National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases says it plans to introduce a new academic programme aimed at strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers in the management of infectious diseases.
The Director-General of the Institute, Dr. Abdullahi Aminu Dalhatu, stated this during the closing ceremony of the National Curriculum Workshop for the proposed National Diploma in Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, held at the Institute in Zaria.
Dr. Abdullahi Dalhatu explained that training in infectious diseases had previously been available mainly at postgraduate diploma, certificate, and fellowship levels, leaving a gap at the middle and lower professional levels of healthcare practice.
According to him, the proposed programme is designed to equip graduates with adequate knowledge and practical skills in the identification, prevention and management of infectious diseases.
The Director-General noted that infectious diseases remain a major public health challenge in Nigeria and other tropical regions, accounting for more than half of the health problems affecting the population.
He stressed that training young healthcare professionals was essential, especially as many Nigerians often first seek treatment from patent medicine vendors and other local healthcare providers before visiting hospitals.
Dr. Abdullahi Dalhatu said equipping such frontline health workers with the necessary knowledge would improve early detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks.
He also commended participants at the workshop for their valuable contributions to the curriculum review and expressed confidence that the programme would strengthen healthcare delivery in the country.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education, Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje described the development of the proposed curriculum as a national exercise that would strengthen professional training in Nigeria’s health sector.
Represented by Professor Liyaudeen Bashir Hassan, the Executive Secretary noted that the workshop marks the first phase of the curriculum development process, stressing that the foundation stage is crucial as it involves developing the initial document before further reviews and improvements.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Board of Trustees and Workshop Chairman, Professor Khadija Toyin Musah, said experts from various health professions thoroughly reviewed the curriculum and agreed that at least one institution should commence the programme before the end of the year.
Professor Musah added that policies require effective implementation and expressed confidence that the institute has the facilities and expertise required to pioneer the programme.
The workshop forms part of efforts by the institute to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in developing specialized training programmes aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s public health system.
Ibrahim Suleiman
