‘No Profession Should Dominate Proposed Public Health Institute’
The Public Health and Infectious Disease Management Practitioners Association of Nigeria (PHIDMPAN) has urged the National Assembly to ensure that the proposed National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases (NIPHID) is built on inclusive, multidisciplinary leadership. It warned that Nigeria’s health security cannot be entrusted to a single professional group. The association made the […]
The Public Health and Infectious Disease Management Practitioners Association of Nigeria (PHIDMPAN) has urged the National Assembly to ensure that the proposed National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases (NIPHID) is built on inclusive, multidisciplinary leadership.
It warned that Nigeria’s health security cannot be entrusted to a single professional group.
The association made the submission during the public hearing on the bill seeking to establish the institute, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Infectious Diseases in Zaria.
In a speech made available to Daily Trust after the hearing, Chairperson of PHIDMPAN’s Board of Trustees, Professor Khadijat Toyin Musah, described the proposed legislation as a landmark step toward strengthening Nigeria’s preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks.
She said the institute would drive research, specialist healthcare, innovation, workforce development and public health education.
She, however, maintained that the effectiveness of the institute would ultimately depend on a governance structure that reflects the multidisciplinary nature of modern public health practice.
“Public health is no longer the responsibility of one profession. It is a multidisciplinary enterprise,” Musah said.
She added that, “It requires the expertise of physicians, nurses, public health nurses, midwives, epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, pharmacists, environmental health professionals, veterinarians, health information specialists, behavioural scientists and many others working towards a common objective.”
According to her, although Nigeria has improved its disease surveillance and emergency response systems over the years, future public health emergencies will require institutions capable of integrating research, specialist training, policy development, implementation science and community engagement under one coordinated framework.
She noted that several countries have strengthened their health systems by establishing complementary institutions rather than concentrating all public health responsibilities within a single agency.
Citing examples from the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa, she said successful health systems combine research institutions with disease control agencies to improve both emergency response and scientific innovation.
Musah further observed that Nigeria’s growing population, rapid urbanisation, recurring disease outbreaks, antimicrobial resistance and climate-related health challenges demand greater investment in public health research and the development of skilled health professionals.
To achieve this, she urged lawmakers to broaden representation within the proposed institute’s governing structures by accommodating key health professional groups and regulatory bodies.
Among PHIDMPAN’s recommendations were the inclusion of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, public health nursing leadership, senior nursing administrators and recognised professional associations involved in infectious disease management and workforce development.
The association also opposed leadership appointments based solely on professional background, advocating instead for a competency-based process in selecting the institute’s Director-General.
According to Musah, whoever heads the institution should possess demonstrable expertise in public health, infectious diseases, research and health systems management.
She also proposed the creation of dedicated Departments of Nursing Services, Public Health Nursing, and Infection Prevention and Control within the institute to strengthen surveillance, community disease prevention, infection control and implementation of national public health programmes.
Highlighting PHIDMPAN’s own contributions to health workforce development, Musah referenced the association’s development of the National Diploma Curriculum in Infectious Disease and Vaccinology as evidence of the value of collaboration between government, academia and professional bodies.
She stressed that investment in human capacity remains the foundation of effective epidemic preparedness.
“The COVID-19 pandemic taught the world that laboratories and buildings alone do not stop epidemics. Well-trained health professionals do. National health security begins with a competent, adequately trained, multidisciplinary public health workforce,” she said.
Musah commended the House Committee on Infectious Diseases for providing stakeholders with the opportunity to contribute to the legislative process, expressing optimism that the proposed amendments would strengthen the bill.
She said the establishment of the institute presents Nigeria with an opportunity to build a resilient public health system capable of advancing research, innovation, specialist clinical services and public health leadership.
“The establishment of the National Institute for Public Health and Infectious Diseases is a strategic opportunity to build a stronger, more resilient public health system for Nigeria.
“By embracing multidisciplinary leadership and fostering collaboration across professions and institutions, the Institute can become a national asset for protecting the health of present and future generations,” she added.
The association reaffirmed its readiness to work with the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Health, universities, research institutions, regulatory councils and development partners to promote evidence-based policies aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s public health system and national health security.