Hamza Muhammad Uba
The Federal Government has activated an emergency multi-agency task force to contain the outbreak of diphtheria among children in parts of Katsina and Kano States, with immediate measures to strengthen surveillance, close immunisation gaps and improve access to treatment.
The directive was issued by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, as part of efforts to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases and strengthen the nation’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies.
A statement by the Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, says the task force will be co-chaired by the Director-General of the NCDC and the Director of Public Health, with representatives from the NPHCDA, Commissioners for Health in Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto States, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in Katsina State.
The Ministry’s Chief Epidemiologist will serve as Secretary.
According to the statement, the task force has been mandated to immediately intensify outbreak investigation, surveillance and community mobilisation, with particular attention to children who have not been vaccinated or have not completed their recommended immunisation.
As part of the emergency response, it says the NPHCDA has deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to Katsina and Kano States to support intensified immunisation in affected and high-risk communities.
The Federal Government said the intervention was aimed at closing immunity gaps and preventing further transmission of the disease among vulnerable children.
The statement also says the task force will also work with the Katsina State Government to establish treatment annexes in hospitals across the state’s three senatorial districts, Katsina, Daura and Funtua, to bring treatment closer to affected communities and promote early intervention.
Additional support is being mobilised for the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, the principal referral centre for the state and parts of neighbouring states.
The support will include Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT), intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and personal protective equipment (PPE) to strengthen the facility’s capacity to manage cases safely and effectively.
The task force is expected to provide weekly updates to the Coordinating Minister on the progress of the response, emerging challenges and additional resources required, while identified bottlenecks will be escalated for immediate resolution.
The Federal Government says the coordinated response reflected its commitment to preventing avoidable deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases.
It reaffirmed its resolve to protect Nigerian children and bring the outbreak under control through a swift, coordinated and evidence-based response involving government agencies, state authorities, development partners and affected communities.
