The Federal Government has officially Declared Kano as the Epicenter of the ongoing Diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria.
Recent Statistics show that Kano alone accounts for more than 84% of confirmed Diphtheria Cases, totaling 7,188 Cases.
Across the Country, there have been 8,406 confirmed Cases reported in 19 States and 114 Local Councils.
Six States, namely Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Bauchi, collectively represent 97% of all reported Diphtheria Cases Nationwide.
In response to this situation, the Federal Government is urging the Governors of affected States to Promote the use of Facemasks during Public gatherings and Advocate for hand washing to reduce contact with the Bacteria responsible for the Disease.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the Co-chair of the Diphtheria Emergency Task Force and Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency emphasized the critical role of Vaccination in combating Diphtheria.
Nigeria has two Vaccines available: the Pentavalent Vaccine for children aged six weeks to four years and the tetanus-diphtheria (Td) Vaccine for children aged four to 14 years.
