By Salifu Faridat
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has revealed a grim toll as Nigeria grapples with a diphtheria outbreak, reporting 83 fatalities and 836 confirmed cases since the start of the year.
In a news briefing on Monday, NPHCDA’s Executive Director, Faisal Shuaib, emphasized the urgency of vaccination, particularly for children, to curb the spread of this deadly disease.
According to Shuaib, between May 2022 and July 2023, an alarming 2,455 suspected cases have been reported in 26 states. As of July 27, 2023, 33 local government areas across eight states, namely Cross River, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Lagos, Osun, Yobe, and the FCT, have witnessed confirmed cases. The affected regions have been identified as priority areas for the response measures.
The Federal Government’s efforts to provide safe and cost-effective vaccines for diphtheria have encountered obstacles, with a significant number of children remaining unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated. This poses a major challenge to achieving population immunity, exacerbating the severity of the outbreak.
The response to the ongoing crisis will be carried out in two phases. The first phase, commencing on August 7 and ending on August 11, will cover 25 local government areas across Bauchi, Katsina, Yobe, and Kaduna States.
Subsequently, the second phase will target 171 local government areas, including Kano, Katsina, FCT, Yobe, Kaduna, and Bauchi States for state-wide outbreak response, while Jigawa (8 LGAs), Borno (4), Osun (4), Lagos (3), Zamfara (3), Gombe (3), Plateau (1), and Nasarawa (1) will undergo targeted outbreak responses.
These phases will be conducted in three rounds, spanning five days each, tentatively set for August 21, September 18, and October 16, 2023.
In response to the outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) Nigeria Country Representative, Walter Kazadi Mulombo, confirmed the procurement of Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT) and erythromycin IV for case management. The arrival of 1800 vials of DAT is expected on August 2, with erythromycin following in one to two weeks, pending government authorization.
The WHO is also collaborating with NPHCDA to organize the first phase of a vaccination campaign aimed at children aged zero to 14 years in four states, with WHO’s support amounting to N92m.
UNICEF Nigeria Chief of Health, Eduardo Celades, raised concerns over the high number of affected children over two years old and highlighted that 80 percent of them had not received any vaccination or had incomplete vaccination.
As the nation battles this deadly outbreak, health authorities and international organizations are working relentlessly to mitigate its impact and protect vulnerable communities, especially the children, from this infectious disease. Immediate vaccination efforts are crucial in containing the outbreak and preventing further loss of lives.
Meanwhile in response to the recent confirmation of two cases in Niger state, the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVIR) in Vom, Plateau State, has taken prompt action by dispatching 50,000 doses of vaccine to contain the spread of the disease.
Maryam Muhammad, the Executive Director of NVRI, confirmed the shipment of vaccines to Niger State to tackle the outbreak. She stated, “Right now, we have sent 50,000 vaccines to Niger State. I know they started conducting the vaccination for herds that are around that index case.”
To safeguard livestock farmers from the risks of using counterfeit vaccines, Muhammad warned against the indiscriminate sale of concocted vaccines in the market.
She urged farmers to procure genuine NVRI vaccines only from designated laboratories in Vom or from registered veterinarians and pharmaceutical companies.
The NVIR’s swift response in providing vaccines is aimed at preventing further spread of anthrax and protecting the livestock population in Niger State.
Farmers and stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate with authorized channels to ensure the proper distribution and administration of the anthrax vaccine for effective disease control.
This collective effort will be crucial in containing the outbreak and safeguarding the well-being of both animals and the livelihoods of farmers in the region.