Health leaders push Nigeria-China alliance to prevent future pandemics

By Abujah Racheal

Nigeria is intensifying efforts to strengthen its public health system through global partnerships, with a particular focus on learning from China’s pandemic response strategies.

Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, made this known at a one-day high-level public health symposium on Monday in Abuja.

The theme of the symposium was, “Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and Nigeria”.

Pate emphasised the need to build a resilient health system that can prevent outbreaks, epidemics, and potential pandemics.

“At the base of resilience is the public health function,” Pate said

He reflected on lessons learned from Ebola, COVID-19, and other outbreaks in Nigeria.

“These experiences allow us to share knowledge with China and other countries, helping us collectively prevent disease outbreaks through multi-sectoral engagement,” he said.

The symposium brought together ministers from health, livestock, agriculture, and environment, as well as technical agencies, to discuss the intersection of animal health, environmental factors, and human health in driving emerging infectious diseases.

The minister highlighted the importance of surveillance, data management, preparedness, community engagement, trust-building, scientific innovation, clinical research, and clinical trials in safeguarding both national and global health.

He also highlighted the practical outcomes of the Nigeria-China collaboration.

According to him, knowledge exchange will focus on training healthcare workers in microbiology and genomics, improving laboratory capacity, and leveraging innovations for diseases like Lassa fever and monkeypox.

He emphasised the importance of technology transfer, genome sequencing, and antibody development, noting that these advancements protect both Nigerian communities and global populations.

“These partnerships are not transactions; they are relationships built on respect and solidarity.

“We are as strong as the weakest link in our global health chain. Collaboration ensures that every country can respond effectively to emerging health threats,” he said.

Pate said that the symposium also included discussions on public health security as a pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s health sector blueprint, emphasising governance, health system strengthening, value chain development, and health security.

“As part of the ongoing collaboration, participants plan to visit the Iruwa Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State, a centre of excellence for infectious diseases, to explore innovations and capacity-building initiatives in action.”

He expressed optimism that the symposium would lay the groundwork for sustained partnerships with China and other countries.

He said that it would reinforce Nigeria’s commitment to a resilient public health system capable of protecting its citizens and contributing to global health security.

“Public health is intrinsically linked to national and economic security.

“By working together with countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and beyond, we can ensure that the next pandemic finds us prepared, informed, and resilient,” he said.

The symposium featured Prof. George Gao, former Director-General of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, who shared China’s approach to pandemic prevention.

Gao stressed the significance of data sharing to track virus variants and improve response strategies.

According to him, all data must be shared.

“If we do not share it, the virus will share it for us. Transparency is critical to prevent the spread of variants like Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta,” he said.

He also commended Nigeria’s resilient public health system, noting that China had lessons to learn from Nigeria’s experiences.

He highlighted infrastructure priorities, including improved water supply and sanitation measures such as the “toilet revolution” as essential for public health in rapidly growing economies like Nigeria.

Dr Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, underscored the importance of diagnostics in pandemic preparedness.

“If you can not identify the problem, you can not address it, ” Salako said.

He said that the partnership with China would strengthen Nigeria’s diagnostic capacity, enhancing both detection and response capabilities.

He noted the regional significance of Nigeria’s collaboration with China.

According to him, with Nigeria representing nearly half of the West African sub-region’s population, successful implementation could significantly boost the health security of the entire region.

Salako further praised China’s COVID-19 response, citing the country’s low case fatality rate despite its large population of infections, attributing this to disciplined testing, clinical care, and coordinated response.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the symposium brought together policymakers, researchers, and development partners to share lessons from past pandemics and strengthen preparedness frameworks in an interconnected world.

(NAN)