Health
FCTA Intensifies Diphtheria Sensitisation in Karshi
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has intensified sensitisation and community engagement in Karshi and surrounding communities following the confirmation of a diphtheria outbreak in the territory, which has so far claimed two lives.
The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environmental Secretariat, FCTA, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, disclosed this during a community sensitisation and advocacy programme on diphtheria held in Karshi, Abuja.
Fasawe said the FCT Administration had investigated 15 suspected cases as of last week, with five subsequently confirmed through laboratory testing.
She said two of the confirmed cases resulted in fatalities, while several other patients had been successfully treated and discharged.
The secretary explained that diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that primarily affects the nose and throat and can sometimes affect the skin.
She noted that early symptoms may include fever, cough and catarrh, which could progress to neck swelling and severe difficulty in breathing.
Fasawe cautioned residents against self-medication and warned them against attempting to remove or interfere with the pseudo-membranes that may develop at the back of the throat of infected persons.
She recalled a tragic incident in which a child reportedly bled to death after a local barber attempted to cut a membrane in the child’s throat, stressing the need for suspected cases to be taken immediately to designated health facilities for proper medical attention.
She said the FCTA had deployed a
multidisciplinary Incident Management Team to Karshi and neighbouring rural and urban communities to strengthen surveillance, trace contacts, administer preventive antibiotics and intensify community sensitisation.
According to her, the awareness campaign is also being conducted in local languages, including Hausa and Gbagyi, to ensure that residents fully understand the symptoms, prevention measures and appropriate response to suspected cases.
Also, the Chief of Karshi, Ismaila Mohammed, clarified that the recorded fatalities did not occur directly within Karshi town but in a neighbouring border settlement in Nasarawa State.
Represented by the District Head of Karshi, Alhaji Ahmed Doka, the traditional ruler commended the swift intervention of the government and pledged the support of traditional and religious leaders in ensuring that residents, particularly parents of sick children, seek medical attention at designated health centres rather than relying on unverified local remedies.
Moreso, Hanatu Bello, who represented the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), assured that the agency was providing full technical and operational support to the FCT to interrupt transmission and strengthen risk communication across communities.
The FCT Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Imaobong Adebayo, represented by Dr. Jibril Alkasim, highlighted the availability and safety of free routine vaccines, urging residents to take advantage of immunisation services to bridge existing vaccination gaps.
Adebayo reiterated WHO’s commitment to supporting local health teams with field operations, active case searches and efforts to increase vaccination coverage among vulnerable groups.
The Director, FCT Public Health Department, Teresa Nwachukwu, also reassured residents that there was no cause for panic, stressing that the FCTA had the structures and capacity required to contain the outbreak.
Nwachukwu said the FCT health system had fully operational outbreak response structures covering surveillance, case management and risk communication.
She noted that available data indicated that children between the ages of five and nine were among the most vulnerable to the disease and stressed adherence to routine childhood immunisation schedules.