Public health crisis and local health security in Nigeria
Authors: Bolaji S Aregbeshola
Journal: The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2016)

The world is constantly under threat of emerging and re-emerging diseases. The outbreak of Ebola virus disease in parts of west Africa has reinforced the need for strong public health leadership, organisation, and better preparedness to rise up to new health challenges. Having been accused of slow response in the face of Ebola crisis,1Moon S Sridhar D Pate MA et al.Will Ebola change the game? Ten essential reforms before the next pandemic. The report of the Harvard-LSHTM Independent Panel on the Global Response to Ebola.Lancet. 2015; 386: 2204-2221Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (359) Google Scholar WHO moved quickly to declare Zika virus a public health emergency. Most African countries need to fortify their health security because they are affected by both disasters and diseases, which pose a major threat to the infrastrucure.2American Red CrossAfrica: the challenge.http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do/international-services/where-we-help/africaGoogle Scholar Although Nigeria was successful in its effort to control the spread of Ebola virus, the country is still facing numerous public health challenges and needs to strengthen local health security. Since the Boko Haram insurgency, some 2·2 million people have been reportedly displaced in northeastern Nigeria3UN Human Rights CommissionFears and shortages as Boko Haram displaced return to ruin.http://www.unhcr.org/57e51e574.htmlGoogle Scholar posing a major challenge to the system of local health security. According to WHO, more than half of health infrastructures in Borno State are not functioning. Additionally, three cases of wild polio were recently reported by government in Borno State.4Global Polio Eradication InitiativePolio case breakdown by country.http://www.polioeradication.org/dataandmonitoring/poliothisweek.aspxGoogle Scholar Five cases of Lassa fever have also been reported within a short space of time in Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, and River States. Therefore, there is a need for governments to protect people against these threats through strong public health infrastructures and health-care systems. There have been outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, Lassa fever, yellow fever, and severe acute respiratory syndrome in the past among other diseases,5WHOPandemic and epidemic diseases.http://www.who.int/csr/disease/WHO_PED_flyer_2014.PDF?ua=1Google Scholar but many countries soon forget to learn lessons and thus, do not take appropriate actions to prevent public health crisis. Nigeria can only respond effectively to disaster and contain disease outbreaks if the health system is viable;6Watts J Thailand shows the world it can cope alone.Lancet. 2005; 365: 284Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (8) Google Scholar besides, functioning health-care systems are the bedrock of health security.7WHOHigh-level debate tackled need for improved international health security.http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2007/activities/global_event/en/Date: 2007Google Scholar Nigerian government should not wait for the participation of international health leaders before preventing, detecting, and responding to health crises. It behoves of government to secure the health of the people and provide a safer future for them. I declare no competing interests.