The Nigerian government has set up an emergency task force to mitigate the spread of diphtheria in the country.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, made this known in a statement issued by the ministry on Thursday.
Mr Pate said the primary objective of the task force is to operate in an emergency mode to prevent further spread of diphtheria to other states and provide relief to affected communities.
He said the team will also liaise with the governors of the states affected by diphtheria for counterpart funding, ownership, and mass mobilisation.
Taskforce
The task force is to be co-chaired by the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, and the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Ifedayo Adetifa.
Other members of the task force include the Director of Public Health in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Anyaike Chukwuma;…