Abuja, March 31, 2026 (NAN) Some health experts have emphasised that trust, community engagement, and effective communication are critical to controlling infectious disease outbreaks.
They spoke at a one-day high-level public health symposium with the theme, “Lessons on Pandemic Preparedness and Response: Insights from China and Nigeria”.
The symposium, held on Monday in Abuja, brought together public health professionals, scientists, and key stakeholders to examine lessons learned from both countries’ responses to past health emergencies.
Dr Liukui Wang of the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that addressing pandemics was not solely a technical challenge but fundamentally a social issue.
“Even highly effective interventions developed in the lab or on paper only work if people are willing and able to use them,” he said.
Wang said that the success of disease control measures depended heavily on social behavior, trust in information, and community engagement.
He said that in Nigeria, social structures such as churches, religious organizations, and local networks play a major role in shaping public perceptions.
“Messages shared in trusted spaces, like WhatsApp groups or local gatherings, tend to have far greater influence than those delivered individually.
“Engagement must be relational, consistent, and culturally sensitive,” he said.
He said that local actors like teachers, transport authorities, and religious leaders were crucial for sustaining trust over time.
Mrs Safiya Isa, Director of Advocacy and Partnerships at Nigeria Health Watch, shared lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing the importance of social listening to understand community fears and perceptions in real time.
“People respond better to messages that acknowledge their concerns, whether about infection, disbelief about the disease, or the economic impact of interventions such as lockdowns,” she said.
Isa also emphasised the need for rapid dissemination of accurate information through the same channels that misinformation spread.
“Governments must use local and social media networks proactively to counter misinformation.
“Continuous listening is essential, but authorities must also act on feedback and communicate back to the public to build trust,” she said.
She highlighted strategies like leveraging traditional rulers, ward development committees, and two-way communication platforms to provide timely, accurate information.
Prof. Haitao Hu, microbiologist and immunologist from China, underscored the importance of preparation before an outbreak.
“It is not effective to suddenly appear in communities without prior preparation.
“People must already understand basic preventive measures, such as hand hygiene, and have some awareness of the disease.
“By the time an outbreak occurs, communities must be empowered to respond effectively,” he said.
Hu further said that integrating local voices into planning structures, such as Risk Communication and Community Engagement Technical Working Groups, was essential.
“Governors, traditional rulers, and local leaders must understand their roles and responsibilities. This approach builds trust and ensures that health messages are culturally appropriate and well-received,” he said.
Dr Tochi Okwor, Head of Disease Prevention and Control at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said that maintaining community trust required consistent service delivery.
“If a mother takes her child for immunisation and finds vaccines out of stock or care inadequate, it becomes difficult to regain her trust during outbreaks,” she said.
Okwor said that trust could only be sustained when communities receive reliable, quality services and are actively engaged in public health processes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that panellists highlighted the concept of “social vaccination” which involves proactively providing accurate information before misinformation takes root.
They agreed that once false beliefs become widespread, correcting them is far more difficult.
Continuous engagement, culturally sensitive messaging, and transparency were cited as crucial strategies to ensure compliance with health interventions and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
The discussions reinforced that both Nigeria and China face similar challenges, including vaccine hesitancy and the rapid spread of misinformation.
Experts agreed that pandemic preparedness requires collaboration between scientists, communication experts, local leaders, and community members to ensure interventions are understood, accepted, and effective.
The symposium concluded with a call for sustained investment in community engagement, proactive communication strategies, and trust-building measures.
The concensus was that these social interventions were just as important as scientific and technical preparedness in safeguarding public health.
The symposium brought together policymakers, researchers, and development partners to share lessons from past pandemics and strengthen preparedness frameworks in an interconnected world. (NAN)
