Nigeria’s healthcare security capacity rises to 54% up from 39% in 2017

NIGERIA —In a significant leap towards enhancing its public health preparedness, Nigeria has seen its readiness to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats soar to 54%.

This remarkable improvement, up from 39% in 2017, underscores the nation’s commitment to bolstering its healthcare security capabilities.

This milestone was revealed during the culmination of the second Joint External Evaluation (JEE) for International Health Regulations Core Capacities in Abuja.

A JEE, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a voluntary and collaborative process that assesses a country’s capacities to handle public health risks, whether they arise naturally or from deliberate or accidental events.

The JEE team, after meticulous evaluation, noted that in 2023, Nigeria had not fallen below a 50% score in any thematic area, which encompasses prevention, detection, response, and International Health Regulations related to hazards, Point of Entry, and border health.

Progress and room for improvement

Dr. Hendrick Ormel, the Lead External Evaluator and Senior Adviser of the WHO Global JEE Secretariat, commended Nigeria’s progress in reaching 54%. However, he emphasized that there’s still much work to be done.

Ormel stressed the importance of food safety and highlighted the need for adequate staffing to ensure health security. He underlined that Nigeria’s efforts in this regard not only benefit its citizens but also contribute to global health security.

Ormel provided comprehensive recommendations for Nigeria to further strengthen its health security.

These recommendations include the creation of a five-year risk-based National Action Plan for Health Security with realistic cost estimates, based on JEE report findings and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also urged the nation to empower the implementation of this plan starting in 2024, aligning it with identified health security gaps.

Multi-sectoral engagement, both public and private, was encouraged, along with the development of an accountability framework and Standard Operating Procedures for coordination and communication.

A government committed to health security

Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, acknowledged Nigeria’s achievement of the pass mark in healthcare security. He stressed the importance of focusing on identified gaps for improvement.

With a new government poised to take office, Adetifa highlighted the timely nature of the JEE recommendations.

He emphasized the government’s dedication to health security, aligning its agenda with various healthcare aspects, including universal health care, primary healthcare strengthening, digital health coverage, and health security.

Nigeria conducted its first JEE in 2017, which yielded a readiness score of 39%. Subsequently, the 2018-2023 National Action Plan for Health Security was devised to address identified gaps and recommendations from the 2017 evaluation.

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