In Abuja, Nigeria, Dyslexia Help Africa (DHA) is driving an educational initiative that focuses on comprehensive reading intervention and support for children with dyslexia. This program combines advocacy, educator training, and a specialized learning intervention platform. Through patient guidance and innovative teaching methods, this initiative is breaking down educational inclusion barriers for kids with learning disabilities by promoting evidence-based strategies and empowering dyslexic learners. They are creating a more inclusive environment for both neuro-diverse (kids whose brain processes, learns, and/or behaves
In some resource-limited settings in Nigeria, reusable pads are being used as a sustainable solution to period poverty that can help girls stay in school and manage their menstruation with dignity. But the scale of this initiative may not be big enough to have statistically significant impact(s) on national metrics. Halima Akande is among thousands of girls who miss school several days every month—once her menstruation comes. She fears any stain showing on her dress, cannot focus in class or
At 14 years old, Paul Ajayi is experiencing the world through two eyes for the first time since he was three, thanks to a remarkable free surgery. While one eye is still on its way to recovery, he gets perfect vision through the other, liberating him from the confines of the School for the Blind where he had been enrolled. Paul Ajayi is not alone in receiving life-altering treatment from the skilled surgeons at the Restore Foundation for Child Sight (RFCS).
Five United Nations agencies are calling for accelerated progress on the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting, as increasing numbers of children suffer from acute malnutrition in the face of ongoing conflicts, climate shocks, and the impacts of COVID-19. Currently, more than 30 million children in the 15 worst-affected countries, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, the Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen, are affected by wasting, or acute
The United States Government, through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), launched the Accelerating Progress in Pediatrics and PMTCT (AP3) program in Oyo State to scale up HIV case identification among pediatric and adolescent populations and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Through AP3, the US CDC supports Nigeria’s efforts to close existing treatment gaps in these populations and work towards sustained HIV epidemic control. At the AP3 launch in Ibadan, US Consul General Will Stevens emphasized that “existing
European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) human medicines committee has recommended granting an extension of indication for the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty to include use in children aged 5 to 11. The vaccine, developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, is already approved for use in adults and children aged 12 and above. In children from 5 to 11 years of age, the dose of Comirnaty will be lower than that used in people aged 12 and above (10 µg compared with 30 µg).
A suite of tools to help countries improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer among children is being released today by the World Health Organization, on International Childhood Cancer Day. The package includes a “how-to” guide for policy-makers, cancer control programme managers and hospital managers; an assessment tool to inform implementation; and a multilingual online portal for information-sharing. The new tools will support countries with implementation of the CureAll approach, adopted by WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. The Initiative, launched in 2018,