WHO warns immunisation gaps leave Nigerian children vulnerable to disease

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that gaps in routine immunisation are leaving Nigerian children vulnerable to preventable diseases, urging the government to increase domestic health financing and strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness.

Pavel Ursu, the WHO representative in Nigeria, raised the concern on Tuesday during the organisation’s Health Diplomacy Dialogue in Abuja, which brought together diplomats and health officials to discuss health security, disease outbreaks, global health financing and antimicrobial resistance.

Mr Ursu said Nigeria continued to face challenges in containing vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus, despite support from international partners.

He said the country’s immunisation programme must reach approximately eight million additional children annually, placing increasing pressure on the health system.

“If we want to maintain the same level of performance, we have to invest more,” he said.

Mr Ursu acknowledged support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and other partners in providing vaccines and related commodities but stressed the need for Nigeria to progressively increase domestic financing and assume greater responsibility for protecting its population.

He also highlighted changes in global health cooperation, including declining development assistance for health and ongoing discussions about reforming the global health architecture.

He said African countries needed to strengthen domestic financing, improve health system resilience, expand digital health services and promote local manufacturing of health commodities.

Mr Ursu said the dialogue was established to provide a platform for the WHO and diplomatic missions to exchange strategic information on public health developments, emerging threats and international health policy, including for embassies without dedicated development cooperation programmes.

He called for stronger international cooperation, including timely information-sharing and coordinated responses to outbreaks that could cross national borders.

Outbreaks expose gaps in health security

Speaking on health security, Alex Chimbaru, the WHO emergencies adviser, said Nigeria’s disease outbreaks reflected persistent weaknesses in immunisation coverage, disease surveillance and access to safe water and sanitation.

He said more than 700 children had been disabled by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in previous years, warning that the actual number could be higher.

Mr Chimbaru also highlighted cholera as a major public health concern, citing inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, insecurity and population displacement as factors complicating prevention and response efforts.

He said Borno State accounted for 96 per cent of cases in the affected area discussed during his presentation, highlighting the need to prioritise interventions in vulnerable communities.

According to him, the WHO, other United Nations agencies, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and other partners supported the response through surveillance, logistics, case management, vaccination, risk communication and infection prevention and control.

Mr Chimbaru called for sustained investment in water and sanitation, functional public health emergency operations centres, rapid response teams and stronger cross-border coordination to prevent and contain outbreaks.

He also urged development partners to reinforce government-led health systems rather than establish parallel structures, stressing that sustainable financing and stronger primary healthcare services were essential to health security.

Abuja to host global conference on antimicrobial resistance

The dialogue also featured discussions on Nigeria’s preparations to host a global conference on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Abuja from 6 to 8 December.

Mary Bartuo, the WHO team lead for universal health coverage and life course, said the conference would seek to translate international commitments into measurable action, stronger accountability and sustainable financing.

READ ALSO: Non-communicable diseases caused 74% of global deaths in 2023 – WHO

She said AMR was associated with about one million deaths annually in the African Region and posed growing threats to food security, livestock production and economic development.

Ms Bartuo said priorities under the proposed Abuja Compact included responsible AMR use, infection prevention and control, vaccination, water and sanitation, equitable access to medicines and diagnostics, research, local manufacturing and sustainable financing.

She urged diplomatic missions to participate in the conference and support efforts to strengthen national and international responses to AMR.

The WHO officials called for sustained investment and stronger collaboration among governments, diplomatic missions and development partners to improve health security and strengthen countries’ capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats.