Month February 2023

Have you Heard About the Diphtheria Outbreak in Nigeria?

There is a bacterial infection currently making people sick across Nigeria. It’s called diphtheria and so far 216 people have been infected and 40 have died in 4 states: Kano Yobe Osun Lagos Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by a bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae which produces toxins that make people sick. The bacteria infects the respiratory system and can cause the following: Fever or high temperature Chills Difficulty breathing Difficulty swallowing Weakness/tiredness Headache Cough Swollen glands in the neck Pain, redness, swelling and sores on the skin The bacteria that causes diphtheria can spread from one person to another – mostly through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread from touching open sores or wounds of an infected person.

DRASA Health Trust Joins The 3rd Cohort of The African Visionary Fund

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to be a part of the African Visionary Fund 2022 Cohort 3 visionary partners. After receiving over 800 applications from across the continent, DRASA, alongside 9 other organizations, made the final selection. This is our first win for the year 2023 – it was announced on the 31st of January 2023. The African Visionary Fund provides multi-year funding to changemakers across the continent who directly know the problem their countries are facing and the right solution to put in place. Every year, AVF helps to accelerate the solutions these change makers are trying to achieve in their respective countries and bring their visions to life. You can find more information about the African Visionary Fund and the third cohort of visionary partners here. The 3rd Cohort of The African Visionary Fund At the official unveiling, our Managing Director, Niniola Williams, highlighted that this achievement was well in line with our mission of equipping more health champions who can identify and prevent diseases. As an organization, we are dedicated to strengthening our health systems against future outbreaks, promoting safe hygienic practices and advancing infection prevention and control . Having equipped over 51,000 health champions in our network, we are glad to be recognized for our work and to be given the opportunity to do more in the next three years, with the support from AVF. Join us to relive this moment by watching the announcement video here.