The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has taken a significant step towards strengthening the nation’s health security by certifying a new group of specialised public health experts. These professionals, known as PALS Multiplicators, are tasked with implementing a new strategic direction that embeds social and behavioural science into Nigeria’s overall efforts to prevent and control disease outbreaks.
This transformation is driven by the Participatory Approach for Learning in Systems (PALS) initiative. PALS is specifically designed to bridge the persistent divide between theoretical health knowledge and practical, real-world application within healthcare facilities. The programme shifts the emphasis from purely clinical and biomedical solutions towards improving communication, fostering stronger collaboration, and ultimately driving sustainable behavioural change across the health system.
Speaking at the certification ceremony in Abuja, the Director-General of the NCDC, Mr Jide Idris, explained that this milestone represents a profound and quiet transformation in how the agency approaches infectious disease preparedness. He acknowledged that for too long, the focus had been narrowly placed on technical interventions. The PALS initiative marks a new era, recognising that human behaviour, effective communication, and robust social interaction are critical components—key drivers—of achieving positive public health outcomes.
The PALS training is an essential element of the broader Nigeria Capacity Development for Infection Prevention and Control (NiCaDe-IPC) project. This project is a successful collaboration between the NCDC and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), with vital support provided by the Global Fund through its C19RM mechanism. To date, the programme has already successfully trained 140 ‘change agents’ across 35 health facilities, alongside 41 state-level trainers in five of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The newly certified Multiplicators represent the highest tier of expertise developed under this ambitious capacity-building programme. They are expected to serve as expert mentors and powerful advocates, driving systemic, cultural, and behavioural shifts throughout the healthcare system.
Mr Idris also announced that the PALS approach has now been formally incorporated into the country’s National Infection Prevention and Control Programme and Strategy. There are firm plans in place to scale this highly effective methodology nationwide, ensuring that healthcare teams at all levels adopt this integrated approach. While traditional measures, such as infection rates, remain important, he stressed that future success must also be gauged by qualitative improvements, including better teamwork and enhanced collaboration. The true impact of PALS, he concluded, will be seen not just on charts, but in the sustainable cultural change and improved relationships across Nigeria’s public health landscape.
