Diphtheria: Nigerian Government Deploys 500,000 Vaccine Doses to Katsina, Kano

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Government has deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to Katsina and Kano states as part of efforts to contain an outbreak of the disease among children.

The government has also established an emergency task force to coordinate the response and address gaps in immunisation, disease surveillance and access to treatment in the affected areas.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ado Bako.

The intervention followed a directive from the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate.

According to the ministry, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency supplied the 500,000 vaccine doses “to support intensified immunisation activities in affected and at-risk communities.”

The emergency task force was formed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NPHCDA, the affected state governments and international health partners.

The government said the team had been mandated to focus on “three fronts” — outbreak containment and immunisation, expanded access to treatment and emergency support for referral care.

As part of the containment measures, the task force will “conduct outbreak investigations, strengthen disease surveillance and intensify community sensitisation to close population immunity gaps through the immunisation of unvaccinated children.”

The Katsina State Government has also been directed to establish treatment annexes in hospitals across the state’s three senatorial districts: Katsina, Daura and Funtua.

The ministry said the centres would “facilitate early intervention” for children affected by diphtheria and improve access to treatment within affected communities.

The Federal Government has also ordered urgent support for the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, which serves as “the principal referral centre for the state and parts of neighbouring states.”

The support will include Diphtheria Antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and personal protective equipment.

The ministry said the task force would coordinate the provision of timely treatment to affected communities and strengthen surveillance to monitor the spread of the disease.

The team will be co-chaired by the Director-General of the NCDC and the Director of Public Health. Its members will include representatives of the NPHCDA, health commissioners from Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in Katsina State.

The ministry’s Chief Epidemiologist will serve as the secretary of the task force.

The government said the committee would provide weekly reports to the Coordinating Minister on “progress, emerging challenges and additional requirements.” It added that identified challenges would be escalated for immediate action.

The Federal Government said the intervention reflects its commitment to protecting children from diseases that can be prevented through vaccination.

“The Federal Government reaffirms its resolve to protect Nigerian children from vaccine-preventable diseases and remains committed to a swift, coordinated and evidence-based response to bring the outbreak under control,” it said.