Resident doctors at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have entered the 32nd day of their industrial action over outstanding welfare and payment issues.   The doctors, under the Association of Resident Doctors, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, said their demands include the implementation of the Professional Allowance Table, payment of outstanding Medical Residency Training Fund and settlement of six months of Minimum Wage arrears. In a statement signed by the association’s President, Dr Mustapha Adedapo A., and Secretary, Dr John Stephen, the doctors said the strike resumed after an eight-week ultimatum issued to address their concerns expired. The association acknowledged recent steps towards resolving some of the issues, including efforts to establish a legal framework for the Medical Residency Training Act and part-payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund. However, it said several outstanding demands remained unresolved. The doctors particularly called for the implementation of the Professional Allowance Table, stating that Oyo State was the only state in the South-West yet to implement the table. They also warned that poor welfare conditions could affect the retention of skilled medical personnel at the teaching hospital. According to the association, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital provides specialised services in orthopaedics, urology, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology and serves patients from Oyo State and beyond. It said the continued loss of skilled personnel could affect both specialised healthcare delivery and residency training. The doctors urged the Oyo State Government to settle the outstanding payments and introduce competitive welfare packages to help retain and attract specialist medical personnel. The association expressed optimism that continued engagement with the state government and other stakeholders could resolve the dispute and bring the industrial action to an end. The strike followed an earlier five-day warning strike, which was suspended after appeals from the hospital management and its board. The doctors later issued an eight-week ultimatum before resuming the action. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors has expressed solidarity with the LAUTECH doctors, listing the payment of residency training funds, implementation of the corrected Professional Allowances Table and Minimum Wage arrears among the outstanding issues.

Supplies of the twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug, Lenacapavir, have run out in several Nigerian states following increased demand among eligible residents, including sex workers.   Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that Benue, Kwara, Gombe and Cross River have experienced stock-outs months after the Federal Government launched the drug as part of a pilot HIV prevention programme. Lenacapavir is a long-acting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis drug developed by Gilead Sciences. It is administered once every six months and offers an alternative to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP. The World Health Organisation recommended Lenacapavir as an additional HIV prevention option in July 2025. The Federal Government received 11,520 doses on March 19, 2026, before distributing them five days later to 10 pilot locations: Benue, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Gombe, Anambra, Ebonyi, Kano, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory. Benue exhausts initial supply In Benue State, more than 2,000 HIV-negative people have received Lenacapavir since the programme began in May, according to the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche. Ogwuche told Saturday PUNCH that the state’s initial allocation had been exhausted at participating health facilities. “Benue State has recorded strong early uptake of Lenacapavir,” he said, adding that additional supplies were being processed by the Federal Government. He described the stock-out as temporary and said the state was working with the relevant national programme and partners to replenish supplies. The commissioner also said some recipients had reported mostly mild side effects, which were being monitored through the programme’s clinical and pharmacovigilance systems. Kwara awaits additional doses Kwara State has also exhausted its initial allocation. The state AIDS Programme Coordinator, Muhammed Rasheed, said more than 800 doses received during the first phase were used up about two weeks before the report. He said more than 1,000 additional doses were expected as demand for the drug continued to grow. At Sobi Specialist Hospital in Ilorin, an official confirmed that the drug was temporarily unavailable to interested recipients. NACA cites logistics and funding challenges The National Agency for the Control of AIDS said stock-outs in individual states should not be interpreted as a nationwide shortage. NACA’s Zonal Coordinator for the North-East, Dr John Tobias, said the pilot programme was designed to identify challenges involving healthcare capacity, storage, awareness, demand and distribution before a wider rollout. According to Tobias, logistics difficulties can prevent medicines and other commodities available at the national level from reaching individual states. He also linked some supply challenges to reductions in programme funding, noting that cuts to interventions funded largely through the Global Fund had affected several HIV-related programmes. Demand rises in Cross River In Cross River State, health workers said demand for Lenacapavir had increased, particularly among sex workers. Saturday PUNCH reported that the initial allocation at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and General Hospital, Calabar, had run low since late August. A health worker said uptake was initially slow because of limited awareness and stigma but increased after counselling and sensitisation efforts. Another health worker said some people preferred the injection because it was more discreet and convenient than taking daily oral PrEP. However, people waiting for new supplies were advised to continue using oral PrEP pending the arrival of additional Lenacapavir. Lagos records low uptake While several pilot states are experiencing shortages, Lagos officials said the state has sufficient doses but low uptake. An official of the Lagos State Ministry of Health’s HIV Unit said the state was encouraging eligible residents to come forward for the injection. The official said awareness efforts were being intensified through the ministry’s social media platforms. Anambra receives fresh supply Anambra State also exhausted its initial allocation but recently received another batch. An official involved in administering the drug said the state had four centres providing the service and that eligible residents had shown strong interest. The official said some beneficiaries preferred Key Population centres because the drug was available free of charge there, while some teaching hospitals charged fees for registration and related services. The varying supply situation across the pilot states highlights the logistical and distribution challenges facing Nigeria’s initial rollout of Lenacapavir, even as demand for the six-monthly HIV prevention option grows.

