NGF: Nigeria needs improved capacity to respond to health emergencies

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) says the country needs to improve its capacity to address health emergencies.

According to NAN, Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa who represented the NGF, said this on Wednesday at a health commissioners’ forum held in Abuja.

According to him, there is a need to develop primary healthcare facilities across the country.

He said improving the country’s capacity to respond to healthcare emergencies will prepare the sector for managing outbreaks.

“Nigeria has numerous funds in different places that must be brought together to finance our primary healthcare centres (PHCs),” he said.

“Countries with strong PHC systems are better able to respond to disease outbreaks. We must improve our country’s capacity to respond to healthcare emergencies.

“We will not make headway in achieving universal health care (until we have a health system that works for all.”

He added that the NGF is committed to working with the federal government and all development partners towards ensuring that the country is on track to achieve universal health coverage.

Meanwhile, the NGF’s comment comes hours after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced that Nigeria is at high risk of importing Ebola from Uganda.

The NCDC announcement followed an outbreak of Ebola in Uganda.