The Nigerian government has received 600,000 additional doses of cholera vaccine to address an outbreak in Borno State, following severe floods that disrupted water supply and sanitation systems.
The vaccines, delivered on Tuesday, are part of a global effort to curb the spread of the waterborne disease.
Rownak Khan, UNICEF’s Deputy Representative in Nigeria, confirmed the vaccine donation, stating that it was a collaborative initiative between the government and several global partners, including UNICEF.
“This oral cholera vaccine was a joint effort between the government and partners. UNICEF is one of those partners,” Khan said during a handover ceremony in Maiduguri.
Alongside the vaccines, UNICEF provided acute water diarrhea kits and hospital beds valued at $69,000.
This comes after UNICEF’s initial delivery of 300,000 cholera vaccine doses last month, which initiated a mass vaccination campaign in the affected areas.
Abubakar Hassan, special adviser to the Borno State governor on Health, reported no cholera-related deaths since the outbreak began. Authorities have recorded 451 suspected cases as of October 4, with 128 confirmed positive after rapid diagnostic tests.
