The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, says it has so far deployed about 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to the seven most affected states to begin urgent mass vaccination.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Dr Rownak Khan, said in a statement through the Chief Of Communication Advocacy And Strategy, Rajat Madhoc, that on behalf of the government, the organization 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 epicenter of the outbreak, while another 4 million doses of vaccines are being procured and will be handed over to the government in the coming weeks.
According to the statement, the urgent need for widespread vaccination is important, as the outbreak has so far resulted in over 11,500 suspected cases, more than 7,000 confirmed cases, and claimed the lives of 453 people, mostly children.
Madhoc further added that most cases are children aged between 4 and 15 years, who have not received even a single dose of the vital vaccine, highlighting the urgency of the vaccination situation in Nigeria.
He also stated that “the devastating impact of the diphtheria outbreak is a grim reminder of the importance of vaccination”
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Nigeria is home to a staggering 2.2 million children who haven’t received even a single dose of vaccine—the second largest of such cohort in the world.
We must collectively take urgent action to drastically reduce the number.
“Every child deserves protection from preventable diseases. This is not negotiable”.
UNICEF Nigeria further calls on partners, stakeholders, and the international community to rally round to ensure that every child in Nigeria is reached with life-saving vaccines, adding that the children’s agency emphasizes the importance of strengthening routine immunization, community engagement, and health systems to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.
Therefore, to respond effectively to the outbreak, UNICEF 🇳🇬 needs to raise an additional 3.3 million dollars by the end of the year.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
