The federal government has deployed an emergency multi-agency task force to strengthen surveillance, close immunisation gaps and expand access to treatment following diphtheria outbreaks in Kano and Katsina states. Ado Bako, an Assistant Director in the Information and Public Relations Department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
According to the statement, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, directed the establishment of the task force as part of efforts to protect children and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks. “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,” the statement said.
The development follows reports of deaths among children in Rano Local Government Area of Kano State. On Wednesday, a lawmaker in the Kano State House of Assembly raised the alarm over a severe diphtheria outbreak in the area and called for urgent intervention. Diphtheria is a serious and highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
The infection spreads mainly through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, as well as through close contact with an infected person. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat and the development of a thick grey or white membrane in the throat, which can obstruct breathing. Severe cases can cause complications such as heart and nerve damage.
Vaccination with diphtheria toxoid containing vaccines, including the pentavalent vaccine routinely administered to infants, remains the most effective protection against the disease. Nigeria has recorded more than 40,000 suspected diphtheria cases and over 1,000 deaths since the outbreak began in 2022.