Nigeria has made a lot of progress in preparing and responding to disease outbreaks and epidemics. I remember my early days of public health; some 15yrs ago it's @WHONigeria that prepared and shared the #weeklyepidemiological report for Nigeria... a thread!
1/20
#Clap4NCDC

For every outbreak or public health emergency in Nigeria, we heard more about @WHO who appeared to be at the forefront with @Fmohnigeria and its agencies; old #NPI which merged with @NphcdaNG fought #polio with the support of @WHO @UNICEF @Rotary etc.
#Clap4NCDC 2/20

With time the #Epidemiology unit of @Fmohnigeria grew in strength and capacity to lead the response. They also produced and sent out the weekly epidemiology reports for Nigeria, which hitherto was shared by @WHONigeria in collaboration with FMOH for sure. #Clap4NCDC
3/20

Flashforward to the era of avian influenza H1NI when @NigeriaGov setup a Committee headed by Prof. @DrAbdulNasidi ( @Fmohnigeria virologist). I remember the portacabin kinda lab that was set-up near Asokoro Gen Hospital those days. #Clap4NCDC
4/20

Aside the regular medical labs in hospitals, the main #publichealth laboratories I knew of were the National #Polio Reference Labs at @uchibadan_ and @unimaidweb where polio samples were tested and confirmed through ITD procedures #Clap4NCDC
5/20

I'd be wrong to not include the labs at @nimrnigeria in Yaba Lagos and @NIPRD1 in Abuja as public health laboratories of note. But these like @NafdacAgency are independent agencies who have distinct public health functions but supervised by @Fmohnigeria #Clap4NCDC
6/20

Fastfwd to 2014 when #Ebola outbreak hit West Africa and then hit our shores through Lagos. The bravery of Dr. STELLA AMEYO ADADEVOH @drasatrust saved the day,but at the cost of her life and others. We'll ever remain grateful for her ultimate sacrifice #Clap4NCDC
7/20

@WHO came to our rescue during the #ebola outbreak. They supported @followlasg and @LSMOH to get the hitherto abandoned Infectious Diseases Hospital at Yaba back to life, to accommodate the ebola patients. That's some progress from where we were... #Clap4NCDC
8/20

That 2014, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Minister of Health @Fmohnigeria was the face of #Ebola as he coordinated the response. With Prof. @DrAbdulNasidi in the fray as DG of @NCDCgov I bet majority of Nigerians didn't know #NCDC HQ was in Jabi Abuja then. #Clap4NCDC
9/20

Many didn't know that @Fmohnigeria thro' @NCDCgov had mobilized the #FieldEpidemiology MPH graduates/students of the @AFINETproject 2do the massive #ContactTracing that helped Nigeria combat Ebola. Many of them volunteered across W/Africa then & 4 #COVID19 now
#Clap4NCDC
10/20

Each year Nigeria experiences all sorts of disease outbreaks; from #LassaFever to #meningitis to #measles but most people didn't know about @NCDCgov until the last few years. Most knew about @NafdacAgency bcs of @Doraakunyili & @NphcdaNG bcs of #polio #Clap4NCDC
11/20

Since 2016, we began to hear about @NCDCgov with @Chikwe_I as new DG. For the 1st time, we see a govt agency that revamped its web presence and regularly updated citizens on their activities thro http://www.ncdc.gov.ng ; now the face of #COVID19 fight in Naija #Clap4NCDC
12/20

I remember attending the public hearing on the @NCDCgov bill by @nassnigeria around 2018. Before then, @NCDC was not a full fledged agency of @Fmohnigeria until @MBuhari signed the enabling law b4 2019 elections. It now has its budget line!
#clap4ncdc.
13/20

Like other federal agencies, @NCDCgov is to provide technical leadership and support to the 36 states to prepare them to respond to epidemics by themselves. I think Nigerians have been expecting too much for being the face of #Covid_19 response in #Nigeria
#Clap4NCDC
14/20

Of the 26+ labs that test #COVID19 samples in Nigeria, only 1 belongs to @NCDC and that's the National Reference Lab in Gaduwa Abuja which they'd built and commissioned before the #COVID19 outbreak. The rest are outside Abuja #Clap4Ncdc
15/20

Of the first 5 labs within @NCDCgov network, I tried to wonder why no Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria had #PCR capacity save the one at @LUTH IdiAraba Lagos? Why didn't state governments set up theirs? #CLAP4NCDC
16/20

Earlier in March I felt ashamed that @RedeemerUniv could set up a #PCR lab in Ede Osun State, 5th Lab in @NCDCgov network but UCH #Ibadan, UNTH #Enugu, ABUTH Zaria, OAUTH #IleIfe, UPTH #Portharcourt etc had none, let alone state-owned Teaching Hospitals #Clap4NCDC
17/20

So when we clamored for @NCDCgov to do more tests, we didn't ask state governments why they didnt setup isolation centers or equip their hospitals with the #PCR facilities, test kits and reagents until @JackMa sent aid to Naija; sovereign nation wt citizens !
#Clap4NCDC
18/20

Most #Nigerians think @NCDCgov has offices across the #36states, so should collect samples from all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, and treat all the #COVID19 patients; yet @NCDCgov owns no hospitals/labs in any of the states. #Clap4NCDC
19/20

When we complain that @NCDCgov is not doing enough, let's look at how Lagos state @followlasg has shown ownership of its #COVID19Lagos response with @jidesanwoolu and @ProfAkinAbayomi leading from the front, with @NCDCgov supporting @LSMOH ; na so e suppose be!
#Clap4NCDC
20/20

This #Clap4NCDC is my little way of saying a big #THANKYU & #GodBlessYou to all the staff and volunteers of @NCDCgov and others at the frontlines who are sacrificing sleep, comfort and family to protect #Nigerians from the onslaught of #COVID19 the past 3 months #Clap4NCDC @WHO

We may not stand on the streets or balconies to clap
for all #healthworkers @NCDCgov teams & volunteers working across Nigeria's #36states; do know for sure #Nigerians are super grateful despite our complaints & criticism #Clap4NCDC @BashirAhmaad @toluogunlesi @nighealthwatch

THANK YOU @NCDC