FG Aligns with China in Fight Against Outbreaks, Epidemics, Pandemics
In a bold move to prevent disease outbreaks and strengthen Nigeria’s health system, the Federal Government has partnered with China to build a resilient healthcare infrastructure based on science and technology.
This collaboration was highlighted at the High-Level Public Health Symposium: Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, held in Abuja, Monday, March 30.
At the meeting, the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Pate, emphasized the importance of learning from past outbreaks like Ebola and COVID-19. “We have many lessons from these outbreaks that we can reflect on and share with China and other countries,” he said.
The symposium brought together stakeholders from various ministries and agencies to brainstorm on the intersection of animal health, environment, and human health.
Prof. Pate stressed the need for surveillance, data-driven decisions, preparedness, community engagement, and trust-building. “We must leverage new technologies, science, and clinical research to ensure our communities are safe,” he said.
He highlighted the link between public health security, national security, and economic security, assuring that the present Administration is working commitedly to safeguard Nigerians’ health and well-being.
Pandemics, he noted, evolve gradually from outbreaks to global crises if not contained – they’re not just health emergencies but also major economic and national security threats.
The Minister added that future pandemics are inevitable, calling for sustained investment in preparedness. According to him, about 79,000 health workers have been retrained to boost emergency response and efforts are needed to build public trust, boost local production of medical supplies, protect frontline workers, and invest in research, innovation, and digital health.
Honourable Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, emphasized the importance of diagnosis, saying the partnership with China will improve Nigeria’s diagnostic capacity.
He attributed China’s low COVID-19 fatality rate to their level of care and response, noting that the partnership could boost health security in West Africa. “We are going to follow through with it to ensure that we move forward with it,” he said.
Former Director of China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Prof. George Gao, stressed the need for improving Nigeria’s water supply, saying “water supply is the key to improve public health, especially for a fast-growing economy like Nigeria”. He added, “Let us work together to get the virus down and have a better world.”
The symposium featured panel sessions on Early Detection to Intelligence, Detection to Action, Trust, Communities, and Behaviour, among others.
