The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) revealed that the outbreak of Diphtheria in Nigeria has killed 122 individuals in 27 states in the country.
In a statement released on Thursday, UNICEF Nigeria noted that 3,850 suspected cases had been reported while 1,387 had been confirmed so far.
“UNICEF Nigeria is amplifying its efforts to counter a growing outbreak of diphtheria that has affected children in 27 states. As of July 2023, 3,850 suspected cases were reported, with 1,387 confirmed as diphtheria. The disease has tragically claimed 122 lives, with a case fatality rate of 8.7%,” it said.
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According to the statement, three northern states and the FCT have been affected by the outbreak in the country, with teenagers being the main victims.
“The outbreak has affected mainly Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Lagos, FCT, Sokoto, and Zamfara, which account for 98.0% of the suspected cases. Most confirmed cases, approximately 71.5%, have occurred among children aged 2–14 years,” UNICEF stated.
In a recent report, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, noted that the immunisation rate in the country has been very low.
“It’s heartbreaking to note that only 22 % of the confirmed cases received their routine childhood immunisation vaccinations.
“Most of these affected children, especially those who unfortunately passed away, had not received a single dose of the vaccine. The need to reach the unreached has never been more critical,” it added.
UNICEF noted that it is working closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the affected states, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to plan and implement the response.
She emphasised the need for children’s immunisation, especially those that have missed out due to the COVID-19 lockdown in the country.
“Many children did not receive their vaccines during the COVID-19 lockdown,” she said. “We now urgently need to catch up. These ‘zero-dose’ children, those who haven’t received a single dose of vaccine, are a primary concern.”
