Janet Ogundepo Experts at the 10th African Conference on One Health and Biosecurity have called for immediate action to fortify Africa’s health systems through street-level awareness and structural reforms against globla health threats. This was made known on the second day of the conference, which was held at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos State. In a statement sent to PUNCH Healthwise and signed by the Lagos State Ministry of Health’s Director of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the experts focused on emerging disease threats and biosecurity.
The event was attended by former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State Health Commissioner Prof Akin Abayomi, and GET Consortium’s Chief Operating Officer Dr Ayodotun Bobadoye. On his part, Fashola emphasised the need to prepare Africa for the inevitable emergence of new pandemics, highlighting lessons learned from Lagos State’s battle against Ebola. “We need to prepare rigorously for more pandemics.
Antimicrobial resistance is a pressing concern, with antibiotics becoming less effective. This is no longer an abstract issue but one with immediate consequences,” he warned. Fashola further noted the importance of fostering a grassroots understanding of biosecurity challenges, stating that healthcare was a serious business not just about doctors and hospital beds.
He called for strict enforcement of environmental laws and the use of educational documentaries to raise public awareness. “Open defecation and poor.
