In collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), RTSL supported a capacity-building workshop to train 40 evaluators to conduct subnational health security assessments using the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool and International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) benchmarks adopted from the World Health Organization. The training is part of efforts to build a national pool of experts equipped to lead IHR assessments of state-level health security capacities.
By the end of the workshop, participants gained a strengthened understanding of the IHR framework and the JEE process. They were also equipped with technical and facilitation skills to identify strengths, gaps, and priority actions across the core capacities of the IHR, and to guide states in translating assessment findings into evidence-based State Action Plans for Health Security (SAPHS) that align with national and global priorities.
This initiative builds on RTSL’s continued support for the NCDC to institutionalize subnational health security assessments and strengthen Nigeria’s overall JEE process. Through this collaboration, RTSL has supported 13 Nigerian states in conducting subnational health security assessments, enabling them to evaluate their ability to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. As a result, three states (Kano, Jigawa, and Ebonyi) developed State Action Plans for Health Security (SAPHS) to address priority gaps identified through their assessments.