The Federal government has warned Nigerians not to mix one brand of COVID-19 vaccine with another brand in first and second dose.

Speaking through the Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib added that, those who have received AstraZeneca as first dose should receive AstraZeneca as second dose, while those who will receive Moderna as first dose will receive Moderna as second dose when due.

He made this known while briefing newsmen on the progress of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria, saying, in a few days, we will take delivery of additional AstraZeneca vaccine and those who are due for second dose of the vaccine will be prioritized.

He stated that ,most brands of COVID-19 vaccine require two doses of varying intervals between the doses for full protection. Moderna is two doses, four weeks apart; Oxford AstraZeneca is two doses with six to 12 weeks apart; and Pfizer is two doses, three weeks apart.

However, brands such as Johnson and Johnson that we are receiving tomorrow, require a single dose for full protection against the virus. The initial dose that we will be receiving will be focused on those who are in the hard-to-reach areas (riverine areas, desert areas) and the elderly because they are people who may find it difficult to leave their homes to the health facility for a 2nd dose vaccine.

He alsourged Nigerians to ensure they complete their doses for full protection.

He added that, as you are aware, we have received 4,000,080 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the government of the United States, and we will be receiving 176,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines tomorrow Wednesday August 11th. These 176,000 doses as you are aware, are coming out of the 29,850,000 doses that the Federal Government procured from the AFREXIM Bank through the African Union.

Meanwhile , the WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo said that the current data currently available in WHO Africa Region show that: Weekly COVID-19 deaths in Africa reached a record peak in the week to 1 August, marking the highest seven-day toll since the onset of the pandemic in the continent. Africa is still in the throes of its third wave, recording more cases than any earlier peak.

He further stated that, Africa’s third wave is not over.We must all double down on prevention measures to build on the fragile gains achieved in Nigeria amid the country’s low vaccination rate: less than 2% of the entire population is fully vaccinated.

He also urged that, “We must be mindful of discontinuing public health and social measures such as maintaining physical distance, avoiding crowded places and always observing hand hygiene. Relaxing them too early could see us losing some of the gains that vaccines have enabled us to make
To boost the uptake of vaccines, government, traditional and religious institutions as well as community influencers need to scale up operations, investments on operational costs and step up sensitization efforts to address vaccine hesitancy.

“Also, as the country anticipates utilization of multiple vaccine types, it is important that we set up strategies that will ensure doses are efficiently administered. Rollout plans will aim for a high uptake in priority population groups and provide equitable access to achieve significant vaccination coverage

“Lessons from countries that already have multiple vaccines
There is uneven readiness among countries, to receive multiple vaccines, however, some countries have already received multiple vaccines and have some insights into how they administered them:
Rollout vaccines that have shorter shelf-life first; Rollout Pfizer/Moderna in capital city where there is ultra-cold chain storage and other vaccines that can last longer in fridges, in districts; Collaborate with private sector to enhance rollout; Use Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (one dose) for hard-to-reach populations in districts and two-dose vaccines in fixed sites in centre.”

He restate that, WHO will continue to support government to implement measures that will maximize the impact of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination, including simplifying the rollout at local levels as well as minimizing wastage.

The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has called on state actors to improve the sector of water, sanitation, and hygiene across the federation.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on cholera said the outbreak has been exacerbated by a lack of clean water, open defecation, poor sanitation, and hygiene.

Saying, health records, 31,425 suspected cases of cholera, 311 confirmed cases, and 816 deaths were recorded from 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory between January 1st and August 1st, 2021.

Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Enugu, Adamawa, Katsina, Borno, and the Federal Capital Territory are among the states impacted.

The statement read in parts, “National Cholera Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated on June 22, 2021, in response to an upsurge in the number of cholera cases.

“The EOC, which is based at NCDC, is made up of representatives from the Federal Ministries of the Environment and Water Resources, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other organizations.
 

“The National Cholera EOC has led the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to support the most affected states Benue, Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Bauchi and Plateau States. Additionally, NCDC and its partners have provided states with commodities for case management and laboratory diagnosis, materials for risk communications, response guidelines among other support. 

“A reactive oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign led by NPHCDA was conducted in Bauchi LGA, Bauchi State from 24th to 28th July 2021. But none of these medical interventions will solve the underlying issues leading to cholera outbreaks”. 

The statement continued; “Cholera is a waterborne disease, and the risk of transmission is higher when there is poor sanitation and disruption of clean water supply. The wrong disposal of refuse and practices such as open defecation endanger the safety of water used for drinking and personal use. 

“These lead to the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera. Without proper water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH), Nigeria remains at risk of cholera cases and deaths. 

“The long-term solution for cholera control lies in access to safe drinking water, maintenance of proper sanitation and hygiene. We continue to advocate to State Governments to prioritise action for solutions that ensure access to and use of safe water, basic sanitation and good hygiene practices in communities.

“Additionally, NCDC urge Nigerians to keep their environments clean, only drink or use water that is boiled and stored safely, ensure food is cooked and stored in a clean and safe environment, avoid open defecation and wash their hands regularly with soap and running water”. 

Speaking on people most vulnerable to Cholera ,according to NCDC, they include: People of all ages living in places with unsafe water; People living in areas with poor sanitation; People who consume potentially contaminated food or fruits without proper cooking and washing with safe water; People who do not perform hand hygiene when appropriate; and Relatives who care for sick person with cholera at home.

