*********AHOA Dialogue 2026: Dr. Adirieje Calls for Institutionalized Pandemic Preparedness
********As AHOA Convened a High-level Life & Health Dialogue Session to Strengthen Nigeria’s & Africa’s Preparedness for Current & Future Pandemics
*********AHOA Boss Says, “The Persistent Outbreaks of Mpox & Emergence of Other New Infectious Diseases Underscores the Urgency of Proactive Frameworks
By Victor Bieni, Abuja
Dr Uzodinma Adirieje, The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Afrihealth Optomet Association, has called for institutionalized Pandemic preparedness rather than episodic in today’s world of interconnectedness across African Continent as AHOA convened a high-level 90-minute “Life and Health” Dialogue Session to strengthen Nigeria’s and Africa’s preparedness for engagement and policy reforms towards providing solution to current and future pandemics.
Royal Paradise Media (News Online) learnt this from Nigerian Global Health & Development expert in a telephone conversation with our reporter today being on Saturday, May 2, 2026 as Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje stated that persistent outbreaks of Mpox and emergence of other new infectious diseases underscores the urgency of proactive frameworks.
Speaking to our reporter, Dr Uzodinma Adirieje stated that the event brought together policymakers, public health experts, civil society actors, development partners, and community representatives to chart a more resilient path for health security systems across the continent.
In his words: “The AHOA dialogue session was anchored on the themed : “Pandemic Preparedness: COVID-19, Mpox and Emerging Diseases,” the strategic multi-stakeholder engagement focused on lessons learned and policy reforms. I, AHOA Programme Director, Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje moderated the session and delivered the opening remarks”.
“We emphasized that preparedness must be institutionalized rather than episodic in today’s interconnected world. We observed that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical weaknesses in global and national health systems. We listed surveillance gaps, inequitable vaccine access, fragile supply chains, misinformation, and inadequate financing as major vulnerabilities”.
“We added that persistent Mpox outbreaks and the emergence of new infectious diseases underscore the urgency of proactive frameworks. Pandemics are no longer rare events; they are recurring features of our interconnected world. We stressed that pandemic preparedness extends beyond the health sector”.
“Pandemic preparedness is also a governance, financing, and community trust issue requiring multisectoral collaboration. Key focus areas of the dialogue included amongst others are: strengthening surveillance and early warning systems, improving health workforce resilience, and promoting vaccine equity and local manufacturing. Participants”.
“Also, we discussed enhancing risk communication and securing sustainable financing for preparedness.The dialogue session aligns with Universal Health Coverage and global health security frameworks”.
“Expected outcomes from the dialogue included amongst others are: The identification of four to six priority reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s pandemic preparedness architecture. Other anticipated outputs are evidence-informed policy recommendations, a communiqué outlining key commitments, and increased public awareness on emerging disease threats. A roadmap for continued engagement through technical working groups and future sessions is also planned”.
“I urged participants to focus on actionable solutions that will strengthen health security systems. That is, ‘Our shared responsibility is to ensure that when the next outbreak emerges, our systems are stronger, our communities are informed, and our institutions are ready’. The dialogue forms part of AHOA’s ongoing efforts to advance health systems strengthening across Africa”.
“Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje is a Nigerian global health and development expert, health economist, and civil society leader. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Programmes Director of the Afrihealth Optonet Association, a global civil society network and think-tank with over 3,000 member organisations in more than 120 countries. AHOA works at the intersection of health, climate action, and sustainable development”.
“Dr. Adirieje has extensive experience in policy analysis, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainable development practice. He has provided technical leadership for key national and international initiatives, including Nigeria’s National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy and independent evaluations of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. His work covers health systems strengthening, climate justice advocacy, civil society mobilisation, and evidence-based policy engagement”.
“Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje is a respected voice in global development discourse. He convenes the Life and Health Dialogue Series, a platform for advancing policy dialogue on health, climate, and sustainable development across Africa and the Global South. He is a Certified Management Consultant and an advocate for equity-driven development. Dr. Adirieje promotes integrated approaches that link health, environment, and governance to achieve inclusive and sustainable outcomes”.