The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has inaugurated sub-committees ahead of the 67th Regular National Council on Health (NCH), urging members to ensure that their recommendations are evidence-based, practical and focused on improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

The ministry said this on Thursday during the inaugural meeting of the sub-committees in Abuja.

The 67th NCH is scheduled to hold from 16 to 20 November in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The council, which will bring together key stakeholders across the federal and state health sectors, will be held under the theme, “From Commitment to Results: Delivering Quality and Equitable Healthcare for All Nigerians.”

Representing the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kachollom Daju, at the meeting, the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, John Ovuoraye, described the NCH as a critical platform for policy dialogue, coordination and decision-making in Nigeria’s health sector.

Daju said the Technical Committee and its subcommittees play an important role in preparing recommendations for the council’s consideration.

“The quality of the work produced by these sub-committees will have a direct bearing on the effectiveness of the recommendations that will be presented to the National Council on Health,” she said.

She urged members to carry out their responsibilities with diligence, integrity, professionalism and objectivity.

Daju also called for an open-minded approach to the assignments and constructive engagement between the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nasarawa State Local Organising Committee.

According to her, members’ participation reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s health system and improving Nigerians’ health and well-being.

Nasarawa promises collaboration

The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, Shekwonugaza Gwamna, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Ibrahim Hassan, welcomed participants to the meeting.

Mr Hassan reaffirmed the state’s readiness to work with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ensure a successful 67th NCH.

He said the inaugural meeting provided an opportunity for the state’s Local Organising Committee to present the progress made so far, receive guidance from the federal ministry and strengthen preparations for the council.

He thanked members for their commitment and wished them productive deliberations as preparations for the event continue.

Key areas of preparation

The meeting considered several issues relating to preparations for the council, including the formal inauguration of the sub-committees and clarification of the roles and responsibilities of their chairmen and members.

Members also reviewed and worked towards finalising the logo for the 67th NCH, as well as the format and timely submission of memoranda by states.

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The meeting was attended physically by officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, while members of the Nasarawa State Local Organising Committee participated virtually.

The 67th NCH is expected to deliberate on major health priorities and develop actionable recommendations to improve the quality, equity, and responsiveness of healthcare delivery across Nigeria.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has received an initial allocation of 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine to support the response to the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed this in a joint statement on Thursday.

The allocation followed a request by the DRC government last week for vaccines from the global Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile managed by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG).

Of the 70,000 doses, 20,000 will be used in a Phase III clinical trial to assess whether Ervebo can protect against Bundibugyo virus, while the remaining 50,000 doses will be administered to frontline and health workers in line with recommendations by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE).

Why the vaccine is being tested

The decision to use part of the allocation in a clinical trial reflects the uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness of Ervebo against Bundibugyo virus.

Ervebo is a licensed vaccine recommended for use during outbreaks caused by the Zaire species of Ebola virus. The current outbreak in the DRC, however, is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a different species of the Ebola virus.

WHO said it is not yet known whether Ervebo can protect humans against Bundibugyo virus, although early laboratory and animal studies suggest that it may provide some protection.

The Phase III trial is therefore expected to generate evidence on whether the vaccine can offer protection against the virus and help guide future decisions on its use during similar outbreaks.

WHO said people offered the vaccine, whether as part of the trial or outside it, must be informed about the potential risks, benefits and limitations of using Ervebo against Bundibugyo virus and must provide informed consent.

Outbreak spread

According to the latest WHO disease outbreak update, 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths had been reported as of 12 August.

The outbreak has expanded from the Mongbwalu health zone in Ituri Province to 54 health zones across six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo and Bas-Uélé.

WHO described the outbreak as being in a phase of intense transmission and said it was the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the DRC.

The outbreak was declared on 15 May and has been driven by factors including population movement, insecurity, artisanal mining activities and cross-border travel involving Uganda and South Sudan.

The scale of the outbreak has consequently increased pressure on health authorities and researchers to deploy available interventions while developing tools specifically suited to the Bundibugyo virus.

Vaccine development

In July, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the first human clinical trial of an experimental Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine had begun at the University of Oxford.

The Phase I trial, known as BD-Ebov, is assessing the safety of the experimental ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine and its ability to stimulate immune responses in healthy adults.

The vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford’s Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Unlike Ervebo, which is licensed for use against Zaire ebolavirus, ChAdOx1 BDBV was specifically designed to target Bundibugyo virus.

The development of a vaccine specifically targeting the virus is considered important because there is currently no approved vaccine specifically for Bundibugyo virus.

The use of Ervebo in the current outbreak could therefore serve a dual purpose; providing protection to health workers who are at high risk of exposure while generating evidence on whether an existing Ebola vaccine can provide protection against another species of the virus.

WHO’s technical advisory group on candidate vaccine prioritisation recently recommended that Ervebo be included in a randomised clinical trial during the ongoing DRC outbreak following a review of emerging evidence on its potential cross-protection against Bundibugyo virus.

Community response

Beyond the vaccines, WHO and Africa CDC said the success of the response would also depend on the involvement of communities affected by the outbreak.

The two organisations welcomed the allocation of the vaccines and supported the DRC’s focus on a community-led approach, which they said would give communities a central role in the response.

Such an approach, they said, would help protect affected populations, save lives and contain transmission while ensuring that people receiving the vaccine understand its potential benefits and limitations.

The ICG partners are WHO, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), while Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, provides funding for the global vaccine stockpile.

WHO and Africa CDC said they remained committed to supporting the DRC government to end the outbreak while generating scientific evidence that could strengthen preparedness for future outbreaks.

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Nigeria’s preparedness

The continued spread of the virus has also raised concerns beyond the DRC because of the potential for cross-border transmission.

Nigeria has subsequently heightened its preparedness, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) activating its Emergency Operations Centre, strengthening surveillance at points of entry and increasing monitoring across states.

The federal government also identified 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory as being at high risk of Ebola infection following a dynamic risk assessment.

State governments were urged to strengthen surveillance, isolation capacity and infection prevention and control measures.