NMMA Most Innovative Reporter of the year/Public Health Reporter of the year | HIV/AIDS+SRHR advocate | Health Editor Vanguard Newspaper | Great father &husband
Vancouver, British Columbia
Joined December 2008
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Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Why do medical students face some of the highest levels of mental and emotional strain in the medical profession?
At the Vanguard Mental Health Summit, Mr Olalekan Atitola, representing Prof. Afekhide Ernest (President NMA) explains the pressures medical students face, from demanding academic schedules and intense clinical training to the emotional toll of preparing for a career centred on saving lives.
Missed the conversation? Catch all the key moments here at ; youtu.be/sNZiYJpxkuA
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
The Nigerian 🇳🇬 Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to empower the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to award A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related disciplines.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Nigeria: The Government of Nigeria reactivated Ebola disease-related screening measures for all international travelers, including possible quarantine. Travelers will be screened by communicable disease control officers at the international ports of entry (air, land, and sea) in Nigeria and could be subject to mandatory quarantine or self-isolation for at least 21 days. More at: ng.usembassy.gov/health-aler…
ALT Department of State Health Alert graphic for Nigeria.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Since launching HPV vaccines in 2014, South Africa is reporting an 80% drop in infections with the HPV types responsible for most cervical cancers. Here’s how school-based HPV vaccination programmes are driving success in a country with one of the world’s highest burdens of cervical cancer: bit.ly/4BonuVu
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
🧬 Cancer May Be Changing Its Sugar Coat to Hide From the Immune System
Cancer cells may have a clever way to escape the body's defenses—and it involves something surprisingly sweet: sugar.
A protein called MUC1 sits on the surface of many cells, where it helps protect them. But cancer can change the sugar molecules attached to this protein, creating an unusual coating that behaves differently from the one found on healthy cells.
These changes are more than a simple disguise. They can influence how immune cells recognize and interact with tumors.
One important player is the macrophage, an immune cell that normally helps defend the body. Under certain conditions, signals from tumors can influence these cells in ways that help cancer survive instead of being effectively attacked.
Scientists are investigating how these altered sugar structures affect the relationship between cancer cells and the immune system. Understanding this molecular trick could help researchers explore new ways to make tumors easier for immune defenses to recognize.
**The mystery is written on the surface of the cell—and decoding it could reveal new possibilities for cancer treatment.**
Source:
*Nature Communications.* (2026). Research article on MUC1 glycosylation and cancer immune evasion.
ALT 🧬 *Cancer May Be Changing Its Sugar Coat to Hide From the Immune System Cancer cells may have a clever way to escape the body's defenses—and it involves something surprisingly sweet: sugar. A protein called MUC1 sits on the surface of many cells, where it helps protect them. But cancer can change the sugar molecules attached to this protein, creating an unusual coating that behaves differently from the one found on healthy cells. These changes are more than a simple disguise. They can influence how immune cells recognize and interact with tumors. One important player is the macrophage, an immune cell that normally helps defend the body. Under certain conditions, signals from tumors can influence these cells in ways that help cancer survive instead of being effectively attacked. Scientists are investigating how these altered sugar structures affect the relationship between cancer cells and the immune system.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
The World Health Organisation has clarified that Nigeria 🇳🇬 has not been declared Ebola-free, despite having no active confirmed case in the country following the medical evacuation of its index patient. The patient was flown to Switzerland by air ambulance on Monday, October 26, for further medical treatment. Her husband was also evacuated.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
🧠 Mind as receiver, not creator.
Psychologists are exploring a fascinating idea that challenges how we understand the human mind. Thoughts may not be something we actively produce. Instead, they may arise, arrive, or surface from deeper subconscious processes beyond conscious control. Rather than being authored moment by moment, thoughts appear automatically, often without warning or intention.
Brain imaging studies show that neural activity linked to a thought begins milliseconds before a person becomes aware of it. This suggests awareness comes after the thought has already formed, not before. Meditation research supports this too, showing how thoughts emerge spontaneously when the mind is quiet, then fade when attention shifts.
