Health
Nigeria First to Introduce New 5-in-1 Vaccine Against Meningitis – WHO
Nigeria has become the first country in the world to roll out a new vaccine – Men5CV – recommended by World Health Organisation(WHO), to protect people against meningitis.
The world health body, in a statement on Friday, said that the vaccine would protect people against five strains of meningococcus bacteria, and described Nigeria’s feat as historic.
It said that health workers would begin an immunisation campaign aimed at reaching one million people.
The statement said that the vaccine and emergency vaccination activities are funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which funds the global meningitis vaccine stockpile and supports lower-income countries with routine vaccination against meningitis.
According to the WHO, Nigeria is one of the 26 meningitis hyper-endemic countries of Africa, situated in the area known as the African Meningitis Belt.
It noted that in 2023, there was a 50 per cent jump in annual meningitis cases reported across Africa.
“In Nigeria, an outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) serogroup C outbreak, led to 1,742 suspected meningitis cases, including 101 confirmed cases and 153 deaths in seven of 36 Nigerian state, between October 2023 and March 2024.
The states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Zamfara.
“To quell the deadly outbreak, a vaccination campaign was undertaken on 25–28 March 2024 to initially reach more than one million people aged 1-29 years,” it said.
The statement noted that meningitis was a serious infection that leads to the inflammation of the membranes (meninges), that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.
“There are multiple causes of meningitis, including viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic pathogens.
“Symptoms often include headache, fever and stiff neck. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious, and can also result in septicaemia (blood poisoning). It can seriously disable or kill within 24 hours,” the statement added.
It quoted Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, as saying that meningitis was an old and deadly foe, adding that the new vaccine holds the potential to change the trajectory of the disease, preventing future outbreaks and saving many lives
“Nigeria’s rollout brings us one step closer to our goal of eliminating meningitis by 2030,” Ghebreyesus said.
He said that the revolutionary new vaccine offers a powerful shield against the five major strains of the meningococcal bacteria – A, C, W, Y and X – in a single shot.
All five strains cause meningitis and blood poisoning.
According to him, this provides broader protection than the current vaccine used in much of Africa, which is only effective against the A strain.
He said that the new vaccine has the potential to significantly reduce meningitis cases and advance progress in defeating meningitis.
“This is especially important for countries like Nigeria where multiple serogroups are prevalent.
“The new vaccine uses the same technology as the meningitis A conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac®), which wiped out meningococcal A epidemics in Nigeria,” the WHO boss said.
The statement quoted Prof. Muhammad Pate, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, as saying that Northern Nigeria, particularly the states of Jigawa, Bauchi and Yobe, were badly hit by the deadly outbreak of meningitis.
“This vaccine provides health workers with a new tool to both stop this outbreak and also put the country on a path to elimination,” Pate said.
According to him, Nigeria has done a lot of work preparing health workers and the health system for the rollout of the new vaccine.
“We got an invaluable support from our populations in spite of the fasting period, and from our community leaders, especially the Emir of Gumel in Jigawa, who personally launched the vaccination campaign in the state.
“We’ll be monitoring progress closely and hopefully expand the immunisation in the coming months and years to accelerate progress,” he said.
The minister said that the new multivalent conjugate vaccine took 13 years of efforts and was based on a partnership between PATH and the Serum Institute of India.
“Financing from the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was critical to its development,” he said.
Pate said that in July 2023, WHO prequalified the new Men5CV vaccine (which has brand name MenFive®), and in October 2023 issued an official recommendation to countries to introduce the new vaccine.
According to him, Gavi allocated resources for the Men5CV rollout in December 2023, which is currently available for outbreak response through the emergency stockpile managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG), on Vaccine Provision.
He added that the roll-out, through mass preventive campaigns, was expected to start in 2025 across countries of the Meningitis Belt.
Mr Andrew Mitchell, UK Minister for Development and Africa, was also quoted as saying that the rollout of one million vaccines in northern Nigeria would help save lives, prevent long-term illness and boost the goal of defeating meningitis globally by 2030.
