Niger Begins Diphtheria Vaccination Campaign In Bida

Niger State government has begun a two-day mass diphtheria vaccination campaign to contain the outbreak of the disease in the state.

Diphtheria is a chronic nose and throat bacterial infections that affect respiratory tissues and it is said to be highly contagious.

During a   strategic planning of the vaccination campaign  at the Dokodza Primary Health Care Center, Bida,  the Team Leader and Director of Public Health of the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Idris reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to protect the lives of children and residents of Bida through timely, coordinated, and effective public health interventions.

He explained that the vaccination campaign would focus on identified high-risk wards within the Bida metropolis, deploying a combination of community engagement, outreach activities, and house-to-house mobilisation to ensure no eligible child was  left unreached.

Dr Idris said as part of the operational plan, health teams will conduct active case searches through door-to-door visits to identify suspected diphtheria cases and  children who are yet to be immunized.

He said daily vaccination activities will commence from 7:30 a.m. to maximize coverage and ensure early protection.

The Director said efforts would be made to secure the support of traditional institutions in strengthening community participation, acceptance, and compliance.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the Ministry of Health Niger State has strengthened vaccination in Bida areas in view of the suspected cases of the disease in the area.

While the Ministry of Health was yet to come out categorically on the number of infected people and prevalent rate  of the disease in the area, it was learnt that sometimes last year some cases were diagnosed at Federal Medical Centre Bida ,  prompting the state government to take proactive measures.