Media and Stakeholders Gather in Nigeria to Discuss Response to Diphtheria Outbreak

A media orientation meeting on the nation’s response to the diphtheria outbreak has been organised by the Coordinating Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) collaborated on the meeting.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) sponsored the one-day event, which was held on Friday in Abuja and attracted media professionals from all around the nation.

The meeting, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), was intended to increase the media’s understanding of diphtheria, assist them in understanding their duties and responsibilities, and identify crucial areas to support the ongoing outbreak response across the nation.

Dr. Faisal Shuaib of the NPHCDA praised and complimented the work of both National and State Media Stations in promoting health programmes, particularly the ongoing Diphtheria Outbreak Response in their respective states. He made these observations in his introductory remarks.

Shuaib, who was represented by Mrs. Aisha Tukur, the Agency’s acting director of advocacy and communication, stressed that the Federal Government and Development Partners understood the media’s critical function in fostering a strong nation.

He emphasised the government’s reliance on the media to educate Nigerians about diphtheria and other primary healthcare services offered in the nation.

Shuaib also praised NCDC and Development Partners for collaborating with NPHCDA to co-facilitate the media orientation meeting. He expressed the hope that the collaboration will continue after the Diphtheria Outbreak Response.

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NPHCDA and NCDC were commended for their efforts in facilitating the session by Margaret Soyemi, Head of Social and Behavioural Change Communication at UNICEF, who spoke on behalf of partners.

Soyemi praised the media stakeholders for their ongoing assistance and dedication to educating the public about health initiatives, particularly Diphtheria, at the national and subnational levels.

According to NAN, attendees included representatives from NPHCDA, NCDC, FMoH, Federal Ministry of Information (FMol), National Orientation Agency (NOA), and NAN.

The seven priority states (Bauchi, Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, and Yobe) were also represented by national and state media (print and broadcast), as well as by development partners like UNICEF, BA-N, Red Cross, WHO, ICAP, and others. (NAN)