Dr Ibrahim Kana, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence (MoD) says the ministry has approved the setting up of Defence Outbreak Response Unit (DORU).
This is contained in a statement in Abuja by Mrs Victoria Agba-Attah, Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry on Monday in Abuja.
Kana was quoted as saying this at the opening of the Site Commanders/Team Leaders Meeting.
He explained that DORU was to act as the Nigerian Military Task Force that would liaise with the African Partners Outbreak Alliance (APORA) to tackle epidemic within the African continent.
He noted that the Federal Government and the United States Government’s contributions to the programme were enormous and had made the partnership a model worthy of emulation.
The permanent secretary, stressed that the Federal Government was committed to the provision of improved healthcare services to troops, their families and civilians alike.
He noted that the dedication of the Nigerian Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme (MODHIP) and US Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa/Nigeria (USAMRD-A/N) was paramount in strenghtening HIV prevention, care and treatment.
This he said included providing support services to Military personnel, their families and civilians living within and around the barracks.
According to him, the programme is making huge commitments to prevention, detection and control of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
“This requires the building of broad local and international collaborations as well as the strengthening of existing coordinating mechanisms to achieve higher and timely impact.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Director-General, MODHIP, retired Brig.-Gen. Nathan Okeji, said that the programme was established 18 years ago.
Okeji explained that it was established with the primary aim of curtailing the scourge of HIV/AIDS among troops, their families, and civilians living in communities contiguous to military barracks.
“It has grown from the initial four Military health facilities to the current 34 programme sites, with additional responsibilities to handle emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases,” he said.
In his goodwill message, the Deputy Chief of Mission, United States Embassy, Mr. David Greene, said that the UN provides huge support to Nigeria in the control of HIV/AIDS, malaria, Lassa Fever, and COVID-19 among others. (NAN)
