As Valentine’s Day approaches, health officials are urging the public, particularly young people, to prioritize safe sex practices, including condom use, to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Data from the Ghana AIDS Commission reveals a concerning statistic: approximately 50 new HIV infections are recorded daily in Ghana. As of December 2023, 334,095 people in the country were living with HIV.
Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager of the National AIDS Control Programme at the Ghana Health Service, emphasized the importance of protection. He advised that those who choose to use condoms do so correctly, consistently, and continuously for optimal effectiveness. He also cautioned against misusing condoms and stressed that abstinence remains the safest option.
“For the youth out there, abstinence is key, and that is the safest way to save yourselves from sexually transmitted infections, from HIV in particular, from unwanted pregnancies and all the associated complications of fertility,” Dr. Ayisi Addo stated. While acknowledging the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), he reiterated that condoms provide a crucial physical barrier against infection.
The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) has ramped up its condom promotion and distribution efforts, particularly around festive occasions like Valentine’s Day. “In the past, we have had challenges with condom supply, but I’m happy to announce that this year we have a lot of condoms and as part of the promotion and activation programme, we have taken stock of over 20 million condoms,” Dr. Ayisi Addo announced. The goal is to increase distribution from five million to approximately 15 million condoms this year.
Dr. Ayisi Addo recognized the social pressures young people face, especially during celebrations like Valentine’s Day. “The frenzy around Valentine’s Day and the celebrations create an amiable environment for this. Creating an alternative such as promoting chocolates, among others, would still be pleasant and fulfilling, just like the Romans do,” he suggested.
The NACP is collaborating with civil society groups and partners to intensify its efforts. “We are going to take advantage again of all events, including Valentine’s Day come Friday. Because this is an occasion where people rebel, there’s a lot of romantic activity and sex has to be definite,” Dr. Ayisi Addo explained. “A lot of risky, unprotected sex opens the door to unwanted consequences. It is our responsibility to protect the community and Ghanaians from HIV to reduce the new infections.”
Dr. Ayisi Addo called for increased partnerships to achieve a significant reduction in new HIV infections and reach epidemic control by 2030.

By Mercy Okpe

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has taken decisive action against the proliferation of counterfeit medicines in Nigeria.

As part of a nationwide operation, NAFDAC officials sealed several major open drugs markets, including the popular Idumota market in Lagos.

The operation, which commenced on Sunday night, aimed to combat the widespread distribution of fake and ineffective medications. NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, emphasized the critical need for this operation, stating, “The essence of the operation is to ensure that when we take medicines, they work.”

Prof. Adeyeye highlighted the alarming rate of unwholesome products in the market, noting that over 50,000 shops operate in open markets without proper regulation.

She stressed that NAFDAC’s goal is to control these unapproved products and ensure public safety.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, Mr. Shaba Mohammed, underscored the urgency of the operation, pointing out that these markets supply over 80% of Nigeria’s drug needs.

He emphasized, “These markets are not just places of trade, they are places where lives are at stake.”

The operation involved a collaborative effort between NAFDAC, military personnel, the police, and representatives from the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.

The agency’s swift action aims to protect Nigerian lives by ensuring that only approved, effective, and safe medications are sold in these markets.

By Mercy Okpe.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, carried out enforcement at the popular Ogbo-Ogu Market, Bridge Head, Onitsha, in Anambra State on Monday, February 10.

During the exercise, the operatives of the agency, led by the Director, NAFDAC South East Zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, confiscated a wide range of adulterated, substandard and expired drugs found at the various shops.

Addressing journalists, Iluyomade said the exercise was in line with the agency’s mandate of eradicating fake, banned and other spurious NAFDAC-regulated products from circulating in Nigeria and to prevent members of the unsuspecting public from falling victim.

He said the agency was working in collaboration with the market task force in the exercise that led to the seizure of the multiple fake and banned products, adding that it was a combined exercise carried out simultaneously across all the South-East states.

He said, “Today, we are commencing our enforcement at the Ogbo-Ogu market. What triggered the exercise is that over time, we have been collating data and gathering intelligence on fake and substandard drugs in the market, and we got to the tail end and discovered that people are repackaging and rebagging fake and counterfeit drugs in the market.

