The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy has called on the Federal Government to strengthen the country’s preparedness for Ebola and other infectious diseases.

The Academy proposed a 10-point action plan to improve national health security.

In a statement signed by its President, Prof. Lere Baale, the Academy urged the government to set up a coordinated national epidemic-readiness framework covering all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It warned against complacency, noting that Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 does not automatically guarantee readiness today.

The proposed plan includes a nationwide audit of epidemic preparedness, covering surveillance systems, isolation facilities, laboratories, personnel and emergency response capacity. It also recommends mandatory outbreak simulation exercises for healthcare facilities and response teams.

The Academy further suggested integrating registered community pharmacies into disease surveillance through partnerships with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other relevant bodies.

Other recommendations cover measurable laboratory standards, strategic reserves of medical supplies, multidisciplinary readiness teams, protection for healthcare workers, public education and an annual National Epidemic Preparedness Scorecard.

It stressed that community pharmacies can play a key role in early detection because pharmacists are often among the first health professionals people consult when they experience fever or other symptoms. The Academy said preparedness is not panic but foresight, competence and national responsibility, and urged Nigerians to rely on verified information and seek medical care promptly when necessary.