In the face of a surging cholera outbreak, Nigeria is grappling with a critical shortage of vaccines, as the death toll has now reached 40. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed that the country does not have an adequate supply of cholera vaccines to meet the growing demand amidst the rapid spread of the disease.
The shortage of vaccines and other vital resources has forced Nigeria to adopt a new strategy, administering only a single dose of the cholera vaccine instead of the standard two doses. While this approach allows for more people to receive some level of protection, the demand continues to far outweigh the available supply.
PUNCH
As the death toll from the latest cholera outbreak hits 40, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control says the country does not have enough vaccines. According to the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, Nigeria has placed an order for more cholera vaccines from donor agencies, even though the date of delivery is still unknown.
The NCDC boss stressed the need for the country to embrace the use of vaccines and other preventive measures to curb the spread of the acute diarrhoeal infection.
Cholera kills 4,364 in four years
No fewer than 4,364 people have died out of the 139,730 Nigerians suspected to have been infected with the disease across the country in the last four years, an investigation by Saturday PUNCH has indicated. The incidence rate was derived from an analysis of the weekly cholera situation reports released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control between 2021 and 2024.
Recall that the NCDC recently alerted the public to the increasing trend of cholera cases across the country as the rainy season intensifies. In a statement signed by Idris on Thursday, June 13, 2024, the agency said that from January 1 to June 11, 2024, a total of 1,141 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 30 deaths from cholera had been reported from 96 local government areas in 30 states of the federation.
