Diphtheria: Ungoggo teams reach children across communities

Health teams have intensified efforts to protect children against diphtheria across communities in Ungoggo Local Government Area of Kano State, targeting those aged six weeks to 14 years.

The ongoing exercise, which began on Saturday, covers wards and communities across the local government as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and reduce associated deaths.

Nana Jamila Ali Abubakar, a team leader, said health workers had visited several locations, including Settlement, Merariya, Kaura streets and Zakara Mosque, all within Ungoggo.

She said the teams reach an average of 150 to 170 children during each outing, with 154 children reached on one day alone.

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Jamila urged parents and caregivers to cooperate with health workers by making their children available, stressing that community participation was essential to protecting children and containing the outbreak.

“My call to parents is to help themselves and their children, because this disease is real and everyone can see its effects,” she said.

She urged families to take advantage of the exercise and ensure eligible children are reached, saying wider participation would help protect children from the disease.

The exercise is continuing across Ungoggo, with health workers taking preventive services closer to families and communities.

In a vox pop by ‘The Historica Nigeria‘, most parents expressed appreciation for the exercise, saying bringing the service to their doorsteps would make it easier to protect their children from diphtheria.

Healthcare workers administer vaccines to children and conduct community outreach during a local immunization campaign.