Katsina State has recorded more than 1,000
suspected diphtheria cases since January 2026, prompting authorities to
intensify emergency response measures across affected communities.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State
Primary Health Care Agency, Shaima’u Abba, disclosed this on Sunday while
briefing journalists at the Agency’s Emergency Coordination Centre in Katsina.
Abba described diphtheria as a highly infectious but
vaccine-preventable disease that primarily affects the respiratory system,
warning that the outbreak remains a serious public health concern.
According to her, as of Epidemiological Week 35,
ending August 28, 2026, suspected cases had been reported in 29 Local
Government Areas.
Funtua recorded the highest number of cases, followed
by Kankia, Bakori, Katsina, Mashi and Daura.
She said the state government, led by Governor Dikko
Radda, was working with the State Emergency Preparedness and Rapid Response
Team, the Primary Health Care Agency, Ministry of Health, National Primary
Health Care Development Agency, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and
Prevention, UNICEF and other partners to contain the outbreak.
Abba said surveillance, contact tracing, case
investigations, data reviews and preventive treatment for contacts were ongoing
across affected communities under the Incident Management System.
Reactive Vaccination Campaign
She disclosed that a reactive vaccination campaign
commenced on August 25 across 15 high-risk wards in Bakori,
Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi and Kankia Local Government Areas, with support from
UNICEF.
According to her, the campaign has recorded
encouraging participation following intensive house-to-house mobilisation by
health workers and community teams.
The state has also expanded its capacity to manage
patients by establishing three additional isolation centres,
complementing the existing NCDC-supported isolation facility at the Federal
Teaching Hospital, Katsina.
Essential medicines, medical consumables and
infection-prevention materials have also been supplied to treatment centres,
while healthcare workers are receiving additional training in surveillance and
case management.
However, Abba identified low vaccination uptake,
delayed presentation at health facilities and the state’s porous border with
Niger Republic as major challenges to controlling the outbreak.
She urged parents and caregivers to ensure that
children receive all recommended routine vaccinations and encouraged residents
to seek immediate medical attention when symptoms such as sore throat, fever,
difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling or a greyish membrane in the
throat occur.
Children’s Ward Overwhelmed
Meanwhile, the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, has
confirmed that the rising number of diphtheria cases has pushed its children’s
ward beyond capacity.
The hospital said the continued referral of suspected
and confirmed cases from across the state had resulted in severe overcrowding
and exhausted available bed spaces.
Despite the pressure, the hospital management said it
remained committed to providing timely and quality care while exploring
alternative arrangements to accommodate the increasing number of critically ill
children.
The hospital also commended its healthcare workers for
their dedication and called for stronger collaboration among government
agencies, health institutions and development partners to contain the outbreak
and protect vulnerable children.
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