Diphtheria: UNICEF Calls for Urgent Vaccination in Nigeria

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for immediate widespread vaccination in Nigeria to combat the growing diphtheria outbreak in the country.

The UN agency in a statement  yesterday  said in the midst of the most severe diphtheria outbreak in recent global history, there is urgent need for widespread vaccination in Nigeria.

UNICEF revealed that the outbreak has so far resulted in over 11,500 suspected cases, more than 7,000 confirmed cases, and has claimed the lives of 453 people, mostly children. It lamented that most cases are children aged between four and  15 years who have not received even a single dose of the vital vaccine, laying bare the urgency of the vaccination situation in Nigeria.

UNICEF, in the statement, said it is providing urgent support to the Nigerian government in its efforts to combat the outbreak, noting that a crucial part of this support includes the procurement of vaccines to support the government’s response.

The statement further read that: “So far, on behalf of the government, UNICEF has deployed 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to affected states including Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa. Of these, 4 million doses have been dispatched to Kano, the epicentre of the outbreak. Another 4 million doses of vaccines are being procured and will be handed over to government in the coming weeks.”

“The devastating impact of this diphtheria outbreak is a grim reminder of the importance of vaccination. Nigeria is home to a staggering 2.2 million children who haven’t received even a single dose of vaccine – the second largest such cohort 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,” said Dr. Rownak Khan, UNICEF Representative in the country.

Meanwhile, UNICEF Nigeria has called on partners, stakeholders, and the international community to rally together to ensure that every child in Nigeria is reached with life-saving vaccines.

The UN children’s agency emphasized the importance of strengthening routine immunization, community engagement, and health systems to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.

The statement said in order to respond effectively to the outbreak, UNICEF Nigeria needs to raise an additional US$ 3.3 million until the end of the year.