Nigeria’s Ministry of Health received over 1,000,000 pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Men5CV) from the Gavi-funded global stockpile to combat the meningitis outbreak in Northern Nigeria.
The development was contained in a statement issued by UNICEF and WHO on Friday
TheFact Daily gathered that the outbreak had already claimed over 70 lives, with more than 800 cases across 23 states.
Seasonal outbreaks are common during the dry season, which runs from December to June, peaking between March and April when low humidity and high dust levels prevail.
This first shipment will enable the launch of an outbreak response campaign targeting individuals aged 1 to 29, the most severely affected group. The campaign will initially launch in Kebbi and Sokoto States, with plans to expand to Yobe state as additional doses arrive in the country.
The Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate said: “The arrival of the Men5CV vaccines is a crucial milestone in Nigeria’s response to the current meningitis outbreak.
“It reflects our commitment under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to protect the health and well-being of all Nigerians—especially our children and young people who are most vulnerable. Through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the Sector-Wide Approach, we have prioritized epidemic preparedness and rapid response as part of our broader health security agenda.
“We are grateful for the support of Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF in enabling this swift deployment. Together, we are not only containing today’s outbreak but also laying the foundation to eliminate meningitis and strengthen routine immunization for the future”.
On his part, Gavi’s Head of High-Impact Outbreaks, Francisco Luquero stated: “With Gavi’s support, vaccines successfully eliminated meningitis A from Africa’s meningitis belt. Now, they are also combating other serogroups of this deadly and debilitating disease, bringing us closer to our goal of eliminating meningitis by 2030.
“Continued investment in this work is critical to protect the incredible progress made so far, control future outbreaks, and dramatically reduce the devastating impact that seasonal epidemics of meningitis have on families and communities”.
Meanwhile, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Cristian Munduate noted that the arrival of the vaccines marked a critical step in halting the outbreak:
“Every child deserves protection from life-threatening diseases like meningitis, and the arrival of the Meningitis vaccine marks a critical step in stopping the current outbreak and safeguarding Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations—particularly children and young adults, who are at the highest risk.
“UNICEF is proud to support the government by ensuring rapid vaccine deployment, community engagement, and planning and implementation of the response, while working alongside Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and Federal Ministry of Health and social welfare to strengthen immunisation efforts in Nigeria,” says
WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, informed that the vaccines would help prevent future outbreaks and safeguard future generations:
“As Nigeria continues to combat the current meningitis outbreak, the arrival of the Men5 vaccine provides a much-needed boost to our response efforts. From research and development to delivery, the journey of the Men5 vaccine to Nigeria has been a collaborative effort between the Nigerian government, the WHO, Gavi, and other dedicated partners. While we address the ongoing outbreak, the Men5 vaccine is also critical to Nigeria’s long-term health security. It will help prevent future outbreaks and safeguard future generations; we are committed to supporting Nigeria at every step”, he said.
