171 local councils in 14 states at high risk of diphtheria spread, FG warns
The Federal Government has issued a warning about 171 local councils in 14 states that face a high risk of diphtheria spread.
The affected areas include all 144 local councils in Kano, Katsina, FCT, Yobe, Kaduna, and Bauchi states; 20 contiguous local councils in Gombe, Jigawa, Borno, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Zamfara; and seven local councils in Lagos and Osun states.
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In response, the Federal Ministry of Health, NPHCDA, NCDC, and partners are mobilizing resources to tackle the outbreak in four states. A comprehensive response plan has been activated to ensure early detection, containment, and prevention of further transmission through a multi-phased strategy.
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Olufunsho Adebiyi, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said available real-time surveillance data shows active diphtheria outbreaks in 25 local councils in Bauchi, Katsina, Yobe and Kaduna.
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Adebiyi said partnership aimed at intensified mass vaccination of identified populations at risk is in two phases. Phase one, a five-day reactive catch-up campaign, is planned for the affected 25 local councils in four states from August 7, 2023, and will target children less than 14 years of age. Children, six weeks to four years, would be administered the Pentavalent vaccine, while children above four to 14 years would be administered Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) vaccine during the campaign.
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He noted that 171 local councils in 14 states were being prioritised for full three rounds of catch-up campaigns using the Pentavalent vaccine (for children less than four years) and Td vaccine (for children between four and 14 years).
According to him, the 14 states for the phase two response are: Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Yobe, FCT, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Borno, Nasarawa, Plateau, Zamfara, Lagos and Osun.
Adebiyi observed that the three rounds of the phase two response catch-up campaigns are tentatively scheduled for August 21, 2023 (first round), September 18, 2023 (second round) and October 16, 2023 (third round).
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