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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says Nigeria recorded an increase in confirmed Lassa fever cases during epidemiological week 26 of 2026, with 31 new infections reported, up from 22 the previous week.

The new confirmed cases were recorded in Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba and Benue states, according to the latest NCDC Lassa fever situation report released by the public health agency on Friday.

The report showed that 221 deaths have been recorded cumulatively in 2026, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 24.0 per cent, higher than the 18.7 per cent reported in 2025.

It stated that 23 states had reported at least one confirmed Lassa fever case across 111 Local Government Areas, indicating the continued geographic spread of the disease nationwide in 2026.

According to the report, 85 per cent of all confirmed cases originated from Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue states, while the remaining 15 per cent were reported elsewhere.

The report said Ondo accounted for the highest proportion of confirmed cases at 30 per cent, followed by Bauchi with 26 per cent, Taraba with 14 per cent, Edo with nine per cent, and Benue.

It revealed that people aged between 21 and 30 years remained the most affected group, although confirmed cases ranged from one to 93 years, with a median age.

The report also showed that the male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases stood at 1:0.9, suggesting nearly equal infection rates between males and females across affected states.

Health authorities noted that both suspected and confirmed Lassa fever cases increased compared with the corresponding period in 2025, while one healthcare worker was infected during week 26.

The report added that the National Lassa Fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System remains activated to coordinate surveillance, case management, risk communication and response activities nationwide.

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The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) on Tuesday issued 21-day nationwide indefinite strike notice to the Federal Government despite commending some of the recent initiatives of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

NAMDA President, Dr Nosa Orhue, announced the strike ultimatum on Tuesday in Abuja after the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

However, Orhue commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for efforts to improve university education.

He also hailed the Minister of Education for supporting salary parity for medical academics.

He also lauded the Federal Government’s preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak and pledged the association’s support toward strengthening the country’s public health response.

But the NAMDA President said members of the association would embark on nationwide, indefinite strike if the Federal Government failed to resolve outstanding remuneration and welfare concerns of its members in the next 21 days.

He said the union expected government to conclude negotiations within the period, warning that NEC would reconvene to determine its next line of action if talks failed.

According to him, NAMDA had engaged government through dialogue for more than 24 months without meaningful progress.

Orhue said the association was dissatisfied that negotiations on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement had remained stalled since April 9, in spite of repeated engagements.

He alleged that while improved welfare packages had been implemented for other university unions, NAMDA members remained excluded, resulting in non-payment of earned academic and professorial allowances and worsening brain drain among medical academics.

The NAMDA president attributed the dispute largely to salary disparities between university-based medical lecturers and hospital consultants performing identical professional duties.

He explained that medical academics combine teaching, research and clinical responsibilities, including patient care, surgeries and hospital administration.

According to him, they earn less than their counterparts in the hospital system despite maintaining the same professional qualifications and practicing licenses.

Orhue said the Federal Government had previously recognised the unique status of medical academics through their placement on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

The NAMDA President added that the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, had supported salary parity and communicated the position to the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

He, however, alleged that some government agencies were frustrating implementation of the agreement.

Orhue reaffirmed that the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) remained the only acceptable salary framework for medical and dental academics.

He warned that any attempt to replace it with another structure could trigger industrial action.

He also rejected what he described as the forced migration of members of NAMDA above 65 years from CONMESS to the Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS).

According to him, the move amounts to a demotion and results in financial losses for affected academics.

He said the association was also demanding implementation of special pension benefits for retired hospital-based academics and opposed the National Universities Commission’s requirement for medical academics to obtain PhD qualifications.

(NAN)

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A couple who were told by fertility specialists that they would most likely never conceive naturally have celebrated the birth of triplets, describing the children as nothing short of miraculous.

Marina and Bishoy Salib, a married couple from England, said they were left heartbroken in 2024 after doctors informed them that their chances of having biological children together were extremely slim. Despite the discouraging prognosis, they refused to give up hope. Just over a year later, they welcomed three healthy babies.

Their extraordinary journey began after months of unsuccessful attempts to start a family. Seeking medical advice, Marina, now 30, underwent an Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) test in August 2024. The test measures the level of anti-Müllerian hormone in the body, which is commonly used as an indicator of a woman’s ovarian reserve, or the number of eggs remaining.

According to the results, Marina had a significantly diminished ovarian reserve, leading specialists to conclude that natural conception would be highly unlikely.

Speaking in an interview with SWNS, Bishoy, 33, recalled the devastating consultation.

“They told us that my wife couldn’t get pregnant,” he said. “When we saw the fertility specialist, he made it clear that there was no chance for her to conceive naturally.”

The diagnosis deeply affected Marina, who struggled emotionally with the news.

Bishoy said watching his wife cope with the disappointment was one of the most difficult periods of their marriage.

“She was heartbroken and cried a lot. She kept asking herself why she couldn’t have children,” he said.

Although medical professionals suggested using an egg donor as the most realistic option for pregnancy, the couple said the recommendation conflicted with their deeply held religious beliefs as members of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

“I told the specialist that we are Christians and we believe in miracles,” Bishoy explained. “Even our general practitioner repeated that egg donation was the only possible route, but we remained committed to our faith.”

While remaining open to adoption if necessary, the couple continued praying and hoping for a miracle while trying to conceive naturally.

Their persistence paid off unexpectedly on May 19, 2025.

According to Bishoy, he felt an unexplained urge to ask Marina to take a pregnancy test, even though both of them believed the outcome would be negative.

“She looked at me and asked why she should even bother taking the test after being told she wasn’t producing enough eggs,” he recalled. “Honestly, I still don’t know why I insisted.”

To their amazement, the test came back positive.

Marina was overwhelmed with emotion, unable to believe what she was seeing.

“She couldn’t even stand. She was shaking, laughing and crying at the same time,” Bishoy said.

Still convinced there had been a mistake, Marina reportedly took several more pregnancy tests to confirm the result before finally calling her husband to share the life-changing news.

The surprises did not end there.

During a subsequent hospital appointment, doctors informed the couple that they were not expecting one baby, but three.

On November 28, 2025, Marina gave birth to non-identical triplets a daughter named Miracle and two sons, Levi and Suriel.

Looking back on their remarkable journey, Bishoy said the children are a constant reminder that hope can endure even in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances.

The couple now describe their son and daughter as their “miracles,” saying their experience has strengthened both their faith and appreciation for parenthood after overcoming what once appeared to be insurmountable odds.