Health & Wellness Articles

Expert-written health guides, news, and advice from Afrimedlink's medical team.

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15 articles found

Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria: Genotype Testing, Crisis Prevention and Living WellHealth Awareness
19 min read723 Oct 2026

Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria: Genotype Testing, Crisis Prevention and Living Well

Nigeria has more babies born with sickle cell disease than any country: about 150,000 a year, with roughly one adult in four carrying the gene. This guide explains the AA, AS, SS and SC genotypes, how the gene is inherited, how to test reliably, how to prevent crises, which treatments work (hydroxyurea, transplant, gene therapy), and the emergency signs that mean go to hospital now.

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The Dangers of Self-Medication and Antibiotic Misuse in West AfricaMedications & Treatments
24 min read723 Oct 2026

The Dangers of Self-Medication and Antibiotic Misuse in West Africa

Buying medicines without a prescription is common across Nigeria and Ghana, driven by cost, distance and long waits. But misused antibiotics breed resistant germs that were linked to more than 64,000 Nigerian deaths in 2019, and everyday painkillers can harm the liver, stomach and kidneys. This guide explains resistance simply, why “malaria and typhoid” is overdiagnosed, eight safe-use rules, how to check a pack with NAFDAC’s scratch-and-text service, and when to seek urgent care.

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Depression and Anxiety in Nigeria: Signs, Stigma and Where to Get HelpMental Health
23 min read723 Oct 2026

Depression and Anxiety in Nigeria: Signs, Stigma and Where to Get Help

Depression and anxiety are common, treatable medical conditions, not weakness or a spiritual attack. This guide explains how they often show up in Nigerian life, what drives them, the signs at different ages, when to get help, what treatment works, where to find care and how to support someone you love. It also covers stigma, myths, and how Afrimedlink can help.

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Childhood Immunisation in Nigeria: The Schedule, Myths, and Catching Up on Missed VaccinesMaternal & Child Health
22 min read1523 Oct 2026

Childhood Immunisation in Nigeria: The Schedule, Myths, and Catching Up on Missed Vaccines

Nigeria offers free vaccines against more than a dozen serious diseases, yet 31% of children aged 12 to 23 months had no vaccine in the 2023-24 survey. This guide sets out the current NPHCDA schedule, what each vaccine protects against, which side effects are normal, the truth behind common myths, and how to catch up on missed doses, because it is almost never too late.

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Silent Shadows: The Eye Health Crisis in West Africa, with Nigeria and Ghana as Case StudiesDisease Prevalence
18 min read3322 Oct 2026

Silent Shadows: The Eye Health Crisis in West Africa, with Nigeria and Ghana as Case Studies

More than four in five cases of blindness in West Africa are avoidable, yet 1.13 million Nigerian adults and 300,000 Ghanaians are blind, mostly from cataract and glaucoma. Using both countries’ national surveys, this guide shows where sight is being lost and why, the warning signs that need an eye check, the barriers to care, what is being done, and how to protect your own sight.

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Silent Killers in Urban and Rural Nigeria: A Comprehensive Guide to Diabetes and Cholesterol Prevention and AwarenessHealth Awareness
5 min read3121 Oct 2026

Silent Killers in Urban and Rural Nigeria: A Comprehensive Guide to Diabetes and Cholesterol Prevention and Awareness

Diabetes and high Cholesterol are preventable but often undetected conditions that pose growing health risks in Nigeria. Regular screening, healthier dietary choices, increased physical activity, weight management, and adherence to medical advice are key strategies for reducing complications and improving quality of life.

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HIV Prevention, Testing and Treatment in West Africa: What Every Community Should KnowDisease Prevalence
9 min read2921 Oct 2026

HIV Prevention, Testing and Treatment in West Africa: What Every Community Should Know

HIV is now a manageable condition, yet across West Africa too many people are diagnosed late. This guide gives the latest UNAIDS figures for the region and Nigeria, explains why testing is delayed, the signs that need a test now, the full prevention toolkit (condoms, PrEP, PEP within 72 hours, U=U, PMTCT), how testing and free treatment work, and how Afrimedlink offers confidential consultations, testing and fast referral.

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Malaria in Nigeria: The Complete Guide to Prevention, Testing and Safe Treatment, State by StateDisease Prevention
23 min read2221 Oct 2026

Malaria in Nigeria: The Complete Guide to Prevention, Testing and Safe Treatment, State by State

Nigeria carries the world’s heaviest malaria burden: about 68.5 million cases and 184,800 deaths in 2024, with children under five hit hardest. This guide explains what causes malaria and busts common myths. It shows how risk varies across zones, seasons and all 36 states plus the FCT, from 49% of young children in Kebbi to 3% in Lagos. It covers early symptoms and danger signs, why only 1 in 4 feverish children is tested, and how to treat malaria safely with a full ACT course. It also looks at self-medication, fake drugs and resistance. Above all, it sets out how to prevent malaria: bed nets and how to care for them, mosquito-proofing your home, repellents, protection in pregnancy, seasonal medicines and vaccines for children, advice for travellers, and a family checklist.

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Ebola in Nigeria: What the Confirmed Abuja Case Means, How the Virus Spreads, and How to Keep Your Family SafeHealth Awareness
34 min read4021 Oct 2026

Ebola in Nigeria: What the Confirmed Abuja Case Means, How the Virus Spreads, and How to Keep Your Family Safe

Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case in twelve years on 20 October 2026: a woman who flew into Abuja from Uganda, linked to the Bundibugyo-virus epidemic that has infected more than 9,000 people in DR Congo. This guide explains how Ebola spreads (and how it does not), the symptoms to watch for, who needs testing and how it works, why there is no vaccine yet for this strain and what treatment does exist, how to protect your family, what the government is doing, and exactly what to do — and whom to call — if you think you have been exposed.

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