The Director General of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO), Prof. Palokinam T. PITCHE, led a delegation to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in Abuja on 2 November 2026 to discuss support for health emergency preparedness and response and strengthen coordination with national authorities and technical partners.
The delegation included Dr Mamadou Diarrassouba Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RSCDC), and Prof. Joseph Olorunda, Acting Director of Public Health and Research at WAHO.
The meeting brought together NCDC officials and representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC. Discussions focused on aligning assistance with national priorities, avoiding duplication and ensuring the efficient use of resources.
Prof. Pitche reaffirmed WAHO’s readiness to support Nigeria and stressed that health threats affecting the country also had implications for the wider region. He recalled ongoing regional cooperation in surveillance, laboratory capacity and technical assistance.
He indicated that clearly identified needs would help guide further assistance and strengthen cooperation on shared health challenges.
Welcoming the delegation, the Director General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris expressed appreciation for WAHO’s support and emphasised that public health emergencies required sustained collaboration. He highlighted the importance of a coordinated approach across surveillance, detection, case management, risk communication and logistics, particularly in addressing cross-border threats.
Representatives of Africa CDC and WHO expressed their willingness to work closely with WAHO to align partner contributions with the government-led response plan. They called for support guided by identified needs, a clear allocation of responsibilities and accountability, with each institution contributing its technical expertise. They also reaffirmed their readiness to coordinate with WAHO to ensure that emergency interventions contribute to lasting improvements in national preparedness and health system capacity.
As part of its support for preparedness and response activities following confirmation of the first Ebola case in Nigeria, WAHO is providing technical and financial assistance for the implementation of the incident management plan, alongside a donation to NCDC of 20,000 non-contact infrared thermometers and 1,200 bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitiser, each containing 500 ml.
