NCDC DG, NAPPSA president discuss future of global healthcare system at NAPPSA Conference
The Dire c tor - General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu has said there was a need to rethink the current global healthcare delivery architecture to make it more collaborative and responsive to combat the coronavirus and future pandemics. Ihekweazu made this appeal recently in his keynote address, delivered virtually, at the 2020 NAPPSA (Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas) Scientific Conference and Exposition in the US themed “COVID-19 Pandemic: Evolution of S c i e n c e, Pr a c t i c e and Training”.
“Covid-19 has taught us that health is the basis of wealth, that global health is no longer defined by Western nations and must also be guided by Africa and Asia, and that international solidarity is an essential response and a superior approach to isolationism,” Ihekweazu said.
NAPPSA, the foremost group of Diaspora Nigerians with over 7,000 Nigerian
pharmaceutical and related professionals, according to the group’s President, Anthony Ikeme, holds the yearly conference to, among other things, share knowledge and ideas on current developments and innovations in the medical and pharmaceutical field, providing insights to issues, as well as offer practical steps to help shape the future of the sector.
The NCDC boss said the new healthcare model must be global in outlook but easily adaptable to meet local needs. According to him, it must be equitable, collaborative, and resilient, with inbuilt environmental and economic components to forestall the current haphazard global
response to Covid-19. It must also be able to meet the health security needs of each nation and inspire a new crop of scientists and public health professionals. “Every country needs a National Public Health Institute to deliver on health security. We need to inspire a new generation of scientists and public health professionals. We need to build resilience in the supply chain for essential commodities and strengthen international collaboration for equitable access to vaccines and targeted support,” Ihekweazu further said.
Ikeme, who flagged off the 2020 conference, emphasised that Nigeria must learn the lessons of the Covid- 19 pandemic and should fortify her healthcare infrastructure to be better prepared for future emergencies. He commended Ihekweazu for the great job he is doing at NCDC in effectively coordinating the Covid- 19 fight in Nigeria, hence his choice as keynote speaker. At the end of the keynote session, Ihekweazu was given an award by NAPPSA, which was presented by Ikeme, “in recognition of his exceptional leadership in monitoring and mitigating the impact of Covid- 19 pandemic in Nigeria.”
Ihekwe a z u t hanked NAPPSA for the award, commending the association for its invaluable contributions to the global fight against the pandemic, particularly the leading role it continues to play in Nigeria to tackle Covid-19, including its regular updates and recent donation of Covid- 19 medical and pharmaceutical materials worth millions of naira to the homeland.
I keme assure d t hat NAPPSA will continue to exploit its 10-Year Strategy Plan to increase “our organisational footprint and maximising our impact as a professional organisation both in the USA and in Nigeria.”