By Victoria Ojeme and Adamu Shuaibu

ABUJA -Vice president, Namadi Sambo has directed the federal Ministry of Health to collaborate with the office of the special assistant to the president on Millennium Development Goal MDGs to establish a center for disease control CDC, in Nigeria.

The vice president gave this directive while declaring open the inter-country meeting on cross Border public Health issues held Tuesday, in Abuja.

According to him, “…… with the offer made by the representative of the Center for Disease Control CDC, I have already directed the Minister of Health Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu to work with the special adviser to the president on Millennium Development Goal MDGS, Hajiya Amina Zubairu to work hard so that by next year, we shall commence the development of Center for Disease Control, CDC in Nigeria.

He said that in its effort to actualized its vision 20-20-20, the federal government has paid maximum priority on the health needs of the people.

“ the government of Nigeria recognizes the fact that the world as a global village is zealous of consistent on health related issues, this proposes that whatever affect one country affect humanity in totality. It is in this light that I believe this meeting is not only timely but expedient, it is our believe that our problems can best be solve by African themselves” he added.

Also speaking, the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that the country in recent past has been affected by cholera, polio, neglected tropical disease, influenza, meningitis, yellow fever and other infectious and non – infectious disease conditions.

He said “many of this disease have traversed boundaries and indeed if one country is affected then contiguous country are at risk”.

Also speaking the country representatives of the center for disease control (CDC), Dr Okey Nwayanwu advised government to take ownership of what affects its people by using its available resources to effectively address the numerous health challenges facing the countries.

The event was attended by representatives of ministries of health of Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa Republic, Republic of Benin as well as the World Health Organization WHO, National Agency for Food Administration and Control NAFDAC, and the 36 States Commissioners of Health in Nigeria.