Health experts have called on the 36 state governments to improve preparedness for health security by dismantling isolated or “siloed” approaches to emergency response, governance, and overall public health protection.
The call was made in Abuja on Monday during the Socialisation and Unveiling of the State Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan, organised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
The high-level event, which brought together state commissioners for health, development partners, and key stakeholders, marked the launch of the State EPR Plan — a roadmap designed to strengthen epidemic preparedness, coordination, and health security across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, led the technical sessions with representatives from the World Bank, WHO, US CDC, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reaffirming partner support for subnational health security reforms under the Nigeria Health Security Reform Implementation Initiative (NHSRII).
Dr Samuel Anzaku, Director of Veterinary Public and Epidemiology at the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, said Nigeria’s “silo mentality” continues to undermine cross-sector coordination and weaken efforts to prevent and control disease outbreaks.
“What works for one state may not work for another. If we fail to overcome this silo mentality, the same challenges will persist,” he said.
Anzaku emphasised the need to institutionalise the One Health approach — integrating human, animal, and environmental health — especially at the state level where most outbreaks originate.
“Rabies is preventable; no one should die from it. But because of weak collaboration, we still record avoidable deaths,” he added, citing Plateau as one of the states with the highest rabies-related fatalities.
During a session on Public Health Legislation and Governance, Dr Oladipo Ogunbode outlined policy measures under the State EPR Plan, including the creation of State Health Security Steering Committees and EPR/PHEM Technical Committees, as well as the integration of EPR plans into annual State Health Operational Plans.
He called for reviewing state public health laws, developing model legislation aligned with International Health Regulations (IHR), and ensuring stronger alignment between state and national health security frameworks.
In another presentation, Dr Kitan Jinadu highlighted the importance of strengthening preparedness at the state level to reinforce Nigeria’s overall health system resilience.
He noted that recurrent public health crises such as flooding in Niger State continue to threaten livelihoods, stressing that Nigeria’s preparedness score — measured using the WHO Joint External Evaluation tool — improved from 37 per cent in 2017 to 54 per cent in 2023, owing to targeted investment and capacity building.
“We must continue to invest in state systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies, ensuring all states meet the minimum preparedness threshold,” Jinadu said.
Also presenting, Dr Biodun Ogunniyi outlined progress made by NCDC in enhancing infection prevention, laboratory capacity, and disease surveillance. He mentioned innovations such as Tata, an internet-based data mining tool for event-based surveillance, and the continued operation of the 6232 toll-free line for public health reporting.
He added that the National Reference Laboratory can now test for all epidemic-prone diseases and is advancing its genomic sequencing capacity for early detection and rapid response.
Dr Idris stressed that outbreak management must begin at the community level.
“Outbreaks start within communities. If we build capacity at the subnational level, states can mount initial responses without waiting for NCDC. Health security is a shared responsibility,” he stated.
Participants, including commissioners and experts, collectively agreed that states must adopt a collaborative approach across sectors and jurisdictions.
They emphasised that addressing systemic challenges — including poor funding, weak infrastructure, and shortages of skilled personnel — is vital to achieving a resilient national health security framework capable of preventing and containing future public health threats.
(NAN)