Angela Onwuzoo
The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, has identified delays in data reporting, inconsistencies in data quality, and prolonged laboratory turnaround times as reasons for the inability of the agency to act swiftly and decisively on disease outbreaks.
Idris said the country’s disease surveillance system, policies, and public health interventions must be driven by high-quality, actionable data and be responsive and resilient in the face of potential outbreaks.
He challenged disease surveillance officers and laboratory specialists to embrace technology and collaboration by thinking globally and acting locally to promote national and global health security.
Idris in his opening remarks at the ongoing NCDC’s 5th annual disease surveillance review meeting in Lagos, further said the agency had intensified its surveillance efforts.
The event, themed: “Strengthening Global Health Security Through Enhanced Disease Surveillance,” is scheduled to be held from 28 to 30 October in Lagos.
The NCDC boss said despite challenges of some disease outbreaks still plaguing the country such as cholera, and Lassa fever among others, the agency had recorded significant achievements in the fight against major global public health outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID-19.
The NCDC by the end of epidemiological week 39, said the country had recorded 10,837 suspected cases and 359 deaths.
The public health agency noted that the figure represented 239 per cent increase in fatalities compared to 2023.
It said that the Case Fatality Rate for the year stood at 3.3 per cent, slightly higher than the 3.1 per cent recorded in the previous year.
PUNCH Healthwise reports that cholera is an acute intestinal infection spread through contaminated food and water. Communities with limited access to sanitation are most affected.
Conflict, climate change, inadequate safe water and sanitation, poverty, underdevelopment, and population displacement due to emerging and re-emerging conflicts and disasters from natural hazards all contribute to the rise in cholera outbreaks.
The NCDC DG noted the agency required courage, resilience, and innovation to effectively carry out its mandate to protect Nigerians by preventing, detecting, and responding to health threats.
“Over the years, we have faced and overcome some of the most formidable public health crises: from our rapid responses to Ebola and COVID-19 to our persistent battle against measles, cholera, Lassa fever, Mpox, meningitis, and newly emerging, often mysterious health threats like the suspected heavy metal poisoning we are now addressing.
“Each of these challenges has tested our strength but has also allowed us to grow, deepen our expertise, and strengthen our resolve. Our nation’s path has been one of trials met with determination, obstacles overcome through innovation and threats neutralised by our collective will”, he said.
Idris, however, stated that despite these achievements, there were still gaps that needed to be filled to achieve national health security.
He noted, “ Yes, in moments of achievements, we must also look with humility at the challenges that remain. We stand on the frontline against an array of threats—both familiar and new, predictable and unexpected.
Today, we contend with an enduring cholera outbreak intensified by devastating floods across our states.
“The increasing data from these public health threats are not just statistics; they are stories of families, communities, and individuals whose lives hang in the balance.”
According to him, this public health crisis has not only underscored the country’s vulnerability to disease outbreaks but has exposed gaps in resources, data systems, and human capacities.
Continuing, Idris said, “Delays in data transmission/reporting inconsistencies in data quality, and prolonged laboratory turnaround times hinder our ability to act swiftly and decisively.
“We must think globally and act locally, identifying and addressing health threats before they escalate and spread.
“So, whilst we consider public health emergencies of international concerns, we must as a priority, consider public health emergencies of national concerns.
World Health Organisation Country Representative for Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, in his remarks urged the NCDC to leverage artificial intelligence in disease surveillance.
Mulombo said the public health agency could enhance its ability to detect, prevent, and respond to public health emergencies by adopting AI in its disease surveillance.
He noted that deploying AI would contribute to the reduction of morbidity mortality, disability, and socioeconomic disruptions due to disease outbreaks and other health emergencies in the WHO African Region.
Further stressing the need for AI integration in pandemic preparedness and response, Mulombo AI has the potential to revolutionise global health security by enabling more proactive, data-driven approaches to health threats.”
Speaking on the meeting objective, NCDC Director of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Dr Fatima Saleh, said ADSRM was an annual event where the agency hosts a network of state epidemiologists and other frontline workers.
Saleh said that ADSRM was conducted in the year 2016 and subsequently in 2017, 2018 and 2022. It is a one-health strategy involving critical stakeholders from government ministries, departments, and agencies.
The meeting, she added also seeks to review and update stakeholders on surveillance activities in Nigeria in the previous years to improve on identified gaps and challenges.
“The expected outcome is for participants to have a better understanding of challenges faced by each state regarding surveillance activities and operations as well as proposing solutions”, she said.
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