The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s health emergency preparedness and response, following confirmation of the country’s first Ebola case.
The organisation also announced the donation of 20,000 non-contact infrared thermometers and 1,200 bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitiser to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to the outbreak.
The Director-General of WAHO, Prof. Palokinam Pitche, gave the assurance when he led a delegation to the NCDC headquarters in Abuja on November 2, 2026, to discuss regional support for Nigeria’s health emergency preparedness and response.
The delegation included the Executive Director of the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RSCDC), Dr Mamadou Diarrassouba, and the Acting Director of Public Health and Research at WAHO, Prof. Joseph Olorunda.
The meeting was attended by officials of the NCDC and representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Discussions centred on aligning international and regional assistance with Nigeria’s national priorities, avoiding duplication of interventions and ensuring effective utilisation of available resources.
Pitche reaffirmed WAHO’s readiness to support Nigeria, stressing that health threats confronting the country had implications for the wider West African region and required coordinated regional action.
He recalled the organisation’s ongoing collaboration with Nigeria in disease surveillance, laboratory capacity development and technical assistance, noting that clearly identified needs would guide further support and strengthen collective responses to shared health challenges.
Welcoming the delegation, the Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, expressed appreciation for WAHO’s continued support, stressing that effective management of public health emergencies required sustained collaboration among national, regional and international institutions.
Idris highlighted the need for a coordinated response covering surveillance, disease detection, case management, risk communication and logistics, particularly in tackling health threats capable of spreading across national borders.
Representatives of WHO and Africa CDC also pledged to work with WAHO to align their contributions with Nigeria’s government-led response plan.
They emphasised the need for assistance to be guided by clearly established priorities, defined institutional responsibilities and accountability mechanisms, while ensuring that each organisation deployed its technical expertise effectively.
The partners further reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that emergency interventions translated into sustainable improvements in Nigeria’s preparedness and overall health system capacity.
WAHO’s technical and financial assistance is being channelled towards implementing the incident management plan following confirmation of the first Ebola case in Nigeria.
The donation of the thermometers and hand sanitisers is also expected to support infection prevention and control measures as the country strengthens its preparedness and response capacity.
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