Health

Lagos to convert General Hospital to eye centre

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, says the state government will designate one of its general hospitals as a centre for ophthalmic specialty to improve care for patients with eye conditions.

Abayomi said this during the 4th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Africa Retina Society on Thursday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was themed, “Upscaling Retinal Services in a Resource-Constrained Economy.”

Abayomi said the centre would provide a world-class diagnostic, medical, surgical and ophthalmic services in Lagos and Nigeria.

He stressed that the state would prioritise eye health, noting that the state was working on developing screening capacity of all its primary healthcare facilities to detect eye diseases early.

“The conditions that affect the eyes very much reflect the conditions of the community in which you live. HIV, for example, was a major problem in South Africa, and I certainly experienced the impact of HIV on our day-to-day medicine and practice.

“Here in Nigeria, we have other things. We have hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell, and lots of trauma. These are the kinds of things that we see in our clinics here in Lagos and in Nigeria.

“We need to be able to understand how these prevailing conditions really affect us,” he said.

The commissioner further said that efforts are ongoing to promote eye screening, especially in schools, starting with the training of teachers to detect students exhibiting challenges with their vision.

He added that the state would leverage the social health insurance to screen, detect and treat eye diseases as patients presents at health facilities.

The commissioner further said the state would strengthen public awareness and understanding on eye health, especially glaucoma and visual acuity.

Abayomi disclosed that the state through its Ministry of Health had forged a partnership with the Chagoury Group
to develop a specialist eye hospital in Lagos to boost access to eye services.

He acknowledged that ophthalmology was equipment-intensive, stressing that government would pay attention to that and human resources to enable practitioners make appropriate diagnosis, and treatment to reverse medical tourism.

Earlier, Prof. Linda Visser, Head, Division of Ophthalmology Stellenbosch University, South Africa, called on policy makers to formulate policies that would integrate eye screening into diabetes care from the primary healthcare level, noting that cases of diabetic retinopathy was on the increase among Africans.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a chronic progressive disease of the retinal capillaries (small blood vessels) associated with prolonged raised blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.

Visser cited data from International Diabetes Foundation that showed that 537 million adults aged 20 to 79 years are living with diabetes globally, a number that was predicted to reach 1.3 billion in 50 years.

“The high prevalence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise worldwide and is particularly rapid in low- and middle income countries.

“Most of these countries have limited availability and affordability of healthcare services for screening and treating diabetes-related complications, such as retinopathy, to prevent vision loss,”

According to her, all persons with diabetes are at risk of developing DR, however, those with poor blood glucose and blood pressure management and hyperlipidaemia are most at risk.

Visser, Past President, Vitreoretinal Society of South Africa, emphasised that early detection would lead to timely treatment of DR, which could prevent 95 per cent of vision impairment and blindness.

Also, Dr Asiwome Seneadza, Chairman, Africa Retina Society, said that the theme was timely and critical as efforts are made to navigate the complexities and challenges in delivering advanced retinal care across the continent.

Seneadza said, “That’s why we are advocating for improved diabetes care and regular retinal screening made available and accessible for every individual living with diabetes,” he said.

Similarly, Prof. Bassey Fiebai, Chairman, Vitreo Retinal Society of Nigeria, said the meeting was critical to proffering solutions to the challenge of offering standard retina care, improving outcomes and reducing visual loss from retina related disorders among low to medium income countries.

Fiebai said that the government plays a critical role in providing funding, training of personnel, provision of equipment to improve screening, detection and treatment of retinopathy disease.

The professor noted that retina specialists are few in Nigeria, placing the figure at about 100, stressing that it was inadequate to cater to the teeming population who require eye care.

“Right now in the country, we have just a little over 100 retina specialists. And we know that the population of Nigeria is about 230 million.

“So we’re looking at a situation in which one retina specialist is supposed to cater for 2.3 million people. How does anyone cope?” she queried.

NAN reports that the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Africa Retina Society which began on June 26 to June 28, had participants from various African countries brainstorm on enhancing retinal care.

(NAN)

Health

Lagos to begin mandatory health insurance enforcement for residents

The Lagos State Government has vowed to begin the enforcement of compulsory health insurance policy for residents.

A Thursday statement noted that the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr Emmanuel Zamba, said the enforcement would begin in earnest in early 2026, in line with the Executive Order signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in July 2025.

She made this known at the Ilera Eko Providers Forum held at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, where key stakeholders across the health insurance value chain, including healthcare providers, health maintenance organisations, and technical partners, gathered to review progress and discuss future implementation strategies.

The order mandates that residents must show evidence of enrolment in a health insurance scheme before accessing public health services, excluding emergencies.

‘We want all residents to be aware and onboard before enforcement begins’, the permanent secretary said, urging residents to embrace the scheme as a financial protection tool.

‘We are finalising our emergency services programme to ensure that no Lagos resident is denied urgent care’.

‘People in emergencies must be treated without first presenting an insurance ID’, Zamba added.

To further strengthen identity management and prevent fraud, Zamba disclosed that LASHMA had partnered with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency to roll out biometric card readers across health facilities.

‘This will eliminate impersonation and ensure only genuine enrollees benefit from the scheme’, she said.

He also highlighted the agency’s expansion into diagnostics, telemedicine, and virtual care initiatives designed to extend access to remote and underserved populations.

‘Even if there is no facility near you, you can dial a toll-free number or use our app for a live consultation with a doctor, 24/7.

‘We have also installed virtual booths in marketplaces to provide health education and consultation services on the go’ he explained.

The Ilera Eko Providers Forum, according to Zamba, is not just a platform for information dissemination but a critical feedback mechanism.

He announced that LASHMA would now host quarterly provider engagement meetings to receive and act on feedback from partners, with a view to improving the scheme’s responsiveness.

‘This is a partnership, and like all successful partnerships, it must be mutually beneficial. We are here to listen, dialogue, and find lasting solutions together’, he said.

The permanent secretary noted that the state currently has over 865 accredited providers, ranging from primary healthcare facilities to specialists in dental and eye care, as well as community pharmacies.

‘Healthcare providers are now the gatekeepers of our scheme’, Zamba said, adding: ‘We are training them not just to offer care but to enrol clients right at their facilities as part of our broader strategy to drive up enrolment figures’.

Zamba revealed that over 400 providers had so far been trained under the newly established Ilera Eko Academy, a platform aimed at equipping providers with the tools and knowledge to actively support enrollment and implementation efforts.

Health

Lagos state govt move to curb activities of unprofessional skincare producers

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to regulate and curb the activities of unqualified practitioners in aesthetic medicine,skincare.

The state Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, disclosed this while speaking at the 19th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of Nigerian Association of Dermatologists (NAD).Travel packages

“We all know that there is an explosion in aesthetic dermatology around the world and it is not peculiar to Lagos.

“As a government, we are very concerned about this trend of unqualified people masquerading themselves as experts in aesthetic dermatology which focuses on skincare.

“These quacks administer a whole lot of treatment options that can be dangerous.

“And so, the regulatory arm of the ministry, Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, is looking into this exploding phenomenal in Lagos.

“We want to work with NAD who are experts to define the limitations of these quacks and ensure they are under close scrutiny by government to ensure residents are not exposed to quackery,” he said

Health

Lassa fever, meningitis kill 366 in 24 states – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a total of 366 deaths from Lassa fever and meningitis in 24 states of the federation.

The NCDC via its official website on Friday, highlighted the continued public health challenge posed by these diseases.

From Jan. 1 to May 18, the centre confirmed 733 cases of Lassa fever from 5,118 suspected infections across 18 states and 95 local government areas.

Within the same period, it said it recorded 141 Lassa fever-related deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 19.2 per cent.

The NCDC said that in week 20 alone, new infections jumped from three to 13 cases in Edo, Ondo, and Benue.

“The case fatality rate stands at 19.2 per cent slightly higher than 18.3 per cent in 2024, indicating that one in five people infected is dying, inspite of coordinated national efforts,” the NCDC warned.

It said that the hotspot states for Lassa fever include Ondo 30 per cent Bauchi (25%), and Edo 17 per cent which together account for 72 per cent of all confirmed cases.

The centre said that the disease was hitting young adults hardest, particularly those aged 21 to 30 years, with a nearly equal male-to-female ratio.

It noted that no new healthcare worker infections were reported in the past week, but highlighted a surge in cases and called for heightened vigilance.

The agency said that a multi-sectoral Incident Management System has been activated to coordinate response efforts nationwide.

On the meningitis front, the centre said the figures were even more alarming.

The NCDC said that from 2,911 suspected cases, 192 have been confirmed and 225 lives lost, translating to a case fatality rate of 7.7 per cent.

The agency said that children aged five to 14 were the most affected, with males accounting for 60 per cent of all reported infections.

It said that the outbreak has reached 24 states and 173 LGAs, with 10 northern states—including Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, and Jigawa—reporting 97 per cent of suspected cases.

In response, the NCDC has activated a national Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate interventions in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and development partners.

It said that regular high-level meetings with affected states were ongoing to streamline containment strategies.

“We are providing continuous technical support to high-burden states and reinforcing outbreak preparedness across the country,” the NCDC said.

Freedomonline reports Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rats.

It can also spread from person to person through bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or infected medical equipment.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, and in severe cases, bleeding from body openings.