Winifred Bosa.

The Nigerian government has commenced the processing of a legal framework for the establishment of the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.

Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole made this known to journalists, while briefing them after Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister said the Council took the decision in order to move the country’s agenda on public health intervention forward.

“Council today took a conscious decision to further project government’s agenda on public health intervention. What is known internationally is that there will always be another epidemic or disease outbreak but what we don’t know is when and where it will happen.  But as a government, what we need to do is to prepare for the next epidemic and that is what we are doing through the National Centre for Disease Control,” he said.

The Minister further explained that NCDC which was established in 2007 and patterned after that of the US needs to have the legal backing to function more effectively.

Regional Centre

Professor Adewale said the Centre has contributed a lot in containing the outbreak of diseases like Ebola and Lassa fever besides serving as a regional centre for disease control in West Africa.

“The Centre became operational in 2012 and actually constituted a major force in combating Ebola and has been very operational in handling the issue of Lassa fever in different parts of the country. Our Centre has been designated as the Centre for Disease Control in West Africa. It has also been designated as the regional centre for the African Centre for Disease Control So what we have done today is to provide the legal framework for this agency so that it can validly play the role expected of such a frontline intervention agency.” the Health Minister explained.

The Minister said the Ministry will now liaise with the National Assembly to urgently enact the laws that will serve as the backbone of the agency.