The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to start an urgent diphtheria vaccination campaign in schools across the country.
This move comes after a recent outbreak of the disease at King’s College, Lagos, where a 12-year-old student lost his life, and several others were hospitalized.
During a plenary session on Wednesday, lawmakers raised concerns over the rising number of diphtheria cases in Nigeria.
Citing data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), they noted that the country has recorded 24,804 confirmed cases of the disease since 2022, with 1,269 deaths across 18 states.
The House expressed worry that the outbreak at King’s College exposed weaknesses in infection control in federal schools.
Lawmakers stressed the need for the Federal Ministry of Education to improve health measures in these institutions to prevent further outbreaks.
The Lagos State Government was praised for its quick response in isolating affected students, setting up an Emergency Operations Committee, and launching a mass vaccination drive.
The House also acknowledged efforts by the NCDC and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in containing the disease.
Following discussions, the House directed the Federal Ministry of Health, NPHCDA, and NCDC to boost vaccination efforts and raise awareness in schools.
The Federal Ministry of Education was also asked to review health infrastructure in unity colleges and put a proper response plan in place for infectious disease outbreaks.
Lawmakers further instructed their Committees on Health and Basic Education to work with relevant agencies to improve infection prevention and emergency response strategies in federal schools.
In addition, the House called on the Federal Government to compensate the family of the deceased student, acknowledging the loss and the government’s responsibility to ensure student safety in federal institutions.
