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Breast cancer is the leading cancer among Nigerian women and is commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage; yet the everyday realities that influence patient outcomes and well-being remain underexplored. Understanding the lived experiences of Nigerian breast cancer patients is critical for developing culturally appropriate, supportive, and palliative care services. To explore the lived experiences, needs and coping strategies of women living with and beyond breast cancer in Nigeria. Qualitative study using a constructivist–interpretivist paradigm. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted online via Microsoft Teams, audio and/or video-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed inductively using the Framework Method, with double coding to ensure rigour. Twenty-eight women (aged 29–63 years; mean 42 years) receiving care at two oncology centres were purposively sampled between June 2024 and March 2025. Most had stage II or III disease and had lived with cancer for at least 6–12 months. Four inter-linked themes described the women’s experiences: (1) “For several months, I saw myself like a ghost amongst people”—emotional, physical, economic and social upheaval following diagnosis; (2) “But I have to talk to myself, I need to encourage myself to keep going”—personal, spiritual and peer-based coping resources; (3) “I just know that there should be a lot more awareness” of the care continuum—structural, financial and informational barriers, including catastrophic out-of-pocket costs and fragmented care pathways; (4) “It is the emotional trauma”—reframing illness, personal growth and an expressed desire to support other patients. Across the themes, women stressed unmet psychosocial needs, reliance on faith communities, and the paucity of formal peer-support or counselling services. Participants reported navigating a complex interplay of financial toxicity, systemic delays, and profound psychosocial distress, and many described drawing on spiritual practices, self-encouragement, and peer connections to cope; several also expressed a desire to support other women by sharing advice or lived experience while going through the care pathway. Strengthening palliative and supportive care in Nigeria should prioritise: (1) financial-protection mechanisms to reduce treatment abandonment; (2) streamlined referral/navigation systems; and (3) integrated psychosocial and peer-support interventions that acknowledge spiritual coping. Further research should investigate survivor-led support models and assess the effectiveness of culturally tailored communication training for oncology teams.
In May 2025, the World Health Assembly adopted the historic WHO Pandemic Agreement, aimed at strengthening global pandemic preparedness and equity. This legally binding treaty emerged from years of negotiation shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic’s stark inequities—particularly those experienced by African nations. While the treaty introduces important innovations, notably the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing system, significant challenges remain. Ambiguities in equity commitments, geopolitical fragmentation and rising nationalism threaten effective implementation. For Africa, realising the treaty’s promise requires robust legal frameworks, enhanced manufacturing and regulatory capacities and sustainable financing mechanisms that reduce donor dependency. This analysis critically examines the treaty’s provisions and political economy, emphasising the need for enforceable obligations, continental leadership and multi-sectoral accountability. We propose the establishment of a Pandemic Peer Review Mechanism to embed political accountability at national and regional levels. Only through coordinated African leadership, institutional investment and global solidarity can the Pandemic Agreement deliver equitable health outcomes in a fracturing global order.
PURPOSEThe Systemic Therapy in Advancing or Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Evaluation of Drug Efficacy (STAMPEDE)2 trial builds on the foundational STAMPEDE trial, which introduced innovative multiarm treatment protocols for metastatic prostate cancer. This survey assessed Nigeria's readiness for the STAMPEDE2 trial by evaluating current clinical practices, radiotherapy infrastructure, systemic therapy usage, and imaging capabilities across its six geopolitical zones.MATERIALS AND METHODSWe mapped the radiotherapy centers and machines currently available (commissioned) and in the Nigerian pipeline. A structured questionnaire comprising 31 questions in six sections was disseminated to clinical and radiation oncologists via Google Forms. The survey ran from July to September 2024, gathering data on radiotherapy availability, systemic therapies, advanced imaging, and readiness for clinical trial participation. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel. Responses were aggregated from 14 cancer centers across Nigeria, encompassing both public and private facilities.RESULTSThe survey identified 23 operational radiotherapy machines distributed across 12 centers, with 19 additional facilities in the pipeline. These centers were predominantly located in urban areas such as Lagos and Abuja. Prostate cancer treatment modalities are available; however, access to agents such as abiraterone and enzalutamide was reported in 73% of centers. There is one operational positron emission tomography/computed tomography facility in Nigeria. Clinicians expressed strong interest in participating in trials although some gaps in infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, and limited access to advanced treatments like 177Lu-PSMA-617 were noted.CONCLUSIONThe findings underscore Nigeria's potential readiness for the STAMPEDE2 trial, other clinical trials, and collaborative research, bolstered by an expanding radiotherapy infrastructure and clinician enthusiasm for advanced therapeutic approaches. Initiatives like the Cancer Health Fund and the National Cancer Access Partnership represent significant steps toward equitable cancer care.
Objective: Fetal weight is an important indicator of pregnancy outcome and perinatal survival. Accurate estimation of fetal weight is important in the management of labour and care of the newborn, but no single satisfactory formula for estimating fetal weight. This study aims to determine the mean accuracy of two clinical methods for fetal weight estimation. Method: A cross-sectional study of 114 pregnant women at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital from 1st of June to November 30th, 2024. The Dares' and Johnson's formulas were used to calculate the estimated fetal weights, and the average of both clinical formulae was compared with the actual fetal weight. Results: The clinical methods overestimated fetal weight, with a combined mean estimate of 4471.65 ± 251.13 grams, substantially higher than the actual mean birth weight of 3612.50 ± 375.07 grams. The Mean Absolute Error was 859.15 ± 418.23 grams, and the Mean Absolute Percentage Error was 25.13 ± 15.18%, with only 6.94% of estimates falling within 10% of the actual birth weight. Conclusion: Clinical methods may offer a practical alternative in resource-limited settings, but have a tendency for overestimation.
Background Diarrhoeal disease is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 years old with an increasing morbidity and mortality annually. Climate change exacerbates the burden of diarrhoea disease through increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, changes in precipitation patterns, and rising temperatures. Analyzing regional variations in climate change-related diarrhoea helps develop targeted adaptation strategies. The study examines the trends in climate change-related diarrhoea among children under five years old in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A rapid review was conducted to analyse the patterns and trends of diarrhoea among children under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa due to climate change. The study retrieved 89 research publications from 2016 to 2024 from electronic databases (PubMed, African Index Medicus, Scopus, Web of Science, Google scholar and Google). Only 31 papers were selected for full-text review and assessed for eligibility, and 14 articles were selected for rapid review. Narrative synthesis was employed in data analysis. Results The study reveals a significant positive association between temperature rise and increased rainfall and floods and the incidence of diarrheal disease among children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. The increased diarrheal episodes mostly occur in warmer conditions during the dry seasons. An increase in temperature, average rainfall, relative humidity, and severe floods increased the incidence rate of diarrheal disease. However, a negative association was reported, and another study showed heterogeneity in the association between temperature, precipitation and diarrheal disease. Conclusions 11 studies showed a positive association between temperature rise, increased rainfall, floods, and diarrheal disease incidence in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly during dry seasons, but also 3 studies revealed negative associations and heterogeneity. Climate-resilient measures should be implemented to reduce the burden of diarrhoea, particularly in areas forecasted to experience increased rainfall and temperature.
