A major health crisis is unfolding in Ondo State as a suspected toxic alcohol outbreak has claimed the lives of 29 people across several communities in the Odigbo Local Government Area. The deadly spike has triggered an urgent, high-level federal and international intervention, with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) deployed to investigate the disaster. Out of 60 suspected cases recorded so far, the outbreak has registered a staggering 48.3% fatality rate. The vast majority of the victims are young to middle-aged males between the ages of 16 and 55. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Banji Awolowo Ajaka, disclosed the figures during a press briefing over the weekend. He revealed that while 29 individuals have succumbed to the suspected poisoning, three patients are currently hospitalised, and 27 others remain under strict medical observation. According to the Commissioner, the lethal cases were predominantly concentrated in specific hubs within the Odigbo area, including: New Town, Odole, Okele, Orita, Araromi Obu. A fresh suspected case has also emerged in the Oniparaga community, which health officials have quickly placed under active surveillance to prevent further spread. Faced with the rapidly rising body count, the Ondo State Government has activated a massive, coordinated emergency response. Led by the State Ministry of Health, the taskforce unites local government authorities, traditional rulers, and Nigeria’s top security and regulatory bodies. The Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), NAFDAC, and the NDLEA are working alongside the WHO to locate the source of the contaminated substance. “The response has included the deployment of the State Rapid Response Team to the affected communities, active and retrospective case finding, epidemiological investigation and line-listing, verbal autopsy of selected deceased persons, clinical management and referral of surviving patients,” Commissioner Ajaka stated. Authorities are treating the situation as a matter of urgent public safety, with security agencies tracking illicit alcohol supply chains in the state to prevent further casualties.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark global warning linking tobacco use to a massive surge in reproductive failure, revealing that smoking drastically reduces the chances of conceiving for both men and women. In a comprehensive knowledge summary published on its website, the global health agency stated that tobacco use is heavily tied to female infertility, severe sperm damage, and reduced success in medical fertility treatments. The warning comes at a critical time as the agency reveals that one in six people of reproductive age worldwide will experience infertility at some point in their lifetime. The WHO officially defines this crisis as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Data from a massive systematic review of global health studies conducted between 2000 and 2026 shows that women who currently smoke face a 40 per cent higher risk of infertility than non-smokers. However, the agency offered a strong glimmer of hope by highlighting evidence that quitting makes a significant difference. Women who had smoked in the past but successfully quit had a 25 per cent lower risk of infertility compared to those who continued to smoke. The agency stressed that reproductive struggles should not be viewed solely as a women’s health issue, pointing to devastating impacts on male anatomy. A recent review of 44 studies involving more than 60,000 men found that tobacco smoking was directly associated with reproductive dysfunction. According to the data, men who smoke are significantly more likely to experience erectile dysfunction and ejaculation problems. Furthermore, the habit leads to severe semen abnormalities, including a complete absence of sperm, poor sperm motility, and abnormally shaped sperm. The potential damage of tobacco use extends heavily into clinical settings for couples seeking medical intervention to conceive. Earlier research involving 21 studies found that cigarette smoking drastically reduces pregnancies and live births following assisted reproduction, revealing that the chances of successful IVF outcomes are roughly halved by smoking. The agency also warned that innocent bystanders face severe reproductive risks through passive exposure. Women who do not smoke themselves, but are regularly exposed to second-hand tobacco smoke, face a much higher risk of infertility and a lower chance of conceiving during each month they try. While the evidence remains strongest for traditional cigarettes, the WHO extended its warning to newer nicotine items like e-cigarettes, vapes, waterpipes, and smokeless tobacco. The agency recommended that healthcare providers consistently offer brief quitting advice to all tobacco users and actively counsel couples planning a pregnancy about these reproductive risks.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has revealed that Lassa fever infections in the country have climbed to 1,035, with the death toll now reaching 252. According to the latest epidemiological situation report released by the agency on Tuesday, 14 new confirmed cases were documented during Week 33 (August 10 to August 16). The new infections were recorded across Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, and Benue states. The NCDC highlighted a worrying surge in the severity of the outbreak. The national case fatality rate (CFR) has jumped to 24.4 per cent, representing a significant spike from the 18.6 per cent mortality rate recorded during the same period in 2025. The 14 new cases signal a sharp rebound from Week 32, which had seen a brief drop to just four cases across Ondo and Edo states. Prior to that, Week 31 had recorded 17 cases, indicating a highly volatile weekly transmission pattern. Geographically, the disease has spread to 23 states across 117 Local Government Areas. However, the outbreak remains heavily concentrated. Five states—Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, and Edo—account for a staggering 87 per cent of all cumulative infections nationwide. Demographic data from the NCDC shows that young adults aged 21 to 30 remain the most vulnerable demographic, dominating the infection charts in recent weeks. In a positive development, the NCDC confirmed that no new healthcare worker infections were reported in either Week 32 or Week 33. The agency assured the public that it is maintaining heightened surveillance and scaling up containment activities to tackle what remains a major national public health threat.