Ibrahim Ibrahim
The Pioneer Director-General of the National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases (NIPHID), Saye, Zaria, Dr. Abdullahi Aminu Dalhatu, has announced that the institute has been mandated to serve as Nigeria’s apex centre for specialist care, training and research on infectious diseases of public health importance.
Dr. Dalhatu disclosed this while briefing journalists in Zaria, explaining that the institute’s expanded mandate now includes tertiary specialist care for all infectious diseases, beyond its previous focus on tuberculosis and leprosy.
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According to him, tuberculosis and leprosy have been fully integrated into a broader infectious disease framework, alongside HIV, hepatitis and other known, emerging and re-emerging epidemic diseases.
“The institute is now responsible for specialist management of all infectious diseases of public health concern in the country,” he said.
On capacity building, the Director-General noted that NIPHID’s second core mandate is the training of human resources for infectious disease management nationwide.
“This is an academic institution. Our first priority is to strengthen the capacity of our own staff, who will in turn train others,” Dr. Dalhatu stated.
He revealed that the institute has begun training-of-trainers programmes, starting with refresher and advanced courses in tuberculosis, leprosy and HIV management.
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“As I speak, two of our staff a doctor and a nurse are currently undergoing specialised training on drug-resistant tuberculosis in Kaduna, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Ministry of Health and development partners supporting the TB programme,” he added.
Dr. Dalhatu further explained that all hospital staff would undergo refresher training, after which selected personnel would be deployed to the institute’s training arm, while others would remain in the clinical specialist unit focused on patient care.
He said NIPHID will operate as a dual-purpose institution, combining specialist clinical services with training and capacity building, while a separate arm will handle research, surveillance and clinical trials aimed at identifying new and emerging infectious diseases.
Speaking on the institute’s third mandate, Dr. Dalhatu said NIPHID will conduct research on infectious diseases and public health, stressing that while infectious diseases remain a major public health challenge, the institute will also contribute to broader public health interventions.
Highlighting the benefits of the institute to Zaria and its surrounding communities, the Director-General said the facility, which began as a leprosy missionary camp between 1928 and 1929, has evolved into a national institution with far-reaching impact.
He noted that residents of Zaria will benefit from easier access to specialist healthcare, reduced referrals outside the area, training opportunities, increased interest in health-related professions and employment opportunities, particularly for qualified indigenes of the host community in line with federal regulations.