By Jelili Gbadamosi
The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to contain a diphtheria outbreak in Kano and Katsina states, deploying 500,000 doses of vaccines to affected and high-risk communities.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said on Friday that the vaccines were distributed through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to support intensified immunisation campaigns.
The intervention followed an emergency response activated by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, to curb the spread of the disease and strengthen the country’s preparedness.
The government has also established a multi-agency emergency task force involving the NPHCDA, the affected state governments and international health partners.
The task force, co-chaired by the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Director of Public Health, includes health commissioners from Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states.
Representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in Katsina State are also part of the task force.
The ministry said the team had been mandated to investigate the outbreak, strengthen disease surveillance and intensify vaccination and public awareness campaigns, particularly among children who missed routine immunisation.
According to the ministry, the response is aimed at closing immunity gaps within the population and preventing further transmission of diphtheria.
Beyond vaccination, the government said it was working with the Katsina State Government to expand access to treatment for people affected by the disease.
Plans are also underway to establish treatment annexes in hospitals across Katsina State’s three senatorial districts — Katsina, Daura and Funtua — to improve access to care for diphtheria patients.
