The Kano State Government has commenced a diphtheria immunisation campaign targeting children in five local government areas as part of efforts to contain the spread of the vaccine-preventable disease in the state.
The exercise comes amid renewed concerns over diphtheria cases in Kano and other northern states, with health authorities intensifying vaccination, surveillance and community mobilisation activities.
The campaign is focused on five local government areas identified for the intervention, with health workers expected to administer vaccines to eligible children and provide information to parents and caregivers on the importance of immunisation.
The state’s renewed vaccination drive follows earlier appeals for additional vaccines from the Federal Government as authorities responded to the outbreak. The Federal Government subsequently deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to Kano and Katsina states in August to strengthen the response.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that can affect the nose, throat and other parts of the body. It can cause breathing difficulties and, in severe cases, affect the heart, nerves and kidneys. The disease spreads primarily through respiratory droplets and close contact with infected people.
Health officials have repeatedly identified vaccination as one of the most effective measures for preventing transmission.
According to data cited by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, eight states — Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara — accounted for 98 per cent of confirmed diphtheria cases recorded during the period under review. The NCDC also reported that about 68 per cent of confirmed cases were among unvaccinated people.
Kano has recorded a particularly significant burden. Earlier in September, the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, Muhammad Abbas, said the state had recorded 39,536 suspected cases, of which 32,633 had been confirmed, with 1,744 fatalities. He said all 44 local government areas had been affected by the outbreak.
The figures have heightened calls for expanded vaccination and improved early detection, particularly among children who have not received the recommended doses.
The Academy of Medical Sciences also recently warned that pockets of low immunity, overcrowded environments, inadequate ventilation and disruptions to routine immunisation could contribute to continued transmission. It said children between one and 14 years were carrying a substantial proportion of the disease burden.
Health authorities have therefore continued to encourage parents and guardians to ensure that eligible children receive their vaccines and to seek medical attention promptly when symptoms associated with diphtheria occur.
The NCDC has also stressed that vaccination is available free of charge at primary healthcare centres and urged parents to ensure that children receive routine childhood immunisations.
The Kano campaign is expected to strengthen the state’s response by taking vaccination services closer to communities where access to healthcare may be limited.
Beyond immunisation, health officials have emphasised the importance of surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing and early treatment of suspected cases. The national response has involved the NCDC, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, alongside state-level health authorities.
With Kano remaining one of the states carrying a large share of Nigeria’s diphtheria burden, authorities say sustained vaccination, early reporting and community cooperation will be important in reducing infections and preventing further deaths.
