Nigeria and the World Health Organization, WHO, are collaborating in readiness for emerging threats of diseases outbreak from the recent flood disaster across the country.
According to reports, the flood crises in Nigeria affected three million, two hundred and nineteen thousand, seven hundred and eighty persons, with one million, four hundred and twenty-seven thousand, three hundred and seventy of them displaced, two thousand, seven hundred and seventy-six injured, and six hundred and twelve deaths, while three hundred and five thousand, four hundred and seven houses were damaged.
Eighteen thousand, and ninety-three suspected cholera cases have also been reported in two hundred and fifty-six local government areas in thirty-one states as at November two 2022, hence the dire need for a rapid response team that can deal with possible infectious disease outbreak,
Speaking at the opening ceremony for Emergency Preparedness & Response Capacity Building, Learning and Training for African Volunteers Corps, AVoHC, on Strengthening and Utilizing Response Groups for Emergencies, SURGE, team, at Abuja, the WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, assured stakeholders that WHO is ready to support with logistics and otherwise, in the event of an unexpected public health emergency.
Dr. Mulombo, stated that training of three hundred and fifty rapid response medical personnel to deal with any health emergency that may arise from the flood incidents will provide national and subnational Rapid Response Teams, RRTs, with the key knowledge and tools needed to detect and effectively respond to public health emergencies as they occur.
According to Dr. Mulombo, COVID-19 has exposed and intensified the need for better structures that will quickly mobilize human resources and supplies at all-levels once emergencies are declared.
The minister of State for Health, Ekumankama Nkama, noted that Nigeria is working with WHO to ensure that another pandemic does not take the country by surprise as nobody knows what will happen if there is another pandemic that will be worse than the COVID-19 pandemic.
He re-echoed the need for all to be ready to respond effectively when such emergencies arise.
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