NAPharm Proposes 10-point Plan to Strengthen Ebola Preparedness
Uchechukwu Nnaike The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm), has called on the federal government to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease and other emerging infectious diseases through a coordinated
Nigeria has grappled with Ebola Virus Disease before, most notably the 2014 outbreak that was traced to a traveller arriving in Lagos and was contained through swift contact tracing, isolation and public health messaging led by federal and Lagos State health authorities. That episode is often cited as a rare African public-health success story, but it also exposed gaps in Nigeria's disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, emergency funding and healthcare worker protection that experts have repeatedly warned need permanent fixes rather than crisis-driven responses.
The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAPharm) is a professional body that brings together senior pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to advise government on drug policy, public health and pharmaceutical practice. Its call for a 10-point plan reflects recurring concern within Nigeria's health sector that the country remains vulnerable to resurgent Ebola cases or similar viral haemorrhagic fevers, given porous borders, weak primary healthcare infrastructure and inconsistent funding for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Both ThisDay and Leadership report the same core appeal — a coordinated national epidemic-readiness strategy — though neither outlet has yet detailed the specific points of the plan, how government has responded, or what funding and timelines might be attached to implementation.