Lagos Must Prepare for Pandemic Flu, Abayomi Warns

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has warned that Lagos must strengthen its preparedness for pandemic influenza and other biological, environmental and climate-related emergencies. Speaking at the University of Lagos conference on the One Health approach, Abayomi said future outbreaks cannot be tackled by hospitals and doctors alone. He called for closer collaboration among health workers, veterinarians, environmental experts, government agencies and communities. He said Lagos faces heightened risks because of its large population, international travel links, livestock movements and climate pressures. He also highlighted antimicrobial resistance and the shortage of health professionals, noting that the state has about 7,000 doctors against an estimated need for 40,000. Abayomi said lessons from Lagos' Ebola and COVID-19 responses show that early planning, disease surveillance and cooperation across sectors are essential before the next major outbreak occurs.

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