ASHENEWS reports that officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and the Kaduna State Government have commenced an emergency vaccination campaign against diphtheria in the Tukur-Tukur community of Zaria, Kaduna State.
This initiative follows a recent outbreak in the area that resulted in the deaths of five children.
The swift response by the combined medical team has been met with gratitude from the Tukur-Tukur community, which has been deeply affected by the outbreak.
Speaking at the launch of the vaccination campaign, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the Director of Publicity and Advocacy for the Northern Elders Forum and a community elder, expressed the community’s appreciation for the timely intervention.
“We are relieved that the medical team has arrived to provide the necessary support and intervention,” Suleiman stated.
He further announced that the community has already established a monitoring and sensitization system to ensure compliance with the vaccination efforts and other government health initiatives.
“We are committed to working closely with the team to combat this outbreak,” he added.
In addition to administering the vaccine, the medical team will conduct a house-to-house survey to assess the spread of the disease within the community.
Diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable illness, is highly contagious and can be deadly if not promptly addressed.
“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,” Suleiman concluded.
The ongoing vaccination campaign underscores the importance of prompt and coordinated action in preventing the further spread of this life-threatening disease.
