Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) also known as Doctors Without Borders, has launched a large-scale vaccination campaign to curb the prevalence of measles, diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases in the region.
LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that in 2024 alone, MSF treated over 17,000 cases of measles in Nigeria, showing the urgent need for preventive measures.
The ongoing campaign is targeting children under five with measles and Penta-5 vaccines, which also protect against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, whooping cough, and Haemophilus influenza type B.
Catch-up vaccinations are also being offered for polio, tuberculosis and other diseases to children who missed earlier doses.
The vaccination drive spans Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Wamako, and Dange Shuni local government areas (LGAs), alongside rural communities. In the first round of the campaign, 53,095 children were vaccinated, with a staggering 63 percent receiving their first-ever vaccine dose.
“Measles is particularly dangerous for young children, especially those suffering from malnutrition or other health issues,” warns Dr Ahmad Bilal, MSF Head of Mission in Nigeria.
Measles weakens the immune system, creating a vicious cycle with malnutrition that can lead to long-term health complications or death.
In Zamfara’s Gummi LGA, the MSF team vaccinated over 51,000 children in 2024, leading to a 57 percent decline in cases of measles at Gummi General Hospital compared to the previous year.
Despite these efforts, Nigeria faces a daunting immunisation gap, with over six million children missing all vaccines in the past five years, according to the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The country is far from the recommended 95 percent vaccination coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.
To bridge this gap, MSF is collaborating with community and religious leaders to raise awareness and mobilise support for vaccination campaigns. “Community leaders have been instrumental in granting access to their communities and encouraging parents to vaccinate their children,” said Juliet Umenge, MSF Health Promotion Manager.
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