This perspective changes how we relate to anxiety, creativity, and self-judgment. If thoughts are received rather than chosen, then observing them without attachment becomes easier. Mental clarity may come not from controlling the mind, but from listening to it with awareness.
The mind may be less like a writer and more like a radio, tuning into signals already in motion.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
A team of leading Ebola scientists will travel to Nigeria to help investigate how the country’s first patient in more than a decade got infected, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said. reut.rs/48eJ2X9
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
The Swiss authorities have confirmed that the patient and her spouse arrived safely in Switzerland today. She is receiving care at Geneva University Hospitals @hug_ge, while her spouse is in isolation at University Hospital Zurich @Unispital_USZ.
In our telephone conversation, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider conveyed Switzerland’s appreciation for the care provided by Nigerian health professionals and the close cooperation between our authorities and @WHO that made the evacuation possible.
I thank the clinical and public-health teams in Nigeria and Switzerland, @NCDCgov, @BAG_OFSP_UFSP, @EDI_DFI and @WHONigeria for their cooperation, and wish the patient continued recovery.
Here in Nigeria, contact monitoring, investigation of alerts and other containment measures continue, with support from @AfricaCDC and @WHOAFRO. We will provide regular updates through @NCDCgov and @Fmohnigeria.
@OfficialFCTA @DrPavelUrsu @ProfJanabi @CDCgov @Dr_JeanKaseya @christian_happi @alikothe3rd @SalakoIziaq
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Earlier this morning, the Ebola patient in Nigeria and her contact, who is also her husband, were medically evacuated to Switzerland.
The reasons for the evacuation are:
✅ Both the patient and her husband are Swiss citizens.
✅ The patient is clinically stable. The Nigerian medical team successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilized her condition.
On behalf of WHO and all partners, I warmly congratulate the Government of Nigeria, health workers, clinicians, emergency responders and all those involved in the response. This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to what Africa can accomplish when we work together.
With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases.
However, vigilance remains critical. Nigeria will continue the close follow-up of 52 contacts, while Switzerland will assume responsibility for the continued management of the patient and the follow-up of contact number 53, her husband.
Congratulations once again to everyone involved. This is a proud moment demonstrating African expertise, resilience, and leadership in public health.
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Ce matin, la patiente atteinte d’Ebola au Nigéria et son contact, qui est également son époux, ont été évacués médicalement vers la Suisse.
Les raisons de cette évacuation sont les suivantes :
✅ La patiente et son mari sont tous deux citoyens suisses.
✅ La patiente est cliniquement stable. L’équipe médicale nigériane a réussi à la prendre en charge durant la phase aiguë de la maladie et à stabiliser son état.
Au nom de l’OMS et de tous les partenaires, je félicite chaleureusement le Gouvernement du Nigéria, les agents de santé, les cliniciens, les intervenants d’urgence et toutes les personnes impliquées dans la réponse. C’est une réalisation remarquable et une preuve de ce que l’Afrique peut accomplir lorsque nous travaillons ensemble.
Avec l’évacuation de la patiente et de son mari, le Nigéria ne compte actuellement plus de cas d’Ebola.
Cependant, la vigilance reste essentielle. Le Nigéria poursuivra le suivi rapproché de 52 contacts, tandis que la Suisse assurera la prise en charge continue de la patiente et le suivi du 53ᵉ contact, son mari.
Félicitations encore à toutes celles et ceux qui ont contribué à cette réussite. Ce moment est une fierté, démontrant l’expertise, la résilience et le leadership africains en santé publique.
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Hoje de manhã, a paciente com doença pelo vírus Ebola na Nigéria e o seu contacto, que é também o seu marido, foram evacuados por via médica para a Suíça.
A evacuação deve-se aos seguintes motivos:
✅ Tanto a paciente como o seu marido são cidadãos suíços.
