By Jessica Onyeabulam
Abuja – The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday called for stronger partnership and investment in scientific research to address public health issues in the country.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Chief Executive Officer, NCDC, said in a statement and made available to newsmen in Abuja.
Ihekweazu noted that the world had experienced the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease outbreaks.
He said urgent efforts were required to build more resilient health systems and national public health institutes curb frequent outbreaks of diseases.
He said stakeholders had used the recent third annual NCDC and Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (NFELTP) scientific conference to chart new ways in handling outbreaks of diseases.
Ihekweazu said the conference created a platform for field epidemiologists and public health physicians to share scientific work.
He also explained that scientists used the occasion to deliberate on the application of epidemiological methods to address public health issues in Nigeria and beyond.
He said that although curbing diseases in the country was a gradual process, but noted that the centre was faced with challenges that continued to militate against the execution of its mandate.
(NAN)