According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria and other African countries face more than 100 health emergencies each year.
During the handover ceremony of eight emergency response vehicles to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the WHO Country Director, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, emphasized the importance of building a multidisciplinary, trained, and rapidly deployable national workforce, supported by strong operations and logistics, and led by government structures.
“This ceremony marks the official handover of eight utility vehicles by WHO to the FCT administration,” said Dr. Mulombo.
He explained that the vehicles were part of the SURGE (Strengthening and Utilising Response Groups for Emergencies) flagship initiative, designed in consultation with the Africa CDC to enable rapid mobilization within 24 hours of an emergency.
The initiative focuses on four key pillars: workforce development, response coordination, operations and logistics, and risk communication and community engagement. It is a joint project between the WHO African Region and the Africa CDC.
Mulombo also recalled the beginning of the initiative in December 2022 when the first batch of responders were trained, noting the continent’s frequent exposure to emergencies including disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and conflict-driven crises, with Nigeria significantly affected.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, Ebola, cholera, Lassa fever, and even anthrax have tested our systems and revealed critical gaps in coordination, mobility, workforce readiness, and logistics,” he said.
The donated vehicles are expected to enhance the FCT Public Health Emergency Response System by boosting operational capacity for rapid deployment of teams and supplies to affected communities.
FCT is one of six states selected for the SURGE pilot, alongside Lagos, Abia, Edo, Kano, and Yobe.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), disclosed that the country is currently managing eight health emergencies. However, a major challenge remains the shortage of an adequate health security workforce.
Receiving the vehicles, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, Mandate Secretary for Health and Social Services, emphasized that disease surveillance is vital for early outbreak detection, swift response, and harm prevention.
Discover more from Rootedscope Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