“The exercise is aimed at raiding the markets of fake and substandard drugs and those that are made up of spurious, counterfeited and falsified medicinal products, unwholesome processed products and several other unsafe regulated drugs.

“This is taking place simultaneously across the South-East states, and it is aimed at sanitising the drug markets and safeguarding the health of members of the unsuspecting public.

“Among the drugs are expired, banned, substandard, deflective, repackaged and recalled products. We found out that some of the drug dealers are in the habit of imitating some popular drugs and pouring it into containers of the original manufacturer in order to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

“And these drugs are very sensitive that can lead to death or permanent disability of the consumer. The confiscation of the products would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the market and a proof of the agency’s resolve to safeguard the health of the people.”

He advised members of the public to patronise only licensed and registered drug outlets, adding that security operatives and the investigative team of the agency, as well as other stakeholders, are on the ground monitoring and ensuring that the enforcement goes smoothly.

However, when asked, Iluyomade, who could not give the estimated value of confiscated products in monetary terms, said it was an ongoing exercise that could only be determined at the end of it.

Among the products found in the market to have been faked and counterfeited included antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-asthmatic, aphrodisiacs, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, herbal remedies and psychoactive drugs.

Others were banned drugs such as analgin, tramadol (above 100 mg), gentamycin (280 mg), codeine and controlled substances, vaccines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and unwholesome food, empty plastics, bags and cans, among others.

Also present at the exercise were representatives of various trade unions, market leaders, the market task force, and other critical stakeholders.

By Anastasia John E,Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima has observed that Nigeria is witnessing a surge in reverse medical tourism, with patients from the United States and other countries thronging the nation’s hospitals to seek affordable and high-quality kidney transplants. The Vice President attributed the choice of Nigeria for treatment to affordability and high-quality expertise within the country’s medical community. Speaking on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Nigerian Association of Nephrology (NAN) at the Presidential Villa ahead of the association’s 37th Scientific Conference, VP Shettima stressed the need for further investments in specialised medical education to sustain this progress. He said, “There is reverse medical tourism these days fundamentally because of the level of care at some of our hospitals. Recently, thirteen patients from the United States came to Nigeria for kidney transplants at Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre because it is much cheaper here, and they receive the same level of expertise available anywhere in the world.” The Vice President praised Dr. Olalekan Olatise, Chief Medical Director of Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, for his contributions to kidney care, describing him as “a very decent man who is highly altruistic” in his efforts to assist humanity. Shettima however noted the financial strain on patients, many of whom sell their homes or rely on government support to afford transplants. “While getting a kidney transplant is a significant challenge, life after a transplant presents even more difficulties. Many patients struggle with the cost of post-transplant care, including immunosuppressants, which are essential to maintaining their health,” he said. The Vice President recalled healthcare initiatives he had embarked on during his tenure as Governor of Borno State, as well as the success of ongoing free maternal care programmes he introduced. “At a hospital in my neighborhood, we provide a bag of rice and beans to every new mother.

They record about 30 births daily, more than even the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). Over 4,000 deliveries have been recorded in less than eight months, with all medical expenses covered, including caesarean sections,” VP Shettima said. The Vice President also reiterated the need for Nigeria to build its medical workforce, noting that when he was in Borno State as Governor, he took 60 female students to study medicine in Sudan. “About 58 of them completed their education and passed the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) licensing exams. Most of them are now in their medical residency programmes. The beauty of training women in medicine is that they are more likely to stay back and serve their communities.
“We must make deliberate and targeted investments in specialised healthcare education in this country,” the Vice President said. Earlier, Dr. Olatise, who also serves as the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 37th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology, said the conference with the theme, “Revolutionizing Kidney Care in Nigeria: Evidence-Based Innovations,” will take place in Abuja from February 19-21, 2025. The association also announced plans to honour Vice President Shettima with the Kidney Champion Award in recognition of his advocacy and direct support for kidney patients, including funding immunosuppressants and proposing the establishment of a specialised laboratory for post-transplant care.