Nigeria, US-CDC Reaffirm Commitment to Boosting AFI Surveillance

Strategic Insights -

The Nigerian government and the US Centre for Disease Control (US-CDC) have reiterated their commitment to enhancing national surveillance and diagnosis of Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) in Nigeria. Speaking at a media roundtable in Abuja, Dr. Oladipupo Ipadeiola, Senior Public Health Specialist at US-CDC, highlighted the importance of strengthening disease outbreak detection and response in the country. The initiative aims to improve early detection, public health education, and accurate testing for AFI, which can be caused by various pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AFI surveillance programme has led to the detection of a large outbreak of dengue fever in Edo State, with 194 confirmed cases as of September 7, 2025.
  • The programme is targeting diseases such as malaria, dengue, Chikungunya, Yellow fever, Lassa fever, mpox, Zika, West-Nile fever, and COVID-19.
  • Over 11,000 samples from febrile patients have been collected and tested using multiplex PCR technology at the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja.
  • Nigeria has limited laboratory diagnostic capacity for testing for AFI, leading to misdiagnosis or under-diagnosis of diseases and inappropriate treatment and management of patients.
  • States can be encouraged to revitalise laboratories set up in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak to enhance AFI testing capacity.
  • The Nigerian government has implemented strategies to address AFI, including surveillance, public health education, malaria control, vaccination initiatives, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure.
  • The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is working on establishing a national surveillance structure for dengue fever.
  • The International Centre of Excellence has continued to support Nigeria's efforts to expand surveillance and accurate testing for all forms of AFI.

Statistics:

  • 194 confirmed cases of Dengue Fever have been recorded in six local government areas of Edo State as of September 7, 2025.
  • Over 11,000 samples from febrile patients have been collected and tested for AFI.
  • The National Reference Laboratory in Abuja has installed multiplex PCR testing capacity for prioritised diseases.

Sources:

  • US-CDC (no date specified)
  • Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC)
  • Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria
  • International Centre of Excellence (no date specified)
  • This Day (2025)