Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson, Founder and CEO of Healthtraka, is on a mission to transform healthcare in Africa. In a recent interview with healthiness.ng, she shared her inspiring journey and vision for making lab testing easy and accessible through at-home sample collection and rapid digital results delivery within 1-3 days. “I knew that I wanted to provide a solution to make sure that people have access to on-demand healthcare,” says Ifeoluwa. Her drive to create Healthtraka was born from a deeply personal experience.
In the heart of Nairobi, a team of dedicated researchers is poised to revolutionize maternal healthcare, potentially reshaping the future of pregnancy outcomes for women. Led by Dr. Moses Obimbo Madadi, a Clinician-Scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Nairobi, this groundbreaking project is shedding light on the intricate relationship between vaginal infections, reproductive health, and neonatal mortality rates in Africa, where 27 deaths per 1,000 live births remain a stark reality. What has been established so far is that
There are strong indications that Dr Muhammad Pate could be Nigeria’s next health minister, this follows his decision to rescind his appointment as the CEO of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, choosing instead, “to accept a request to return and contribute to his home country, Nigeria”. Professor Muhammad Ali Pate has rescinded his appointment as the next Chief Executive Officer of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, and, according to indications, he could instead be returning to Nigeria to serve as the country’s next
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).
The intent of a cashless economy is to make life easier. Recently, Nigerians, due to the scarcity of cash, had to solely rely on cashless channels. However, the unintended consequences of the platforms’ inadequacies made healthcare one of the worst-hit sectors. For years, the government of Nigeria, the country’s finance sector regulator — the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), their partners and others had aggressively campaigned and incentivized Nigerians to adopt going cashless, describing its cashless policy as an economic enabler
Tanzania has confirmed its first-ever cases of Marburg Virus Disease, after laboratory tests were carried out following reports of cases and deaths in the country’s north-west Kagera region. According to the country’s National Public Health Laboratory, eight people developed symptoms including fever, vomiting, bleeding and renal failure. Five of the eight cases, including a health worker, have died, and the remaining three are receiving treatment. A total of 161 contacts have been identified and are being monitored. In response to the
Access to necessary medications for illnesses such as HIV/AIDS can be a struggle for patients in emerging markets like Nigeria and other African countries. With pharmacists being the first point of access, patients are often required to visit them every month to receive their medications and to keep track of their drug use. This creates a tedious process for patients, which can result in low adherence and missed doses. However, a new technology-based solution is aiming to improve this situation by
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its latest progress report on the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) entitled “Global report on neglected tropical diseases 2023.” The report highlights the progress and challenges of delivering NTD care around the world, against a backdrop of COVID-19-related disruptions. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, says, “Around the world, millions of people have been liberated from the burden of neglected tropical diseases, which keep people trapped in cycles of poverty and stigma.”
Summary: UNAIDS, an organization that works to end AIDS, says that even though a recent trial for an HIV vaccine did not work, it is important to continue using other ways to prevent and treat HIV. They say that by using existing methods and making them more widely available, we can still reach the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. The trial was stopped because it did not show that the vaccine was effective. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
According to a new status report from the World Health Organization (WHO), five billion people globally remain unprotected from harmful trans fat, increasing their risk of heart disease and death. Despite the global goal for its total elimination in 2023, progress towards this target has been slow, with only 43 countries having implemented best-practice policies for tackling trans fat in food, protecting 2.8 billion people globally. Industrially produced trans fat is commonly found in packaged foods, baked goods, cooking oils and