Microbial threats: Expert urges global action to prevent pandemics
By Sade Adewale, Ondo
A Professor of Public Health Microbiology and Parasitology at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Prof. Abdulazeez Abubakar, has emphasised the need for a conducive environment to support productive research, urging both the government and researchers to work towards this goal.
He further stressed the importance of multidisciplinary collaborations, locally and globally, to escape a world constrained by microbial threats.
Abubakar made this assertion during the university’s 6th inaugural lecture, held at the Laje Campus in Ondo City.
He also highlighted the necessity for governments at all levels to be prepared for future epidemics and pandemics.
In his lecture, titled “A World Held Hostage by Microbes: Exploring the Ways Out of Captivity,” Abubakar remarked, “Microbes are everywhere around us—in the air, water, and land, residing in our food, drinks, meats, toilet door handles, washbasins, and toothbrushes.”
The lecture examined the harmful impacts of microbes and outlined potential measures to reduce their effects on hosts, discussing microbial defence mechanisms such as beta-lactamase enzymes, serotoxin production, and the presence of H antigen, among others.
Reflecting on his research experiences, the professor shared significant findings in the fight against microbial captivity.
He warned that microbes pose substantial risks if personal hygiene and environmental sanitation are not rigorously observed to control, contain, and mitigate their spread.
Given the ubiquitous nature of microbes, Abubakar recommended that governments at all levels strengthen their preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics, citing lessons learned from COVID-19 and other emerging diseases such as Ebola and Lassa fever.
He cautioned, “We cannot afford to be caught unawares again!”
He reiterated that an enabling environment for research is crucial and called for government and research entities to engage in multidisciplinary collaborations, both locally and globally, to liberate humanity from the grip of microbial threats.