More so, Health care workers including; Doctors, nurses and other health workers providing direct patient care in the absence of standard precautions; To reduce the risk of cholera, the NCDC offers the following advice; Ensure that water is boiled and stored in a clean and safe container before drinking; Practice good personal hygiene by washing your hands frequently with soap under clean running water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap and clean water are not available; Ensure that food is well cooked before consumption. Avoid raw food such as fruits and vegetables, except you have washed them in safe water or peeled them yourself; and Avoid open defecation, indiscriminate refuse dumping and ensure proper disposal of waste and frequent clearing of sewage.

Health authorities in Guinea has confirmed a case of Marburg virus disease in the southern Gueckedou prefecture.

This is the first time Marburg, a highly infectious disease that causes haemorrhagic fever, has been identified in the country, and in West Africa.

Marburg, a virus related to the Ebola virus, was discovered less than two months after Guinea declared an end to an Ebola outbreak that began earlier this year. Samples taken from a now-deceased patient and tested by a field laboratory in Gueckedou as well as Guinea’s national haemorrhagic fever laboratory turned out positive for the Marburg virus. Further analysis by the Institut Pasteur in Senegal confirmed the result.

The patient had sought treatment at a local clinic in Koundou area of Gueckedou, where a medical investigation team had been dispatched to probe his worsening symptoms.

World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti said , “We applaud the alertness and the quick investigative action by Guinea’s health workers. The potential for the Marburg virus to spread far and wide means we need to stop it in its tracks.”

“We are working with the health authorities to implement a swift response that builds on Guinea’s past experience and expertise in managing Ebola, which is transmitted in a similar way.”

Gueckedou, where Marburg has been confirmed, is also the same region where cases of the 2021 Ebola outbreak in Guinea as well as the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak were initially detected.

Efforts are underway to find the people who may have been in contact with the patient. As the disease is appearing for the first time in the country, health authorities are launching public education and community mobilization to raise awareness and galvanize support to help curb widespread infection.

An initial team of 10 WHO experts, including epidemiologists and socio-anthropologists is on the ground helping to investigate the case and supporting the national health authorities to swiftly step up emergency response, including risk assessment, disease surveillance, community mobilization, testing, clinical care, infection prevention as well as logistical support.

Cross-border surveillance is also being enhanced to quickly detect any cases, with neighbouring countries on alert. The Ebola control systems in place in Guinea and in neighbouring countries are proving crucial to the emergency response to the Marburg virus.

Marburg is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.

Illness begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and malaise. Many patients develop severe haemorrhagic signs within seven days. Case fatality rates have varied from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks depending on virus strain and case management.

Although there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus, supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival. A range of potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies, are being evaluated.

In Africa, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

In Nigeria more than half of all births of children under the age of five are unregistered, according to UNICEF.

Furthermore, the births of 166 million children under the age of five have never been recorded anywhere in the world.

Children on the African continent have the lowest birth registration rate in the world, with only 44% of babies being recorded at birth, resulting in millions of deaths each year. Nigeria alone is home to 11% of unregistered children in We

This is as Nigeria joins the rest of the World in commemorating Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day today, it is addressing structural, normative and operational challenges to birth registration.

Birth registration is a one-time occurrence that provides each kid with a unique identification and improves access to essential services such as health, education, and social protection.

UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative Peter Hawkins said, “Every child counts and we must ensure that we count every child, so that they can best benefit from important services like health and education.”

“We need to work together to ensure effective coordination to make this happen. Functional systems that allow for the sharing of data across information management databases that are integrated with other vital services are necessary to push the birth registration rate in Nigeria up, and make sure every child is counted,” he said

The National Population Council (NPC) has identified information and communication technology assets to support effective CRVS systems that are integrated with other governmental systems, such as health and identity management. This will ensure the highest standards of data protection and confidentiality of personal data to promote birth registration among civil registration, health, and identity management systems.

“Every child has a right to a name, a nationality and a legal identity,” said Peter Hawkins. “Working together, we can and must bring Nigeria to meeting its SDG obligation to provide a legal identify for all, including through birth registration.”

The NPC, in partnership with Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) entities, and with support from UNICEF, co-created a Roadmap for Digital Universal Birth Registration in Nigeria. It lays out a clear vision, delineates the roles of different government agencies, builds the government’s capacity to deliver, formulates an action plan, sets a timetable and milestones, and optimizes the cost of the digital birth registration process in the country. All of this is in advance of the implementation deadline of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG Target 16.9 calls for governments, by 2030, to provide legal identity for all, including birth registration. The indicator for the target is the “proportion of children under 5 years of age whose births have been registered with a civil authority, by age.”

…Says Over 700 At Risk With Over 90% In Sub-Saharan Africa

The Deputy Director of Program Management for the National Helminthiasis and Soil Transmitted Programme, Dr. Obiageli Nebe has hinted that over 200 million people have been afflicted with infection, globally.

According to the UN, over 700 million people are at danger of sickness, with over 90% of them living in Sub-Saharan Africa.

She gave this hint at a presentation on Schistosomiasis at a “Two-Day Media Dialogue on Neglected Tropical Disease Control in Nigeria,” held by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information’s Child Rights Information Bureau.

Nebe said that, it is a low socioeconomic status illness that mostly affects the poorest members of society and the most vulnerable individuals.

“Children are particularly vulnerable to disease as the worm infestation spreads through contaminated food, drink, or dirt, due to their poorly developed immune systems,” she added.

Meanwhile, UNICEF WASH Specialist Bioye Ogunjobi expressed support for UNICEF’s efforts to eradicate NTDs in Nigeria, stating that a lack of political will and understanding remained a barrier to the disease’s eradication.

Ogunjobi notes that Nigeria’s NTDs initiatives are primarily funded by partners, and he asks the government to get more involved in the fight against these diseases.