Ekiti reiterates commitment to stronger public health emergency response.

Ekiti reiterates commitment to stronger public health emergency response.

The Ekiti State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to sustained investment in emergency preparedness, workforce development and institutional capacity to build a resilient health system capable of responding to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

The state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani, said investing in the skills of emergency responders was critical to protecting residents’ health and ensuring a coordinated response to disease outbreaks.

Ekiti reiterates commitment to stronger public health emergency response Filani, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, spoke in Ado Ekiti during a three-day Basic Level Public Health Emergency Management training for health professionals, according to a statement made available on Monday.

The training was organised by the ministry to strengthen the state’s capacity to prepare for and respond effectively to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.

Filani said, “The state government remains committed to strengthening Ekiti’s public health security architecture through continuous capacity development, strategic partnerships and institutional reforms.

“This initiative aligns with the state government’s commitment to national and global best practices in public health emergency preparedness while promoting stronger collaboration among health stakeholders at the state and local government levels.”

The Permanent Secretary, Hospitals Management Board, Dr Olasunkanmi Alabi, said the programme would further strengthen the capacity of health officers and enhance the state’s preparedness for public health emergencies.

The Executive Secretary of the Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Akintunde Ogunsakin, urged participants to maximise the knowledge gained from the training in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The General Manager of the Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Charles Doherty, and the Director of Public Health, Dr Abayomi Ibrahim, commended the state government for the capacity-building programme, describing the training as timely and strategic.

Earlier, the State Epidemiologist, Dr Bosede Alowooye, said the training formed part of the government’s sustained investment in building a resilient and responsive public health emergency management system.

“The programme was designed to equip public health professionals with the skills required to coordinate preparedness, response, recovery and risk communication during public health emergencies.

“The training is one of several strategic preparedness activities undertaken by the ministry in 2026 to improve the state’s emergency response capacity,” she said.

Alowooye recalled that the ministry had earlier conducted a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre simulation exercise to assess the state’s response systems for viral haemorrhagic fevers.

She added that the simulation exercise was followed by a comprehensive review of the State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Handbook, supported under the Sector-Wide Approach Disbursement Linked Indicator 9.

According to her, participants included Public Health Emergency Operations Centre pillar leads, watch staff, members of the State Rapid Response Team and Local Government Area Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers.

She said participants received training on the core principles of public health emergency management, including emergency coordination, incident management systems, preparedness planning, surveillance integration, logistics, information management and response coordination.