By The Asudemade Perspective

The alleged outbreak of diphtheria from various local government areas in Oyo State has raised alarm on the inadequacy of childhood immunisation in Oyo State as the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) questions the effectiveness of the intervention efforts of the state government in spite of billions of Naira allocated to develop the state.

The organisation calls on Governor Seyi Makinde to scale up his efforts in protecting Oyo State’s children while providing a verifiable account of the monies expended and results charted from the interventions.

According to the media/publicity director of the campaign organisation, Bisi Oladele, the figure reported on the inadequacy of childhood immunisation in Oyo State is a cause for great concern as it indicates that the state is at the lowest immunisation rate bracket amongst six (6) South-West states that are participating in the World Bank-assisted Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project.

Diphtheria is a severe bacterial infection of the mucous membranes in the throat and nose that can cause breathing difficulties as well as heart problems. It is therefore a serious infection that requires immediate treatment. The infection is preventable through immunisation, but whenever it breaks out, it needs to be contained.

Local government areas reportedly affected by the alleged outbreak of diphtheria are Atisbo, Ibadan North-West, Oyo West, Akinyele, Saki, Egbeda, Oriire, Ibadan North, Ibadan South-West, Iwajowa, Ona-Ara, Atiba, Lagelu, Ogbomosho North, Surulere and Oluyole.

“The alarm raised by the reported outbreak of diphtheria with its attendant cases and mortalities bears a loud reminder to the Oyo State government that all efforts must be made to ensure that the state’s immunisation programme is reaching the vulnerable communities. Every child has a right to be protected against vaccine preventable diseases and the state must rise up to speed, protect lives, and stop the suffering,” the organisation declares.

SSACO contended that the outbreak of the infection demands an urgent and responsible response by the government to the situation as the safety of lives takes priority over political positioning and called on the state’s Director of Public Health to explain the cause of the outbreak.They also called on him to declare the resources being deployed in immunisation and disease control.

The concerns raised by SSACO are supported by the childhood immunisation figures it published from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2024 and the 2025-2026 surveys, noting that Oyo State’s childhood immunisation rate had only improved by a margin of 3.7% between 2024 and 2025-2026.

Specifically, the figures for Oyo State improved from 51.3% to 55%, while those of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Osun States in South-West Nigeria improved from 58.2% to 84.9%; 52.1% to 86%; 52.1% to 63.9%; 59.8% to 84%; and 54.4% to 78.1%. Across the South-West region, the rate increased from 58.2% to 72.5% – a massive 14.3% increase.

According to SSACO, these figures show that Oyo State is at the lowest bracket in terms of childhood immunisation and question the rationale behind the slow progress in a state that receives huge allocations for development projects including immunisation.

The reason for the concern according to SSACO has to do with their findings that the money being spent on the state’s immunisation programme is not commensurate with the progress being made. They therefore demand a comprehensive review of the resources being committed to the expansion of immunisation coverage, intervention and response, and impact in the state.

SSACO documents their concerns with the findings from the audit of all payments to Oyo State under the auspices of the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) for the IMPACT Project as of 31 December 2024.

According to the findings, the total project receipts by Oyo State stand at about ₦9.832 billion. With the state’s share of ₦41 million and miscellaneous and interest income of about ₦13.45 million, cumulative project receipts by Oyo State would total about ₦9.886 billion.

The organisation contends that the vast sum of money appropriated to Oyo State for the execution of the IMPACT Project should have yielded better results in terms of public health.

“Billions of Naira in development financing must deliver on promises of enhanced public health outcomes.The funds are not free gifts; they constitute development financing and must therefore deliver value for money.

Ultimately, the people who will bear the bill for these loans must obtain value for money,” the organisation argues.

The World Bank’s IMPACT Project’s childhood immunisation component covers 12 states, namely Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, and Oyo. Under this project, Oyo State is expected to expand and consolidate its efforts in reducing vaccine preventable diseases through improved routine immunisation and better disease surveillance.

Given the situation and the magnitude of the alleged outbreak of diphtheria, SSACO calls for a comprehensive review of the resources committed to the immunisation programme in Oyo State as well as the interventions and impact.

They call on the state government to work closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, development partners and stakeholders to scale down the incidence of the outbreak, intensify surveillance and quick response mechanisms, and prevent the spread of the infection to other parts of the state and country.

In addition to reviewing the resources committed to the immunisation programme, SSACO demands the publication of the findings of the latest audit of the finances of the IMPACT Project, including subsequent payments, expenditure reviews, targets, and coverage achieved.

They also demand a breakdown of the measures taken to expand immunisation services and reach the vulnerable and inaccessible communities with primary health care services. The organisation also questions the retention of a retired Primary Health Care Board (PHCB) IMPACT Programme Manager to manage the programme in the state under the supervision of the PHCB. They contend that the state must utilise the vast resources at its disposal to leverage on the expertise of qualified personnel to ensure that the state’s immunisation programme, as well as the provision of primary health care services in general, are brought to the level it needs to be.

While SSACO’s allegations and demands require official clarification from the state government, their immediate concern has to do with the protection of Oyo State’s children. The controversy around the effectiveness of the state’s immunisation programme and the use of huge sums of public funds to support it begs a more important question as to how fast development assistance can be deployed to ensure that ordinary Nigerians are able to access quality health services and enjoy the numerous benefits that good health brings.

For instance, the alarm raised by the outbreak of diphtheria in several local government areas of Oyo State has made ordinary residents of these areas wonder whether their children have access to adequate immunisation services and whether the health facilities in their communities are equipped to provide emergency treatment if and when such an emergency arises.

It is for these reasons that Oyo State Government should respond urgently and publicly to the concerns raised by SSACO, address the inadequacy of the state’s immunisation programme and take all measures to protect residents from vaccine preventable diseases.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of any investment in public health depends on the extent to which it contributes to improved population health, increased access to services, and reduced inequities in health status.