The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has commended the Akwa Ibom State Government for prioritizing the assessment of its preparedness for health emergencies and for strengthening mechanisms for prevention and detection.
The Director General of NCDC, Dr Olayide Idris gave the commendation when he led a team from the NCDC in partnership with FHI 360, on an advocacy visit to the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John; the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Mrs. Offiong Offor; the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Rt. Hon. Nsikak Ekong; as well as the Honourable Commissioner for Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr. Ubuo Ubuo, to officially commence the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) exercise in the state.
The JEE meeting is a voluntary, collaborative, and multisectoral process designed to assess the state’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond effectively to public health threats. It brings together stakeholders across the agricultural, water resources and sanitation, environmental, and health sectors to develop a coordinated and comprehensive emergency preparedness framework.
Conducted through the One Health approach, the evaluation is anchored on the core capacities of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and global best practices aimed at strengthening preparedness for public health emergencies and enhancing rapid response systems.
The Director-General of NCDC, who was represented by the Director of Special Duties at the NCDC, Sebastian Yennan, said the NCDC team would work collaboratively with the state to develop a consolidated and actionable framework.
Speaking on the exercise, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, pledged his full support for the evaluation, noting that the state is implementing detailed health reforms spanning Primary Healthcare, the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Agency (AKSHIA), and other key components of the health sector.
“We are actually ahead. Our Governor, Umo Eno, had earlier declared a state of emergency on health, and we are pursuing holistic reforms of our health sector that are already underway,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Rt. Hon. Nsikak Ekong, expressed appreciation to the evaluation team for initiating the exercise and pledged his ministry’s full support toward achieving impactful outcomes.
“We will continue to maintain best practices while improving other critical areas to promote health security and environmental sustainability,” he added.
On her part, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor, and the Commissioner for Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr. Ubuo Ubuo, both expressed optimism about the evaluation process and pledged their support and commitment to ensuring a successful exercise through sustained intersectoral collaboration.
Presenting the overview, the NCDC Technical Team Lead, Dr n Olubumni Omowumi Olopha, expressed gratitude to the state government for prioritizing the JEE exercise and for ensuring efforts are put in place to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergency threats. She noted that the IHR mandates countries to build and strengthen health security capacities across all levels of governance.
Welcoming the stakeholders, the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Nchiek Edet Eneh, appreciated all the Commissioners present for their inter-sectoral collaboration and support. She stated that through the One Health approach, the JEE would help identify existing strengths and gaps within the health system, while the assessment tools developed would guide efforts toward closing identified gaps and ensuring sustainable health outcomes.
The evaluation marks a significant milestone in Akwa Ibom State’s commitment to aligning with international health security standards and building a resilient system capable of responding effectively to emerging and re-emerging health threats.
In attendance were the Permanent Secretary , Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Atim Chelly Okoko, Dr Teddy Essien, Director Vet, Mrs Maria Akpan, Director of Waste Management, Pharm Chibuzo Eneh, Director Subnational Department, NCDC, representive of Resolve to Save Lives , Dr Jenom Danjuma , Dr Ibrahim Usama Abbdullahi, team lead FHI360, and Directors from the Ministry of Health.
