The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has emphasized the need for a multi-sectorial approach to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid Fever, and Tuberculosis in Nigeria.
Speaking on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” show on Wednesday, Prof. Pate highlighted the importance of addressing the social determinants of health through comprehensive public policies that provide social safety nets for vulnerable and impoverished populations.
“There are many diseases that are socially determined. They largely affect vulnerable and poor populations who live in inadequate housing, with low sanitation, insufficient food, malnutrition, or occupational hazards that expose them to certain disease conditions,” Prof. Pate explained.
He pointed out that tackling population health issues extends beyond biomedical solutions. “To address population health, there is the biomedical aspect, but many diseases go beyond that and are multi-sectorial in their determinants.
At the end of the day, we need to grow our economy and translate that growth into household incomes. We need to build infrastructure to support urbanization, ensuring people have good housing, nutrition, safe spaces, mental health support, and access to affordable health facilities.”
Prof. Pate underscored that health issues are intertwined with various public policies, including housing, transportation, agriculture, environment, youth, and gender. He called for a comprehensive effort from the entire government and society to improve the health and well-being of the population. “We need to address vulnerabilities through social protection mechanisms to ensure safety nets for those left behind.”
In response to the ongoing Cholera outbreak, Prof. Pate assured Nigerians that the Federal Government has mobilized resources to contain its spread. He noted that a technical working group, activated through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is supporting states to reduce transmission and treat infected individuals.
“We had anticipated the seasonal outbreak, and months ago, the President approved contingency financing for the NCDC, which has been utilized alongside technical financing. States also have a role to play in releasing their own funding,” Prof. Pate said. He revealed that 31 states and 107 local governments are currently affected, with approximately 1,500 Cholera cases recorded so far.
Addressing the root causes of the outbreak, Prof. Pate stressed the need to eliminate open defecation, which contributes to the contamination of food and water.
“Cholera is a public health crisis exacerbated by contaminated food and water, poor sanitation, developmental challenges, and infrastructure deficits. Open defecation prevalent in many parts of the country is fueling the outbreak,” he stated.
Prof. Pate called for a collective effort from all stakeholders, including citizens and federal, state, and local government administrations, to ensure proper waste management and hygiene sanitation. “It is not only Cholera; other infectious diseases like Typhoid Fever and Tuberculosis also need to be addressed. As we improve physical infrastructure, urbanization, and supporting utilities, we should see a healthier population.”
