The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is calling for stronger public health laws at the state level to improve Nigeria’s response to future disease outbreaks.
NCDC Legal Adviser and Head of Corporate Services, Safiya Musa, says states have significant responsibility for protecting public health, making a subnational Legal Reform Guide necessary.
The NCDC says that while it has a central role as Nigeria’s national public health institute, responsibility for health security cannot rest with the agency alone.
States also need appropriate legal frameworks to respond effectively when public health emergencies occur.
Interim Country Director of Resolve to Save Lives, Jenom Danjuma, says the reform process followed a national legal assessment conducted in 2019.
The assessment identified gaps in Nigeria’s public health laws and the need for more detailed reviews at the state level.
The framework is intended to guide states in reviewing and strengthening their public health laws, particularly in preparing for and responding to disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.
The initiative has the theme, “Strengthening Nigeria’s Health Security Through Subnational Public Health Legal Reform.”
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Editor..Ada Ononye
