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…vaccinate over 150,000 residents in five days
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Katsina State Government has identified the state’s international border with the Niger Republic as one of the key challenges complicating efforts to contain a diphtheria outbreak that has spread across 29 local government areas.
In a statement, the government said other obstacles include low vaccination uptake in some communities and delayed presentation of suspected cases, even as it intensifies vaccination, surveillance and treatment across affected areas.
According to the statement, the administration of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda had vaccinated 150,346 people within five days under a reactive vaccination campaign that commenced on August 25, 2026, targeting 15 high-risk wards in Bakori, Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi and Kankia local government areas.
By the fifth day of the campaign, the government said, 99,036 eligible persons had received the Td vaccine, while 51,310 children had been vaccinated with the Pentavalent vaccine.
The statement said the intervention followed reports of suspected diphtheria cases across 29 local government areas, with Funtua recording the highest burden, followed by Kankia, Bakori, Katsina, Mashi and Daura.
To address the identified gaps, the government said traditional leaders and community stakeholders were being mobilised to encourage residents to participate in vaccination and seek prompt medical attention.
The statement noted that the administration had activated the state’s emergency response structure, bringing together the State Emergency Preparedness and Rapid Response Team, the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency and the Ministry of Health.
It added that the state was working with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and development partners to strengthen surveillance, trace contacts and ensure early treatment of suspected cases.
“As part of efforts to improve case management, three additional isolation centres have been established to complement the NCDC-supported isolation centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina,” the government said.
The statement further disclosed that essential medicines, medical consumables and infection-prevention materials were being provided, while health workers were receiving additional training in diphtheria surveillance and case management.
According to the government, surveillance teams have continued visits to affected communities and health facilities to identify suspected cases, trace contacts and update records, with preventive medication being administered to contacts where necessary.
It added that an additional 650,000 doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines had been secured to extend protection to more vulnerable populations in affected and high-risk communities.
The statement also linked the emergency response to the administration’s broader healthcare development agenda, disclosing that Governor Radda recently visited NeoLife Babies Hospital in Kano following discussions on establishing a similar neonatal care facility in Katsina, and had pledged to establish a General Hospital in Danja Local Government Area in 2027.
Meanwhile, residents have been advised to remain vigilant and seek immediate medical care when symptoms including sore throat, fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling, or a thick greyish or whitish membrane in the throat, tonsils or nose occur.
The government urged parents and caregivers to ensure that children receive recommended vaccines, stressing that early detection, prompt treatment and public cooperation remain critical to containing the outbreak.