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has issued a stark warning to the Oyo State Government regarding a critical manpower deficit and unresolved welfare grievances at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso. In a powerful show of solidarity with the local branch (ARD LAUTECH), the national body declared that the persistent neglect of doctors’ working conditions poses an immediate threat to specialist training, healthcare delivery, and patient safety across Ogbomoso, Oyo, Iseyin, and neighboring communities. According to a statement released by NARD to THENEWSCREDIT , a steady exodus of medical personnel has hit the institution in recent months. Resigning doctors and those completing their residency programs are reportedly not being replaced. The association highlighted a dangerous vacancy gap in vital specialties, revealing that critical departments such as Anaesthesia, Chemical Pathology, and Haematology are currently operating without a single resident doctor. Beyond the biting personnel shortage, NARD detailed a laundry list of unpaid financial entitlements fueling the frustration of its members. The doctors are demanding the immediate payment of outstanding minimum wage arrears, promotion and accoutrement allowance arrears, the implementation of the newly approved professional allowance, and the swift release of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF). The association further decried the dilapidated state of hospital infrastructure, demanding the urgent renovation of call rooms and on-call facilities. They also called for strict enforcement of standard work-hour regulations to halt excessive duty schedules and severe burnout among the remaining staff. Reflecting on the timeline of the dispute, NARD recalled that ARD LAUTECH had generously suspended its previous industrial action on June 27, 2026. This suspension provided an eight-week grace period designed to give state authorities ample time to resolve the friction points. While praising the local doctors for their immense restraint and uninterrupted service to the public, NARD cautioned the government against complacency. “Patience must not be mistaken for acceptance of prolonged neglect,” NARD stated. “These demands are legitimate welfare and workplace concerns, and their timely resolution is essential not only for the well-being of doctors but also for the sustainability and quality of healthcare delivery.” With the grace period and official ultimatum expiring today, August 28, 2026, NARD has strongly urged the Oyo State Government to initiate immediate, meaningful engagement with the resident doctors. The body warned that continued inaction will inevitably collapse specialist training and severely compromise healthcare delivery at the strategic tertiary facility.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered Nigerians to strictly inspect food labels before buying or eating packaged foods. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, issued this warning on Friday during the official launch of the "Read the Food Label Campaign" in Abuja. Prof. Adeyeye revealed that reckless consumption of foods packed with hidden sugars, salt, saturated fats, and trans fats is directly driving up lethal health conditions across Nigeria. These include:Hypertension, Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular diseases. The new safety campaign, built alongside key development partners, aims to rapidly boost nutrition literacy nationwide. NAFDAC insists that understanding ingredient lists must transition from an afterthought into an everyday, life-saving routine for all citizens. "The ability of consumers to understand, interpret, and apply information on food labels has never been more important," Prof. Adeyeye emphasized, noting that clear awareness will drastically slash the country`s heavy burden of preventable, diet-related illnesses.

The Oyo State Government has issued a strict seven-day ultimatum to families and next of kin to identify and claim bodies deposited in state-owned mortuaries, or face seeing them buried in a mass grave. The directive, aimed at decongesting overflowing public health facilities, was announced on Monday in a statement by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi. According to the Commissioner, a massive influx of unclaimed bodies has pushed public mortuaries to their maximum storage capacities. Many of these corpses were brought in by law enforcement and emergency response agencies over an extended period. "The corpses were brought to the facilities by the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigerian Correctional Service, and other relevant agencies," Ajetunmobi stated. "Over time, the bodies have remained unclaimed, resulting in severe congestion." With public health standards at risk, the government is urging citizens with missing relatives to immediately visit public hospital mortuaries across the state for verification. Final arrangements for the mass burial are already underway. The exercise will commence exactly one week from the date of the official announcement. Ajetunmobi emphasized that the window is a final opportunity for families to give their loved ones a proper, individual burial while ensuring state healthcare facilities can return to efficient operations.

