Diphtheria: WHO urges Nigeria to increase routine vaccination

In order to prevent outbreaks, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the federal government to boost routine vaccination rates.
The decision was made by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus during an online press conference.

Mr. Tedros claimed that there was a serious diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria. He claims that 307 fatalities have been reported from more than 9000 suspected cases that have been reported across 17 states.
This year’s second wave of diphtheria, he declared.

Diphtheria, which can be fatal in five to ten percent of cases and has a higher mortality rate in young children, is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable disease brought on by a bacterium.

He claimed that WHO was assisting the administration in strengthening risk communication, surveillance, and immunization programs.

“We are collaborating with partners to make vaccines and antitoxins more widely available. Increased routine vaccination is necessary to halt these outbreaks before they begin, the WHO director said, citing this outbreak and others as examples.

Ahead of the winter season in the northern hemisphere, he said, the WHO had continued to observe worrying trends for COVID-19.

In some areas of the Middle East and Asia, more people are dying, according to Mr. Tedros.

ICU admissions are rising in Europe, and hospitalizations are rising across a number of regions, according to Mr. Tedros. He regretted, however, that “data is limited.”

He claims that only 43 nations, or less than 25% of WHO member states, report deaths to the organization, and only 20 countries provide data on hospitalizations.

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“No single variant dominates the world at large. While the XBB sub-variants are declining, the variant of interest EG.5 is increasing. In 11 countries, the BA.2.86 variant has been found in small numbers, Mr. Tedros continued. To determine its potential impact and ability to spread, the WHO is closely monitoring this variant.

The low number of at-risk individuals who had recently received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Mr. Tedros, is one of WHO’s main concerns. The organization’s advice, according to him, is to administer an additional dose immediately if it is advised for the patient.

According to Mr. Tedros, the WHO published an annex to the global strategy for preparedness and response for COVID-19 “which further supports countries in five critical areas.”