✅ A paciente encontra-se clinicamente estável. A equipa médica nigeriana conseguiu prestar-lhe cuidados durante a fase aguda da doença e estabilizar o seu estado de saúde.
Em nome da OMS e de todos os parceiros, felicito calorosamente o Governo da Nigéria, os profissionais de saúde, os clínicos, as equipas de resposta a emergências e todas as pessoas envolvidas na resposta. Esta é uma conquista notável e uma prova do que África pode alcançar quando trabalhamos em conjunto.
Com a evacuação da paciente e do seu marido, a Nigéria não tem atualmente nenhum caso de doença pelo vírus Ebola.
No entanto, é fundamental manter a vigilância. A Nigéria continuará a acompanhar de perto 52 contactos, enquanto a Suíça assumirá a responsabilidade pela continuidade dos cuidados à paciente e pelo acompanhamento do contacto número 53, o seu marido.
Mais uma vez, felicito todas as pessoas envolvidas. Este é um momento de orgulho que demonstra a competência, a resiliência e a liderança de África no domínio da saúde pública.
I Confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland. The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results closing towards baseline. This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place.
The patient was evacuated along with her spouse who has remained asymptomatic.
I thank all the various clinical staff for the high quality care they provided the patient as well as the public health personnel who ensured the evacuation was carried out in line with best public health measures for such evacuations.
We will provide further updates later this afternoon after the patient and her spouse lands successfully in their destination.
All public health measures are continuing to ensure successful containment of the imported virus. I urge Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely on information from credible sources.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Following the imported Ebola index patient’s medical evacuation from Nigeria today, 26 October, our immediate priorities remain active monitoring of all identified contacts, prompt investigation of alerts and strengthened readiness across our health facilities.
If no further confirmed or probable cases are detected, Nigeria could progress towards declaring this outbreak over under @WHO criteria, potentially as early as 7 December 2026. This date remains provisional, subject to @NCDCgov and WHO validating the 42-day countdown. Any further case would require a fresh countdown in accordance with those criteria.
Our teams, working with FCTA and state health authorities and our partners, remain focused on containment and preventing community transmission. I ask Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow regular updates from @NCDCgov and @Fmohnigeria.
@OfficialFCTA @WHONigeria @WHOAFRO @WHO @AfricaCDC @DrPavelUrsu @ProfJanabi @CDCgov @Dr_JeanKaseya @christian_happi @alikothe3rd @SalakoIziaq
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Uganda to impose 21-day quarantine on returning citizens with Congo travel history reut.rs/4zdyB20 reut.rs/4zdyB20
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Scientists in Japan have figured out how to make cancer cells end themselves.
They forced cancer cells to poison themselves by creating a toxin that reacts with carbon monoxide, causing the toxin to only affect cancer cells. Normal cells were unharmed in lab tests.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Once lead enters the body, it can travel through the bloodstream and reach vital organs like the brain, kidneys, liver and bones.
Over time, lead can accumulate and damage multiple systems in the body bit.ly/3TKEwwd
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
An important milestone in the Ebola response in DRC.
The Tumaini vaccine trial has launched in Bunia, an important step towards identifying vaccines that can protect against the Bundibugyo virus. Getting here has taken considerable work.
Under the leadership of the DRC authorities, and with Africa CDC's engagement, including at the highest political level, efforts to make vaccines available have supported three complementary interventions: preventive vaccination of frontline workers, the BRAVO study focusing on health workers, and now Tumaini.
The trial begins with an evaluation of Ervebo, with Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidates expected to join the adaptive trial platform.
This work is particularly urgent as the outbreak spreads across countries. We need scientific evidence to guide vaccine use, alongside stronger community engagement, early detection and efforts to interrupt transmission.
Congratulations to the Congolese scientists and authorities, @inrb_kinshasa @CEPIvaccines @WHO @MSF/Epicentre, Africa CDC and all partners involved.
Tumaini means hope in Swahili. The task now is to turn that hope into evidence, effective interventions and better preparedness for future outbreaks.
cepi.net/first-participant-v…
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
This #WorldPolioDay and every day, Africa is making progress towards a polio-free future!
🌍 From January to September 2026, 168M+ children were vaccinated, and polio detections in the region have declined by 33% since 2024. But rising detections of poliovirus types 1 and 3 remind us that the fight is not over.
Stronger surveillance, faster response and sustained commitment are essential to protecting every child.
#EndPolio
afro.who.int/publications/po…
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Teens are telling their therapists they don’t believe there will be a world left for them when they grow up
My family therapist told me therapists are talking about this with each other because none of them know what to say
I can’t stop thinking about that
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
🚨: Scientists built self-propelled nanobots that use urea as fuel and target bladder tumors, shrinking them by 90% with one dose.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Chemotherapy is designed to destroy rapidly dividing cancer cells, yet many tumors survive treatment by slipping into a dormant, zombie-like state known as senescence. Although these zombie cells permanently stop dividing, they refuse to die. Instead, they linger inside the body and release chemical signals that mimic a wound, tricking the immune system into nourishing the surviving tumor so it can recover and cause a relapse.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin, led by Dr. Gokhan Gunay and Professor Seamus Martin, have discovered how cancer cells pull off this escape act and uncovered a hidden weakness to destroy them. When chemotherapy attacks a tumor, it flips built-in self-destruct switches on the cells called death receptors. To survive, cancer cells deploy protective shield proteins known as IAPs to block these switches at the last second, diverting themselves into the dormant zombie state. Crucially, because the self-destruct switches remain active beneath the surface, the zombie cells become completely addicted to this protein shield just to stay alive.
When the researchers treated chemotherapy-exposed cancer cells with targeted drugs that strip away these protective proteins, the waiting self-destruct machinery immediately took over and wiped the zombie cells out. Pairing standard chemotherapy with shield-blocking medications could soon provide a powerful one-two punch in cancer care, clearing out the stubborn survivor cells that drive relapse and significantly improving patient outcomes.
Source: Gokhan Gunay et al., Death receptors regulate entry to therapy-induced senescence and orchestrate addiction to IAPs, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aed4541.
Sola Charles🇳🇬 retweeted
Press Release
FG PROVIDES UPDATE ON FCT EBOLA CASE AS GENETIC ANALYSIS SHOWS VIRUS IS RELATED TO VIRUS IDENTIFIED IN KENYA
Abuja, Nigeria | 23 October 2026
The Federal Government has provided an update on the confirmed Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reporting that genomic analysis indicates that the virus identified in Nigeria is genetically related to the virus identified in a case in Kenya.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the findings provide important scientific information, while emphasising that further investigations are required to establish whether the two cases are epidemiologically linked.
The genomic analysis was conducted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Institute of Genomics and Global Health (IGH) at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, led by Professor Christian Happi. Prof. Pate commended both institutions for their speed and scientific rigour, while reiterating that genetic relatedness between viruses does not, in itself, establish a direct transmission link between cases.
Prof. Pate stated that identified contacts of the confirmed case remain under active monitoring. Some have tested negative, while results for others are still pending.
The Coordinating Minister said the Federal Government was strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, case management, risk communication and infection prevention and control. Healthcare facilities have been reminded to promptly identify and report suspected cases to public health authorities, while additional training and sensitisation for healthcare workers will support the effective implementation of response protocols.
In a related announcement, the Director General of the NCDC stated that the agency would begin issuing short daily updates to the public from 24 October 2026, in line with its public health guidelines. The updates will provide regular information as the situation evolves.
The Minister urged Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant, observe all recommended safety precautions, follow official public health guidance and avoid spreading misinformation or unverified reports. He advised the public to obtain updates from recognised health authorities, including the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to containing the outbreak, protecting healthcare workers and preventing further transmission, while calling for continued cooperation from the public and all relevant stakeholders.
Ado Bako
Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations
