Inaugurating the team on Monday in Calabar, Dr Inyang Asibong, the state Commissioner for Health, said that the initiative followed the rising cases of drug addiction among youths in the state.
According to Asibong, the team will also collaborate with the Ministry of Health to clamp down on the users and purchasers of hard drugs within the state.
She said that the team would also be mobilised to organise sensitisation and awareness programmes on the dangers of drug abuse.
Mrs Patience Uke, the state Epidemiologist, said that the objective of the team was to investigate, verify and report any disease outbreak in the state.
Uke said that the team would also provide technical support to all the 18 local government areas during outbreaks.
According to her, the team will also propose and plan appropriate measures for containment of the epidemics to the State Disease Surveillance and Response Committee.
Dr Tom Igbu, the state Coordinator of World Health Organisation, said that the team was very crucial in terms of health emergencies.
Igbu urged the team to work very hard by sensitising the youths on the need to shun intake of illicit drugs.
Members of the committee included some officials from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Navy, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA)
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