Mirian Gom 
📰 Editor’s Note
From mandatory health insurance enforcement to Nigeria’s alarming shortage of psychiatrists, this week reveals both progress and persistent cracks in the nation’s health system.
The Federal Government’s insurance drive signals a new push for universal coverage, yet soaring drug prices, mental health neglect, and unsafe hospital practices still endanger millions.
Stories on fertility decline, pesticide bans, and Lagos’ digital hospital verification reflect growing efforts to reform care delivery, while features on sanitation and cancer innovation highlight the daily realities shaping health outcomes.
As WHO warns of rising neurological deaths, AHR’s top 10 stories this week capture the urgency, challenges, and resilience driving Africa’s evolving health and development agenda.
🔟 Top 10 Stories This Week
10️⃣ Toilets, Dignity, and Learning: FCT’s Hidden School Sanitation Crisis
An investigative report uncovers how poor sanitation in Abuja’s schools endangers children’s health and education….
9️⃣ Nigeria’s Fertility Rate Drops to 4.8 – Report
New national survey shows a steady decline in fertility, signalling demographic shifts with major health and economic implications…
8️⃣ Nigeria’s Cancer Gamble: Can Local Scientists Turn Hope into Discovery?
A special feature explores Nigeria’s emerging biotech push to find indigenous solutions to cancer…
7️⃣ WHO Sounds Alarm as Neurological Disorders Kill 11m Yearly
The World Health Organization warns that neurological diseases are now among the world’s deadliest health burdens…
6️⃣ Lawmakers Move to Ban Toxic Pesticides Threatening Nigerians’ Health, Food
The National Assembly pushes legislation to ban hazardous pesticides linked to food contamination and chronic diseases…
5️⃣ Experts Urge Nigeria to Declare Suicide a National Crisis
Health professionals call on the federal government to prioritise mental health policy and suicide prevention programmes…
4️⃣ Lagos Warns Residents Against Unregistered Hospitals, Unveils Verification Barcode
Lagos introduces a digital barcode system for hospitals to combat medical quackery and protect patients…
3️⃣ Dying to Live: Nigerians Face Soaring Drug Costs
Skyrocketing drug prices push life-saving medicines out of reach for millions, worsening Nigeria’s health inequality….
2️⃣ Only 300 Psychiatrists Treat 200m Nigerians – NAFDAC Warns
NAFDAC raises alarm over Nigeria’s mental health emergency, calling for urgent expansion of psychiatric training and support…
1️⃣ FG Enforces Mandatory Health Insurance to Drive Universal Coverage
The federal government officially enforces mandatory health insurance for all citizens, marking a new era in universal healthcare access…
About the Author
Otamere Gladness 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Korede Abdullah