Stakeholders during the Conference on Friday in Calabar. Photo: Emem Julius
Public health experts, epidemiologists, researchers, policymakers, and development partners from across Nigeria have called for stronger disease surveillance to check public health threats as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to address emerging and re-emerging health challenges.
The charge was made during the 12th Annual National Conference of the Epidemiological Society of Nigeria held on Friday in Calabar, Cross River State, with the theme, “Strengthening Epidemiological Resilience in Nigeria: Addressing Emerging and Re-emerging Health Challenges.”
The National President of the Epidemiological Society of Nigeria, Dr Matthew Ashikeni, while welcoming participants, emphasised the need to strengthen disease surveillance systems across the country to enable early detection and rapid response to public health threats, stressing that early detection helps to curb outbreaks of such diseases.
He said, “I am very pleased to welcome all of you to the 12th Annual General Meeting of our Society holding here in the beautiful city of Calabar. In our conference, we will be discussing how we can strengthen epidemiological resilience in Nigeria in view of the recurring disease outbreaks we are experiencing here and in other parts of the world to enable early detection and rapid response, because early detection and rapid response help to curb outbreaks of such diseases.”
