The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has disclosed that six states account for a whooping 97 per cent of all reported diphtheria cases in the country.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the agency’s director general disclosed this at the Diphtheria Outbreak Response briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
He listed the states to include Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Bauchi.
Noting that the six states were bearing the brunt of the disease in the country, Dr Shuaib said Kano alone carried the weight of over 84% of the cases, making it the epicenter of the outbreak.
Also regretting that Diphtheria, a preventable disease, had cast a dark shadow over communities, and particularly impacting children who he described as “our most vulnerable citizens”, Shuaib said the agency had in recent times, launched rapid and comprehensive vaccination campaigns across the affected regions.
He said: ” These campaigns have been meticulously planned and executed, with a laser focus on the epicenter of the outbreak.
“Kano, as the epicenter of this outbreak, has been at the forefront of our vaccination efforts. Working with the state governments, we implemented rounds one and two of the vaccination campaign in five high-burden local government areas in February and April 2023 respectively.
“Subsequently, round three was integrated into routine immunization intensification, further bolstering our response. A additional eight LGAs in Kano underwent reactive vaccination exercises in the last week of August.
“Today, we stand united in the face of a public health challenge that demands our unwavering attention and swift action.
“Diphtheria, a preventable disease, has cast a dark shadow over our communities, particularly impacting our most vulnerable citizens, our beloved children.
“As we confront this crisis head-on, let me share with you the vital role of vaccination in our battle against this formidable foe.
“In this ongoing outbreak, you have heard that some states have been affected, with Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Bauchi bearing the brunt, accounting for a staggering 97 per cent of all reported cases.
”Kano alone carries the weight of over 84 per cent of these cases, making it the epicenter of this outbreak. The burden falls disproportionately on our young, with over 73 per cent of cases occurring in children aged one to 14 years. Alarmingly, only about 18 per cent of those affected had received any vaccinations.
”Borno State also conducted reactive vaccination exercises in four LGAs during the same period.
“For the phase one response conducted in August, 2023, significant numbers were reached. In Kano State alone, 476,962 children received Td vaccines, while 28,700 children received Penta vaccines.
”Katsina, had 313,615 children vaccinated with Penta vaccines and 421,045 with Td vaccines; Bauchi, vaccinated 162,840 children with Penta and 257,075 with Td vaccines; Kaduna, reached 174,857 children with Penta and 245,805 with Td vaccines. Yobe, vaccinated 82,601 children with Penta and 207,418 with Td vaccines. These figures do not include the daily routine vaccination efforts ongoing in these states.”
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