Gombe PDP politicising diphtheria outbreak — APC

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By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe

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GOMBE — The All Progressives Congress (APC), Gombe State chapter, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of politicising the diphtheria outbreak in the state, describing the opposition party’s position on the health emergency as “dangerous ignorance and insensitivity.”

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The APC, in a statement issued on Monday by its State Publicity Secretary, Murtala Usman Wuro Tale, said the PDP’s comments were inappropriate at a time when health authorities, medical professionals and development partners were working to contain the outbreak.

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The ruling party said diphtheria was a serious infectious disease that required coordinated medical and public health interventions rather than “sensationalism, speculation and political grandstanding.”

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According to the APC, the PDP’s position suggested that the opposition party had failed to understand established procedures for disease surveillance and outbreak response before making its claims.

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The party said the state government had activated a comprehensive response through the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre and other relevant health authorities.

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It listed measures being implemented to include risk communication and community engagement in affected communities, active case searches, evacuation and isolation of suspected and confirmed cases, free treatment at designated secondary and tertiary health facilities, as well as reactive vaccination campaigns.

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The APC said more than one million children aged between two and 15 years in affected communities had already been vaccinated.

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It added that 350,000 additional doses of vaccines supplied by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) had been made available and distributed to affected communities.

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“These are actions of a government that is responding, mobilising resources and working with competent health institutions to contain the situation,” the party said.

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The APC challenged the PDP to explain why it allegedly failed to acknowledge the measures already being implemented by the state government in its assessment of the outbreak.

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PDP should know consequences of careless statements

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The ruling party cautioned the PDP against what it described as careless statements capable of undermining public confidence in efforts to control infectious diseases.

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It rejected the opposition party’s alleged portrayal of the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as indifferent to healthcare, saying the government had invested in health infrastructure and disease-control mechanisms.

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The APC said the Inuwa Yahaya administration had revitalised 228 primary healthcare centres across the state’s 114 wards to improve access to essential healthcare services.

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It also cited the recruitment of health personnel, strengthening of immunisation structures, investment in disease surveillance and collaboration with national and international health organisations as part of the administration’s interventions in the health sector.

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On the current outbreak, the APC said the state government was collaborating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), NPHCDA, World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners.

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The party added that the government was providing free treatment and logistics for affected children at secondary and tertiary health facilities across the state.

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According to the APC, the emergency response was being coordinated through the Emergency Operations Centre, with government providing funds and supplies to support the intervention.

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The party urged the PDP and its publicity machinery to desist from what it described as the exploitation of the health concerns of Gombe residents for political purposes.

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It assured that the APC-led administration would continue to rely on medical experts, established disease-control protocols and collaboration with relevant national and international health institutions to contain the outbreak.

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The party added that political disagreements should not be allowed to undermine public health interventions or create unnecessary panic among residents.

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