14 States Alerted Of Diphtheria Spread, As 122 Killed In Outbreak Since January
Federal government has alerted that 171 local government areas in 14 states risk the spread of diphtheria, which had killed 122 nationwide this year.
The 171 local government areas, included 144 in Katsina, Kano, Yobe, Kaduna and Bauchi States As well As Federal Capital Territory.
Other local government areas at risk are twenty in Gombe, Jigawa, Borno, Nasarawa, Plateau and Zamfara, As Well As Seven in Lagos and Osun States
Permanent Secretary in The Federal Ministry Of Health, Olufunso Adebiyi, Said Data Sourced Indicated The Outbreak Of The Disease was Very Active In 25 Local Government Areas In Bauchi, Katsina, Yobe And Kaduna States.
This came as the Federal Ministry of Health, in collaboration with National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and partners, is mobilising resources to respond effectively to an outbreak in four states.
Already, a comprehensive response plan has been activated to ensure early detection, containment of cases, and prevention of further transmission through a multi-phased response strategy.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Olufunsho Adebiyi, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said available real-time surveillance data shows active diphtheria outbreaks in 25 local councils in Bauchi, Katsina, Yobe and Kaduna.
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Adebiyi said partnership aimed at intensified mass vaccination of identified populations at risk is in two phases.
Phase one, a five-day reactive catch-up campaign, is planned for the affected 25 local councils in four states from August 7, 2023, and will target children less than 14 years of age.
Children, six weeks to four years, would be administered the Pentavalent vaccine, while children above four to 14 years would be administered Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) vaccine during the campaign.
He noted that 171 local councils in 14 states were being prioritised for full three rounds of catch-up campaigns using the Pentavalent vaccine (for children less than four years) and Td vaccine (for children between four and 14 years).
According to him, the 14 states for the phase two response are: Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Yobe, FCT, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Borno, Nasarawa, Plateau, Zamfara, Lagos and Osun.
Adebiyi observed that the three rounds of the phase two response catch-up campaigns are tentatively scheduled for August 21, 2023 (first round), September 18, 2023 (second round) and October 16, 2023 (third round).
