Nigeria Centre for Disease Control

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is the national public health institute of Nigeria, with the mandate to lead the preparedness, detection, and response to infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. The headquarters are in Abuja, Nigeria's capital.

History[edit | edit source]

The NCDC was established in the year 2011 in response to the challenges of public health emergencies and to enhance Nigeria’s preparedness and response to epidemics through prevention, detection, and control of communicable diseases. Its core mandate is to detect, investigate, prevent and control diseases of national and international public health importance.

Function[edit | edit source]

The primary functions of the NCDC include the provision of surveillance, epidemiological investigation, laboratory diagnosis, research, logistics, vaccination and emergency response to communicable diseases and other public health emergencies. The Centre also provides leadership and technical partnership to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

Structure[edit | edit source]

The NCDC is led by a Director General who is assisted by a team of competent staff. The Centre has departments that handle various aspects of disease control including Surveillance and Epidemiology, Laboratory Services, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Health Promotion.

Achievements[edit | edit source]

Since its establishment, the NCDC has successfully responded to several outbreaks of diseases in Nigeria including Lassa Fever, Meningitis, Yellow Fever, and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centre has also been instrumental in the development and implementation of the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).

Challenges[edit | edit source]

Despite its achievements, the NCDC faces several challenges including inadequate funding, weak health infrastructure, and a shortage of skilled manpower. These challenges have sometimes hampered the Centre's ability to effectively respond to disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.