Health News Of The Week

Women Health Workers Deliver Care To 5 billion People Globally
Pathfinder, a global nonprofit organisation, reports that women health workers, predominantly as nurses, midwives, and community health workers, serve around five billion people globally. This contributes about $3 trillion annually to global health, Dr. Tabinda Sarosh and Dr. Amina Dorayi from Pathfinder highlighted during World Health Worker Week 2024 in an Op Ed.

NGO raises alarm over modern contraceptives neglect in Nigeria
The Hacey Health Initiative reports that 43% of adolescent girls in Nigeria lack access to modern contraceptives, contributing to over 190,000 new HIV infections among girls aged 10-19 in 2019. Executive Director Rhoda Robinson urged government support for sexual and reproductive health rights, rallying Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to collaborate for sustained interventions. A stakeholder meeting in Akure focused on addressing high rates of early pregnancies among adolescents through the program "Building Movements to Sustain Sexual and Reproductive Health and Right Interventions.” 

Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Collaborates DKT International To Improve Reproductive Health
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in partnership with DKT International, initiated a training on Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARC) at Grand Cubana Hotel, Abuja. Dr. Binyerem Ukaire, Director of Reproductive Health Division, stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to address family planning needs. Emphasizing the significance of the new contraceptives, she urged participants to share their knowledge effectively to support Nigeria's health and development goals amidst projected population growth.

Vaccine: Gavi announces $250m grant to Nigeria as Tinubu urges greater collaboration with organization
President Bola Tinubu has urged Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to partner with Nigerian vaccine manufacturers for fair access to vaccines. During their meeting, Gavi's CEO, Ms. Nishtar highlighted Gavi's pledge of  $250 million grant to Nigeria. Additionally, she laid emphasis on aims to tackle vaccine inequality in Africa through various initiatives.

Unpacking artificial intelligence in sexual and reproductive health and rights; New brief considers risks and opportunities.
A new WHO and Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) brief examines AI's role in sexual and reproductive health, assessing its potential benefits and risks. Dr. Pascale Allotey underscores AI's transformative impact and emphasizes cautious implementation, recognizing it as a tool rather than a solution. He explain that AI offers the opportunity to enhance accessibility to sexual and reproductive services and information, provided awareness of potential dangers and careful implementation.