with neonatal experts
In July, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) announced plans to expand healthcare access for newborns by incorporating neonatal care into its flagship Financing Access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmOC) programme.
The Director-General of NHIA, Kelechi Ohiri, said the maternal health component of the programme, launched nearly a year ago, had already delivered life-saving interventions to over 6,000 vulnerable women with obstetric complications nationwide.
He said building on this progress, the scheme is now shifting focus to the often-overlooked neonatal population.
Nurses, doctors strike cripple services in public hospitals
Health services in many Nigerian public hospitals were disrupted as nurses under the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) had a nationwide seven-day warning strike.
The industrial action, which followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, left patients struggling to access health care.
In Lagos, the situation was further compounded by a separate three-day warning strike by doctors under the Medical Guild, protesting salary deductions.
Visits to public health facilities in Abuja and Lagos by our reporters showed disruptions in service delivery, with many outpatient units shut. Patients were turned away in some hospitals, while others had their appointments cancelled or rescheduled.
Experts suggest how to fix Nigeria’s primary healthcare crisis
In July, health experts, policymakers, and private innovators renewed calls for local investment and intentional digital innovation to address Nigeria’s long-standing primary healthcare crisis.
The experts made the call at the third edition of the Insights Learning Forum (ILF) in Abuja.
The event, themed “Local Investments for Connected Communities: The Power of Digital Health Networks in Public Health Transformation,” captured the cross-sector consensus that meaningful change must begin at the local level and be driven by Nigerians.
NCDC warns on cholera, yellow fever, dengue fever
As Nigeria’s flood season intensifies, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) issued a nationwide health alert over the rising threat of waterborne and vector-borne diseases.
The agency warned of a surge in cholera, yellow fever and dengue fever cases, especially in states already experiencing floods and heavy rainfall.
The alert follows a recent impact-based weather forecast from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified Sokoto, Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe and several other states as facing heightened risk of flooding throughout July.
US senators move to exempt global HIV/AIDS funding from Trump spending cuts
The United States Senate moved to exempt the global anti-AIDS programme, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), from major foreign aid cuts proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration.
This development offers hope to millions of people living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria and other developing countries.
The decision follows pressure from key Republican senators who resisted a White House-backed plan to slash $400 million from PEPFAR.
First launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush, the government says PEPFAR has provided life-saving antiretroviral treatment and healthcare support to more than 25 million people worldwide.
FCT targets 983,497 children for 2025 malaria campaign
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) aims to reach 983,497 children in 2025 with Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), a preventive intervention against malaria for children under five.
The State Project Manager of the Philanthropic Funding Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (PF SMC) in the FCT, Olutomi Sodipo, disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja.
Ms Sodipo said the intervention targeted children aged three to 59 months, those most vulnerable due to weaker immune systems.
Africa CDC launches framework to combat health impact of climate change
The Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched a strategic framework to address the health impacts of climate change.
The Director-General of the Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, described climate change as one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time. He spoke during the official launch of the framework.
Mr Kaseya said climate change is already wreaking havoc across Africa, driving extreme weather events, shifting disease patterns, food insecurity, and waterborne illnesses.
According to him, a review of over 2,000 public health events on the continent between 2001 and 2021 reveals that 56 per cent were linked to climate change,
30m Nigerians on treatment for NTDs – Official
The federal government announced major progress in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), with approximately 30 million Nigerians receiving ivermectin treatment for Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) and Lymphatic Filariasis.
The Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW), Godwin Ntadom, said that through collective efforts, Nigeria continues to record steady progress in the fight against Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis.
Mr Ntadom noted that transmission of Lymphatic Filariasis has been interrupted in 379 LGAs while the Onchocerciasis Elimination Programme has halted disease transmission in nine states and completely eliminated the disease in two.
Private medical practitioners attend to over 70% of Nigerian patients – Group
The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) said that private medical practitioners currently attend to about 70 to 80 per cent of Nigerian patients.
The President of the association, Kay Adesola, said private medical doctors are committed to enhancing the treatment of emergency cases nationwide, aiming to significantly reduce fatalities during critical health situations.
He emphasised the association’s desire to manage all emergencies, highlighting private medical facilities as the primary “round-the-clock life-saving” entities within the health sector.
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