By Kazeem Biriowo
Seventeen public health emergency operations center staff members from seven West African countries have graduated from a two-week training program designed to enhance their skills in managing public health emergencies.
The training, hosted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and expertise needed to effectively operate incident management systems for outbreak preparedness and response.
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The participating countries include Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia, and Mali. According to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, the training has better equipped the region to prepare for and respond to epidemics and pandemics.
鈥淲ith this training, the region is now better equipped to prepare for and respond to epidemics and pandemics,鈥 the U.S. Embassy stated.
The training is part of the U.S. Government鈥檚 support for global health security in Nigeria and globally, providing emergency operations staff and public health experts with specialized training in public health emergency management, operations, and critical preparedness and response skills.
Asmau Aminu-Alhaji, Acting Program Director of the U.S. CDC Division of Global Health Protection, praised the graduates for their dedication to public health, both locally and regionally.
She emphasised the importance of collaboration and communication across borders in managing public health emergencies.
鈥淲e are committed to working with all stakeholders to control the spread of diseases and reduce the number of cases and deaths,鈥 she said, highlighting the significance of public health collaboration.
The Public Health Emergency Management Professional Certification Program is designed to provide emergency operations staff and public health experts with the skills needed to effectively manage public health emergencies. With this training, West Africa is taking a significant step towards strengthening its public health emergency response capabilities.