Plateau State Government has intensified its response to a diphtheria outbreak that has left 31 people dead and recorded 469 suspected cases across 10 local government areas.   The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Ba’amlong, disclosed this on Thursday, September 24, 2026, during a briefing on the government’s response to the outbreak. According to the commissioner, three of the 469 suspected cases have been laboratory-confirmed, while the outbreak became a major public health concern in August after sporadic cases had been recorded earlier in the year. Jos North has the highest number of suspected cases with 370, followed by Wase with 29 and Jos South with 22. Barkin Ladi and Mangu have each recorded 16 cases, while Pankshin has five. Kanam and Mikang have recorded four cases each, Shendam has two, while Bassa has one. Ba’amlong said the government had adopted a multi-pronged response, including active case searches, contact tracing and engagement with community leaders. Mild cases are being diagnosed and treated within communities, while treatment commodities have been supplied to Plateau State Specialist Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital for the isolation and treatment of severe cases. The commissioner also said teachers from public and private schools in Jos North had been trained to identify early signs of diphtheria and take appropriate action. On vaccination, Ba’amlong said more than 160,000 children had been reached with diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, while more than 30,000 children had received Pentavalent vaccines. The state is also using media campaigns, jingles and information materials to raise awareness about the outbreak. To strengthen coordination, the government has activated an Incident Management System, with an Incident Manager tasked with coordinating response activities, working with government agencies and partners, monitoring response measures and facilitating resource mobilisation. Ba’amlong urged residents and community leaders to cooperate with health officials on case detection, contact tracing, vaccination and other measures aimed at containing the outbreak. He also acknowledged the support of agencies and development partners including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, WHO, UNICEF, Red Cross, FHI360 and Save the Children.

The United States has released an additional $267 million to support efforts to contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.   The US State Department announced the funding on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, saying the latest contribution brings Washington’s direct health and humanitarian assistance for the outbreak to $887 million. According to Channels Television, citing AFP, the US described itself as the largest aid provider for the latest Ebola outbreak and called on other countries with the capacity to increase their contributions. The funding comes as the outbreak continues to expand across the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organisation reported that, as of September 20, the outbreak had reached 63 health zones, with 7,733 confirmed cases and 3,732 deaths. The outbreak has also expanded to seven provinces. WHO has identified the outbreak as being caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment. The agency has described the outbreak as the largest Ebola disease outbreak ever recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The US funding follows an international appeal for increased support for the response. WHO said earlier in September that the government-led six-month response plan required $1.3 billion to fund the work of all partners. The outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern in May after cases were confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Uganda has since ended its outbreak, while transmission continues in the DRC. Health authorities continue to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing, patient care, infection prevention and control measures, and cross-border preparedness as the outbreak spreads into additional areas.

KUMBOTSO, Kano State – The Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State has commenced an emergency vaccination exercise following the detection of poliovirus in a child in Challawa Ward.   Channels Television reported that the exercise was launched after health officials raised concerns about possible transmission to other children and communities. The council’s Vice Chairman, Sulaiman Dauda Basarake, led a stakeholders’ meeting on the outbreak and said the council would work with health officials to ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated. The Head of the Primary Healthcare Department, Lawan Ahmad Getso, urged traditional, religious and community leaders to mobilise residents and support the vaccination exercise. LGA Facilitator Naziru Sani said the detection of one infected child could indicate that other people were carrying the virus without showing symptoms. He therefore urged parents to allow their children to receive the vaccine, stressing that community participation would be necessary to interrupt transmission. A Cluster Consultant with the World Health Organisation, Dr Mukhtar Ali, said the affected child had received routine vaccinations, including polio vaccines, more than once. He explained that some children can carry the virus without displaying symptoms, making vaccination of all eligible children important in preventing further transmission. Health Councillor Haruna Shera commended health workers for their efforts during the vaccination exercise. Basarake said the council chairman and councillors would personally participate in the exercise to help ensure that no eligible child was missed. He also disclosed that the council had previously ordered the closure of a school in Na’ibawa Ward after its head allegedly resisted the vaccination of pupils. The vice chairman warned vaccination workers against falsifying records or wasting vaccines and urged them to carry out their responsibilities honestly. He added that the council would consider requests raised during the stakeholders’ meeting and take necessary measures to support the emergency vaccination exercise.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has destroyed expired donated medicines valued at ₦59 million in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.   The medicines were destroyed at the Igwuruta dump site after being shipped from the United States through the Nigeria Ports Authority Area 1 Port in Port Harcourt, according to Channels Television. The destroyed products included antidepressants, anti-ulcer drugs, analgesics and medicines used to manage hypertension. NAFDAC said donated medicines are important to healthcare delivery, particularly for vulnerable and underserved communities. However, expired or otherwise unsuitable medicines must be removed from the pharmaceutical supply chain and safely destroyed. The agency said the exercise was necessary to prevent the medicines from being misused, diverted or distributed without authorisation. The destruction was conducted in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other sister agencies. NAFDAC said the operation highlighted the importance of inter-agency cooperation in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical supply chain and ensuring that medicines available to the public are safe and suitable for use.