Expert advocates citizen-focused new health system for Nigeria

Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe has called for a new health system that is tailored to the needs of the ordinary man in the street

Why Nigerians defecate publicly

Special report on why improved public awareness is not enough to reduce public defecation in Nigeria

First aid tips to save accident victims

The first few minutes of a medical emergency are always critical, but nearly two thirds of us admit we wouldn’t know what to do

Study identifies risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria

A new study has identified risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria using the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey

Doctors call for Lassa fever treatment centers in south east Nigeria

The South East zonal caucus of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has enjoined the Nigerian government to establish health centres and facilities where Lassa fever patients could be treated and managed

Access to clean water by 2030 in Africa realistic and achievable - WaterAid

A new interactive map published by the international development charity WaterAid, has been launched online showing that 14 African governments are on course or within touching distance of reaching the historic mark of everyone in their countries having access to clean drinking water by 2030.

Rotary-sponsored African scholars to improve water and sanitation

The first class of five Rotary sponsored scholars has graduated with Master of Science degrees in water education from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education. The graduates now will apply their education to water and sanitation projects in their home countries of Argentina, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Ghana.

MDG distributes multi-million dollar health and water facilities


The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has announced it is distributing health, educational and water facilities worth N200 million in Pankshin Local Government of Plateau.

Nigerian government urged to establish more water quality monitoring labs

The Nigerian government has been advised to establish more laboratories and centers to monitor quality of water supplied to citizens in the country. The advice was given by Prof. Yohanna Lohdip of the department of Chemistry, University of Jos, Plateau state.

Stakeholders Debate Hygiene As London Plans To Convert Sewage Into Drinking Water

A new strategy has been revealed by the company that supplies drinkable water for the city of London with which it will be able to supply sufficient water for the mega city. According to Thames Water, its long-term strategy will see it supplying drinking water from recycled sewage.

The company said finding a new way is necessary for the company to be able to handle the expected population boom in London in the next 25 years. With the anticipated population expansion, the daily volume of water required would also rise to 340 million litres per day.

In addition, the expansion would raise London waste water area to 16 million thus putting more pressure on the Thames Water‘s sewage works which the company said would need to increase the volume of sludge for sewage treatment and recycling.

“It’s all about making sure there is enough water to go around, now and in the future,” Simon Evans, Thames Water's spokesman said.

An expert, Dr Andrew Singer, a microbiologist at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, however believes the idea is feasible but would require rigorous research, intensive planning and extensive campaigns.

 “If there is no further treatment of the sewage before they inject it into the rivers, that could have implications for things that live in the river. The drinking water facility would have to be aware that they are starting off with so much more sewage – the pharmaceuticals in sewage are quite resistant to breaking down, so they would have to work that much harder to make sure the drinking water doesn't have these chemicals in it. It’s a problem that can be solved by throwing money at it. 

"Whether the rivers are any better off for it, you can look at it two ways – the river will have more water in it, which is a good thing, but the water is going to be from sewage effluent and that’s more of an unknown,” he said.