Doctors hold key to stopping next Ebola outbreak - Sanwo-Olu, NCDC
Nigerian health officials, including the First Lady and the NCDC Director-General, are calling for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure to prevent future Ebola outbreaks. They emphasized that frontline doctors are the country's primary defense against emerging infectious diseases.
Why it matters
Strengthening public health preparedness is critical for Nigeria to manage vulnerabilities caused by international travel and historical disease outbreaks.
Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, on Monday called for sustained investment in disease surveillance, healthcare infrastructure and emergency preparedness to protect Nigerians from future public health threats even as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, warned that frontline doctors will determine whether the country prevents another Ebola outbreak.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Lagos State Branch, Sanwo-Olu said the lessons from the Ebola epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging infectious diseases underscore the need for stronger collaboration, scientific innovation and continuous investment in the health sector.
“As a medical doctor, I truly appreciate the enormous responsibility placed on healthcare professionals. Beyond treating illnesses, they are educators, researchers, counsellors, innovators, family members and often the first line of defence during national emergencies.
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