Diphtheria: Kano, Yobe, others struggle with escalating cases, as vaccination campaigns get underway

The National Emergency Task Force and Coordination for Diphtheria in Nigeria, has said Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Bauchi states are struggling with escaping cases of diphtheria.

The taskforce, however, said vaccination campaigns were underway in those states.

The organization, co-chaired by Dr Faisal Shuaib, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said this to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

The outbreak, which re-emerged in December 2022, has posed significant challenges to the healthcare system and is particularly impacting several states.

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Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna and Bauchi, being the hardest-hit regions, collectively accounted for 97 per cent of all reported cases.

Of these, Kano alone carries the majority of cases at over 84 per cent, making it the epicentre of the outbreak.

Most alarmingly, over 73 per cent of these cases affect children aged 1 to 14 years, and approximately 18 per cent of those affected have not received any vaccinations.

Shuaib said that vaccination had been at the forefront of the country’s response to the diphtheria outbreak.

“Two vaccines are being used to combat the spread of the disease – the Pentavalent vaccine, administered to children aged 6 weeks to 4 years, and the Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine, provided to children aged above four years to 14 years,” he said.

According to him, recent months have witnessed comprehensive vaccination campaigns conducted across the affected regions, with a specific focus on the epicentre of the outbreak.

“Kano State, which has borne the brunt of the outbreak, has conducted three rounds of vaccination campaigns, with a significant emphasis on high-burden local government areas.

“In addition to Kano, the response has expanded to include Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, and Yobe, all of which have executed vaccination campaigns in high-burden areas.

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“These efforts are further supported by daily routine vaccinations conducted at government healthcare facilities nationwide,” he explained.

He said in the Phase One response conducted in August, hundreds of thousands of children were vaccinated.

He said that Kano alone saw 476,962 children receiving Td vaccines and 28,700 children received Penta vaccines.

Other states, he said, included Katsina, Bauchi, Kaduna, and Yobe, which achieved significant numbers of vaccinated children.

“As of September 23, the Phase two round table of the Diphtheria outbreak response commenced in seven of the high-burden states. Each state is actively participating in these efforts,” he said.

He said that recognising the importance of community trust and participation, dedicated teams had been tirelessly working on the ground to engage communities, answer questions and address concerns.

“Comprehensive approaches such as public health advisories, social and behavioural change materials, media engagement and sensitization campaigns targeting various community stakeholders are being deployed,” he said.

According to him, the government is firmly focused on controlling the outbreak and is simultaneously committed to strengthening healthcare systems, ensuring vaccine availability, and enhancing response capacity to address future outbreaks.

He said the collaboration with partners like Gavi, the vaccine alliance, was ongoing to expedite the procurement and delivery of additional vaccines.

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He said that while vaccines were a critical component of the response, other interventions such as wearing facemasks, handwashing, and physical distancing had been highlighted as key tools to reduce air contact with the bacteria causing diphtheria.

“These measures should be implemented without stigmatisation or discrimination against affected individuals.

“Nigeria’s fight against the diphtheria outbreak is an ongoing effort that underscores the unwavering commitment of the government to safeguard the health of its citizens.

“However, it is emphasised that this battle cannot be won by the government alone.

“Active participation from every citizen is crucial, including getting children vaccinated and encouraging others to do the same.

“Public cooperation and adherence to safety measures will be pivotal in overcoming this outbreak,” he said.