Strengthening Disease Surveillance, Outbreak Preparedness, and Response Through Medical Laboratory Systems in Nigeria: Roles, Requirements, and Post-Ebola Reforms

The 2014 Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in west Africa revealed how fragile diagnostic and surveillance infrastructure can be, while Nigeria’s containment of its imported cases showed what rapid laboratory confirmation can achieve. This review explore the role of medical laboratory systems to disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness, with emphasis on laboratory strengthening in Nigeria. The Ebola experience prompted major institutional and technical reforms, including the strengthening of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, expansion of reference and molecular testing laboratories, and establishment of emergency operations centres. The review concludes that reliable laboratory systems are central to detecting infectious disease threats early and guiding a coordinated public health response required to sustain health security