FG Raises Emergency Team to Respond to Diphtheria Outbreak In Katsina, Kano

**.NPHCDA deploys 500,000 doses of vaccines **

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Ayodeji Ake in Lagos

The federal government has activated an emergency task force to tackle the outbreak of diphtheria among children in parts of Katsina and Kano states.

Also, as part of the immediate response, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has deployed 500,000 doses of vaccines to Katsina and Kano states to support intensified immunisation activities in affected and at-risk communities.

The ministry charged the Taskforce to take immediate measures to strengthen surveillance, close immunisation gaps and ensure timely access to treatment.

A statement signed by the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Ado Bako, said directive was issued by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, as part of the federal government’s continuing commitment to protect the health of Nigerian children and strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks.

The statement said that, “The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), affected state governments and international health partners, have constituted a multi-agency task force to coordinate the response.”

It said the task force will be co-chaired by the Director General of NCDC and the Director of Public Health, with membership drawn from NPHCDA; the Commissioners for Health of 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.

The statement said the task force has been directed to act immediately on three fronts -outbreak containment and immunisation.

In addition, the Taskforce is to conduct outbreak investigations, strengthen disease surveillance and intensify community sensitisation to close population immunity gaps through the immunisation of unvaccinated children.

The team is to expand access to treatment, working with the Katsina State Government to establish treatment annexes in hospitals across the state’s three senatorial districts — Katsina, Daura and Funtua — to bring care closer to affected communities and facilitate early intervention.

They are to provide emergency support for referral care, mobilise urgent support to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, the principal referral centre for the state and parts of neighbouring states, including Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT), intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and personal protective equipment (PPE).

The taskforce will provide weekly updates to the Coordinating Minister and Social Welfare on progress, emerging challenges and additional requirements, with identified bottlenecks escalated for immediate resolution.