WHO: Nigeria among nine African countries with 67 yellow fever cases, 18 deaths
- The World Health Organisation says nine African countries, including Nigeria, recorded 67 confirmed yellow fever cases and 18 deaths this year.
- The WHO named forest work, mining sites and cross-border travel as key risk factors in the outbreak.
- The agency rates the regional risk as moderate and the global risk as low.
Nigeria is one of nine African countries that recorded 67 confirmed yellow fever cases and 18 deaths between January 1 and October 12 this year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The other countries are Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Togo and the Central African Republic, the WHO said in its latest situation report on Friday.
Yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes and can cause fever, jaundice and, in severe cases, death. The WHO said recent outbreak activity has been concentrated in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Liberia, including communities near international borders.
For ordinary Nigerians, the warning matters most for people who work or travel in forested areas, mining sites and other outdoor jobs, which the WHO named as key risk factors.
Why the risk is rising
The agency said frequent movement across borders, the presence of mosquitoes that can carry the virus, and uneven vaccination coverage could increase transmission and help the disease spread.
According to the WHO, affected countries are working with the agency and partners to strengthen surveillance, investigate cases, test samples in laboratories and step up active case detection.
Other measures include risk communication, community engagement and vaccination drives in communities and areas seen as more exposed to infection.
The WHO said it assessed the public health risk of the situation as moderate at the regional level on October 27, 2026, while the global public health risk remained low.
What happens next
The WHO's report points to vaccination and surveillance as the main tools against the outbreak, with affected countries carrying out vaccination activities in communities and areas considered at increased risk of infection.
