Katsina Intensifies Diphtheria Vaccination

The Katsina State Government has intensified its response to a diphtheria outbreak, vaccinating 150,346 people within five days of a reactive vaccination campaign launched across five local government areas.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr Salisu Bala Zango, disclosed this in an update on the state’s response to the outbreak.

According to him, the campaign, which commenced on August 25, 2026, targeted 15 high-risk wards in Bakori, Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi and Kankia local government areas.

Zango said 99,036 eligible persons had received the Td vaccine by the fifth day of the exercise, while 51,310 children had been vaccinated with the Pentavalent vaccine.

He added that the state had secured an additional 650,000 doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines for use in affected and high-risk communities.

The commissioner 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.

He said the state had activated its emergency response structure involving the State Emergency Preparedness and Rapid Response Team, Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency and the Ministry of Health.

According to him, the state is also working with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing and treatment of suspected cases.

Zango said three additional isolation centres had been established to complement the NCDC-supported isolation centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina.

He said medicines, medical consumables and infection-prevention materials were also being provided, while health workers were receiving training in diphtheria surveillance and case management.

The commissioner said surveillance teams had continued visits to affected communities and health facilities to identify suspected cases, trace contacts and update records.

He added that preventive medication was being administered to contacts where necessary.

Zango identified low vaccination uptake in some communities, delayed presentation of suspected cases and Katsina’s international border with Niger Republic as some of the challenges to controlling the outbreak.

He said traditional leaders and other community stakeholders were being mobilised to encourage residents to participate in the vaccination exercise and seek medical attention promptly when symptoms occurred.

Residents were advised to seek immediate medical care when they develop symptoms including sore throat, fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling, or a thick greyish or whitish membrane in the throat, tonsils or nose.
Parents and caregivers were also urged to ensure that children receive their recommended vaccinations as efforts continue to contain the outbreak.