Chidinma Iroegbu
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has intensified efforts to prevent infectious diseases and improve exclusive breastfeeding, reaffirming its commitment to stronger surveillance, immunisation and maternal and child healthcare. “Breastfeeding is not a feeding choice. It is a powerful investment in human capital development,” Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, said.
Speaking at a press conference on the integrated 2026 World Breastfeeding Week and Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in the FCT, Fasawe said the administration was strengthening health systems and community support to improve breastfeeding outcomes.
She disclosed that environmental surveillance had detected vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 in a sewer sample, although no human case had been recorded. “We have not seen polio in humans. However, we are currently looking to sequence vaccine-derived variants,” she said.
Fasawe also revealed that the FCT recently recorded deaths from rabies and Lassa fever, stressing that early detection, prompt reporting and public participation remain key to controlling infectious diseases.
She said the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey showed that only 29.1 per cent of mothers in the FCT exclusively breastfeed, while 16 per cent of children are stunted and 13.7 per cent are underweight.
The WHO FCT State Coordinator, Dr. Alkasim Musa Jibrin, commended the FCTA for strengthening emergency preparedness and disease surveillance through stakeholder engagement and risk communication.
Jibrin urged residents to obtain health information from credible sources, report unusual illnesses promptly and ensure eligible children receive recommended vaccines. “The media remains one of our strongest allies,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer of Mobihealth International, Dr. Funmi Adewara, said the FCT’s telemedicine initiative would improve access to trusted health information and quality maternal and child healthcare services.
She explained that breastfeeding mothers could consult doctors online, receive medical advice from home and be referred to primary healthcare centres when necessary, describing the initiative as critical to expanding access to healthcare.
The press conference was organised by the FCTA Health Services and Environment Secretariat, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), Mobihealth International and other stakeholders, to mark the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week and strengthen infectious disease prevention across the Federal Capital Territory.