The Federal Government has officially designated Kano as the epicentre of the ongoing diphtheria outbreak, citing that this particular state alone is responsible for more than 84% (7,188) of the confirmed cases.
As of the latest update, a total of 8,406 confirmed cases have been recorded across 19 states and 114 local councils throughout the nation.
Remarkably, six states, namely Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Bauchi, collectively account for a substantial 97% of all reported cases nationwide.
FG’s Charge to Governors
In light of this situation, the Federal Government is strongly urging the governors of the affected states to enforce the use of face masks during public gatherings and promote frequent handwashing to minimize contact with the bacteria responsible for the outbreak.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, who serves as the Co-chair of the Diphtheria Emergency Task Force and as the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, made these announcements during a briefing in Abuja yesterday.
He emphasized that vaccination remains the most potent defence against this disease.
He noted that the country offers two types of vaccines: the Pentavalent vaccine, administered to children aged six weeks to four years, and the Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine, administered to children aged four to 14 years.
Backstory
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) had earlier run alarm bells on the high spate of diphtheria prevalence in the country especially in the northern states.
The body noted that if urgent steps are not taken, around 2 million children stand the risk of being infected.
It further said around $ 3.3 million will be required to curtail the spread of the disease.
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