NIGERIA Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has formally launched its collaboration with Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), an initiative of Vital Strategies to prevent epidemics in the country.
The information is in a statement signed by Mr Jeremiah Agenyi, the NCDC Technical Assistant on Communications on Monday in Abuja.
Agenyi stated that RTSL is a global public health initiative that works with governments to implement strategies for epidemic prevention and improved national health security.
He quoted the President and CEO of RTSL, Dr Tom Frieden, as saying during the launch of the collaboration in Abuja as saying “during the 2014 Ebola an epidemic, Nigeria’s rapid control measures in Lagos showed that readiness saves lives and prevents the spread of epidemics, protecting the country, continent and world.
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“I am encouraged by NCDC’s commitment to build on that experience and strengthen Nigeria’s ability to find, stop and prevent epidemics.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with NCDC and other key stakeholders to support Nigeria’s work to improve preparedness for the next epidemic.”
The technical assistant stated that the Director-General of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, commended RTSL for the collaboration, adding that “for us at NCDC, the support has helped us to identify gaps, develop realistic activities and work toward the goals to mitigate these gaps in our health security capacity.”
He noted that the NCDC/RTSL collaboration would expand in 2019 to include support for sub-national health security toward strengthening national and global health security.
RTSL had supported key areas of work carried out by NCDC, especially following Nigeria’s Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of International Health Regulations (IHR) in 2017.
The organisation had supported the development and implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS), strengthening of national yellow fever/measles/rubella laboratory network, as well as the development of programme management capacity and broad institutional development.
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