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 aimed at strengthening public health emergency preparedness and response to flooding and other health hazards in Adamawa State.
The initiative includes a five day training workshop on Multi Hazard Risk Assessment, MHRA, which began in Yola, the state capital, amid concerns over Adamawa’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 to develop a comprehensive framework for public health emergency preparedness and response in the state.
The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Pharmacist Zira Mathias Babani, urged participants to actively engage in the training and contribute to the development of policies and strategies capable of protecting the lives and wellbeing of residents.
He noted that Adamawa remained 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.
According to UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr Eghe Abe, the participants were drawn from relevant government ministries, agencies, security institutions, development partners and non governmental organisations to identify solutions to public health threats confronting the state.
Abe said the training was 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,” he said.
He explained that the intervention was being implemented in partnership with the Federal and State Governments and funded by the United States Government through UNICEF.
Abe added that the assessment covered biological, chemical, environmental and security related threats, including cholera, measles, Ebola, COVID 19, flooding, erosion, communal conflicts, banditry and terrorism.
Also speaking, the Adamawa State Epidemiologist, Kadabiyu Jones, described the initiative as timely, saying 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 Adamawa State once completed.
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