By Muhammad Amaan
A public health expert has urged the Federal Government to ensure that the N10 billion approved for Ebola preparedness is directed at critical gaps in Nigeria’s disease response system.
The Senior Partnership Manager at Nigeria Health Watch, Mr Emeka Oguanuo, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja while assessing Nigeria’s readiness for a possible Ebola outbreak.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the intervention fund and establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness elevated health security to a national priority.
“President Tinubu’s approval of N10 billion and the creation of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness are politically and operationally important.
“They elevate Nigeria’s readiness from a technical public health issue to a whole-of-government priority. As we saw during COVID-19, response moves faster when bureaucracies are reduced, especially in the most critical stages of response,” he said.
Dr Oguanuo, however, said the true value of the intervention would depend on whether the resources translated into measurable outcomes.
He said funding should be directed toward the weakest links in the country’s preparedness chain rather than being distributed without regard to risk levels.
According to him, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has already categorised states based on their risk exposure.
Oguanuo said funding allocation should align with those risk assessments to maximise impact.
“The significance of these measures will depend entirely on whether they produce traceable and commensurate impact rather than headline comfort.
“Particularly if the resources reach the weakest links in Nigeria’s preparedness chain,” he said.
The health expert identified surveillance at points of entry as one of the immediate priorities requiring attention.
He also called for increased laboratory capacity and faster turnaround times for testing suspected cases.
Other priorities, he said, included strengthening health facilities for triage, isolation and referral services.
Oguanuo added that frontline health workers required adequate protection and training to effectively respond to any outbreak.
He further stressed the importance of risk communication and community engagement in preventing panic and misinformation.
According to him, public accountability mechanisms must accompany the intervention to ensure transparency.
He recommended time-bound deliverables and expenditure tracking systems that citizens could easily monitor.
Dr Oguanuo said investments in preparedness should focus on building resilient systems capable of preventing, detecting and responding to public health emergencies.
He said that effective preparedness remained one of the most cost-effective approaches to protecting lives and safeguarding national health security.
NAN reports that on June 8, Tinubu approved the establishment of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats.
He also ordered the immediate release of N10 billion for emergency preparedness.
The fund is to strengthen the operational readiness of the NCDC and support critical national public health emergency response activities.
