APC Campaign Urges Action on Oyo's Diphtheria Outbreak

The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State expressed serious concerns on October 13 regarding a diphtheria outbreak affecting children in 16 local government areas, including Atisbo, Ibadan North-West, and Oyo West. Bisi Oladele, the Campaign Organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, stated that the outbreak should prompt immediate action from the government to ensure effective immunization coverage.

He highlighted that Oyo State's childhood immunization figures are alarmingly low, with coverage rising only from 51.3 percent in the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey to 55.0 percent in the 2025–2026 survey. This places Oyo at the bottom of the six South-West states, despite receiving billions in funding from the World Bank-supported Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress project.

Oladele emphasized the urgent need for the Director of Public Health to account for the resources spent on immunization and outbreak prevention, stressing the importance of protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases.