Terrorism, population health, and epidemiological dynamics in Nigeria: implications for public health

Introduction Terrorism predispose its victims to physical, psychological, structural, and systemic traumas and distress in cascades of actions leading to immediate and remote disease burden, epidemics, outbreak of internally displaced persons and refugees with their attendant problems. Since every incidence of terrorism leaves the immediate and remote environment with devastating effects and consequences bordering on health and welfare just like diseases and plagues, it underscores the need for proactive approaches for its prevention, control, and care for the affected people. Terrorism and diseases take their toll on victims by causing discomfort, pains, and death and deplete resources meant for health through military interventions. Prevention borders on tackling issues associated with human right, neglect at all levels, equity and justice, resource allocation, ethnicity and religious differences, while maintaining good surveillance systems for all categories of weapons and devices associated with terror attack.1 Use of holistic approach rather than pre-emptive options, which lead to divisions, should be avoided. The need for development of robust conflict prevention mechanisms and strategies with requisite manpower for conflict prevention services is invaluable.2 States should learn to observe and respect the human right of citizens. Its violation has led to conflicts in the past as recorded in Rwanda.3-5 Terrorism attack is usually directed towards a group of people. It underscores the need for systemic, integrated and multi-sectorial approach in tackling the menace and its health implications.6,7 Response activities and interventions should transcend bureaucratic limitations associated with federal, state, and local government agencies, institutions, ethnic, or tribal differences. Emergency interventions should be directly targeted towards the locality affected irrespective of their status, compositions, or background because of the emergency nature of terrorist attacks. Terrorist activities have inflicted economic damages on man and the environment leading to poverty, psychosocial and epidemic outbreaks leading to increased disease burden and death.8-10 Legislative measures are essential in straightening out grey areas to forestall complete collapse in case of overwhelming attacks to bridge geopolitical and communication barriers.11-15 Prompt and timely index identification, contact identification, information sharing, and dissemination of ideas with the necessary agencies and organizations are vital for effectiveness of rescue operations. Intensification of surveillance system and health MOJ Public Health. 2020;9(1):27‒31. 27 ©2020 Ogbonna et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commerciall