By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As a way of mitigating the seasonal Cholera outbreaks in Nigeria, about 9 million doses of Oral Cholera vaccine has been approved by the Global Task force on Cholera, GTFC, to help the Nigerian Government tackle the upsurge disease in 14 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in nine endemic states of the country.
The WHO Country Representative Walter Mulombo , disclosed today in Abuja at the 5 Day WHO training on Integration of Oral Cholera Vaccine, OCV, on Emergency and Preventive Contexts for participants from seven African countries including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Sudan and Uganda.
Mulombo said, ” Working in line with the preparedness towards future campaigns, we believe that the recently approved GTFCC application for Nigeria with approximately 9million doses of OCV to implement two campaigns in 14 LGAs in 9 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, would significantly mitigate the risk of and upsurge of cholera cases during this raining season.”
WHO commended Nigeria for degrading it’s biggest Cholera outbreak which commenced in 2021 with over 100,000 suspected cases.
The WHO chieftain also disclosed that with the support of partners and donors through WHO for the response, including reactive vaccination over 1.7 million Nigerians were vaccinated each with 2 doses of Oral Cholera Vaccination(OCV) across 7 LGAs in 4 states of Bauchi, Jigawa, Yobe and Zamfara.
“Nigeria has demonstrated the capacity to implement campaigns in difficult settings, including security challenges in the 2 LGAs in Zamfara as well as addressed and improved Campaign data quality, through the use of real time reporting by vaccination teams using hand mobile phones.”
“We believe that the vast experience built in Nigeria over the years in implementing mass vaccination campaigns, will come to bear, as we prepare for these preventive campaign, Mulombo said.
The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib who was represented by Dr. Bassey Okposen commended WHO and partners for supporting the agency for their timely release of vaccines to responses .
He said, ” The support from WHO during last year outbreak was timely and very helpful especially in Bauchi and I want to assure t that the support they will give us through vaccines will be effectively made use of.”
The 5 Day training in Abuja commencing from 25 to 29, April, 2022 is for health professionals to emphasize the importance of integrating the OCV as an option for emergence and preventive cholera outbreak in endemic countries like Nigeria.
