The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is working to establish treatment centres in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to ensure quick response to infectious diseases.
The Director-General of the centre, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said this on Tuesday in Abuja that the treatment and isolation centres would be established in collaboration with state governments by the end of next year where such facilities were lacking.
He said that there were confirmed cases of Lassa fever in 22 states; some of them have one or two sporadic cases, “but our goal is to have a treatment centre in every state capital”.
“They won’t all be at the same level and the same capacity, but our hope by the end of next year is to have treatment and isolation centre as well as an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) in every state capital in Nigeria,’’ he said.
The centres would help to coordinate the response to infectious diseases from the Incidence Coordination Centre (ICC) at the headquarters with all the EOCs in the various state capitals.
“We already have EOCs in 12 states and they were established within the last two years, but gradually we keep increasing.
“So, step by step, we are covering the entire country with our Emergency Operation Centres as well as treatment and isolation centres for infectious diseases,” Ihekweazu said.
According to him, plans have been intensified for the inauguration of Plateau, Anambra and Rivers States EOCs in April.
This, Ihekweazu said, would bring the total number of EOCs in the country to 15.
He noted that the NCDC often collaborates with the state ministries of health in establishing the centres.
MM/GIK/APA