Diphtheria Outbreak: Bida Emirate Council Partners with Niger Health Ministry to Boost Immunization.
By Yahaya Zakka Minna
The Bida Emirate Council has pledged its unwavering support to the health sector in a bid to stem the rising cases of diphtheria within the emirate.
The commitment was made by the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Highness Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, during a high-level advocacy visit by senior officials from the Niger State Ministry of Health to his palace in Bida.
Addressing the delegation, the Etsu Nupe stressed the urgent need for robust public awareness campaigns to ensure parents present their children for routine immunization.
He urged health officials to take the sensitization drives directly to high-density public areas, particularly market centers and motor parks, to maximize reach and compliance.
Speaking on the urgency of the situation, the Niger State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Muhammad Bagana, identified low immunization coverage and poor patronage of primary healthcare centers as key factors driving the outbreak.
He lamented that the preventable disease has already claimed the lives of several children in the area.
Concurring with the royal father, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Junaidu Inuwa, stated that the proactive involvement of traditional institutions remains vital to the overall success of health intervention campaigns.
The traditional council and health officials jointly appealed to parents and guardians across Bida Emirate to utilize nearby primary healthcare centers to access free, safe immunization services for their children.
