Nigeria, China evaluate response systems, economic impact of pandemics
Nigeria and China are assessing the effectiveness of their public health response systems and the economic consequences of pandemics, as they warn of rising risks of disease spillover and future
- From Dele Anofi, Abuja
Nigeria and China are assessing the effectiveness of their public health response systems and the economic consequences of pandemics, as they warn of rising risks of disease spillover and future global outbreaks.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said new research points to persistent threats at the human-animal interface, underscoring the need for stronger preparedness.
Speaking on Monday at the public health symposium in Abuja on pandemic preparedness and response, focusing on lessons and insights from Nigeria and China, Pate cited a study by researchers at the University of Sussex that detected multiple virus antibodies in fruit bats sampled near a state capital in north-central Nigeria.
“They tested those fruit bats for antibodies… and they discovered antibodies to various influenza viruses, Nipah virus, Ebola, and all kinds of coronaviruses,” he said.
The findings, he noted, highlight the constant risk of transmission from animals to humans and the speed at which local outbreaks can escalate.
“Outbreaks start, they get to epidemics, and then they ultimately, if uncontrolled, get to a pandemic,” he said.
Pate said pandemics remain a recurring feature of human history, referencing past outbreaks from the Black Death to the 1918 influenza pandemic and more recent threats including HIV/AIDS, SARS, Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19.
He said COVID-19 alone caused more than seven million deaths globally and triggered significant economic disruption, including an estimated 5.5 per cent contraction in global GDP.
“Almost $15 trillion of global GDP wiped off, economy stopped,” he said.
According to him, the impact extends beyond health, linking public health security directly to economic stability and national security.
“In the context of Nigeria, public health security is linked to economic security and is also linked to our national security,” he said.
Pate outlined steps Nigeria has taken to strengthen preparedness, including expanding primary healthcare, improving diagnostic and laboratory capacity, and building local manufacturing for vaccines, test kits, and personal protective equipment.
He said nearly 79,000 frontline health workers have been retrained in the past two and a half years to support emergency response.
“Without them, it’s like going to a war without an army,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted coordination led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the adoption of a “One Health” approach linking human, animal, and environmental systems.
He stressed the role of public trust and accurate information in managing outbreaks, warning against misinformation. “We must learn not only from history, but we must act decisively on what we have learned,” he added.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Adekunle Salako, earlier in his welcome address, said the next pandemic is “not if but when,” noting that COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in global health systems.
Citing data from the World Health Organization, he said the pandemic claimed over seven million lives between 2020 and 2023 and placed a significant strain on health infrastructure.
“Nigeria, like many other countries, faced significant challenges with many lives lost, infrastructural pressures, and economic distress,” he said.
Salako said Nigeria has since expanded disease surveillance through digital platforms, strengthened laboratory networks, and established emergency operations centres across all states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the country recorded improvements in preparedness based on Joint External Evaluation scores, rising from 39 per cent in 2017 to 54 per cent in 2023.
The Minister added that Nigeria is participating in negotiations on a global pandemic agreement under the WHO framework and has adopted a multi-sectoral approach involving government, private sector, and international partners.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdullahi Sabi Abdullahi, said pandemic preparedness requires a deeper analysis of risk factors, including food systems, urbanisation, and environmental change.
“It’s time for us to begin to look deeper so that… measures that need to be taken can be taken at the right time,” he said.
On his part, Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, warned that most emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, originating in animals before spreading to humans.
He said Nigeria’s livestock sector, estimated at over 200 million animals, plays a central role in both public health and economic stability.
“An outbreak is not just a health crisis. It is an economic catastrophe,” he said.
Maiha said the government is strengthening surveillance in livestock and wildlife, expanding veterinary capacity, and deploying digital systems to improve early detection.
The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said deforestation, urban expansion, and climate change are increasing the risk of zoonotic spillovers.
Represented by Bahidjatu Abubakar, the Minister said, “The environment is not merely the backdrop of a pandemic, it is the frontline."
WHO Country Representative, Dr. Pavel Ursu, said the pandemic exposed structural gaps in global response systems.
“No country can face global health threats alone,” he said, stressing the need for stronger surveillance, early detection, and transparent data sharing.
He said WHO member States are working to strengthen international health regulations and advance a pandemic treaty aimed at improving preparedness and response.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, said global public health risks remain high amid rising transmission threats and constrained international support.
He said stronger cooperation between Nigeria and China is needed to improve access to vaccines, medicines, and critical health resources.
Dunhai added that both countries are expanding collaboration following the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, with a focus on health and scientific innovation.
He said the Chinese government will continue to support joint efforts and facilitate partnerships in public health research and system strengthening.
