The Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) have stressed the vital role of medical doctors in preventing future Ebola outbreaks, calling for sustained investment in disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and healthcare infrastructure.
The appeal was made on Monday at the opening of the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State Branch, where health officials highlighted the importance of frontline healthcare workers in safeguarding the country against infectious disease threats.
Speaking at the event, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said the lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging infectious diseases underscore the need for stronger collaboration, scientific innovation and continuous investment in the health sector.
“As a medical doctor, I truly appreciate the enormous responsibility placed on healthcare professionals. Beyond treating illnesses, they are educators, researchers, counsellors, innovators, family members and often the first line of defence during national emergencies,” she said.
She urged governments and stakeholders to improve the welfare of healthcare workers while strengthening healthcare infrastructure, digital health systems, disease surveillance and emergency response capabilities under the Lagos State Government’s THEMES+ development agenda.
Sanwo-Olu noted that effective partnerships between governments, healthcare professionals, research institutions, development partners, the private sector and local communities are essential to building a more resilient public health system capable of responding to future epidemics.
Representing the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, officials of the agency emphasised that frontline doctors will play a decisive role in determining whether Nigeria successfully prevents another Ebola outbreak.
The NCDC reiterated that early detection, prompt reporting of suspected cases, adherence to infection prevention and control protocols, and rapid response mechanisms remain critical to containing the spread of the virus. The agency has also maintained a heightened state of preparedness following Ebola outbreaks reported in parts of Central and East Africa.
The conference comes as Nigeria continues to strengthen its public health surveillance systems in response to the evolving Ebola situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. In May, the NCDC issued a national public health advisory urging states and health facilities to enhance preparedness, surveillance and case management measures to minimise the risk of importation and transmission of the disease.
Nigeria earned international recognition for successfully containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak through aggressive contact tracing, rapid isolation of cases and coordinated public health interventions. Health authorities say sustaining those gains will require continued investment in the country’s healthcare workforce and disease surveillance systems.
