• Japan commits $1million to curb cholera outbreak in Lagos

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have raised the alarm that about 1.5 million children still die yearly from diseases that could have been prevented by vaccines.
 
Speaking at a press conference on Prioritising Immunisation Financing for Child Survival yesterday in Abuja, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC), Mrs Chika Offor, noted that Nigeria still has one of the highest numbers of zero-dose children that have never received a single routine vaccine, currently put at 2.2 million. 
 
To this end, the CSOs urged the Federal Government to release the outstanding N108 billion for 2024 Immunisation and ensure the full release of the N231.7 billion allocated for 2025.  She observed that without consistent vaccine funding, over one million Nigerian children under five remain at risk of dying from diseases, “we already have the power to prevent.”
 
Offor stated that immunisation remains one of the most cost-effective public health interventions, preventing diseases, reducing mortality, and contributing to healthier communities and a stronger economy.
 
She lamented that every day, vaccines are delayed due to slow, fragmented, or incomplete funding, leaving children vulnerable to diseases, resulting in death before their first birthday.
 
Offor, who cited the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), stated that Nigeria alone accounts for approximately 30 per cent of zero-dose children worldwide, causing high child mortality rates, adding that behind each of those numbers is a child at risk of disease, disability, or death. 
 
She observed that these gaps in coverage threaten to reverse the progress that has been made. Funding gaps and delays mean vaccines sometimes arrive after outbreaks begin.

By then, it is often too late. Immunisation saves an estimated ₦6,000–₦11,000 in treatment costs per child—money that poor families simply do not have. For every ₦1 invested in vaccines, ₦16 is returned in health and economic benefits. That is not just a smart investment—it is a life-saving one. That is why vaccination is not optional—it is essential to a child’s life.

Offor emphasised the need to strengthen domestic financing for immunisation and reduce dependence on donor funding to achieve sustainable, equitable health outcomes.
 
She urged state governments to adopt and adapt frameworks that ensure routine and emergency immunisation funding is embedded in state budgets, released in a timely manner and utilised efficiently.

Also speaking, former Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Healthcare Services, Muhammad Usman, stressed the need for the government to prioritise immunisation, and expressed dissatisfaction that the government still has an outstanding amount of N108 billion for 2024, while N271 billion funding for 2925 is yet to be paid, barely four months to the end of the year.
 
BUT in an effort to tackle the escalating outbreak of Cholera in Lagos, the Japanese government has committed  $1 million to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for an emergency intervention in the state.
 
The project, tagged Emergency Support for Cholera Response and Preparedness, is a 12-month programme designed to strengthen local capacities, enhance community awareness, and improve early response mechanisms to prevent future outbreaks from escalating
 
It will be noted that in the last year of recurring cholera outbreaks in the country, about 77,000 suspected cases have been reported across 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resulting in 359 fatalities. 
 
Lagos State, a densely populated urban centre, accounted for over 20 per cent of the nationwide caseload, underscoring its particular vulnerability to infectious disease transmission.
 
The Ambassador-designate of Japan to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo, while announcing the support, noted that Lagos State is at the forefront of the outbreak, hence the government of Japan was supporting the state in responding to cholera outbreaks in the most affected communities, by procuring essential medical supplies in partnership with UNOPS.
 
UNOPS Project Manager, Hazel Natukunda, stated that the project was a crucial step towards building resilient communities in Lagos, ensuring they are better equipped to withstand future health crises and safeguard the well-being of their citizens.