An infectious disease specialist, Dr Olukemi Adekanmbi, has called for urgent institutional reforms to protect healthcare workers as Nigeria records a rising case fatality rate from Lassa fever alongside continued infections among medical staff.
Adekanmbi made the call at the February 2026 Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State branch, held in conjunction with the Association of Resident Doctors, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan. The lecture was themed “Beyond Personal Protective Equipment: Building Institutional Safety Cultures in Epidemic Medicine.”
She warned that Nigeria’s response to Lassa fever will continue to endanger health workers if hospitals rely mainly on personal protective equipment (PPE) without strengthening broader safety systems.
According to her, recurring outbreaks have exposed structural gaps in infection prevention, emergency preparedness and leadership accountability across health facilities.
Adekanmbi presented data showing that as of February 15, 2026, Nigeria had recorded 318 confirmed Lassa fever cases and 70 deaths, representing a 22 per cent case fatality rate, higher than in the previous two years. Most infections were concentrated in Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Plateau states.
She added that 15 healthcare workers have been infected so far this year, describing the trend as “a preventable tragedy.”
“More than one in five confirmed patients are dying, and health workers are still being exposed. These are preventable outcomes,” she said.
The expert identified delayed risk recognition, weak triage systems, poor sample transport protocols and non-functional isolation facilities as major contributors to healthcare worker infections.
She also criticised what she described as a culture of “heroic individualism” in Nigerian healthcare, where staff take personal risks to compensate for systemic failures.
“Our systems force people to do things they are not supposed to do—paying out of pocket, chasing lab results, breaking protocols to save time. Safety cannot depend on heroics; it must depend on systems,” she said.
Adekanmbi outlined six institutional pillars for protecting health workers: visible leadership and funding, early recognition and triage, regular workforce training and simulation drills, infrastructure readiness, psychological safety with non-punitive reporting, and continuous learning with transparent data sharing.
She also called for national enforcement of infection-control standards linked to hospital accreditation and improved real-time outbreak data systems.
In his remarks, NMA Oyo State chairman, Dr Happy Adedapo, described the lecture theme as timely and relevant to current medical practice, urging doctors to sustain participation in CME programmes.
“It is beneficial to the body of doctors and to the advancement of healthcare in general,” he said, noting that continuous education remains essential for maintaining clinical competence and responding to emerging health threats.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof Sina Oladokun, warned that Nigeria’s failure to sustain epidemic preparedness after outbreaks contributes to preventable deaths from Lassa fever and cholera.
He noted that although significant resources were deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce mortality, many of the facilities established at the time have not been maintained.
Oladokun criticised what he described as a recurring cycle of emergency response followed by neglect, stressing the need for a permanent institutional safety culture that prioritises year-round preparedness for endemic diseases.