WHO, UNICEF, and Kaduna State Join Forces to Combat Diphtheria Outbreak in Zaria

In response to a recent diphtheria outbreak that tragically claimed the lives of five children in the Tukur-Tukur community of Zaria, a collaborative medical team has returned to the area to provide crucial support. The team, comprising officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Kaduna State Primary Healthcare, and Zaria Local Government, is conducting a second round of immunization and follow-up efforts to contain the disease. Leading the initiative, Dr. Bello Jamo, Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, visited the community alongside a WHO representative. Dr. Jamo confirmed that three of the child deaths were directly linked to the diphtheria outbreak. He pointed out that these fatalities were largely due to non-compliance with the routine diphtheria vaccination conducted two months prior. The swift response from the medical team has been met with appreciation from the local community. Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, a respected elder and Director of Publicity and Advocacy for the Northern Elders Forum, expressed the community's relief and gratitude for the timely intervention. "We are relieved that the medical team has arrived to provide the necessary support and intervention," Suleiman stated. He also emphasized the community’s proactive measures, including establishing a monitoring and sensitization system to ensure adherence to government health initiatives.

The medical team's ongoing efforts include continuing the immunization program and conducting a thorough house-to-house survey to assess the extent of the outbreak. Diphtheria, a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable disease, poses a significant public health challenge, but with the cooperation of the Tukur-Tukur community, the team is optimistic about achieving its eradication.

Suleiman reaffirmed the community’s commitment to working closely with the health authorities, stating, "Diphtheria is a serious and highly contagious disease, but we are confident that with the community’s cooperation and the collective efforts of the medical team, we can effectively control and eliminate this outbreak." The collaboration between WHO, UNICEF, and local health authorities in Kaduna represents a crucial step in addressing the public health crisis, highlighting the importance of immunization and the need for communities to stay vigilant in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.