The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that with Nigeria’s population of about 200 million people, 160 million Nigerians are at risk of yellow fever. This figure makes up about 25 per cent of all African people at risk.

Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The “yellow” in the name refers to one of the symptoms of jaundice that affects some patients. The Symptoms of yellow fever include fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.

Dr Anne Eudes Jean Baptiste, the Medical Officer, WHO Nigeria enlightened us that yellow fever is dangerous because a small percentage of patients will go through a more toxic phase of the disease. She said by then, they will experience fever, and have a system failure, mainly in the kidney and liver. She further explained that the patients may experience bleeding coming from the mouth, nose, and eyes within 7 to 10 days, and half of them will die.

The WHO also emphasized that Nigeria is at risk of both urban and sylvatic (jungle) exposure to the disease.

Sylvatic exposure is the transmission of yellow fever from mosquitos that have bitten animals and non-human primates. Workers in mining and agriculture are particularly vulnerable to this type of transmission.

In 2017, there was a resurgence in yellow fever in Nigeria after 15 years. This was due to gaps in the detection of the disease rather than lack of transmission of the virus and the cyclical nature of sylvatic transmission. As surveillance and laboratory testing have been strengthened, improved information about the distribution of the disease in humans has become available.

However, the global health body said Nigeria vaccinated over 45 million people against yellow fever during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is reported that Nigeria has recorded not less than 1,005 suspected yellow fever cases in 2022. The cases were reported from 36 states including the FCT in 390 Local Government Areas.

According to the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, there is strengthened surveillance for the disease.

Dr Ifedayo reiterated that the reference laboratories in the country have been strengthened. He said these laboratories are also being supported and assessed to make sure they meet all the performance parameters in terms of sample collection and referral to the reference labs in Abuja.

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