“This is exactly the kind of scientific innovation, supported by the UK, which I hope is replicated in years to come, to help us drive further breakthroughs, including wiping out other diseases,” Mitchell said.
He said that WHO has been supporting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in responding to the meningitis outbreak in the country.
According to him, the areas of support include disease surveillance, active case finding, sample testing and case management.
“WHO and partners have also played a vital role in supporting Nigeria to prepare for the rollout of the new vaccine and training health workers,” he said.
Dr Nanthalile Mugala, PATH’s Chief of Africa Region, was also quoted as saying that meningococcal meningitis had tormented countries across Africa, year after year.
“The introduction of MenFive® in Nigeria heralds a transformative era in the fight against meningococcal meningitis in Africa.
“Building on the legacy of previous vaccination efforts, this milestone reflects over a decade of unwavering, innovative partnerships.
“The promise of MenFive® lies not just in its immediate impact but in the countless lives it stands to protect in the years to come, moving us closer to a future free from the threat of this disease,” Mugala said.
According to her, in 2019, WHO and partners launched the global roadmap to defeating meningitis by 2030.
“The roadmap sets a comprehensive vision towards a world free of meningitis, and has three goals including the elimination of bacterial meningitis epidemics.
Another goal is the reduction of cases of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis by 50 per cent and deaths by 70 per cent, as well as the reduction of disability and improvement of quality of life after meningitis, due to any cause.
Ms Aurélia Nguyen, Chief Programme Officer at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, was also quoted as saying that with outbreaks of infectious diseases on the rise worldwide, new innovations such as MenFive® were critical in helping the fight back.
She said that Vaccine Alliance funds the global stockpile as well as vaccine rollout in lower-income countries.
“This first shipment signals the start of Gavi support for a multivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MMCV) programme which, with the required donor funding for our next five years of work, will see pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines rolled out in high-risk countries.
“Thanks to vaccines, we have eliminated large and disruptive outbreaks of meningitis A in Africa, now we have a tool to respond to other serogroups that still cause large outbreaks resulting in long-term disability and deaths,” Nguyen said.
According to her, following Nigeria’s meningitis vaccine campaign, a major milestone on the road to defeat meningitis is the international summit on meningitis taking place in Paris in April 2024, where leaders will celebrate progress, identify challenges and assess next steps.
“It is also an opportunity for country leaders and key partners to commit, politically and financially, to accelerate progress towards eliminating meningitis as a public health problem by 2030,” she said.(NAN)
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan,has suspended the strike it embarked on Oct. 25.The workers resumed work on Friday morning.The seven-day nationwide warning industrial action embarked upon by the unions was to press home their demands ofadjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure as was done with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure sinceJan.
2, 2014 and implementation of consultant cadre for pharmacists in federal health institutions. Others are upward review in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for consultants, andpayment of outstanding salaries of JOHESU members in professional regulatory councils.The UCH JOHESU Chairman, Mr Oladayo Olabampe, said that the strike was suspended as directed by the national body.He explained that “the suspension followed an MoU signed between JOHESU national leadership and Federal Government.“The Federal Government asked for a maximum of six weeks counting from Oct. 31, to meet our demands.“Based on the MoU signed, the JOHESU National Executive Council met and resolved that the strike be suspended on Fridaynationwide.”According to him, JOHESU UCH is obeying the order, and workers have resumed work.Olabampe said that if the demands were not met after the six weeks, they would embark on an indefinite strike. (NAN)
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Wednesday, kicked starts the screening of over 250,000 Abuja residents on diabetes and hypertension, and also do referrals.Dr Adedolapo Fasawe the Mandate secretary of Federal Capital Territory Health and Environmental Services Secretariat (FCT-HESS, while declaring the one week screening open, in Abuja.
