Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has inaugurated an Ebola Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee, with Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa appointed as chairman, as the state strengthens its readiness to tackle any potential outbreak.
The committee will coordinate the state’s preparedness and response measures against any Ebola threat, bringing together government ministries, security agencies, health institutions, professional bodies, development partners and community leaders.
According to a press release issued on Friday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr Patrick Akhere Ebojele, the committee comprises representatives of the state ministries responsible for health, environment, livestock, local government, finance, and information and communication.
Other government representatives include members of the Edo State House of Assembly Committee on Health, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Department of Port Health and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
Security agencies represented on the committee include the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The committee also includes representatives of major health institutions in the state, including the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo State University Teaching Hospital (EDSUTH), Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Edo Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital, Benin City, and Stella Obasanjo Hospital.
Professional associations, including the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and the Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, Edo State chapter, are also members.
To strengthen community engagement and public awareness, the committee includes a traditional ruler, the Edo leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Chief Imam and a market women’s leader.
Development partners and public health agencies represented include the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Nigeria Red Cross Society, DataFi, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The press release stated that the committee would operate through the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), which has designated pillars for coordination, epidemiology, surveillance, infection prevention and control, risk communication, logistics, laboratory services, case management, and safe and dignified burial.
A PHEOC manager will oversee the centre’s operations to support the coordination of preparedness and response activities.
The state government also disclosed that a stakeholders’ meeting on Ebola emergency preparedness and response would be scheduled soon.
The committee’s establishment underscores the Edo State Government’s efforts to strengthen coordination among relevant agencies and institutions in preparation for any potential Ebola-related public health emergency
