Uchechukwu Nnaike
The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm), has referred to as on the federal authorities to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease and different rising infectious ailments by a coordinated nationwide epidemic-readiness framework.
The academy mentioned preparedness measures needs to be institutionalised, commonly assessed and made practical throughout the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In an announcement signed by the President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Lere Baale, the academy mentioned the nation should transfer past outbreak consciousness to measurable nationwide readiness.
The name follows the academy’s coverage report titled ‘From Awareness to Readiness: Strengthening Nigeria’s Preparedness for Ebola and Emerging Infectious Disease Emergencies’.
The report attracts on discussions at its nationwide webinar on Ebola Preparedness held on August 20, 2026, and the work of its multidisciplinary Task Group on Ebola Virus Disease Resurgence, chaired by Prof. Fola Tayo.
Baale acknowledged that Nigeria’s success in containing Ebola in 2014 ought to function a basis for stronger preparedness quite than a cause for complacency.
“Nigeria demonstrated extraordinary leadership, professional competence and national coordination in containing Ebola in 2014. However, yesterday’s success does not automatically guarantee tomorrow’s preparedness.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the capabilities that protected Nigeria in 2014 are institutionalised, continuously strengthened and demonstrably functional across the country,” he mentioned.
The burdened that epidemic preparedness ought to not be handled as an emergency intervention activated solely when an outbreak threatens the nation. It proposed a steady nationwide system constructed round seven interconnected capabilities: anticipate, stop, detect, reply, get better, be taught and enhance.
It added that the strategy would strengthen Nigeria’s capability to handle Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera and different rising and re-emerging infectious ailments.
It recommended the federal authorities, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention for present preparedness measures, together with surveillance, laboratory readiness, an infection prevention and management, point-of-entry monitoring, intergovernmental coordination and public communication.
It nonetheless mentioned that additional motion is required to make sure that present methods stay practical and efficient.
The academy outlined10 precedence actions for pressing coverage consideration and implementation: Nationwide epidemic-readiness audit; obligatory epidemic simulation workouts; neighborhood pharmacy surveillance integration; diagnostic and laboratory turnaround requirements; strategic emergency health-commodity reserves.
Others are: multidisciplinary epidemic-readiness groups; healthcare employee safety framework; threat communication and misinformation administration; survivor rehabilitation and reintegration; and annual nationwide epidemic preparedness scorecard.
It recognized neighborhood pharmacies as an vital element of Nigeria’s proposed early-warning system for infectious illness threats, including that neighborhood pharmacists are sometimes among the many first healthcare professionals consulted by folks experiencing fever, weak spot and different signs that will resemble widespread infections.
“Under the proposed NCDC–PCN–NAPHARM Community Pharmacy Sentinel Surveillance Pilot, participating pharmacists would receive appropriate case definitions, surveillance protocols, referral pathways and reporting procedures,” it mentioned.
The academy famous that the initiative wouldn’t authorise pharmacists to diagnose Ebola, however would strengthen their function in recognising potential warning indicators and notifying the suitable public well being authorities. It summarised the proposed strategy as: “Recognise. Protect. Refer. Report.”
The academy additionally burdened the necessity to defend healthcare employees to maintain an efficient epidemic response.
It added that docs, pharmacists, nurses, medical laboratory professionals, neighborhood well being practitioners, rehabilitation professionals and different frontline personnel ought to obtain steady preparedness coaching, acceptable protecting tools and institutional help.
According to the academy, efficient preparedness requires collaboration throughout skilled boundaries and healthcare establishments.
It subsequently really helpful multidisciplinary readiness groups, coordinated coaching and periodic simulation workouts reflecting real-life outbreak situations.
Beyond the ten precedence actions, the academy proposed a right away 90-day implementation framework to help authorities consideration.
The proposed actions embody a nationwide functional-readiness audit, laboratory referral mapping, a listing of emergency well being commodities, a neighborhood pharmacy surveillance pilot, healthcare employee preparedness programmes and the event of a nationwide epidemic-readiness scorecard.
Longer-term suggestions embody preparedness schooling, stronger surveillance networks, improved provide chain visibility, One Health collaboration and annual public reporting on epidemic readiness.
The academy mentioned that preparedness funding needs to be tied to measurable outcomes, verified operational capabilities and corrective motion quite than procurement alone.
It expressed readiness to collaborate with the NCDC, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, state well being authorities, skilled regulatory our bodies, healthcare associations, tutorial establishments, pharmaceutical producers, improvement companions and neighborhood organisations.
It added that the proposed collaboration would help surveillance, pharmaceutical provide safety, skilled coaching, public communication, coverage analysis and preparedness measurement with out duplicating the statutory duties of present public well being establishments.
The academy urged Nigerians to stay vigilant with out panic, depend on verified public well being info, disclose related journey and publicity histories to healthcare professionals, search medical consideration promptly and keep away from spreading rumours or stigmatising suspected sufferers.
It mentioned that public belief, accountable communication and neighborhood cooperation are important to profitable epidemic preparedness.
Baale mentioned Nigeria should translate its expertise in containing Ebola in 2014 into lasting institutional capability.
“Our greatest tribute to the healthcare professionals and institutions that protected Nigeria in 2014 is to build a stronger, more resilient and permanently prepared healthcare system. We must not wait for the first imported case to discover whether our surveillance systems, laboratories, emergency supplies, healthcare workforce, and response structures are ready,” he mentioned.
“Preparedness is not panic. Preparedness is foresight, competence, coordination and national responsibility. Above all, preparedness saves lives.”
The academy reaffirmed its dedication to advancing pharmaceutical sciences, strengthening interprofessional collaboration, supporting evidence-based public well being coverage and contributing to a extra resilient Nigerian healthcare system.