She raised alarm at the rate at which people slump and die of high blood pressure and diabetes, adding that these unnecessary deaths can be prevented by regularly checking your sugar level and your blood pressure. She lamented that diabetes and hypertension are two silent killers and noted that, North central has one of the highest number of diabetes and hypertension. And 40% didn’t know they have hypertension until they came across a program like this.According to her, “So, this is an initiative of all commissioners for Health in Nigeria; 36 states plus the FCT. I am happy to say here in the FCT, we have had several programmes similar to this. We had a medical palliative program whereby we gave people medicines for free, for whatever their ailments is for one month. So that the money they would have used to buy medicines, they would use for other things. And we encourage the Health Insurance Scheme, whereby you pay a token, if you can afford it and your healthcare is free for the year. Or if you are considered vulnerable or poor, you are registered for free.”Now, what motivated this, we started noticing that people were slumping and dying. The rate of non-communicable diseases is going high. We were focusing a lot on HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. But all of a sudden, people are dropping dead, and older people who were otherwise healthy in the morning would slump in the afternoon. At post-mortem, we were realising that people had undiagnosed heart diseases, which is a complication of undiagnosed hypertension. Hypertension is a very treatable disease if caught early. Diabetes is a very treatable disease if caught early. Treatable in the sense that if you adhere to your doctor’s instructions, and take your medication, you will live a normal life”.She continued, “Out of every 27 Nigerians, one person is hypertensive, this is recorded. Now, we are trying to look for all these people, educate them, and give them medication, so that your quality of life, your output at work, and in the end, the GDP of the nation would be improved. Because with this RHA, we constantly look for ways to reach the people and touch them. And the essence of this program also is that people find it hard to leave their workplace where they get money, their markets, and their farms, to go to the hospital to check. “We are taking this project 10 million to the doorstep of people, where they live, where they work, where they play. We will be in every Area council, we will be in most chiefdoms and palaces, we will be in markets, we will be in places like this where most people aggregate, and the good news is, it will run for one week. If you can’t make it today, you will make it tomorrow. And I believe at the end of this, the saying ‘health is wealth’ will truly be understood. Without good health, we cannot enjoy the beautiful infrastructure that the FCT is putting up daily”.”This program is not only for those who are suffering from hypertension or diabetes. It is also for people who we find their results to be normal. When we find their results to be normal, our screening tool has some questions; do you smoke? Do you exercise? What is your diet like, what is your lifestyle like? If the result is normal, we will encourage you and teach you how to keep it normal. That means you have been doing something good.”For people we have found to have normal readings, we encourage them and teach them how to keep it normal. They are also a very integral part of this program. It’s called health promotion. Prevention is better than cure. We can learn from them what they have been doing, we can teach them to teach their neighbours how to keep their blood pressure and blood sugar normal. And if indeed within this secretariat, we are finding normal readings, the risk factors for high blood pressure include stress, sleeplessness, obesity, family history, and sedentary lifestyle. What it then means is that most of us here, do not fall into that. If you work for Barrister Nyesom Wike, it is not likely that you have a sedentary lifestyle”.The Acting Director of the FCT Health Insurance Scheme, Dr Salma Lawal Belgore also announced that the FCT will undertake the cost of health services for a pregnant woman, Mrs Esther Omojo, until a year after the birth of her baby. She explained that the insurance will cover medical consultations, drugs, delivery and even surgery.“Our patient will benefit from medical consultation, lab investigations, her drugs, her delivery and even if she has to have surgery, it is all covered by the health insurance scheme, at no cost to her. The FCT Administration is enrolling her under the health insurance scheme, as well as all FCT residents. With the unborn baby, and a year after the baby is born, the baby is also going to be covered under the health insurance scheme, and will access medicines, medical consultations, and lab investigations at no cost to the mother or the baby”, she said.Health
Consumption of Sugar-sweetened Beverages Capable of Causing Diabetes, other Diseases – Minister
The Federal Government has discouraged the consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) because it is capable of causing diabetes and other Non- Communicable Diseases (NCDs), an official has said.
Dr Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at the National Conference on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) Tax and Health Financing in Nigeria.
The theme of the conference titled “Health Tax as a Recipe for Improved Healthcare Financing”.
