NCDC legislative mandate paramount for Nigerians – Saraki

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki has said it is important for the Nigeria Center for Disease Control to get legislative backing to give it a fund policy directive for consistency and international practices.   He said this at the public hearing on a bill to establish the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) by the […]

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki has said it is important for the Nigeria Center for Disease Control to get legislative backing to give it a fund policy directive for consistency and international practices.

 

He said this at the public hearing on a bill to establish the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) by the senate committee on primary healthcare and communicable diseases.

 

The senate president represented by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah explained that the emergence and growing complexity of infectious diseases is a major public health concern as such, the need to take disease control seriously cannot be over emphasized.

 

He noted that the adequate legislation of the bill would push for the stability of long and short term intervention to allow the NCDC have a legislative framework for minimum standard practices and funding from donors.

 

The NCDC bill which has gone through its first and second hearing aims at providing a stronger footing for disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, reference laboratory services and other public health interventions.

 

In his speech, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable diseases, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa explained that the NCDC bill will combat the lack of proper funding and political will to impact effective healthcare in Nigeria.

 

While lauding the NCDC for coordinating public health response to diseases since its existence in 2011, Ohuabunwa said the legislation of the bill would fill up existing gap for NCDC to provide its mandate of sound health security to Nigerians.

 

“I am aware that some of the major issues that have the most impact on the provision of effective health care delivery for Nigerians include paucity of funds and lack of political will by governments.

“Such matters are better addressed within existing constitutional Acts that clearly spell out obligations and expectations of agencies involved in the implementation process, vis-à-vis that of the citizens.” He said.

 

Furthermore, the CEO of NCDC Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu repatriated that the new bill is absolutely critical for NCDC to have the legal mandate to collaborate and have credibility for receiving funding from international donors.

 

He said the bill will give a clearer mandate, structured governance and the legal authority to NCDC to protect the health and economy of Nigeria.