After two years of the outbreak of novel Coronavirus pandemic otherwise known as COVID-19 in Nigeria in 2020, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has said it has recorded over 250,000 cases, no fewer than 3000 deaths and learnt major lessons in its bid to strengthen the country’s health system to cope with other infectious diseases and future health emergencies.
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, in a press release titled: “Two Years of COVID-19 Response: Building On Lessons to Strengthen Nigeria’s Health Security for the Future”, pointed out that prior to COVID-19, the world was preparing for a possible influenza pandemic, yet the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 highlighted inadequacies in global pandemic preparedness.
Adetifa further said, given the interconnectedness of the world(now essentially a global village), people are at constant risk of public health emergencies that have the potential to greatly disrupt lives and livelihoods like COVID-19 did.
According to him, “This makes it critical to learn from lessons taught by this pandemic to strengthen preparedness and response to other diseases in line with our mandate.
“We have continued to face outbreaks of cholera and Lassa fever concurrently with the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic response has recorded the largest political commitment in the history of health system development in Nigeria due to its global relevance and impact on our economy.
“This has provided opportunities for prioritising health on the political agenda and attracting the required future investment in health security. We all have the responsibility to encourage and continue to hold authorities accountable to sustain interest and investment in healthcare in general and particularly for health security.
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