The minister was represented by Mrs Olubunmi Aribeana, the Director, Food and Drug Services Department, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
He recalled that the Federal Government introduced SSB tax in 2021 to reduce the consumption of SSB as well as reducing the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and other related diseases.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are drinks that contain added natural sweeteners, such as table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or fruit juice concentrates, all of which have similar metabolic effects.
“The consumption of SSBs has been linked to numerous health risks, including obesity, heart disease, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay, cavities, and gout.
“The health burden of SSB consumption is particularly significant in low- and middle-income countries, where rates of obesity and related health problems are on the rise.”
The minister said the country faced a growing health crisis with SSB-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes, adding that the associated healthcare costs were escalating at an alarming rate.
“Recent reviews and meta-analyses by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) show that as of 2021, over 3.6 million people are diabetic with 53 per cent of these citizens undiagnosed; and this number is expected to rise to about five million by the year 2030.
“The cost of treating diabetes per person has surged from an average of N60,000 in 2011 to N800,000 in 2021, and it is projected to exceed N1 Million by 2030.”
According to him, the goal of the SSB tax is to reduce the consumption of these unhealthy beverages, ultimately preventing obesity and its related diseases.
“In 2021, Nigeria joined over 100 countries that have introduced taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. This tax, embedded in the Finance Act of 2021, levies a N10 tax on each litre of all non-alcoholic, sweetened, and carbonated drinks.
“As we look to the future, we must view the SSB tax as a cornerstone of our strategy to improve public health and healthcare financing.
“By discouraging the consumption of sugar-laden beverages, we aim to reduce the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, and in turn, alleviate the financial burden on our healthcare system.”
According to the minister, this tax serves as a deterrent and generates essential revenue that can be reinvested into healthcare initiatives, particularly preventive measures and the treatment of non-communicable diseases.
“Our vision is a Nigeria where healthier choices are accessible and affordable for all citizens.
“We aspire to create an environment where nutritious alternatives are readily available, empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their diet and overall health.”
The minister called on food and beverage industry, healthcare providers, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen their collaboration to promote healthier lifestyles and ensure the sustainability of the nation’s health systems.
He said in line with the government’s vision, the 2023 National Policy on Food Safety and Quality and its Implementation Plan also prioritised the consumption of healthy foods.
According to him, the plan specifically expects the government at every level to develop strategies for reducing the consumption of sugar, alcohol, and sodium as well as the elimination of Trans-Fatty Acids (TFAs) in Nigerian diets.
The minister restated the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure food supply chain supports the health and well-being of the population by minimising the risks associated with poor dietary choices.
In his remarks, Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), said that the current SSB tax that imposed an excise duty of N10 per litre on all non-alcoholic and sweetened beverages did not meet global standards.
Oluwafemi said, “At N10 per liter, Nigeria’s current tax on SSBs falls short of the World Health Organisation’s recommendation and global best practice of a minimum of 20 per cent of total retail prices.
“In fact, the impact of our current tax rate has been largely eroded by escalating inflationary pressures, rendering it nearly ineffective, hence the need for a re-evaluation.
“This is why, last year, CAPPA in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Economies of Africa, conducted a simulation study that examined the potential fiscal and public health effects of SSBs in Nigeria, to provide Nigeria-specific data and information to support a re-calibration of the SSB tax rate.
“Findings from this research not only underscored the urgent need to address the public health impact of excessive SSB consumption but also identified an effective tax rate of N130 per litre as the most sustainable peg for realising public health goals.
“After two years of implementing the SSB tax, we strongly advocate, based on available evidence evaluating its impacts, that the Nigerian government should activate all necessary policy measures to increase the tax from N10 to N130 per liter.
“Or government should implement a revised tax structure to 50 per cent of the total retail price rate of SSB products as recommended by the Global Tax Force for Health of which our honourabe minister is a member.
“This adjustment will not only align with the WHO recommendations but also with the 2024 Bloomberg report on effective health taxes.
“Additionally, this increment must be accompanied by a redefinition of SSBs to capture all products that fall within the categorisation, and a resolve to establish a legal framework for earmarking the tax for public health initiatives,” CAPPA boss said. (NAN)
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