Nigeria Grapples with Concurrent Disease Outbreaks Across All Zones – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that the country is currently managing multiple simultaneous outbreaks of infectious diseases across all six geopolitical zones.

The diseases in focus include diphtheria, cholera, Lassa fever, and measles. The disclosure was made by the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, during a three-day stakeholder workshop on public health emergency preparedness and response held in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

Dr. Idris stated that these health threats are occurring alongside climate-related and humanitarian crises. He identified underlying challenges exacerbating the situation, such as population movement, rapid urbanisation, strained health systems, and inequalities in accessing essential services.

“Preparedness is not defined by the absence of outbreaks, but by the capacity to anticipate risk, detect threats early, coordinate effectively… and respond in a timely, equitable, and evidence-driven manner,” the NCDC boss emphasised.

He outlined the agency’s mandate as the national leader in preventing, detecting, and responding to public health threats, working with federal and state ministries, agencies, and development partners. He noted Nigeria’s investments in health security frameworks but acknowledged persistent gaps in coordination, data integration, logistics, workforce capacity, and sustainable funding.

The ongoing workshop aims to assess Nigeria’s response systems, identify critical bottlenecks, and develop a concrete national roadmap to improve early detection, coordination, and resilience at all levels. Dr. Idris urged participants to engage constructively to forge an actionable strategy.