By Tgnews
Nigeria has been ranked among the top three countries in the world for effectively managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts have, at the same time, warned that the world faces a 20 per cent chance of another pandemic in the next decade, with the potential to claim 2.5 million lives annually if countries are not prepared.
Prof. Osondu Ogbuoji of the Centre for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke University, said this on Tuesday at the National Health Financing Policy Dialogue organised by the National Health Insurance Authority and its partners.
The likelihood of another pandemic happening in the next 10 years is about 20 per cent. That translates to 2.5 million deaths every year if the world is not prepared
He said an analysis comparing actual and expected deaths across 30 countries placed Nigeria behind only China and Japan. He credited strong leadership by the Presidential Task Force, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other health authorities for the country’s performance.
“The likelihood of another pandemic happening in the next 10 years is about 20 per cent. That translates to 2.5 million deaths every year if the world is not prepared,” he said.
He called for structured research into Nigeria’s COVID-19 response to identify what worked well and what fell short to build stronger preparedness for future outbreaks.
These efforts, if well-coordinated, can help Nigeria and other countries strengthen resilience against future global health threats
According to him a future pandemic could kill more people annually than the combined toll of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. He stressed that financing, research and strategic investments in health security are critical to preventing such a scenario.
He also urged greater alignment of global and domestic health financing with particular attention to antimicrobial resistance, maternal and child health and stronger data systems.
Ogbuoji highlighted ongoing initiatives such as the Commission on Investing in Health, led by NHIA and the Child Health and Survival Committee, targeting a 50 per cent reduction in under-five mortality.
“These efforts, if well-coordinated, can help Nigeria and other countries strengthen resilience against future global health threats,” he said.
