The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the proposed National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Zaria, Kaduna State, Dr Dalhatu Aminu, has faulted the opposition to the bill establishing the institute, describing criticisms trailing it as a product of a “fundamental misreading” of the proposed legislation.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society and the Health Sector Reform Coalition have kicked against the establishment of the institute, claiming that it would duplicate roles they currently play.
The PUNCH reports that the bill seeking to establish the National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases has sparked debate within Nigeria’s public health sector.
While the NCDC and some stakeholders argue that the proposal could create overlapping responsibilities with the agency established under the NCDC Act, 2018, supporters of the bill insist the institute is intended to fill critical gaps in specialist infectious disease treatment, postgraduate training and cutting-edge research, without encroaching on the NCDC’s statutory mandate.
Addressing a press conference in Zaria on Tuesday, the acting CEO, Aminu, said the groups based their objections on provisions that did not exist in the current version of the bill before the National Assembly.
