The Federal Government has activated an emergency task force to tackle a diphtheria outbreak affecting children in parts of Katsina and Kano States, ordering an immediate offensive to contain the disease and prevent further spread.
The emergency response, directed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, will focus on intensifying disease surveillance, closing immunisation gaps and expanding access to life-saving treatment.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), affected state governments and international health partners, has constituted a multi-agency task force to coordinate the intervention.
The task force will be co-chaired by the Director-General of NCDC and the Director of Public Health, with representatives from NPHCDA, the health commissioners 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.
As part of the immediate containment drive, NPHCDA has deployed 500,000 doses of vaccines to Katsina and Kano States for intensified immunisation of unvaccinated children in affected and high-risk communities.
The task force has also been ordered to conduct detailed outbreak investigations, strengthen surveillance and ramp up community mobilisation to close immunity gaps that could fuel further transmission.
Beyond vaccination, the Federal Government is moving to bring treatment closer to affected communities, directing the Katsina State Government to establish treatment annexes in hospitals across the state’s three senatorial districts — Katsina, Daura and Funtua.
The emergency response also targets the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, the principal referral centre for the state and neighbouring areas.
The Federal Government said urgent support would be mobilised to the hospital, including Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT), intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and personal protective equipment (PPE).
The task force will submit weekly situation reports to the Coordinating Minister, detailing progress, emerging challenges and additional requirements, with bottlenecks to be escalated for immediate resolution.
The government said the emergency measures underscored its determination to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases from claiming more Nigerian children.
It reaffirmed its commitment to a swift, coordinated and evidence-based response aimed at bringing the diphtheria outbreak under control while strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to future public-health emergencies.
