Diphtheria -UNICEF Advocates Widespread Vaccination
Diphtheria -UNICEF Advocates Widespread Vaccination
UNICEF Representative, Dr. Rownak Khan noted that “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.
Amid the most severe diphtheria outbreak in recent global history, the United Nations Children’s Fund Nigeria is sounding the alarm about the urgent need for widespread vaccination.
The outbreak has so far resulted in 11,587 suspected cases, 7,202 cases across 105 local government areas in 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory, mostly among children.
A total of 453 deaths have occurred in confirmed cases, giving a case fatality rate of 6.3 per cent.
Most cases are children aged between four 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.
We must collectively take urgent actions to drastically reduce this number. Every child deserves protection from preventable diseases. This is not negotiable.
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 stressed the importance of strengthening routine immunisation, community engagement, and health systems to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.
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