The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy has called on the Federal Government to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease and other emerging infectious diseases through a coordinated national epidemic-readiness framework.

The Academy said preparedness measures should be institutionalised, regularly assessed and made functional across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement signed by its President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Lere Baale, on Thursday, the Academy said Nigeria must move beyond outbreak awareness to measurable national readiness.

The call follows the Academy’s policy report, titled “From Awareness to Readiness: Strengthening Nigeria’s Preparedness for Ebola and Emerging Infectious Disease Emergencies.”

The report draws on deliberations at its National Webinar on Ebola Preparedness held on August 20, 2026, and the work of its multidisciplinary Task Group on Ebola Virus Disease Resurgence, chaired by Prof. Fola Tayo.
Baale said Nigeria’s success in containing Ebola in 2014 should serve as a foundation for stronger preparedness rather than a reason for complacency.

“Nigeria demonstrated extraordinary leadership, professional competence and national coordination in containing Ebola in 2014. However, yesterday’s success does not automatically guarantee tomorrow’s preparedness.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the capabilities that protected Nigeria in 2014 are institutionalised, continuously strengthened and demonstrably functional across the country,” he said.

The Academy said epidemic preparedness should no longer be treated as an emergency intervention activated only when an outbreak threatens the country.
It proposed a continuous national system built around seven interconnected capabilities: anticipate, prevent, detect, respond, recover, learn and improve.

According to the Academy, the approach would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to manage Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

It commended the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention for existing preparedness measures, including surveillance, laboratory readiness, infection prevention and control, point-of-entry monitoring, intergovernmental coordination and public communication.

However, it said further action was needed to ensure that existing systems remained functional and effective.
The Academy outlined 10 priority actions for urgent policy consideration and implementation among which is
calling for a nationwide epidemic-readiness audit across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to assess the functionality of disease surveillance systems, isolation facilities, laboratories, personnel and emergency response structures.

It also recommended the institutionalisation of mandatory epidemic simulation exercises to test the preparedness of healthcare facilities and multidisciplinary response teams under realistic outbreak scenarios.

Another key proposal is the integration of registered community pharmacies into disease surveillance through a proposed sentinel surveillance pilot involving the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria and NAPHARM.

On laboratory capacity, the Academy advocated the establishment of measurable diagnostic and laboratory turnaround standards covering specimen collection, transportation, testing and reporting to improve the speed and efficiency of disease detection.

It further called for the creation of strategic emergency reserves of essential health commodities, including personal protective equipment, medicines, diagnostic materials and other critical supplies required during outbreaks.

To strengthen coordination, the Academy proposed the establishment of multidisciplinary epidemic-readiness teams at national and state levels to promote collaboration among healthcare professionals and ensure more coordinated responses to public health emergencies.

The proposed actions also include a comprehensive healthcare worker protection framework addressing infection prevention and control, occupational safety, psychological support and workforce resilience.

On public engagement, the Academy urged the institutionalisation of coordinated risk communication, public education and trusted community engagement to counter misinformation and promote accurate public health information during epidemics.

It also recommended the integration of survivor rehabilitation and reintegration into national epidemic preparedness and response plans, recognising the need to support people affected by epidemics beyond the immediate phase of an outbreak.

The final proposal is the introduction of an Annual National Epidemic Preparedness Scorecard to assess the country’s readiness, identify gaps, monitor improvements and strengthen public accountability.

The Academy, however, identified community pharmacies as an important component of Nigeria’s proposed early-warning system for infectious disease threats.
It noted that community pharmacists are often among the first healthcare professionals consulted by people experiencing fever, weakness and other symptoms that may resemble common infections.

Under the proposed NCDC–PCN–NAPHARM Community Pharmacy Sentinel Surveillance Pilot, participating pharmacists would receive appropriate case definitions, surveillance protocols, referral pathways and reporting procedures.
The Academy clarified that the initiative would not authorise pharmacists to diagnose Ebola but would strengthen their role in recognising possible warning signs and notifying the appropriate public health authorities.

Beyond the 10 priority actions, the Academy proposed an immediate 90-day implementation framework to support government consideration.

The proposed activities include a national functional-readiness audit, laboratory referral mapping, an inventory of emergency health commodities, a community pharmacy surveillance pilot, healthcare worker preparedness programmes and the development of a national epidemic-readiness scorecard.

Longer-term recommendations include preparedness education, stronger surveillance networks, improved supply chain visibility, One Health collaboration and annual public reporting on epidemic readiness.
The Academy said preparedness funding should be tied to measurable outcomes, verified operational capabilities and corrective action rather than procurement alone.