Medicine
By Felicia Imohimi
Abuja, Sept. 3, 2026 (NAN) Dr Ayuba Wabba, former labour leader, has urged the government to give equal attention to preventive and curative medicine to reduce the burden of public health diseases in Nigeria.
Wabba made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the unveiling of 14 newly developed Higher National Diploma (HND) curricula in environmental health technology, public health technology, and epidemiology and disease control technology.
The curricula were developed by the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and other stakeholders.
Wabba, who expressed concern over the burden of communicable diseases such as malaria, said many could be prevented through improved public health services.
He identified malaria, respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea among major causes of death in the country, stressing the need for competent environmental health professionals to address the challenges.
“Malaria can be eradicated by using environmental health approach which is the sustainable measure and way forward.
“In developed countries there are ministries of preventive and curative medicine so that they can be giving attention equally because when you eradicate malaria you will reduce the number of people going to the hospital and save cost.
“So adopting the measure, the country can focus attention on emerging diseases like cancer among others,” he said.
Dr Mohammed Jamilu, President of the Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria, urged environmental health professionals and institutions to ensure effective implementation of the newly developed curricula.
“The council has provided the necessary direction and framework, it is the responsibility of practitioners and institutions to translate the documents into tangible outcomes.
“Effective implementation will improve environmental health services and contribute to healthier workplaces and communities across Nigeria,” he said.
Prof. Idris Bugaje, Executive Secretary, NBTE, said the introduction of the specialised programmes was timely and critical to addressing Nigeria’s workforce needs.
Represented by Dr Oladipupo Bello, Director of Curricular Development, NBTE, Bugaje said the country required a new cadre of highly skilled and specialised middle-level manpower to tackle emerging public health challenges.
According to him, the curricula would bridge critical skill gaps by shifting the educational focus from theoretical knowledge to practical, competency-based training that directly addresses national public health challenges. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
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Edited by Tosin Kolade
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