The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has praised the Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust for its decade-long work in promoting infection prevention and strengthening Nigeria’s public health preparedness.
Speaking in Abuja during DRASA’s 10th anniversary, Mr Gbajabiamila urged Nigerians to prioritise prevention and preparedness as key to achieving lasting improvements in national health systems.
“This is what we need: institutions that sensitise people and promote the principle that prevention is better than cure. We must act before problems arise, not after damage is done,” he said.
He described DRASA as a model of proactive health engagement and stressed that public health should be a shared duty among government, institutions, and citizens.
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“Health is wealth, and a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. DRASA embodies preparedness, prevention, and collective responsibility. That’s exactly the mindset Nigeria needs,” he added.
According to the People’s Gazette report, Mr Gbajabiamila also paid tribute to the late Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, whose heroism during the 2014 Ebola outbreak helped save the nation.
“Her selflessness should inspire us all to act with courage and think beyond our personal interests,” he said.
DRASA’s co-founder and CEO, Niniola Williams, said the organisation was established to honour Dr Adadevoh’s sacrifice and turn it into a national public health movement.
She announced plans to launch the DRASA Academy, a training and simulation hub aimed at preparing 250,000 health workers and expanding the network of community health champions to reach 500,000 Nigerians.
Ms Williams added that DRASA would integrate antimicrobial resistance education into school curricula and promote youth participation in public health policy.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, hailed the DRASA-NCDC partnership as key to improving Nigeria’s emergency preparedness and infection control capacity.
“At NCDC, DRASA is not just a partner but a true collaborator,” he said.
