98% Children With Diphtheria Not Immunised – Minister

The Coordinating Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has said that 98 per cent of unvaccinated children were infected with diphtheria in 19 states. The Minister, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, made the disclosure at the Northern Traditional Leaders’ Committee on Primary Health Care Service Delivery (NTLC) Quarterly Review Meeting on Wednesday in Abuja. The meeting was organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). The NTLC meeting is a platform for the NPHCDA and its partners to engage traditional leaders on their roles and responsibilities toward improving primary healthcare delivery in their communities. The minister called for the implementation of a rapid vaccination campaign. He said that the 19 states must come together to save the lives of vulnerable children. Pate said that the ministry and other stakeholders had come together to aggressively tackle the diphtheria challenge that had persisted for months. He said that efforts were being made to ensure that the challenge would not linger. “The key focus of these collaborative efforts is to improve local governance and enhance delivery of essential services. “This involves including all relevant stakeholders in the conversation, not just the Federal Government. “Leaders at all levels, including your highnesses and representatives from the private sector, are actively working together to address the pressing diphtheria issue that affects our people,” he said. The minister said that a major milestone was the upcoming launch of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Nigeria later in October. “This vaccine not only aims to prevent cervical cancer in the years to come, but also emphasises the importance of engaging our royal fathers and strengthening the health system to ensure efficient delivery of vaccines. “It acknowledges that different population segments require different approaches with childhood vaccination programmes catering for younger age groups, and COVID-19 vaccinations targeting adults,” he said. He said that technical experts involved in the efforts had reassured the country of the safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. “Their expertise and responses to various questions have instilled confidence in recommending its utilisation to protect our girls and prevent future health complications,” he said. He said that the collaborative approach taken by state governments and other stakeholders set an example not only within the sub-region but also for all in the wider space. “The unity and evidence-based decision-making exhibited by all members involved in this venture highlight the commitment to address health challenges and protect the well-being of all Nigerians. “This united front signifies a significant step forward in addressing the ongoing health challenge and paves the way for a more coordinated and effective response. “With the combined efforts of state governments, other stakeholders and technical experts, there is optimism that this collaborative approach will yield positive outcomes and bring about much-needed solutions to improve public health,” he said. He expressed gratitude to traditional leaders across the country for longstanding support of public health initiatives. Pate praised their unwavering commitment to the well-being of the people and credited them with the successful fight against wild poliovirus in Nigeria. He said that Nigeria’s remarkable progress in polio eradication had far-reaching implications. “The fact that we don’t have children paralysed by wild poliovirus now is thanks to your leadership and the commitment of more than 100,000 traditional leaders,” he said. The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, appealed to Nigerians to live in peace for the unity of the country.

Diphtheria: Kano Records 5,800 Cases– UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Tuesday, said that Kano State has recorded 5,800 suspected cases of Diphtheria from January to date. The UN Agency said the cases were recorded in 39 local government areas of the state. The Head, UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr Rahama Mohammned-Farah, stated this in Kano during a one-day media orientation on Diphtheria outbreak. According to him, Kano State has the highest number of recorded cases in the country, adding that Diphtheria was a highly contagious and infectious disease that could cause death. Mohammned-Farah stressed that proactive measures were necessary to stem the outbreak. “Recently, we have seen a surge in the number of reported Diphtheria cases in Nigeria, and Nigeria is currently facing an outbreak that needs to be stopped and prevented. “As of July, Diphtheria cases have been on the rise. As of last week, over 400 suspected cases with 11 deaths have been reported in Kano. “Out of the 39 LGAs affected, eight are the most affected, including Ungogo with 2,651 cases; Dala 989, Fagge 943, Gwale 714, Kumbotso 713, Nasarawa 538, Kano Municipal 506 and Tarauni 269,” he said. He said that 60.8 per cent of the suspected cases had been reported in children not vaccinated, which reinforced the critical need to address the issue of zero doses, especially in Kano State. “UNICEF delivered 1.2 million vaccines to the Kano State Government in our continuing support to the government response to Diphtheria outbreak. “Diphtheria outbreak is a threat to child survival, health and the wellbeing of children. UNICEF is collaborating with government and partners to respond to the emergency to save the lives of children affected. “In Kano state, UNICEF supported Tetanus-Diphtheria reactive vaccination campaigns in February, April and August, vaccinating 23,200 children in round one. “While 277,796 children vaccinated in round two and 29,500 others in round-3 of the exercise. “We engaged 150 traditional leaders on Diphtheria outbreak and distribution of Diphtheria IEC materials, and deployed 1,500 VCMs to the worst affected LGAs to conduct house-to-house sensitisations and referral of suspected cases to health facilities. “Media has a key role to play particularly in infection prevention, and risk communication and community engagement,” he said. Also speaking, Dr Muhammad Nasir-Mahmoud, the Director-General, Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, said the state government had adopted drastic measures to curtail spread of the disease. “We are committed towards educating the public about what is happening and the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has promised that Kano will be accorded priority in terms of vaccine distribution,” he said. While describing the media as partners in the fight against Diphtheria, Nasir-Mahmoud urged them to support the campaign against the disease.