As part of preparations for the state’s planned mass wedding, the Kano State Hisbah Board has announced that nearly 720 prospective couples have so far undergone medical screening across 24 local government areas. The figure forms part of the 3,000 prospective couples the state intends to marry soon in a state-sponsored mass wedding for the less privileged. THENEWSCREDIT recalls that the Hisbah Board, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health, has been mandated to conduct mandatory tests for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, genotype compatibility, drug use, pregnancy, and other sexually transmitted infections to ensure healthy unions. The Deputy Commander-General of the Board, Mujahideen Aminudddeen, confirmed the development in a statement, saying the exercise is ongoing, with couples from metropolitan local government areas scheduled to continue their screening on Wednesday at the Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KSACA) office along Naibawa. He explained that participants are expected to present copies of their registration forms at the venue, adding that couples from the remaining local government areas will be notified of their screening dates in due course. The mass wedding programme, revived under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, is designed to support widows, divorcees, orphans, and other less-privileged residents by covering marriage expenses and providing financial and household support.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has placed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and nine other states on heightened Ebola surveillance following the outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of the virus in parts of East and Central Africa. In a public health advisory issued to state Commissioners for Health, the agency warned that Nigeria remains at high risk of importing the virus due to increased regional transmission, cross-border movement, international travel, and porous borders. The advisory, dated May 27, 2026, identified Lagos, the FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa as high-risk areas because of their international airports, seaports, border corridors, and heavy human traffic. According to the NCDC, the current outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain presents a major concern because there is presently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the variant. “The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every state and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain, and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services,” the agency stated. Although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case, the NCDC disclosed that a recent risk assessment conducted after the outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern indicated that the threat of importation into the country remains significant. The agency revealed that Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo had already recorded over 1,000 suspected cases and hundreds of deaths linked to the outbreak, with a fatality rate estimated at 24.6 per cent. The outbreak has also raised global concern, with reports of suspected cases emerging in India, while Canada reportedly imposed temporary restrictions on certain travel applications involving residents from Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan. Uganda has equally introduced border control measures aimed at curbing the spread of the disease. Health authorities stressed that the Bundibugyo strain differs from the more common Zaire Ebola strain, which existing vaccines and antibody therapies primarily target. “The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak has no licensed vaccines or approved targeted therapeutics,” the advisory warned. The NCDC further cautioned healthcare workers against relying solely on visible bleeding as a sign of Ebola, noting that symptoms may initially resemble malaria, Lassa fever, or other common illnesses. “Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the agency advised. As part of its emergency response strategy, the NCDC said the National Emergency Operations Centre had already been activated in alert mode to coordinate nationwide preparedness efforts. State governments were directed to activate emergency preparedness structures, strengthen surveillance at entry points, identify isolation centres, equip frontline health workers with personal protective equipment, and intensify public awareness campaigns to prevent panic and misinformation. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has assured residents that no confirmed or suspected Ebola case has been detected in the state. The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said there was no cause for alarm, adding that Lagos remained on high alert due to its strategic position as Nigeria’s major entry point. According to him, the state’s bio-security and disease surveillance systems remain fully operational and capable of responding swiftly to any biological threat. “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,” Abayomi stated. He explained that the state’s preparedness system, first tested during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and later strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic, remains active in managing recurring public health threats such as cholera, diphtheria, and Lassa fever. Nigeria’s latest Ebola alert has revived memories of the country’s successful containment of the virus during the 2014 outbreak after an infected Liberian-American traveller, Patrick Sawyer, arrived in Lagos and exposed several people before authorities intervened. At the time, public health experts feared a major outbreak in Lagos due to its dense population and commercial significance. However, swift contact tracing, isolation protocols, emergency coordination, and aggressive public awareness campaigns helped contain the virus within months. The World Health Organisation later described Nigeria’s response as one of Africa’s most successful Ebola containment efforts. Health authorities are now urging Nigerians to remain calm, avoid misinformation, maintain proper hygiene practices, and promptly report any suspected symptoms as surveillance and emergency preparedness measures intensify across the country.

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, says it has stepped up surveillance and emergency response following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a confirmed imported case in Uganda. In a public health advisory signed by NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, the agency said it was closely monitoring developments in affected countries and coordinating preparedness efforts with the Port Health Services and other stakeholders. “Response activities are ongoing in affected areas, and we are ensuring continued vigilance within Nigeria’s public health system,” Idris said. Highlighting preparedness measures activated, Idris said NCDC had strengthened nationwide surveillance systems for Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases, while intensifying event-based monitoring and coordination with state health authorities. Other measures include enhancing laboratory and diagnostic readiness, strengthening infection prevention and control awareness in healthcare settings, and expanding community engagement and public risk communication. According to him, the agency was closely tracking global and regional developments to ensure a rapid response if the situation changed. THENEWSCREDIT reports that Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal viral infection transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or contaminated materials of infected persons or animals. The health agency further stated that the disease has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days.

The medical fraternity in Oyo State and across Nigeria is reeling from the sudden and shocking demise of Dr Sunday Oladeji, the Proprietor and Supervising Consultant at Mainsprings Hospital, Ogbomoso. Dr Oladeji passed away at approximately 3:00 AM after suddenly developing an acute health complication while in bed talking with his wife. Hospital sources confirmed he treated patients the previous day before complaining of fatigue. Immediate medical tests revealed no anomalies, normal blood pressure, and a clean bill of health before he was urged to rest. His body has been moved and deposited at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital mortuary. His untimely death at just 46 years old leaves a massive deficit in rural healthcare delivery for the Ogbomoso region. Colleagues, patients, and loved ones have expressed profound grief, lamenting the premature loss of a deeply committed healthcare professional. He is widely celebrated for his unparalleled dedication to community health and patient care in Oyo State.