Vaccines of cholera to arrive Nigeria soon – Gavi

Sania Nishtar, the chief executive officer of Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, has revealed that cholera vaccines would soon arrive in Nigeria.

She made this known via her X handle, stating that the vaccines would help cure cholera disease outbreak.

The development follows the outbreak of the deadly disease across the country.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated, the World Health Organisation said.

It is a disease of poverty affecting people with inadequate access to safe water and basic sanitation.

Read also: Cholera: Relief over 38% drop in reported cases in first week of July

“Encouraged to learn that #Cholera vaccines from the #Gavi-funded global vaccine stockpile will soon arrive in Nigeria to help curb the country’s deadly and ongoing outbreak. We stand ready to work with our partners #UNICEF and #WHO to support Minister #muhammadpate, #Fmohnigeria, and #NCDCgov’s timely efforts to contain this outbreak and protect those at the highest risk.

“Despite the large number of cholera outbreaks this year, our stockpile is now fully replenished, and production continues at maximum capacity. We hope to keep supporting cholera-affected countries with their control plans. #stopcholera,” Nishtar tweeted on Thursday.

The current outbreak has spread to 187 local government areas, with a cumulative case fatality rate of 2.8 per cent since the beginning of the year.

In his reaction, Prof Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, commended  Nishtar for championing the vaccines.

He tweeted, “Thanks #SaniaNishtar for facilitating our early access to
#gavi-funded #Cholera vaccines. We will deploy the vaccines efficiently and effectively in response to the ongoing outbreak.

“Thanks also to President Tinubu #officialABAT for his astute leadership in setting up a multi-sector cabinet committee to support the Emergence Operations Centre led by #NCDCgov to work with our 36 states in a national response to the outbreak. We are seeing early signs of slowing down but we’ll not relent as the situation can reverse. So, the cholera vaccines strengthen our hands.”

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, as of July 15, it recorded 3,623 suspected cholera cases and 103 deaths across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has signed of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Gases Group, led by Mr. Deepak Mehta, to establish gas plants for the production of liquefied medical oxygen in Nigeria. This collaboration aims to ensure a steady and reliable supply of high-quality medical oxygen across the country.

Pate, on Friday, disclosed that the partnership is a game changer for Nigeria and the subregion and directly aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the President’s Bola Tinubu’s Executive Order to unlock the healthcare value chain.

He added that the planned facilities, each capable of producing 100 tons per day, will be strategically located in 3 urban clusters located in North and South of Nigeria in the first phase. This will ensure that medical oxygen is accessible to a broader population, meeting both current and future demands.

“The MoU outlines several key commitments from both parties. Global Gases Group (GGG) will complete feasibility studies and business case development, invest in technology, gas storage and distribution infrastructure, and provide necessary training and development for the project.

“Utilizing cryogenic air separation technology, these plants will offer a sustainable, affordable, accessible, and scalable (SAAS) solution for medical-grade oxygen production. This technology provides higher purity levels (>99.5%) and reliability compared to traditional methods,” he said.

The project will also lay the groundwork for a more resilient and responsive healthcare system capable of withstanding future challenges such as pandemics and contribute to local skill development and job creation.