The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Adamawa State Government, UNICEF, and with support from the United States Government, has commenced a multi-stakeholder engagement to strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response to flood-related and other health hazards in Adamawa.
The initiative, which includes a five-day training workshop on Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment (MHRA), began in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, amid concerns over the state’s vulnerability to flooding and disease outbreaks during the rainy season.
Declaring the workshop open, the Adamawa State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Muhammad Chubado Jada, expressed appreciation for the opportunity given to the state to develop a comprehensive framework for public health emergency preparedness and response.
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Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Pharmacist Zira Mathias Babani, the commissioner urged participants to actively engage in the training and contribute to the development of policies and strategies to safeguard the lives and well-being of residents.
He noted that Adamawa remains highly susceptible to flooding, which often triggers outbreaks of waterborne diseases and other health challenges.
“Adamawa State is at a high risk of flooding, which is a major cause of many illnesses, particularly waterborne diseases. This training is therefore timely,” he said.
Speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the workshop, UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr. Eghe Abe, said participants were drawn from relevant government ministries, agencies, security institutions, development partners, and non-governmental organisations to identify solutions to public health threats facing the state.
According to him, the training is designed to identify and prioritise multi-hazard public health risks and develop effective strategies for managing them through proper planning and preparedness.
“Public health emergencies are becoming increasingly frequent due to disease outbreaks, climate change, and other emerging threats. UNICEF is supporting the Adamawa State Government in developing a multi-hazard risk assessment framework that will help identify and address recurring threats,” Abe said.
He explained that the intervention is being implemented in partnership with the Federal and State Governments and is funded by the United States Government through UNICEF.
Abe added that the hazards being assessed include biological, chemical, environmental, and security-related threats such as cholera, measles, Ebola, COVID-19, flooding, erosion, communal conflicts, banditry, and terrorism.
Also speaking, Adamawa State Epidemiologist, Kadabiyu Jones, described the initiative as timely, noting that it would strengthen the state’s capacity to proactively prevent, prepare for, and respond to public health emergencies.
He said the risk assessment document being developed would serve as a guide for the rapid identification, assessment, preparedness, and response to emergencies across the state once finalised.
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