Amidst the most severe diphtheria outbreak in recent global history, UNICEF Nigeria is urgently advocating for widespread vaccination.
The outbreak has resulted in over 11,500 suspected cases and more than 7,000 confirmed cases, with 453 reported fatalities, primarily among children.
Most cases involve children aged 4 to 15 who have not received a single dose of the vital vaccine, highlighting the critical need for vaccination efforts in Nigeria.
UNICEF is offering crucial support to the Nigerian government in combating the outbreak, including the procurement of vaccines.
So far, UNICEF has deployed 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to affected states like Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kaduna, and Jigawa.
Among these, 4 million doses have been sent to Kano, the epicentre of the outbreak.
Another 4 million doses are in procurement and will be provided to the government in the coming weeks.
Dr Rownak Khan, UNICEF Representative, emphasised, “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 a single dose of a vaccine—the second-largest such cohort in the world.”
Khan stressed the urgent need to drastically reduce this number, emphasising that every child deserves protection from preventable diseases.
UNICEF Nigeria is calling on partners, stakeholders, and the international community to unite in ensuring that every child in Nigeria receives life-saving vaccines.
They stress the importance of strengthening routine immunisation, community engagement, and health systems to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.
To effectively respond to the outbreak, UNICEF Nigeria needs to raise an additional US$3.3 million by the end of the year.
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