By Ijeoma Agbafo
The Federal Government has appointed the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Proff. George Ugwu, as a member of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Prevention.
The appointment was conveyed in an official communication issued by the office of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and made available to journalists in Enugu on Saturday. Gbajabiamila, who also chairs the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness, said Ugwu’s clinical expertise and firsthand experience in combating the 2014 Ebola outbreak would be invaluable to the nation’s preparedness efforts.
According to the communication, Ugwu will serve on the national task force, which comprises committees on border management, immigration control and disease surveillance, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention providing overall technical leadership and coordination.
Responding to the appointment, Ugwu accepted the responsibility and was subsequently inaugurated at the Presidential Villa by the Chief of Staff to the President.
The appointment, according to officials, aligns with the healthcare priorities of the administration of Peter Mbah, which places emphasis on excellence in healthcare delivery. It also underscores Enugu State’s strategic importance in disease surveillance due to the presence of its international airport, which receives travellers from neighbouring African countries and other parts of the world.
