The Kano State government has confirmed the award of N1 billion for the execution of various projects under the State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) in 2024.
The State Coordinator of KNCDC, Dr. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, disclosed this at an event to mark the 2023 International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
In December 2020, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, acknowledging the long-term harm caused by major infectious diseases and epidemics, particularly COVID-19
This day aligns with the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, promoting global health and well-being.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abbas said the funds will be included in its 2024 budget, adding that N500 million will also be provided as “emergency preparedness and response funds in 2024.”
He said, “The move was aimed to halt the spread of diphtheria, lassa fever, cholera, and other diseases in the state.”
The recent outbreak of diphtheria has claimed 547 lives in Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The vaccine-preventable bacterial infection is highly contagious and can lead to severe respiratory complications due to the formation of a greyish membrane in the throat. Without treatment, it obstructs breathing and can result in death.
According to WHO, there were 15,569 suspected cases of diphtheria from 9 May 2022 to 25 October 2023, with 9,772 cases confirmed across Nigeria.
Confirmed cases have been recorded in 19 states, with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kano, Yobe and Bauchi states the worst affected.
With a population of over 10 million, Kano is the epicenter, reporting about 85 percent of cases.
The Health Security Consultant of the FCDO Lafiya Programme, Dr. Umar Lawal Bello, identified inadequate budgetary allocation to health security as the major challenge faced by the health sector in the state.
He, however, said a “routine surveillance system must be deployed to detect epidemics before they arrive” to combat the outbreak of the disease in Kano.
The Program Officer of the Fiscal Discipline and Development Advocacy Centre (FIDAC), Suleiman Umar Isma’il, said FIDAC will document the challenges identified and table them to the relevant authority in the state to halt the further spread of disease.
Suleiman further expressed optimism that the event will help address the state's epidemics.
