The United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention(US CDC) has tasked the Federal government to strengthen the operation of border surveillance systems to prevent public health threats and infectious diseases in Nigeria.
The US CDC Nigeria Program Director of the Division of Global Health Protection, Farah Husain at media roundtable reiterated the importance of fortifying border health security as a critical measure against infectious diseases and other public health threats.
Husain explained that border health refers to health conditions and issues in border regions between countries or areas adding that the mission of port health, aligned with global best practices, is to provide prompt and effective services for reducing morbidity, mortality, and disability due to communicable and non-communicable diseases at Points of Entry/Exit (POEs).
She further said port health services involve inspection, disease surveillance, and environmental health activities for ships, aircraft and land vehicles.
Husain also said the collaborative efforts between the US CDC and Nigeria in securing the country’s borders against infectious diseases.
She acknowledged the ongoing challenges of infectious diseases globally and stressed the critical importance of effective border health as the first line of defense against the spread of diseases, acting as a gateway from isolated outbreaks to potential global pandemics.
“Robust border health system requires meticulous planning, well-trained staff, and the enforcement of laws and regulations to implement crucial travel measures.”
“Partnership between the US CDC and ProHealth International, which supports port health services in Nigeria in implementing essential activities. The collaborative efforts were evident in the recent joint external evaluation (JEE) scores, showcasing tangible achievements in strengthening health security.”
“More work still needs to be done and the US CDC committed to partner with the government of Nigeria and port health services. The ongoing collaboration aims to enhance the country’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to evolving public health threats.”
Also, the US CDC Senior Emergency Management Specialist, Dr. Muhammad Saleh commended Nigeria’s substantial gains in improving border health security and identified the country as a potential model for the West Africa region.
Saleh however disclosed that more needs to be done in terms of building database management to strengthen public health services at the various points of entry in Nigeria.
Saleh also affirmed that the US CDC would continue to support the government of Nigeria in strengthening core capacities in surveillance, laboratory, workforce development, and emergency preparedness and response across points of entry in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Director of Port Health Services, Dr. Akpan Nseobong challenged stakeholders to collaborate effectively and urged holistic efforts involving various sectors, including the US CDC and other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), to comprehensively tackle surveillance.
“If we cannot contain any of these diseases in Nigeria, then we are automatically putting Africa, especially our neighbouring countries at risk.”
“We still have a challenge as a country on the issue of cross-border surveillance. In the country, there is still some point of entry that we still need to strengthen,” he said.
“We still have challenges, in some of the POE we have in this country, which we tend to ignore, in Nigeria today, there are some points of entry that are enclosed and not known officially to the government. We have about 60 POEs but the illegal ones can be a threat to the country,” he added.
. TheWitness
