The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has pledged continued support for Nigeria’s health emergency preparedness and response following the confirmation of the country’s first Ebola case.
The regional health body also donated 20,000 non-contact infrared thermometers and 1,200 bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitiser to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
WAHO Director-General, Prof. Palokinam Pitche, made the commitment on November 2, 2026, when he led a delegation to the NCDC headquarters in Abuja to discuss regional support for Nigeria’s response to the outbreak.
The delegation included the Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RSCDC), Dr Mamadou Diarrassouba, and the Acting Director of Public Health and Research at WAHO, Prof. Joseph Olorunda.
The meeting was attended by NCDC officials and representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Discussions focused on aligning regional and international assistance with Nigeria’s national priorities, preventing duplication of interventions and ensuring effective utilisation of available resources.
Pitche reaffirmed WAHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria, noting that health emergencies in the country could have wider implications for the West African region and required coordinated regional action.
He highlighted WAHO’s existing collaboration with Nigeria in disease surveillance, laboratory capacity development and technical assistance, adding that clearly defined needs would guide further support.
According to him, strengthening cooperation among regional health institutions remains essential to addressing shared public health threats.
Welcoming the delegation, NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, expressed appreciation for WAHO’s continued support, stressing that effective management of public health emergencies depended on sustained collaboration among national, regional and international partners.
Idris underscored the importance of a coordinated response covering surveillance, disease detection, case management, risk communication and logistics, particularly in addressing infectious diseases capable of crossing national borders.
Representatives of WHO and Africa CDC also pledged to align their contributions with Nigeria’s government-led response plan.
They emphasised the need for assistance to be guided by clearly established priorities, defined institutional responsibilities and accountability mechanisms to ensure that each organisation’s technical expertise was effectively deployed.
The partners further reiterated their commitment to ensuring that emergency interventions contributed to sustainable improvements in Nigeria’s preparedness and overall health system capacity.
WAHO’s technical and financial assistance is being directed towards implementing the incident management plan following the confirmation of Nigeria’s first Ebola case.
The donated thermometers and hand sanitisers are expected to strengthen infection prevention and control efforts as Nigeria intensifies its preparedness and response measures.
