Diphtheria Outbreak: Red Cross Decries Disinformation Campaign against Vaccines
•Plans to raise $4.736m to reach 5.4m people
Dike Onwuamaeze
The National President of Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Mr. Oluyemisi Adeaga, has decried the intensive disinformation and misinformation campaign against the federal government’s efforts to reach communities affected by the outbreak of Diphtheria with needed vaccination.
The NRCS highlighted the devastating effects of Diphtheria by noting that, “in the months of September and October, there was a spike with over 15,000 suspected cases, 9,772 confirmed cases, and 530 fatalities reported.”
Adeaga said this yesterday, during a press conference in Lagos, where he disclosed that diphtheria had spread to 20 states in Nigeria but was most severe in 12 states, with Kano State having the highest number of new infections and that 117 children have died of the outbreak in Yobe State.
Diphtheria, according to him, was a severe bacterial infection that could affect a person’s nose, throat and occasionally skin and those at the greatest risk of contracting it were children and people who have not received any, or only a single dose of the vaccine.
He said: “The severity of the outbreak is compounded by low vaccination rates, insufficient testing, and challenges in accessing affected areas. The outbreak, as noted by technical analysis, is the worst in a decade and may escalate further without immediate intervention.
“Another challenge, which some of you may have noticed, is deliberate campaign of disinformation and misinformation targeting the efforts of the Nigerian government to get people at risk, vaccinated.
“There have been well packaged, professionally produced, viral videos on social media discouraging people from getting vaccinated.
“I want to use this platform to advice citizens to ignore any baseless information and instead focus on getting the proper healthcare for themselves and their children, free of charge, at the nearest primary healthcare facility.”
Adeaga added: “I would like you to please understand that Nigeria’s diphtheria outbreak is not just a collection of statistics. It is a devastating crisis that has families mourning the loss of their loved ones and communities in despair.
“Children, especially those aged 0-14, who may never have been previously vaccinated, bear the brunt of this disease. Kano State, with over 80 per cent of cases, faces an overwhelming crisis.
“The outbreak has now spread to 20 states, and in many areas, the lack of active case finding, contact tracing, and vaccinations has resulted in a heartbreaking 20 per cent plus fatality rate.”
He disclosed that the NRCS initially targeted reaching 1,585,080, “at risk” individuals. However, “we have since surpassed that number and are now attempting to reach over 5.4 million people.
“We are also focusing on vulnerable populations, including zero dose children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. Now, a zero dose child is just ‘medicalese’ for a child that has never been vaccinated.
“Through the efforts of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies-Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, we utilised CHF 430,654 (Swiss Francs) in the first round of operation.
“Now, things have changed. The NRCS now recognising that the NEEDS have increased, now seeks to raise CHF 5.4 million (Swiss Francs), which is about $4.736 million to help it reach more people across 12 of the affected states.”
The Diphtheria outbreak was officially declared on January 20, 2023 and the confirmed cases at that time stood at 111, with 22 recorded deaths and a case fatality rate of 19.8 per cent.
