Strengthening Disease Surveillance and Response in Nigeria: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Sydani Group Webinar Report
In the buildup to the grand celebration of the 5th year anniversary of Sydani Group on August 19, 2023, a webinar was held on the 4th of July 2023, as part of the planned activities commemorating the anniversary. The webinar focused on the critical theme of strengthening disease surveillance and response capabilities in Nigeria, drawing valuable lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The webinar served as a veritable opportunity to examine the progress made in the Nigerian public health sector since the outbreak of COVID-19 and determine whether the gains achieved thus far are being sustained and built upon for future preparedness. This report provides a high-level summary of the webinar, highlighting key insights and strategies discussed by the panelists.
In his opening remarks, Sidney Sampson, the CEO/General Managing Partner at Sydani Group, expressed his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to discuss the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of partnerships in the successful response to the pandemic and acknowledged the contributions of organizations (government and non-governmental) and individuals. He also highlighted the growth and achievements of Sydani Group over the past five years as well as the opportunity to contribute to advancing public health outcomes in Nigeria. Akolade Jimoh, the moderator, reiterated the significance of partnerships in the COVID-19 response and introduced the webinar’s objectives, which included discussing the strengths and weaknesses of disease surveillance in Nigeria and learnings from the pandemic to strengthen the country’s public health surveillance and response system.
The discussion centered around key challenges, policy and regulatory changes, improvements in the public healthcare system, the role of technology, and future considerations. Panelists, including Mr. Sunday Atobatele from Sydani Group, Dr. Oyeladun Okunromade from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Mr. Evans Ondura from Palladium/Data.Fi, Dr. Abbott Samuel from AFENET, and Dr. Adejoke representing Dr. Bassey Okposen from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), shared their insights, discussed challenges, and proposed recommendations to improve Nigeria’s public health system.
On Disease Surveillance and Response Capabilities in Nigeria
In response to the question on the improvement of disease surveillance and response capability since the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Adejoke from the NPHCDA emphasized that the primary healthcare system in Nigeria has learned valuable lessons from the pandemic. She highlighted that response plans have been developed to strengthen the system, ensuring that Nigeria is prepared to respond effectively to emergency outbreaks.
Dr. Oyeladun Okunromade, from the NCDC, discussed the strengths and weaknesses of disease surveillance in Nigeria. She highlighted the need for capacity building and the use of electronic systems for surveillance. Dr. Oyeladun specifically mentioned the training of surveillance officers at the sub-national level through the Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program, which improved data quality. She also emphasized the production of regular surveillance bulletins at the state level and the implementation of electronic surveillance platforms such as the Summers electronic IDSR surveillance platform, and the Rumor Management System, which monitors social media and news outlets for rapid verification and response and has improved public access to verified information on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
Mr. Evans Ondura from Palladium/Data.Fi shed light on the improvements made in real-time monitoring of data and communication strategies during the pandemic. He emphasized the use of mobile applications, SMS alerts, digital contact tracing, data analytics, and predictive modelling. These technologies played a crucial role in monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and projecting resource requirements. Mr. Evans also stressed the need for infrastructure strengthening, collaboration, data security, privacy regulations, and sustained investment in research and development to enhance disease surveillance and response capabilities.
On Improvements in the Public Healthcare System
Dr. Samuel highlighted challenges in sustaining the political will and funding for public health initiatives, stressing the importance of continuous engagement and collaboration between the government, clinical and public health workers, and the private sector.
Dr. Oyeladun Okunromade discussed ongoing policy and regulatory amendments aimed at strengthening disease surveillance and response in Nigeria. She highlighted the amendment of the National Health Act and the NCDC Act Bill, which seek to enhance disease outbreak detection and response capabilities. Dr. Oyeladun also emphasized the need to enact the Public Health Emergency Bill to clearly define the powers of the national and state governments. These policy changes will empower the National One Health Initiative and ensure the availability of emergency preparedness funds at both national and state levels.
Dr. Adejoke, speaking on behalf of the government, highlighted several areas of significant improvement in the public healthcare system. These included the use of data for action, the utilization of the EMID platform for immunization management, and the strengthening of community structures. The involvement of traditional and religious leaders in public health matters was also emphasized. Dr. Adejoke further mentioned the successful collaboration with traditional leaders to disseminate information and promote vaccine uptake, as well as the use of the CHIP Program to link communities with healthcare facilities. She stressed the importance of sustainability and continuous awareness of basic disease prevention measures.
Mr. Sunday Atobatele shared the contributions of Sydani Group to strengthening the public healthcare system. He noted that the efforts of Sydani Group centred around building on existing systems, supporting the digitization of reporting processes, and working with government agencies to improve vaccine distribution and uptake. Mr. Sunday also highlighted the collaboration with traditional leaders, leveraging social media platforms, traditional media, and town hall meetings to disseminate information and combat vaccine stigmatization amongst other laudable and innovative programs implemented by Sydani.
Leveraging Technology and Future Considerations
Mr. Evans Ondura discussed the central role of technology in enhancing disease surveillance and response capabilities, emphasizing the use of mobile applications, SMS alerts, digital contact tracing, and data analytics during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also stressed the need for sustained investment in technology infrastructure, data integration, interoperability, data security, and privacy regulations. He highlighted the Nigerian Enterprise Architecture Document, which guides the development of different systems and promotes alignment with national standards.
In the concluding discussion, the panelists addressed future considerations for strengthening disease surveillance and response in Nigeria. These considerations included ensuring a sustainable fiscal allocation for information technology infrastructure, making investments in research and development, integrating improvements across different levels of healthcare, and fostering collaboration with international systems.
In Closing
In concluding the webinar, the panelists addressed questions from participants. Dr. Adejoke emphasized the importance of ongoing sensitization efforts beyond the pandemic, while Mr. Sunday Atobatele discussed strategies to reduce vaccine stigmatization in rural areas through collaboration with traditional leaders and community engagement. The panelists also engaged in discussion on data collection, collaboration between agencies, individual contributions to disease surveillance, and the integration of improvements across different levels of healthcare.
The webinar provided valuable insights into the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies for strengthening disease surveillance and response in Nigeria. The discussions highlighted the importance of sustained political will, capacity building, data-driven decision-making, community involvement, continuous awareness campaigns, and the need to leverage technology. The panelists concluded the webinar by emphasizing the need for continued collaboration, data integration, and investment in research and development to enhance Nigeria’s public health surveillance and response systems, preparing the country for future public health emergencies.
