Nigeria risks under-5 deaths from vaccine preventable diseases

In a report sent to Health Insight by the Development Communication Network (DEVCOM) noted that in 2013, Nigeria experienced a major measles vaccine stock out resulting in the occurrence of 57,892 measles cases with 348 deaths. The report which named Oyewale Tomori, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science  as its contact person revealed that […]

In a report sent to Health Insight by the Development Communication Network (DEVCOM) noted that in 2013, Nigeria experienced a major measles vaccine stock out resulting in the occurrence of 57,892 measles cases with 348 deaths.
The report which named Oyewale Tomori, President of the Nigerian Academy of Science  as its contact person revealed that in 2012, the number of reported measles cases was 11,061, with 126 deaths.
The reports reads in part, “This represents more than 500% increase in the number of measles cases from 2012 to 2013. Indeed the reported number of measles cases in 2013, was the highest in the last 6 years. Most (78%) of the 2013 measles cases occurred in children between the age of 9 and 59 months.
“Significantly, 88% of the children coming down with measles had not received a single dose of measles vaccine. With the measles vaccine stock out in 2013, our national measles coverage rate of 42%, about half of the coverage rate of 80% for all vaccines, recommended by WHO”.
According to the report Nigeria is at risk of contracting yellow fever; yet vaccine coverage was at an alarmingly low rate of 35% in 2012; also as a result of stock out of the Yellow Fever vaccine.
The report explained that vaccine stock outs are regular and frequent features of health care delivery in Nigeria, and that in 2013, there were stock outs of the BCG, Hepatitis B and yellow fever vaccines at various times during the year 1.
According to the October 2013 edition of the Routine Immunization and Logistics Feedback, published by the NPHCDA, the anticipated stock out dates for EPI vaccines are – DTP and Measles (January 2014), BCG and HepB (February 2014), TT (March 2014), OPV (April 2014) and the DPT+HepB+Hib combo (May 2014).
This according to the report shows that Nigeria has exhausted its stock of yellow fever vaccine since December 2013.
“While some frantic efforts have been made to procure more vaccines, the current stock level of vaccines will be completely depleted by March/April 2014. With the 2014 budget yet to be approved by the National Assembly, the Federal Government may not be able to release funds on time to procure vaccines needed for the rest of the year”.
“For some vaccines, it takes up to six months or more between placing an order and delivery.
“It is therefore crucial that funds are released on time to ensure that we do not experience vaccines stock out and shortages. Delay is not only dangerous but deadly to the 6-7millions annual cohort of Nigerian children, left unprotected in the absence of vaccines. Vaccine preventable diseases still account for about 40% of all childhood deaths in Nigeria,” said the report.