The Federal Government of Nigeria has activated an emergency multi-agency task force to contain a sudden diphtheria outbreak affecting children across several local government areas in Katsina and Kano states.
​The intervention was officially declared on Friday, August 28, 2026, during an emergency press briefing held at the Auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Secretariat Complex, Abuja.
​Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the deployment alongside key health leaders, noting that the task force will coordinate immediate contact tracing, emergency vaccination campaigns, and case management to prevent further spread across neighboring states.
Task Force Leadership, Co-chaired by Dr. Jide Idris, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Major Operational Directives include:- Direct distribution of over 400,000 doses of pentavalent vaccines and Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT) to referral centers in Kano and Katsina. Deployment of rapid response teams to set up localized isolation clinics in Kano Municipal, Kumbotso, Katsina City, and Baure LGAs and the establishment of joint daily monitoring sessions broadcast live to state health ministries to track new cases.
​Speaking on behalf of the task force, NCDC Spokesperson Dr. Yahya Disu emphasized the urgency of early reporting:
​”We are dealing with a highly contagious bacterial infection, and speed is critical. Parents in affected zones must immediately bring any child exhibiting severe sore throats, low-grade fevers, or neck swelling to the nearest primary healthcare center. All treatment provided through this emergency response is entirely free.”
​The multi-agency task force supported by teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, will remain stationed in the North-West zone for an initial 30-day emergency period.
