A total of $1.1billion is needed to address the outbreak of Meningitis in five states in Nigeria, according to the Acting Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Emmanuel Odu.

The states concerned are Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Niger.

“To vaccinate a total population of 22 million in the five affected states will cost $1.1billion; the cost of vaccines alone. And if we are to procure for all the 16 states in the meningitis belt, we can roughly multiply it by the $1.1billion,” he said.

Odu revealed this while briefing the Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Disease on measures put in place by the Federal Government in tackling the disease.

According to him, out of the 1,323,000 vaccines being procured, 500,000 were supplied last week and the remaining 823,000 are expected at any moment

2,524 cases of Meningitis have been recorded across 16 states in the country. Commenting on this development, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, stated that the Senate is committed to helping end the epidemic in the affected states. “With a 15% mortality rate, the Senate stands ready to respond quickly to any request for emergency assistance for meningitis.”

Anita Fatunji