Nigeria is currently battling several infectious disease outbreaks across the country, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said. The Director-General of the agency, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a three-day stakeholder workshop on public health emergency preparedness, organised by the NCDC with support from UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Dr Idris, the outbreaks cut across all six geopolitical zones and include diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, Lassa fever and measles. He explained that the situation is being worsened by climate-related challenges, humanitarian crises, rapid urban growth, increased population movement and pressure on the already stretched health system.

The NCDC boss stressed that true preparedness does not mean the absence of disease outbreaks, but the ability to predict risks, detect threats early and respond quickly. He noted that since becoming Nigeria’s national public health institute in 2018, the NCDC has worked closely with the Federal Ministry of Health, state governments and partners to strengthen disease surveillance and emergency response systems.

However, Idris admitted that challenges still exist, especially in coordination, funding, logistics, workforce readiness and data sharing. He said the ongoing workshop is aimed at identifying gaps and developing a clear, practical roadmap to improve outbreak detection, response coordination and health system resilience across both national and state levels.