ABUJA: Nigeria’s public health system is facing renewed pressure as outbreaks of several infectious diseases spread across all six geopolitical zones, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Jide Idris, said the country is simultaneously responding to diphtheria, cholera, Lassa fever and measles, noting that the situation underscores the growing strain on health infrastructure nationwide.
He spoke on Tuesday at a three-day Stakeholder Workshop on Preparedness and Response to Public Health Emergencies organised by the NCDC in partnership with UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Idris explained that the disease outbreaks are being driven and intensified by climate-related shocks and humanitarian crises, as well as long-standing systemic challenges such as rapid urbanisation, population movement, overstretched health facilities and unequal access to basic services.
He stressed that effective preparedness goes beyond preventing outbreaks, describing it instead as the ability of a country to anticipate risks, detect threats early, coordinate responses across sectors and tiers of government, and act swiftly using evidence-based strategies.
Highlighting the mandate of the NCDC as Nigeria’s national public health institute established in 2018, Idris said the agency provides technical leadership for disease prevention, detection and response, in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, state governments, relevant agencies and development partners.
He said Nigeria has in recent years strengthened its emergency preparedness architecture through initiatives such as the implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, the National Action Plan for Health Security 2.0, the rollout of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) third edition, and the adoption of the 7-1-7 outbreak detection and response strategy.
However, Idris admitted that significant gaps remain, particularly in cross-sector coordination, data management, logistics, health workforce readiness and sustainable financing, adding that partner interventions are not always fully aligned with national priorities.
According to him, the ongoing workshop is aimed at critically assessing how existing preparedness and response systems are working, identifying bottlenecks and opportunities, and improving coherence across policies, institutions and investments.
He urged participants to contribute rigorously to the discussions, saying the ultimate goal is to develop a practical, nationally owned roadmap that will strengthen early warning systems, enhance response coordination and improve resilience at both national and sub-national levels.
Idris also commended development partners for their support and acknowledged the government’s role in advancing health security in the country.
