Worried by stories of an outbreak of diphtheria affecting a number of native authorities areas in Oyo, with attendant instances and fatalities amongst youngsters, the Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has expressed grave concern over the scenario, calling on Governor Seyi Makinde to urgently strengthen the state’s response and supply a complete account of its efforts to guard youngsters towards vaccine-preventable ailments.
The Campaign Organization’s considerations are heightened by Oyo State’s newest childhood immunization figures, which place it on the backside of the six states within the South-West, regardless of billions of Naira in growth financing obtained below the World Bank-supported Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) Project.
A press release by the Campaign Organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, described the reported outbreak and the state’s immunisation efficiency as issues requiring pressing public consideration, notably given the preventable nature of diphtheria and the significance of sustained vaccination coverage.
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Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable bacterial an infection that generally impacts the nostril and throat, inflicting extreme problems similar to respiration difficulties, coronary heart harm and dying, particularly when analysis and remedy are delayed.
The assertion listed the native authorities areas reported to be affected as 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 reported outbreak of diphtheria, with the associated concerns about cases and fatalities among children, should be a wake-up call for Oyo State. Every child deserves protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, and the government must demonstrate that its immunization programme is reaching vulnerable communities effectively,” the Organisation acknowledged.
“This is an urgent public health concern that demands clear and timely response. The protection of human lives must not be subordinated to political publicity. The Director of Public Health must explain to the people the factors driving these outbreaks and account for the resources expended so far on immunization and outbreak prevention,” the marketing campaign organisation added.
According to the figures cited by the SSACO, Oyo’s childhood immunization coverage rose marginally from 51.3 per cent within the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) to 55.0 per cent within the 2025–2026 survey, a rise of simply 3.7 share factors.
The corresponding figures confirmed that coverage elevated from 58.2 to 84.9 per cent in Ekiti, 52.1 to 86.0 per cent in Lagos, 52.1 to 63.9 per cent in Ogun, 59.8 to 84.0 per cent in Ondo, and 54.4 to 78.1 per cent in Osun. Across the South-West, coverage reportedly elevated by 14.3 share factors, from 58.2 to 72.5 per cent.
These figures place Oyo on the backside of the six-state regional comparability and lift questions in regards to the attain and effectiveness of Makinde’s authorities’s immunization interventions.
The SSACO famous that Oyo is the one South-West state among the many 12 states collaborating within the Immunization Plus part of the World Bank-supported IMPACT Project. Other collaborating states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau and Sokoto.
The organisation argued that the mix of low immunization coverage and the reported diphtheria outbreak warrants an intensive assessment of the sources dedicated to immunization, the interventions applied and the outcomes achieved.
It cited out there audited monetary data indicating that cumulative World Bank/International Development Association (IDA) funds obtained by Oyo State below the mission stood at roughly ₦9.832 billion as of December 31, 2024. The state’s contribution of ₦41 million and miscellaneous and curiosity revenue of ₦13.45 million, cumulative mission receipts amounted to roughly ₦9.886 billion.
“Billions of Naira in development financing must translate into measurable improvements in public health. These funds are not free money; they are part of development financing that carries obligations and must deliver value to the people who will ultimately bear the cost.” The SSACO stated.
It additionally urged the state authorities to work carefully with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDCP), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and related growth companions to comprise the outbreak and stop additional transmission.
Beyond the instant response, the marketing campaign organisation demanded the publication of up to date IMPACT Project monetary and implementation stories, together with subsequent disbursements, expenditure by part, deliberate vaccination targets, precise coverage achieved and measures taken to handle underserved communities.
It additionally questioned the continued engagement of a retired Primary Health Care Board (PHCB) IMPACT Programme Manager concerned within the mission’s implementation, arguing that the programme’s scale and considerations about its outcomes make transparency in staffing and programme administration important.
“Oyo State has qualified medical and public-health professionals whose expertise should be effectively deployed to strengthen the system. We must insist on accountability and competent programme management,” the organisation posited.
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