By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

ABUJA — The Federal Government has warned that future pandemics are inevitable, calling for sustained investment in preparedness to prevent another global health crisis.

Speaking at a high-level public health symposium on pandemic preparedness and response, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the threat of deadly disease outbreaks remains constant and demands urgent attention.

Pate referenced recent scientific findings in Nigeria indicating human exposure to multiple dangerous pathogens, including influenza, Ebola, and coronaviruses, stressing that the risks are ever-present.

“That brought home the risk that we constantly face,” he said, noting that the findings highlight the close link between human health, animals, and the environment.

He explained that pandemics typically evolve gradually—from isolated outbreaks to epidemics and eventually global crises—if not swiftly contained.

“Pandemics do not start overnight; they begin as outbreaks and grow until they spread across the world,” he warned, citing historical examples such as the Spanish flu pandemic and COVID-19.

The minister stressed that pandemics are not only health emergencies but also major economic and national security threats. He recalled the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, both of which resulted in significant socio-economic losses.

Pate called for sustained investment in resilient health systems, strong public health institutions, and a well-trained workforce, revealing that nearly 79,000 health workers have been retrained in recent years to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response capacity.

He also emphasised the importance of building public trust, boosting local production of medical supplies, and protecting frontline health workers. According to him, Nigeria must invest more in research, innovation, and digital health to move from being a consumer of global health knowledge to a contributor.

“It is not a matter of if, but when,” he said.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described pandemics as some of the most disruptive events in human history.

Reflecting on COVID-19, which claimed over seven million lives globally, Salako said the crisis exposed major weaknesses in health systems worldwide, though Nigeria demonstrated resilience despite its challenges.

He called for stronger collaboration, improved surveillance systems, and a whole-of-society approach to future health emergencies.

Also speaking, the Country Representative of the World Health Organization in Nigeria, Pavel Ursu, stressed the need for global solidarity, warning that pathogens often spread faster than the systems designed to contain them.

He highlighted early detection, transparent data sharing, and robust surveillance as critical tools in combating pandemics, noting that countries with stronger health systems fared better during COVID-19.

Meanwhile, China’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, called for deeper bilateral collaboration to address evolving health threats, citing increasing virus mutations and cross-border transmission.

Stakeholders from the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Livestock Development, and Environment also emphasised the need for cross-sector collaboration and sustained investment, advocating the adoption of the “One Health” approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health systems.

As experts continue to raise concerns, the message from Abuja remains clear: the next pandemic is not a distant possibility but an impending reality, and preparedness is the only effective safeguard.