By EricJames Ochigbo
Speaker of House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has underscored the need to build a health system that can anticipate threats and protect citizens during emergencies and disease outbreaks.
Tajudeen said this in Abuja on Thursday at a public hearing on a bill for an Act to establish the National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases and the Tuberculosis Anti-Discrimination Bill.
“We live in an era of unprecedented global interconnectedness where the rapid movement of people, goods and services has also increased the speed at which infectious diseases can spread,” he said.
According to him, a deadly pathogen can emerge on one continent and reach another within hours, presenting challenges that demand coordinated, science-driven and proactive responses.
Tajudeen said that Nigeria experienced the devastating impact of infectious disease outbreaks, from Ebola and Lassa fever to the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the experience underscored the need for continued strengthening of preparedness mechanisms, infrastructure and response capacity.
“A nation of Nigeria’s size, population and strategic importance cannot afford to manage public health emergencies through reaction alone.
“We must build systems that anticipate threats, invest in scientific innovation and develop the capacity to protect our citizens through knowledge, research and preparedness.
“Indeed, the pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in global health security and highlighted the importance of national self-reliance.
“When international supply chains were disrupted, countries across the world faced difficulties accessing essential medical supplies.
“Nigeria, like many developing nations, experienced the consequences of heavy dependence on external sources for diagnostic tools, vaccines and other critical health commodities.
“This experience reinforces the urgent need to strengthen our domestic capacity for research, development and local manufacturing,” he said.
Tajudeen said that the ambition was to create a functional, agile and world-class institute capable of delivering measurable impact for Nigerians and contributing meaningfully to global public health.
He urged experts, stakeholders and participants to provide honest assessments, technical recommendations and constructive perspectives that would help in building a lasting foundation.
Earlier in his the remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Infectious Disease, Rep. Amobi Ogah (LP-Abia), said the public hearing was convened to receive memoranda from stakeholders.
Ogah said that the Tuberculosis Anti-Discrimination bill seeks to protect the rights and dignity of persons living with or affected by tuberculosis.
The lawmaker said it was aimed at eliminating stigma and discrimination, and encouraging early testing, diagnosis and treatment as part of efforts to reduce the burden of the disease in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria NAN reports that Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), however, rejected the National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases (Establishment) Bill.
Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, argued that creating a parallel public health institution would duplicate statutory responsibilities, create governance conflicts and weaken Nigeria’s public health emergency response architecture.
He said that NCDC supports every effort aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s health security, epidemic preparedness, disease surveillance and outbreak response capacity.
Idris, however, said that the proposed institute, as presently drafted, seeks to perform functions that are already vested in NCDC by law.
According to him, Nigeria already has a legally-established and internationally-recognised National Public Health Institute through NCDC, which was created by the NCDC (Establishment) Act, 2018.
“The core responsibilities proposed for the new institute are substantially the same as those currently assigned to NCDC.
“This bill raises serious concerns over duplication of mandates, institutional overlap, governance conflicts and fiscal sustainability,” he said.
The director-general argued that public health emergencies required a single, clearly recognised national authority.
According to him, creating another federal institution, with overlapping responsibilities, will generate uncertainty over leadership, accountability and operational command during disease outbreaks.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)