The Senate has passed the National Health Emergency Bill on its second reading.
The bill is supposed to be comprehensive law that would guide responses to infectious disease outbreaks both in Nigeria and abroad.
The law, which was initially read in the plenary in June, is intended to establish a national framework for the control of infectious disease outbreaks in the country.
Its passage was sequel to the consideration of a report presented by the lawmaker representing Enugu North and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare and Communicable Diseases, Senator Chukwuka Utazi.
While presenting the Committee report, Utazi said that the bill if signed into law, would ensure a timely response, control and management of public health emergencies coupled with necessary checks and balances, accountability and control.
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