Africa faces a growing mental health crisis, characterized by limited resources, pervasive stigma, and restricted access to mental health services. Cultural beliefs often hinder individuals from seeking help, exacerbating the situation. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) programmes present a culturally sensitive approach to addressing these issues, highlighting the urgent need for action. Integrating MHFA into existing mental health frameworks across African communities has shown promise in enhancing public understanding and the ability to provide timely support to those experiencing mental health challenges. This integration improves access to mental health services, reduces stigma, fosters inclusivity in healthcare, and encourages greater tolerance and compassion for individuals facing mental health issues. To achieve these outcomes, advocacy efforts must focus on widespread MHFA training within communities, government partnerships to fund primary healthcare systems incorporating MHFA, and media campaigns aimed at de-stigmatizing mental health conditions. By embedding MHFA into mental health strategies, Africa can address its mental health crisis more effectively, creating a more inclusive, community-driven, and sustainable framework for improved mental health outcomes.

Nigeria's organ donation and transplantation systems remain underdeveloped, yet they hold great potential to address the nation's escalating healthcare challenges. This commentary provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of organ donation and transplantation in Nigeria, highlighting historical milestones, legal frameworks, and the pressing issues that hinder progress, including organ trafficking, cultural barriers, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, it reviews the disparities in access to transplantation services and the critical role of socioeconomic factors in this divide. The commentary offers a forward-looking approach, presenting key recommendations for policy reform, infrastructure development, and public education. Implementing these strategies would be pivotal in ensuring equitable access to organ donation services while setting a precedent for medical innovation in West Africa. Ultimately, this paper underscores the need for government action, international collaboration, and community engagement to create a robust and ethical organ donation framework in Nigeria.

The Urgent Need to Address Neonatal Mortality in NigeriaKehinde Precious Fadelea Igwe Stephen Chukwuemekab Deborah Shomuyiwac Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno IIId,e,fAffiliationsa. Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu. 0000-0002-0464-4167b. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria. 0000-0001-6443-261Xc. Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Nigeria 0000-0001-6665-9439d. Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.0000-0002-2179-6365e. Office for Research, Innovation and Extension Services, Southern Leyte State University, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippinesf. Research and Innovation Office, Biliran Province State University, Naval, Biliran Province, Philippines

Molecular diagnostics have revolutionized viral disease diagnosis in clinical settings, offering rapidity, sensitivity, and specificity. Nigeria’s diverse burden of viral diseases, coupled with resource limitations and underreporting, underscores the critical need for efficient molecular diagnostics. The article traces the progressive trajectory of molecular diagnostics in Nigeria, including the establishment of Lassa virus detection, containment of the Ebola virus outbreak, and the pivotal role of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC). It also highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on expanding molecular diagnostics infrastructure. Despite these advancements, challenges such as limited testing capacity, skilled personnel shortages, and inadequate funding persist. The article recommends measures to address these challenges, emphasizing the transformative potential of molecular diagnostics in viral surveillance and management. Overall, it underscores the importance of strategic planning and concerted efforts to enhance the utilization of molecular diagnostics in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

This research explores the experience of people living with leprosy at leprosy settlements in Nigeria. This is a concurrent mixed methods design whereby questionnaires, focus groups and interviews are conducted simultaneously. Seven leprosy communities were visited, one from Nigeria’s six geographical zones and the Federal capital area. This study included 35 leprosy patients, 21 family members, seven community leaders, and seven officers in charge of the leprosy settlements. Also questioned were two heads of organisations involved with leprosy control in Nigeria. Majority (93.7%) of the respondents have access to healthcare in the health centres. Majority (95.2%) are interested in learning self-care practices for skin-related neglected diseases. About three-fourths (74.6%) receive free healthcare and accent that PLWL are admitted into the same ward as other patients. Whilst funding is a growing concern for leprosy control, the data from the interview confirmed that there is little support from the government but more from non-governmental organisations and implementing partners in Nigeria for people living with leprosy. Experts demonstrated that leprosy now ranks high among neglected diseases. The Nigerian government must work with partners to ensure the improvement and sustainability of leprosy control programs.

Introduction Tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria is a serious disease that is fast becoming deadly. In Nigeria, the burden and mortality of the disease are high, making it one of the infectious diseases with a significant public health challenge. Aim This paper is aimed at examining the prevalence of TB in Nigeria, with emphasis on one of its strains, namely XDR-TB, and factors promoting the disease and its strains, among others. Methodology A literature search was done about Tuberculosis in Nigeria using the keywords; ‘Drug Resistance; Factors; Infection Rate; Mortality Rate; Nigeria; XDR-TB’ through databases such as PubMed, ResearchGate, Google Scholar and World Health Organization between a 10-year-period. Result We found that Nigeria is among the 10 countries in the world with very high tuberculosis incidence and mortality. A number of factors aid the prevalence of the disease in Nigeria: poverty, malnutrition, overpopulation and overcrowding, ignorance, stigma and discrimination, etc. When it comes to the diagnosis of tuberculosis, Nigeria encounters a lot of challenges. For instance, the country lacks access to quality diagnostic facilities, the healthcare system is ill-equipped, and a good number of the populace lacks the necessary awareness about the dangerous nature of the disease. Conclusion The Nigerian government, health workers, key stakeholders, and communities, both affected and non-affected, should all come together to fight off Tuberculosis and its spread in Nigeria. In order to be successful, the eradication effort against TB in Nigeria has to permanently eliminate the causative agent and risk factors everywhere in the country as pathogen prevalence is globally reduced to zero, hence removing the risk of re-infection.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched campaigns to boost immunization rates to 70 percent globally by the middle of 2022. However, despite the global success of about 64% COVID-19 vaccination coverage, there is a big gap in Nigeria. To date, only 13.8% of the population has received the recommended dose. This demonstrates a significant disparity between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Amidst the wide gap in vaccination, COVID-19 vaccine wastage still occurs in Nigeria. At the end of 2021, it was estimated that over a million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been wasted. It is anticipated that there will be more COVID-19 vaccine wastage in Nigeria, because of the combined factors that threaten vaccination uptake including vaccine hesitancy, lack of appropriate storage facilities, poor electricity supply, insecurity challenges, and inadequate health promotion. This results in concomitant financial and opportunity losses. In this paper, we discuss COVID-19 vaccine wastage in Nigeria including causes, and solutions that can be applied to mitigate this wastage.