Nigeria’s improved healthcare sector is attracting patients from across Africa and even the United States (U.S.A.) and the United Kingdom (UK), the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate has said.

The minister said the Federal Government would continue to invest in critical medical infrastructure and regulatory reforms to further improve the sector.

Pate said this while addressing reporters at the State House yesterday in Abuja after the second day of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The minister announced that the FEC approved N12 billion for the procurement of major diagnostic equipment, including three MRI machines and two CT scanners, for six federal hospitals across the country.

He said the investment would significantly improve diagnostic capabilities in the nation’s healthcare facilities.

The hospitals that will get the new equipment include the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Akwa Ibom; the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abeokuta, Ogun State; the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) in Ile-Ife, Osun State; the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Keffi, Nasarawa State; the Modibo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH) in Yola, Adamawa State; and the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) in Kebbi State.

“You can see that, piece by piece, we are rebuilding our health infrastructure. We are not just improving basic healthcare at the frontline, but also strengthening our tertiary institutions with critical equipment,” Pate said.

The minister stressed that Nigeria’s growing healthcare capabilities were already drawing international patients.

“This is already happening, including people from faraway places like the United Kingdom and the United States. Despite what we may want to believe about Nigeria’s healthcare system, there are good things happening. The transformation that the President promised is beginning to happen, and we need to sustain it,” he said.

Pate said the FEC, in a landmark decision with continental implications, also approved Nigeria’s ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty.

The treaty, adopted by the African Union (AU) Heads of State in February 2019, is designed to enhance regulatory oversight of medicines and pharmaceuticals across Africa.

A team from Doctors Without Borders dons protective clothing and equipment as they prepare to treat Ebola patients in an isolation ward of Mbandaka Hospital in Congo. PHOTO: AP

Nigerians have been advised to avoid all but essential trips to Uganda and other countries with confirmed Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases.

The advisory followed the January 30 confirmation of the outbreak of the Sudan strain of Ebola virus in Wakiso, Mukono and Mbale City by the Ugandan Ministry of Health.

“Ugandan health authorities are currently tracking 44 contacts to curb further spread,” Idris said.

Swinging into action, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris said the agency was reinforcing surveillance at entry points, updating emergency response plans and expanding diagnostic capacity in key laboratories.

He however clarified that Nigeria has no recorded cases.

He disclosed that in response to the development, the NCDC has: “Updated its EVD emergency contingency plan. Increased screening at points of entry, particularly international airports.

“Optimised diagnostic capacity for EVD testing in designated laboratories and mobilised Lassa fever testing laboratories, which can be scaled up for Ebola testing if needed.”

The director Director general of NCDC assured Nigerians that proactive steps were being taken to mitigate any risk of an outbreak.

“While there is no immediate cause for panic, we must remain vigilant. The Ebola Sudan strain has no approved vaccine, making early detection and containment critical,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to adhere to the following preventive measures:” Practice good hand hygiene – wash hands regularly with soap and water or use hand sanitisers.

“Avoid contact with persons showing symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding.

“Refrain from consuming bush meat, especially bats and primates.

“Seek immediate medical attention if experiencing symptoms after travelling to an affected country.”

Additionally, he advised health workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, use personal protective equipment (PPE), and report suspected cases immediately.

In the travel advisory yesterday, Dr. Idris noted that while the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not imposed travel restrictions on Uganda, anyone returning from affected areas within the last 21 days who develops fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding should immediately call 6232 or their state health hotline for assessment.

He advised such travellers to self-isolate and await response teams for further evaluation and possible transport to a treatment center.

The NCDC boss said the public health advisory became necessary because EVD has a 25-90% fatality rate and spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated objects, and wild animals like bats, chimpanzees, and monkeys.

Besides, he stressed that while vaccines exist for some strains of the Ebola virus, the approved vaccine for the Zaire strain is not currently available in Nigeria and does not protect against the Sudan strain responsible for the outbreak in Uganda.

Given this, he urged Nigerians to practice good hygiene, avoid bush meat and report symptoms immediately to prevent potential outbreaks.

He also advised healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, enforce strict isolation for suspected cases, adhere to infection control protocols, and report immediately to health authorities.

Beyond Ebola, Idris said that the country is currently battling outbreaks of Lassa fever, meningitis, diphtheria, Mpox, measles and anthrax.

Idris assured that the NCDC will continue to enhance surveillance, expand diagnostic capacity, and coordinate with global health organisations.

The building blocks of DNA have been found in samples returned to Earth from an asteroid, suggesting life rained down from space and could have formed elsewhere.

In 2016, Nasa sent its Osiris-Rex mission to drill down into the asteroid Bennu, with the cargo returning to Earth in 2023.

The first analysis shows that the four nucleotide bases of DNA – adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine – which form the rungs of the double helix, were all present.

Every living thing on Earth contains DNA, which stores the genetic information needed to build and maintain an organism.

It is the first time that all four nucleotide bases have been discovered together on an asteroid, and the samples were also found to contain 14 of the 20 amino acids that life on Earth uses to make proteins.

Nasa said the findings not only suggest that space rocks sparked life on Earth, but that the conditions for life were widespread across the early solar system.

Nicky Fox, the associate administrator for the Nasa Science Mission Directorate, said: “Bennu contains many precursor building blocks of life along with the evidence it comes from an ancient wet world.