The state Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, disclosed this while receiving representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation at the Government House.
The Kano State Government has said that it needs six million doses of vaccine to combat the outbreak of deadly diphtheria disease battling the state and other parts of the country.
The state Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, disclosed this while receiving representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gate Foundation at the Government House.
He reaffirmed his dedication to strengthen the 11-year partnership between the Kano State Government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A statement by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu, said the governor expressed gratitude to the Foundation for its support in the health sector and expressed interest in the Foundation’s involvement in areas like agriculture and digital finance.
Mr. Jerremy Zungurana, the leader of the Foundation’s Nigerian delegation, praised the enduring partnership and applauded the state’s efforts in the healthcare development.
He also promised sustainable assistance for the state’s initiatives as requested by the governor.
The state government recently set up three treatment centres as a response to curtailing the current spread of diphtheria in the state. This is coming as the state has so far recorded over 130 cases within a few days.
SaharaReporters on August 1 reported that the Nigerian government through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency said the country recorded 83 deaths and 836 confirmed cases of diphtheria since the beginning of this year.
The Executive Director, NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib, said this in Abuja during a news briefing on the diphtheria outbreak response.
He had said, “From May 2022 to July 2023, an estimated 2,455 suspected cases have been reported in 26 states. As of July 27, 2023, 836 of these cases have been confirmed in 33 local government areas across eight states: Cross River, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Lagos, Osun, Yobe, and FCT.
“Tragically, 83 deaths have been reported from these confirmed cases, making vaccination against this deadly disease critically important, especially for our children.”