Abuja, March 5, 2025 (Naija247news) – The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 627 suspected measles cases across 30 states and 213 Local Government Areas (LGAs) as of January 31, 2025.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Dr. Jide Idris, Director-General of the NCDC, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, noting that the figure represents a significant decline from the 2,157 cases recorded in January 2024.
Measles, a highly contagious viral infection, spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the virus can linger in the air and on surfaces for hours, making transmission easy. Symptoms typically begin with fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that spreads across the body. Severe complications can include pneumonia, blindness, brain inflammation (encephalitis), and, in some cases, death—especially among unvaccinated children and those with weakened immune systems.
Most Affected States
The NCDC’s latest measles situation report for Epidemiological Week 7 (February 10–16, 2025) confirmed 112 cases (17.86%) out of the 627 suspected cases, with no reported deaths. This marks an improvement from the same period in 2024 when 23 deaths were recorded, resulting in a case fatality rate of 0.96%.
Katsina (102 cases) and Jigawa (84 cases) recorded the highest number of suspected cases, followed by Akwa Ibom (56), Kebbi (52), and Enugu (32). These five states accounted for more than half of the national total.
Further analysis revealed that 81.3% of confirmed cases involved individuals who had not received any dose of the measles vaccine, highlighting a major gap in immunisation coverage. Additionally, 46.4% of confirmed cases occurred in children aged between nine and 59 months.
“As of January 31, 38 LGAs across 18 states were experiencing active measles outbreaks, with Katsina leading with seven affected LGAs,” Idris said. He added that Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, and Sokoto states also reported multiple outbreak-affected LGAs, each with three affected areas.
Urgent Need for Vaccination
Idris emphasised that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles. The measles-containing vaccine, typically administered as part of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine, is given in two doses—at nine months and 15 months—according to guidelines from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
He called for intensified routine immunisation, particularly in high-risk areas, early detection and rapid response to suspected cases, and increased public health awareness campaigns to encourage vaccination.
“The NCDC is working closely with health agencies to improve surveillance and outbreak response to curb further spread,” Idris stated.
As the government intensifies its immunisation efforts, Idris urged stronger community engagement, better vaccine accessibility, and increased collaboration between health agencies and local communities to eliminate measles in Nigeria.
He also called on Nigerians to stay informed through official health updates and actively participate in vaccination campaigns to protect children and prevent future outbreaks.
