The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has condemned what it described as government’s marginalization of the nursing profession.

The association also identified corruption as the major cause of maternal deaths in the country.  Poverty, negative cultural practices, anaemia were also included as reasons women die while giving birth.

Besides, health workers at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) yesterday urged Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola to correct what they called anomaly in the implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Scale-(CONHESS) in the state.

The United Nations is reporting that malaria has dropped from being the leading cause of death among refugees living along the Sudan border. Among the locations where the new malaria-reducing strategies are being employed is the Kakuma Camp for Sudanese refugees in northern Kenya.

Not long ago, malaria killed more Sudanese refugees than any other disease. But now, while it is still deadly, the U.N. reports it is only the fifth leading cause of death among the estimated 38,000 Sudanese refugees living in the Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya.

London - It may not be the most obvious of health foods, but pizza could be good for you, research suggests.

Scientists have found that oregano, a seasoning commonly used in pizza and other Italian food, has the potential to become a powerful weapon against prostate cancer.

A medicine inspired by it could have fewer side-effects than existing treatments, which can cause problems from incontinence to impotence.

A panel of US health experts has for the first time backed a drug to prevent HIV infection in healthy people.

The panel recommended US regulators approve the daily pill, Truvada, for use by people considered at high risk of contracting the Aids virus.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not required to follow the panel's advice, but it usually does.

Some health workers and groups active in the HIV community have opposed the approval of the drug.

In spite of the Lagos State Government's claims that it is open for negotiations with the sacked doctors, the affected doctors resident in official quarters, on Thursday, received eviction notices to vacate their residences.

Signed, May 8, 2012, the letter ordered the doctors to vacate their official residences with immediate effect.

"Consequent upon your dismissal from the service of the Lagos State government with effect from 4th may, 2012 and in accordance with the civil service rule 13115, No officer shall continue to occupy state government quarters after the date on which his resignation/dismissal takes effect. I wish to request you to vacate the state government staff quarters,” it read.

Piqued by the effects of the lingering strike action by doctors under its employ, the Lagos State Government has sacked over 1,000 doctors currently clamouring for the full implementation of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

LEADERSHIP gathered that each of the doctors has been served a dismissal letter dated Friday, May 4, 2012.

In the letter, the Personnel Management Board (PMB), the disciplinary organ of government which met last month, established against the doctors a case of misconduct - absence from duty without leave or reasonable cause.

Recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, alerted Nigerians on the proliferation of fake St Louis sugar in the markets.

The sugar which was said to have been smuggled from Cotonou had been consumed by a number of unsuspecting Nigerians without the slightest knowledge of the hazard it represents.

Following this startling discovery, the agency intensified its surveillance and with the collaboration of Milan Nigeria company which has the sole distributorship of the product in Nigeria, a raid was carried on some markets where the sugar was to be sold.

New York — Selected from their respective settlements (villages), 200 volunteer community mobilizers (covering 200 high risk settlements) are now fully operational in Kebbi State, in northern Nigeria. Their mission is to reduce the percentage of missed children through targeted house-to-house interventions to generate demand for and acceptance of oral polio vaccine.

These volunteers have been trained to work as "change agents" in the community and are responsible for house-to-house mobilization for polio and routine immunization and introduce some key household practices.