A health team under the direction of Dr. Bello Jamo, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, has confirmed a diphtheria outbreak in the Tukur Tukur settlement within the state’s Zaria Local Government.
Following reports of child deaths, the team—which included a representative from the World Health Organization—visited the community.
Jamo verified that the suspected outbreak had claimed the lives of three children, and he attributed the incident to a routine exercise two months prior in which there was non-compliance with the diphtheria vaccination requirement.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the visit on Sunday, the KPHCB chief stated that, following the routine vaccination program carried out in June, this was the first instance of the disease outbreak documented in Zaria LG’s 13 wards.
He said the settlement had the highest vaccination rejection rate.
He said, “Based on our record, Tukur Tukur settlement has been the highest in the rejection rate of vaccine during our previous routine exercise.
“So i met with the ward leaders, religious and opinion leaders and urged them to scale up sensitisation campaign on the need to embrace the vaccine.”
The team ordered vaccinations to be administered to neighboring settlements for the following week in order to contain the outbreak, and they vaccinated over 1,000 children in the area.
Additionally, he exhorted health officials and local leaders to intensify their campaigns to raise awareness of the value of vaccinations.
According to Abdullahi Sule, the local council’s health secretary, two victims passed away after being taken to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Shika, Zaria, and one victim passed away at home.
Fatima Abdullahi, the ward focal point, gave residents the assurance that her team would stay in the neighborhood for a week in order to eradicate the illness.
Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, an elder and Northern Elders Forum spokesman, thanked them for their quick reply and gave them the assurance that the community was prepared to start a rigorous campaign of sensitization about the value of vaccinations.
According to reports, there had been warning signs from the community about a possible outbreak of diphtheria.
