FCTA Gets A Multi-Sector Risk Communication Team

By: Prudence Okonna
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has set up its Multi-Sector Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Team.
Accordingly, the Team is expected to respond to emergencies and interact with communities across different strata in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Multi-Sector Team is equally expected to bridge the gap in communication, community engagement, conducting research, and establishing a structure for sharing and documenting best practices, especially as it concerns public health emergencies.
The Team, which cuts across different Secretariats, Department, and Agencies of the FCT, was inaugurated after a two-day training workshop was concluded, at the FCT Emergency Operation Centre, Area 11, Garki I District, Abuja, Thursday.
Speaking during the inauguration, the Permanent Secretary, Health Services and Environmental Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Babagana Adam, said the establishment of RCCE Task Team is a good step in the right direction, because it will address the grey areas in the One Health Concept in the FCT.
Represented by the Director Special Duties, HSES, Dr. Obanewa Olayinka, the Permanent Secretary charged members of the Team to get to work and deliver on the Team’s objectives about the One Health Concept, which emphasizes Human, Animal, and Environmental Health.
He explained that there is a need to empower the Communities in all strata using the bottom-up approach, which requires comprehensive community engagement with adequate feedback mechanisms.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director Public Health Department, Dr. Doris John, noted that FCT has set the pace for what an Ideal RCCE Team in a state should be.
The Director, who was represented by the state Epidemiologist, Dr. Theresa Nwachukwu, explained that the need for an RCCE Multi-Sector Team became expedient after a Joint External Evaluation, which is an opportunity to assess the state team on the capacity to respond to emergencies scored FCT below fifty percent.