The Director-General of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has disclosed plans to establish a disease control center in Bauchi state to manage the outbreak of diseases. He also encouraged the state government to provide the required manpower in order to achieve the desired objectives, adding that already, the centre had declared its interest to support the state to ensure effective implementation of her health policies for the benefit of the citizens of the state.
Ihekweazu announced this when he received Gov. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed who paid him an advocacy visit at the Administrative Headquarters of the Centre in Abuja.
“Your Excellency, even before your visit to us today, you already have our commitment. We are going to work together so as to ensure effective service delivery. Human resources is one of the major challenges in the healthcare sector, I hope, you will provide the required manpower. We will soon lay down our foundation in Bauchi state to manage outbreak of diseases.
“The centre is working in close collaboration with critical stakeholders to manage any outbreak of diseases across the country and we have mapped out strategies for prevention of diseases, particularly now that the Coronavirus is around the corner”, he said.
Gov. Bala Mohammed, while describing it as a welcome development, commended the NCDC D-G for the plan to establish a disease control centre in the state and pledged to provide the necessary facilities for the smooth take-off of the centre.
“Our visit to you is to appreciate you for your commitment towards reducing the infectious diseases in the country and to intimate you that we are ever ready to work with you for effective provision of healthcare services in the state. I am currently working on accessing alternative funding from relevant bodies through the support of Multilateral bodies and global organizations working in the state”, Mohammed said.
To this end, Gov. Mohammed disclosed that his administration will engage religious and community leaders to educate citizens on the preventive mechanism against infectious diseases.
“Because of the escalation of the outbreak of Lassa fever in Bauchi State and the death of one of the district Head who died as a result of Lassa Fever, I decided to cut off my official visit to Germany by coming to solicit the support of the Federal Government through the D-G National Center for Disease Control and ED National Primary Health Care Development Agency”, the Governor added.
