The Cross River State Government, has kick started the process of strengthening the state’s legal foundation for health security and emergency preparedness by holding a validation meeting of the Public Health Legal Assessment Report.
By Angela Atabo
The Cross River State Government, has kick started the process of strengthening the state’s legal foundation for health security and emergency preparedness by holding a validation meeting of the Public Health Legal Assessment Report.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the validation meeting was organised by the Cross River Government in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL).
The validation meeting which held in Calabar, marked a significant step towards strengthening the state’s legal foundation for health security and emergency preparedness.
More than 30 representatives from key Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), civil society and development partners were brought together to review and validate the findings of the Cross River State Legal Assessment Report 2025.
The Report, developed jointly by NCDC, RTSL, and Cross River State, offers a comprehensive analysis of the state’s public health legal framework, with a focus on its alignment with the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005.
The Cross River Commissioner for Justice, Ededem Ani, commended NCDC and RTSL for supporting the state in the process.
“We are proud of this joint effort with NCDC and RTSL.
“The validation of this Legal Assessment Report is not just a formal process,it is a declaration of our commitment to building a resilient, responsive, and coordinated legal system that can protect our citizens in times of health emergencies,”he said.
Also speaking, the Cross River Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, said the move was apt because legal frameworks are the backbone of a functioning health system.
“With this assessment, we now have a clearer picture of where our laws fall short—and more importantly, how to fix them.
“This work will guide the development of a strong Public Health Security Law for Cross River State.”
The Senior Legal Advisor of RTSL Nigeria, Emem Udoh, explained that said the Report would identify significant legislative gaps and provide a strategic roadmap for reform, especially in areas such as disease surveillance, laboratory biosafety, food safety, and emergency response financing.
“We laud the state’s leadership. What we see in Cross River today is what a good public health partnership looks like.
“The government is not only taking ownership but also showing others that meaningful reform begins with legal clarity and cross-sector collaboration.
“RTSL is proud to be part of this progress,”he said
Udoh said the assessment, which included a desk review, stakeholder consultations, and legal mapping, revealed several critical issues like the absence of IHR-compliant definitions for key terms such as quarantine, isolation, and public health emergency.
Others included: weak surveillance and reporting systems, with no legal adoption of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework and inadequate protocols for zoonotic diseases and food safety, and lack of inter-agency collaboration.
He said it also included: no statutory biosafety standards for laboratory operations in public or private health facilities and gaps in emergency funding provisions, limiting the state’s capacity to respond swiftly to outbreaks.
Udoh said the meeting highlighted six key recommendations such as the integration of IHR-compliant definitions into state legislation and formal adoption of the IDSR framework with enforcement provisions.
He added that the expansion of laws to address zoonotic and foodborne diseases, the development of biosafety and biosecurity protocols for laboratories and operationalisation of the state’s statutory public health emergency fund were also recommended.
The Programme Officer of Orixine Consulting, Aniekan Akpan, said the organisation supported the implementation of the legal mapping and stakeholder consultations because if its importance.
Akpan described the validation meeting as one of the most participatory and technically sound legal assessments facilitated by the organisation.
“From the Ministries of Justice, Health, Environment and Agriculture, to civil society and partners, every stakeholder has contributed to shaping a framework that is fit for purpose and future-ready.
“With the validation of the report completed, Cross River State is now set to commence the drafting of a new Public Health Security Bill.
“This is a bold legislative step aimed at codifying the state’s preparedness, response, and coordination mechanisms in times of public health emergencies.(NAN)