Nigeria, Oct. 13 -- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that gaps in routine immunisation are leaving Nigerian children vulnerable to preventable diseases, urging the government to increase domestic health financing and strengthen disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness.

Pavel Ursu, the WHO representative in Nigeria, raised the concern on Tuesday during the organisation's Health Diplomacy Dialogue in Abuja, which brought together diplomats and health officials to discuss health security, disease outbreaks, global health financing and antimicrobial resistance.

Mr Ursu said Nigeria continued to face challenges in containing vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles and circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus, despit...