By Raymond Ken-Mbata
29th August 2026
ABUJA – The Federal Government has activated an emergency task force to contain a diphtheria outbreak affecting children in parts of Katsina and Kano States, as health authorities move to prevent further spread of the disease.
The emergency response, directed by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, will focus on finding new cases, strengthening disease surveillance and reaching children who have not been vaccinated. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has already deployed 500,000 doses of vaccines to Katsina and Kano for intensified immunisation in affected and high-risk communities.
Announcing the development in a statement issued on Friday, 28th August 2026, Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said the government remained committed to protecting Nigerian children from vaccine-preventable diseases and ensuring a swift, coordinated and evidence-based response to bring the outbreak under control.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the response is being coordinated with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), NPHCDA, the affected state governments and international partners, including the World Health Organisation and UNICEF. Health commissioners from Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto States are also part of the task force, reflecting the need to prevent the outbreak from spreading beyond the currently affected areas.
In Katsina, the government is also working to make treatment more accessible by establishing treatment annexes in hospitals across the three senatorial districts of Katsina, Daura and Funtua. The Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, which serves as the major referral centre for the state and neighbouring areas, is to receive emergency supplies including Diphtheria Antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, additional health workers and personal protective equipment.
The task force has been mandated to provide weekly reports to the Coordinating Minister on the progress of the response, challenges and additional needs. The Federal Government said any obstacles identified during the operation would be escalated for immediate action.
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