Abstract:
Background: Chemical emergencies increasingly threaten global health, especially in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria, due to industrial activities, illegal mining, and improper waste disposal. Despite Public Health Emergency Operations Centers (PHEOCs), preparedness for chemical incidents is under-evaluated, with systems mainly focused on infectious diseases. This evaluation assessed Nigeria’s PHEOCs' readiness for chemical emergencies using a simulation-based approach within the One Health (OH) framework.
Methods: A simulation-based evaluation, “Keep Pushing VII,” involved the National PHEOC and ten selected State PHEOCs (Yobe, Benue, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Delta, Imo, Nasarawa, Ogun). States were chosen for their non-participation in similar exercises and their vulnerability to chemical risks. A One Health framework applied context-specific chemical scenarios to assess surveillance, laboratory capacity, risk assessment, logistics, communication, coordination, and governance. Data were collected via observation, scoring tools, after-action reviews, and stakeholder debriefings, then analyzed by integrating quantitative and qualitative findings.
Results: The evaluation revealed uneven preparedness across SPHEOCs. States such as Katsina, Ogun, Yobe, and Sokoto demonstrated strong detection and coordination, while Nasarawa and Benue showed weaker performance. Detection systems worked, but response pathways were misaligned due to an infectious-disease bias, delaying recognition of chemical events. Key gaps include poor integration of chemical hazards into surveillance, weak risk assessment, and limited use of data. Coordination was partially effective but hampered by weak national-state linkages and inconsistent OH implementation. Laboratory capacity was limited, and few states acted on the results. Cross-border collaboration was present but reactive and insufficiently institutionalized. Overall, systems remain inadequately adapted for chemical emergency preparedness.
Conclusion: Nigeria has foundational public health emergency systems, but lacks chemical emergency preparedness. Strengthening requires a One Health, multisectoral response integrating chemical surveillance, improving laboratory and environmental health capacity, clarifying stakeholder roles, and enhancing coordination, including cross-border collaboration. Addressing these gaps is critical for a resilient public health emergency response to chemical threats.
Biography:
To be updated shortly..
