Stakeholders working in the health sector have called for legislative and policy reforms to ensure an effective health security system in the country.
They made the call yesterday in Abuja during a citizen lead policy dialogue for health security legislation and financing in Nigeria organized by the Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC).
In a communique issued after the dialogue, the stakeholders said while notable progress has been made in establishing health security infrastructure, such as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), they said gaps in institutional coordination and financing remain.
They said legislative measures and accountability frameworks were essential to bridge the gaps and ensure Nigeria’s preparedness to handle public health threats.
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They said coordination and financing challenges can be addressed through the Public Health Emergency Bill,
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (Amendment) Bill, the Health Security Accountability Framework and others such as the Animal Control Amendment bill and Quarantine Act Repeal and Re-enactment bill.
The dialogue also enjoined state governments to improve health security governance by establishing state centers for disease control and aligning with national health security objectives.
Dr. Mohammad Lecky chairman HRSC, said disease outbreaks and emergencies require a systematic approach through robust legislation and institutional policy programmatic responses that are properly contextualized in a credible national emergency response framework.
He said, “We must as a nation have the ability to protect ourselves from various threats to health, be it emergency disease outbreak or natural or manmade disaster. It is imperative that we are positioned to prevent, detect and respond, taking actions that are prioritized as national security response to safeguard public health, the economy and national security.”
Programme director of the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) Ademuyiwa Damilola said there is need for dedicated funding for prevention and detection of public health threats, adding that the accountability framework was inspired to help ensure that there’s efficient utilization of resources for health security in the country .
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate who was represented by Dr. Nneka Orji, said the current administration’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ prioritizes public health preparedness and health security.
“Our aim is not only to continue the work of the previous administration but to strengthen our emergency preparedness with a holistic, cross-sectoral approach,” he said.
Special Advisor to the President on Health, Dr Salma Anas, who was represented by Dr. Ahmed Baba, said resilient health security could only be achieved through decentralized and well-resourced primary healthcare systems.
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