The Federal Government has intensified efforts to contain a diphtheria outbreak affecting children in parts of Kano and Katsina States, deploying 500,000 vaccine doses and activating a multi-agency emergency task force.
The intervention, ordered by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, is aimed at strengthening disease surveillance, closing immunisation gaps and ensuring vulnerable children have access to timely vaccination and treatment. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has dispatched the vaccines to Kano and Katsina for intensified immunisation campaigns.
The emergency task force, comprising the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, NCDC, NPHCDA, the affected states and development partners including WHO and UNICEF, will coordinate outbreak containment, case investigation, surveillance and community sensitisation. Particular attention will be given to children who are unvaccinated or have incomplete vaccination.
The government is also expanding treatment access in Katsina by establishing treatment annexes across the Daura, Funtua and Katsina senatorial districts, while emergency support is being mobilised for Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina. The support includes Diphtheria Antitoxin, antibiotics, additional healthcare personnel and protective equipment, with the task force expected to provide weekly updates on the response.
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