UNICEF raises alarm over unprecedented Diphtheria outbreak, urges urgent vaccination.
BY AMINU DALHATU
United Nations Children Fund UNICEF has raised alarm over unprecedented Diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria and called for urgent widespread of vaccination.
In a statement by the UNICEF and made available to Radio Nigeria in Kaduna says over 11,500 suspected cases have been recorded sofar with more than 7,000 confirmed cases, and claimed the lives of 453 people, mostly children.
According to the statement, Most of the cases are children aged between 4 to 15 years who have not received even a single dose of the vital vaccine, laying bare the urgency of the vaccination situation in Nigeria.
It says UNICEF is providing urgent support to the Nigerian government in its efforts to combat the outbreak.
The statement explains that, a crucial part of the support includes the procurement of vaccines to support the government’s response.
According to the statement, UNICEF has deployed 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to affected states including Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa, saying that, 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 a.i.”
UNICEF Nigeria calls on partners, stakeholders, and the international community to rally together to ensure that every child in Nigeria is reached with life-saving vaccines.
The children’s agency emphasizes the importance of strengthening routine immunization, community engagement, and health systems to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.
According to the statement to respond effectively to the outbreak, UNICEF Nigeria needs to raise an additional US$ 3.3 million until the end of the year.
