Nigeria better prepared for future disease outbreaks – NACA

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, has said Nigeria is now better equipped to respond to future disease outbreaks following investments made through the Global Fund’s COVID-19 Response Mechanism between 2021 and 2025.

The agency stated that the intervention strengthened the country’s disease surveillance systems, laboratory networks, emergency response structures and overall health infrastructure, leaving Nigeria in a stronger position to tackle future public health emergencies.

NACA disclosed this ahead of a national close out meeting organised in collaboration with the Global Fund and implementing partners to assess the achievements, lessons and long-term impact of the COVID-19 Response Mechanism in Nigeria.

Speaking on the development, the Director-General of NACA, Dr. Temitope Ilori, said investments made during the COVID-19 pandemic had become an integral part of Nigeria’s health security framework.

She noted that lessons learned from the pandemic had reinforced the importance of preparedness for all forms of public health emergencies.

According to Ilori, investments in emergency response systems, supply chain resilience and rapid deployment capacity have been integrated into the country’s health planning and programming.

NACA said the intervention helped Nigeria mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while protecting progress recorded in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

The agency added that the programme supported improvements in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, infection prevention and control measures, oxygen infrastructure, cold-chain systems, healthcare workforce capacity and emergency response operations nationwide.

Executive Secretary of the Country Coordinating Mechanism Nigeria, Tajudeen Ibrahim, described the initiative as a demonstration of the importance of effective partnerships and country ownership in managing health emergencies.

He said the intervention not only strengthened Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 but also enhanced critical health systems and improved preparedness for future pandemics and disease outbreaks.

Mr Ibrahim stressed the need to sustain the gains achieved through the programme and apply lessons learned towards building a more resilient healthcare system.

The Global Fund launched the COVID-19 Response Mechanism in 2020 to support countries in addressing the health, social and economic effects of the pandemic while preserving essential health services and gains made against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Nigeria was among the beneficiary countries, receiving support to improve testing and laboratory capacity, oxygen supply systems, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and healthcare worker training.

Public health experts have continued to emphasise the importance of sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure and preparedness systems, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant gaps in health systems globally.