…....as death toll rises to 453.
UNICEF Nigeria has urged a widespread vaccination to keep Diphtheria disease in check.
So far, over 11,500 suspected cases and more than 7,000 confirmed cases, with 453 reported fatalities, primarily among children have been recorded according to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA.
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 Country Representative,Dr Rownak Khan said 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 have not received a single dose of a vaccine – the second largest such cohort in the world”
.He said that there is an urgent need to drastically reduce this number adding that every child deserves protection from preventable diseases.
UNICEF Nigeria therefore,called on partners, stakeholders and the international community to unite in ensuring that every child in Nigeria receives life saving vaccines.
UNICEF in effort to help the Nigerian government in combating diphteria has deployed 9.3 million doses of diphteria vaccines to Kano, Bauchi,Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa.
Out of these,4 million doses have been sent to Kano, identified as the epicenter of the disease.
To effectively respond to the outbreak, UNICEF Nigeria needs to raise an additional US$3.3 million by the end of the year.
Diphteria is a bacterial infection which affects the respiratory system and results in difficulty in breathing. Children under 5 and adults from 60 years are at risk of contracting the disease,KidsHealth says.
