Iziaq Salako, the minister of state for health and social
welfare, says pandemics are inevitable and nations must be ready to respond
swiftly.
Salako spoke on Monday at the public health symposium on
‘Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and
Nigeria’ in Abuja.
“The next pandemic is not a matter of if but when,” NAN
quoted him as saying.
He noted the importance of coordinated, equitable, and
innovative preparedness, adding that COVID-19, which claimed over seven million
lives worldwide, exposed vulnerabilities in global health systems while
demonstrating the value of collaboration and resilience.
Salako said Nigeria has recorded progress in strengthening
its health security landscape including the digitalisation of infectious
disease surveillance with SORMAS, training of health workers, expanded
diagnostic infrastructure with over 100 public health laboratories, and the
establishment of infectious disease centers and public health emergency
operation centers in all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said these measures helped improve Nigeria’s technical
evaluation score from 39 percent in 2017 to 54 percent in 2023.
The minister also noted China’s rapid and disciplined
response to COVID-19, emphasising the importance of technology integration and
community mobilization.
“Mutual learning between Nigeria and China is critical to
building resilient systems capable of safeguarding citizens and optimizing
global actions against future health emergencies,” he said.
Salako said under President Bola Tinubu, health security is
prioritised as the fourth pillar of the health sector renewal investment
initiative.
“State-level preparedness is being strengthened through the
7-1-7 target and the SITAware Transition Project, while the One Health approach
ensures coordinated attention to human, animal, and environmental health,” he
said.
“Nigeria is also engaged in WHO pandemic agreement
negotiations, reflecting its commitment to multilateral cooperation.
The minister said pandemic preparedness requires a
whole-of-society approach, involving governments, private sector, communities,
researchers, and international partners.
Salako urged stakeholders to focus on actionable policies,
partnerships, and innovations to ensure global readiness and equity.
“Let us work together across borders and sectors to ensure
full readiness for the next pandemic, leaving no one behind,” he added.
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Margherita Antes
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