Nigeria crisis

Persistent armed conflict by and with Boko Haram in North-Eastern Nigeria is resulting in widespread displacements, food insecurity, and many victims of violence. Displacement away from infrastructure leads to poor sanitation, water-borne diseases and an increased risk of communicable diseases. The number of people in need of urgent assistance in north-east Nigeria rose to 10.6 million since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO and partners are supporting the urgent need for health care including supply of essential medicines, care for pregnant mothers and infants, and outbreak control. WHO is working with the Nigerian Ministry of Health and partners to reach those in need with lifesaving health care while maintaining prevention measures.

Although the WHO Africa region was certified wild polio-free in August 2020 by the Africa Regional Commission for Certification of Polio Eradication (ARCC), the Nigerian government, WHO and partners have continued to prioritize immunization by implementing various campaigns across the country with a bid of sustaining polio immunity and reducing deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Nigeria is a high-risk country for yellow fever and is a priority country for the global eliminate yellow fever epidemics (EYE) strategy.  In early November 2020, a yellow fever outbreak was reported from five Nigerian states. The county has taken great strides toward boosting yellow fever protection and has vaccinated approximately 70 million people through reactive and preventive activities since 2017. However, with COVID-19 response efforts underway, the country’s health system and human resources are being strained, making the response a challenge. WHO is supporting Nigeria to respond to the outbreak, from training of health workers, through active case surveillance and immunization campaigns.