As of the end of the previous week, 15 suspected cases had been investigated, with five confirmed through laboratory testing, while the remaining cases were discarded following investigation
By Moses Okorie
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has intensified efforts to prevent the spread of diphtheria by taking its awareness and vaccination campaign to Karshi community.
The programme, tagged “Advocacy Campaign/Community Engagement on the Prevention and Control of Diphtheria in Karshi Community of the FCT,” is aimed at strengthening surveillance, vaccination and community awareness.
Speaking at the event, Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCTA, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the administration had received alerts of diphtheria cases in some communities across the territory in recent weeks.
Fasawe said that as of the end of the previous week, 15 suspected cases had been investigated, with five confirmed through laboratory testing, while the remaining cases were discarded following investigation.
She said two deaths were recorded among the five confirmed cases, prompting the FCTA to activate a multidisciplinary Incident Management Team to contain the disease.
According to her, the response team had commenced active case searches, identification and monitoring of close contacts, as well as the administration of preventive antibiotics to eligible household contacts.
She added that samples were being collected for laboratory testing, while health workers were receiving sensitisation on early detection, infection prevention and control, and prompt notification of suspected cases.
“In Karshi, surveillance and vaccination teams have already been deployed to priority settlements, including Angwan Kokosa and surrounding communities,” she said.
Fasawe said the teams were working with traditional and religious leaders, schools, health facilities, town announcers and other community stakeholders to identify suspected cases, assess vaccination gaps and locate children who had missed routine immunisation.
She said priority would be given to zero-dose and under-immunised children.
The mandate secretary urged parents and caregivers to check their children’s vaccination cards and visit the nearest primary healthcare centre if they were uncertain about their vaccination status.
She assured residents that children without vaccination cards would still be assessed by health workers and appropriately guided.
Fasawe also said the FCTA would strengthen risk communication and community engagement using languages understood by residents, stressing that accurate information must reach households, schools, markets, places of worship and motor parks.
She further advised private hospitals treating suspected diphtheria cases to isolate affected persons and refer them to the nearest secondary healthcare facility.
The FCT State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Jubril Al-Kasim, represented by Mrs Imaobong Adebayo, urged residents to seek medical attention promptly whenever they suspected symptoms of diphtheria.
Al-Kasim said diphtheria was preventable through vaccination and called on community leaders to support efforts to improve routine immunisation uptake.
He said stronger collaboration with traditional and religious leaders would help interrupt transmission in Karshi and surrounding communities.
“Vaccines are free, they are safe, they are available for our children and we hope that with more improved uptake, we’ll be able to ensure that we don’t have this kind of outbreak going forward,” he said.