The Federal Government has deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to Kano and Katsina states as authorities intensify efforts to contain an outbreak of the disease among children.
The intervention was announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, following a directive by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency is distributing the vaccines to affected and high-risk communities, while a multi-agency emergency task force has been activated to coordinate the response.
The task force comprises officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NPHCDA, the affected states and international health partners.
Its mandate covers outbreak investigation, surveillance, immunisation, treatment and referral care.
In Katsina, hospitals across the three senatorial districts, Katsina, Daura and Funtua are to establish treatment annexes to bring care closer to affected communities.
The Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, will receive diphtheria antitoxin, intravenous antibiotics, additional clinical personnel and personal protective equipment as the state’s principal referral centre.
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The task force will be jointly chaired by the NCDC Director-General and Director of Public Health, with the ministry’s Chief Epidemiologist as secretary.
Representatives of NPHCDA, the health commissioners of Katsina, Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto, WHO, UNICEF and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme are also members.
The committee will submit weekly reports to the Coordinating Minister on progress, challenges and additional requirements.
The intervention followed a fresh alert in Kano. On August 26, the Kano State Centre for Disease Control reported 32 diphtheria cases in Rano Local Government Area, 25 recorded in August and seven between May and July.
Seven patients had been transferred to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Kano, while others were receiving treatment in Rano.
The report came amid claims that more than 50 people had died in the area. However, the state disease-control agency said its official surveillance records did not confirm the figure and that investigations were ongoing.
Kano authorities had also requested additional vaccines from the Federal Government.
The development comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s major diphtheria outbreak, which began in Kano in 2022 before spreading nationwide. Kano recorded the largest share of cases during the early phase, prompting repeated vaccination campaigns.
The latest intervention is aimed at closing immunisation gaps, improving surveillance and ensuring faster access to treatment for affected children.
The Federal Government said it remained committed to bringing the outbreak under control and protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases.