The World Health Organisation (WHO) as part of efforts to develop effective risk communication strategies has announced a partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), kicking off with a six-day workshop for stakeholders in the health sector.
Risk communication is one of the eight core functions that WHO member states must fulfil as signatories to the International Health Regulations (2005). It is also a component of global and country preparedness for an influenza pandemic, as part of the pandemic influenza preparedness framework.
The workshop, funded by the Canadian Government through the CanGiVE project, aims to enhance the capacity of key stakeholders to effectively communicate risk, engage communities, and manage infodemics during public health emergencies.
It is part of the Strengthening and Utilising Response Groups for Emergencies Initiative, an initiative flagged off by the WHO Regional Office for Africa to effectively prepare, detect, and respond to emergencies.
According to Memuna Esan, acting state coordinator for WHO in Lagos, while stressing the essence of risk communication, community engagement in prevention and act of spreading of diseases, disclosed that the programme is essential in ensuring that Nigeria is better prepared to respond to public health emergencies.
She added that the WHO is committed to supporting the Nigerian government in achieving its health goals.
Esan said, “I am particularly excited because the deliberation and outcome of this important meeting will play a critical role in ensuring an improved awareness creation is championed with appropriate key messages, quality community engagement, and effective/timely management of infodemic especially in this era of increased information sources targeted at vulnerable populations.”
She noted that from Lagos, the programme is expected to cascade to the sub-national level, covering the six geopolitical zones which are the SURGE selected states: Edo, Kano, Yobe Lagos, Abia, and the FCT.
“I must assure you that the World Health Organisation in Nigeria is committed to working closely with the Federal Government, the NCDC, MDAs, and key stakeholders to prevent diseases, protect and promote the health of Nigerians; bearing in mind that outbreaks typically start and end in the community,” she said.
Jide Idris, representing the Director General of NCDC, Tochi Okwor, the National Infection Prevention and Control Programme Coordinator for NCDC, emphasised the need for a proactive approach to disease prevention and control.
“We want to make sure that we are paying attention to disease prevention, and we need to go through the root causes of the diseases and come up with generic messages and materials that we can easily adapt for messaging for people to take action,” she said.
Ezioma Madu, the Deputy Director of the Health Promotion Division, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said the federal government will develop content, generic content for emergencies before they occur.
Madu stated, “we are going to send out these messages to the public so that they will be prepared and take action towards prevention.”
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