UNICEF Nigeria has taken significant steps to address the ongoing diphtheria outbreak in the country by procuring 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to be distributed to affected states.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, UNICEF’s Communication Assistant, Nchekwube Nwosu-Igbo, highlighted that one crucial aspect of this support involves the acquisition of vaccines to bolster the government’s response.
To date, UNICEF, on behalf of the government, has dispatched 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to states grappling with the outbreak, including Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kaduna, and Jigawa. Among these, four million doses have already been delivered to Kano, which is considered the epicenter of the outbreak. An additional four million doses are in the process of procurement and will be handed over to the government in the coming weeks.
To effectively combat the outbreak, UNICEF Nigeria needs to secure an additional $3.3 million in funding by the end of the year.
UNICEF has emphasized that this diphtheria outbreak represents the most severe occurrence of the disease in recent global history. The organization is sounding an urgent alarm regarding the necessity for widespread vaccination.
The outbreak has thus far led to over 11,500 suspected cases, with more than 7,000 confirmed cases and the tragic loss of 453 lives, primarily among children.
A significant portion of these cases affects children aged four to 15 years who have not received even a single dose of the critical vaccine. This underscores the pressing need for comprehensive vaccination efforts in Nigeria.
UNICEF Representative, Dr. Rownak Khan, emphasised the critical importance of vaccination in the face of this devastating outbreak, stating, “Nigeria is home to a staggering 2.2 million children who have not received even a single dose of a vaccine, the second-largest such group in the world. We must collectively take urgent actions to drastically reduce this number. Every child deserves protection from preventable diseases. This is not negotiable.”
UNICEF has called on partners, stakeholders, and the international community to come together to ensure that every child in Nigeria receives life-saving vaccines. The organization has also stressed the need to strengthen routine immunization, community engagement, and healthcare systems to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.
Diphtheria is caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which produces a toxin that inflicts severe damage to the respiratory system, heart, skin, and other organs. The disease has an incubation period of typically two to five days after exposure, but this can extend to 10 days in certain cases. Everyone is susceptible to diphtheria, particularly children under five years and adults above 60 years, those with incomplete vaccination, individuals in crowded or unsanitary conditions, and those with weakened immune systems. Travelers to infected areas, close contacts of infected persons, and healthcare workers in endemic areas are also at risk.