Nigeria Activates Emergency Task Force as Diphtheria Outbreak Hits Katsina, Kano

By Mintesinot Nigussie  |  August 29, 2026

Nigeria has activated an emergency task force to contain a diphtheria outbreak affecting children in parts of Katsina and Kano states, deploying 500,000 vaccine doses and expanding treatment capacity in affected areas.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the response will focus on strengthening disease surveillance, closing immunisation gaps and improving access to timely treatment.

The task force was established on the directive of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Ali Pate and brings together federal and state health authorities, international agencies and disease-control programmes.

It will be co-chaired by the director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the director of public health. Representatives from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the health ministries of Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto states, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme are also members.

The government's immediate response includes outbreak investigations, intensified surveillance and community mobilisation to identify and vaccinate children who have not received adequate immunisation.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency has deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to Katsina and Kano to support vaccination campaigns in affected and high-risk communities.

Treatment capacity is also being expanded in Katsina. The task force will work with the state government to establish treatment annexes in hospitals across the three senatorial districts — Katsina, Daura and Funtua — allowing patients to receive care closer to their communities.

The government is also mobilising emergency supplies for the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, the main referral centre for the state and parts of neighbouring states. The supplies include diphtheria antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics and personal protective equipment, alongside additional clinical staff.

The task force will report weekly to Pate on the progress of the response, emerging challenges and additional resource requirements.

Diphtheria is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that can cause breathing difficulties, heart complications and nerve damage, but is preventable through vaccination. The outbreak response therefore places particular emphasis on reaching children who have missed routine immunisation.

The federal government said it would use the coordinated response to strengthen protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and contain the outbreak.

Source: FSX Business News