New Public Health Strategy Unveiled in Nigeria
The Nigerian capital of Abuja was the backdrop for the recent presentation of the Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Strategy for 2026-2028 by eHealth Africa. This event elicited vital discussions about the pressing health challenges facing the nation.
Ongoing Public Health Challenges in Nigeria
Participants noted that Nigeria is consistently confronted with a variety of public health threats, ranging from infectious disease outbreaks to emergencies driven by climate change. Despite some progress in state revenues, significant gaps remain in monitoring, coordination, and effective response systems, hindering the nation’s ability to tackle these challenges head-on.
Investment and Local Coordination Deficiencies
Experts emphasized that although state revenues have seen an increase, this has not effectively translated into bolstered investments in critical areas such as disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and response capabilities. Outbreaks tend to occur at local levels, where there is still inadequate investment, coordination, and technical skill.
Importance of Health Security in Political Agenda
Mohamed Salem, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underscored the need for state governments to prioritize health security in their political agendas. He pointed out that existing leadership gaps have historically weakened responses to health emergencies. Citing the recent Lassa fever outbreak, he highlighted that some states struggled to implement incident management systems due to insufficient high-level support.
Infrastructure Gaps and Response Challenges
Salem also highlighted the concerning infrastructure deficiencies that persist in the healthcare sector, particularly regarding testing capabilities. He pointed out that the current practice of transporting samples across long distances for crucial diagnostic tests is unacceptable. “For instance, samples for PCR testing are still being sent from Sokoto to Abuja, which is a major setback in responsive healthcare,” he noted.
Call for Enhanced Local Resource Allocation
African CDC Director Oluyemi Oluyinka echoed these sentiments, stating that Nigeria’s health security efforts are likely to remain inadequate unless there is a significant enhancement of resources and capacities at the state level. She stated, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Outbreaks originate in states, so investments should be focused there.”
Need for Stronger Leadership and Coordination
Oluyinka raised critical questions regarding whether increased financial allocations to local governments are being appropriately directed towards health initiatives. She expressed concerns over slow fund utilization and prioritization, leading to questions about the actual impact of these allocations. “What are these funds actually being used for? Even if allocations for health are increasing, when will they actually be released?”
PHEM Strategy Focus Areas
Kazeem Balogun, senior program manager at eHealth Africa, delineated the PHEM strategy’s four key pillars: enhancing collaboration via public health emergency response centers, adopting a ‘One Health’ approach, fortifying community-based surveillance, and improving early detection systems. He emphasized that this framework aims to shift Nigeria’s approach from reactive measures to a more proactive stance in preparedness, especially at the grassroots level.
