The Ekiti State Government has organised a Basic Level Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) training for health professionals to strengthen the state's capacity to prepare for and respond effectively to disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, said at the training that the state government remained committed to strengthening Ekiti's public health security architecture through continuous capacity development, strategic partnerships and institutional reforms.
Filani, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, said investment in the skills of emergency responders was critical to protecting the health of residents and ensuring a coordinated response to disease outbreaks.
He said the initiative aligned with the state government's commitment to national and global best practices in public health emergency preparedness while promoting stronger collaboration among health stakeholders at the state and local government levels.
According to him, the government will continue to invest in emergency preparedness, workforce development and institutional capacity to build a resilient health system capable of responding to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
In separate goodwill messages, the Permanent Secretary, Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Olasunkanmi Alab; General Manager, Ekiti State Health Insurance Scheme, Dr. Charles Doherty; Executive Secretary, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Akintunde Ogunsakin; and the Director of Public Health, Dr. Abayomi Ibrahim, described the training as timely and strategic.
They said the programme would further strengthen the capacity of health officers and enhance the state's preparedness for public health emergencies.
The officials urged participants to maximise the knowledge gained from the training in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Earlier, the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Bosede Alowooye, said the training formed part of the state government's sustained investment in building a resilient and responsive public health emergency management system.
She said the programme was designed to equip public health professionals with the skills required to coordinate preparedness, response, recovery and risk communication during public health emergencies.
Alowooye added that the training was one of several strategic preparedness activities undertaken by the ministry in 2026 to improve the state's emergency response capacity.
She recalled that the ministry earlier conducted a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) to assess the state's response systems for viral haemorrhagic fevers.
According to her, the exercise was followed by a comprehensive review of the State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Handbook, supported under the Sector-Wide Approach Disbursement Linked Indicator 9.
The epidemiologist said participants included Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Pillar Leads, Watch Staff, members of the State Rapid Response Team (SRRT) and Local Government Area Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers.
She said the participants were trained on the core principles of public health emergency management, including emergency coordination, incident management systems, preparedness planning, surveillance integration, logistics, information management and response coordination.
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