HOUSE OF REPS CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION ON DIPHTHERIA VACCINATION IN SCHOOLS
The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to ramp up diphtheria vaccination and awareness campaigns in schools nationwide, following a recent outbreak that hospitalized several students at King’s College, Lagos.
The resolution was passed during plenary on Wednesday, March 12, after the adoption of a motion sponsored by House spokesperson Akin Rotimi.
In his presentation, Rotimi highlighted critical lapses in infection prevention and control at federal unity colleges, emphasizing the need for a nationwide health and safety strategy in schools.
Diphtheria, a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium species, affects the nose, throat, and sometimes the skin. Symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, red eyes, neck swelling, and difficulty breathing. In recent months, the disease has claimed hundreds of lives, predominantly among children.
Following a unanimous voice vote led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to intensify vaccination efforts and public awareness campaigns to curb the spread of the disease.
Additionally, lawmakers called for immediate and decisive measures to strengthen health and safety protocols in federal unity colleges, with a particular focus on King’s College, to prevent further outbreaks.
