public health

Nigeria's food safety regulator has shut down 18 warehouses in Bida, Niger State, after discovering expired products worth N100 million, marking one of the agency's largest enforcement operations against unsafe food distribution networks.

The West African nation has terminated a Trump administration-backed research project examining alleged connections between the hepatitis B vaccine and autism, a hypothesis repeatedly debunked by major health organizations.

Prolonged drought conditions across Zimbabwe are driving acute malnutrition among children, prompting health authorities and agricultural experts to call for structural interventions beyond emergency food distribution.

At least 37 miners died from gas inhalation at a Nigerian mining site, while Zimbabwe faces a bedbug outbreak and South Africa confronts escalating child mortality in Cape Flats, highlighting systemic health and safety failures across the continent.

Nigeria's health system faces simultaneous challenges with stalled malaria reduction, rising kidney disease prevalence, and youth nicotine exposure, while national vaccine manufacturing capacity expands to address pandemic preparedness gaps.

As Ramadan commenced on February 18, 2026, state governments across Nigeria have introduced policy adjustments including reduced working hours for civil servants, while religious enforcement bodies issue dress code restrictions and health experts provide fasting guidance.

Enugu state's successful measles-rubella vaccination campaign contrasts sharply with national concerns over inadequate tobacco control measures, highlighting the uneven progress in Nigeria's public health landscape.

The Nigerian government has unveiled a national food bank programme through a partnership between the First Lady's office, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to address widespread child malnutrition.

Nigeria's decision to reverse a ban on sachet alcohol has drawn sharp criticism from health professionals, while international bodies warn of mounting climate risks requiring urgent policy action across developing nations.

Residents of Amankwo in Agbada Inyi Autonomous Community have launched protests following alleged river contamination by a coal mining company, resulting in mass death of aquatic life and threatening the community's primary water source.

As maternal mortality rates persist despite medical advances, Kenya confronts a public health crisis that has failed to generate the national urgency it demands, raising questions about whose lives matter in healthcare policy.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu launches a national food bank programme targeting child malnutrition, whilst health professionals and civil society groups intensify advocacy for alcohol regulation and road safety enforcement.

A Harare restaurant faces investigation over claims of serving pet food to customers, while a South African peanut butter recall highlights cross-border food safety risks affecting Zimbabwean consumers.

Zimbabwe will launch Lenacapavir, a six-month HIV prevention injection, targeting 46,000 high-risk individuals in Epworth on 18 February, while the Red Cross prepares 100 volunteers for potential cholera outbreak response in Harare.