Nigeria Needs N1.6b To Fight Coronavirus: NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says N1.6 billion emergency funding is needed by the country to fight coronavirus.

Precillia Ibekwe, deputy director, special duties, NCDC, made this known at a news briefing addressed by Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, in Abuja on Friday.

According to Ibekwe, the emergency fund, when considered, would be used to contain the spread of the virus in the country.

The fund, she says, would be spent on infection prevention and control, surveillance and epidemiology, case management, laboratory diagnosis, logistics, supply as well as risk communication activities.

“So far, what Nigeria has gotten were strictly domestic funding. Some of the assistance we get from donors are in form of policy advice, technical assistance, while some of them build on existing instruments and expertise to help the country respond to the virus”, she said.

Ibekwe also urged the private sector to support government’s efforts in strengthening preparedness and responses to the virus.