Victoria Mgbanwa
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has said that One Health Approach will improve health security and prevent potential pandemic.
The Minister made this known during the National Dialogue on Nigeria Pandemic Fund Application, in Abuja.
The Minister said the pandemic fund which will aid in strengthening Nigeria Health security.
He further stated that the Covid19 Pandemic was a wake-up call for Nigeria government both at the local government, state and Federal Government level on good surveillance system to respond quickly to outbreak.
He said, “For Nigeria I am taking a one health approach that brings different ministries, sectors that are relevant for prevention, protection, surveillance, and readiness to respond amd strengthen them.
You should remember that the pandemic is only one and not the entirety of the effort to improve health security in Nigeria”, he said.
Pate added that NCDC is working very hard along side state governments, local government and technical and financing partners in a collective way .
“This is a sector wide approach, so there is a coherent one Nigeria plan, one conversation to strengthen health security.
We saw what happened with the pandemic or even before, we should have anticipated that, but the pandemic has become a wake-up call for us all . We should
and well as the global measures and the presentation around the new pandemic issues we have to also do our work domestically.”
The Director General Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) Dr. Jide Idris, said collaborative effort is important in navigating the challenges in ending future pandemics.
“In this unprecedented times, our collective effort is crucial in navigating the challenges ending future pandemics.
As we all know it’s work in progress when it comes to pandemic preparedness and response . Learning from the last pandemic that is Covid-19, our country needs a robust health security infrastructure and prevention. We also need disease preparedness and response”, he said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Molumbo also urged all Development partners to work hand in hand with the NCDC to have a stronger Pandemic Fund proposal.
“I will like to urge all my fellow colleagues and partners to work towards the same goal and support NCDC to have a stronger proposal. We could at least use that as a mechanism to engage others with the swap approach speed”, he added.
