By Mary Emeka
The FCT Administration has stepped up community mobilisation and disease surveillance efforts in Gwagwalada Area Council as part of measures to prevent and control diphtheria across the Federal Capital Territory.
The Director, FCT Public Health Department, Dr. Theresa Nwachukwu, led a team from the department on Thursday, September 17, 2026, to the palace of the Agụma of Gwagwalada, HRH Alhaji Muhammadu Magaji, where stakeholders discussed strategies to boost vaccination, community awareness and early reporting of suspected cases.
Nwachukwu said the engagement was in line with the commitment of the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, to strengthening the FCT’s response to diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
She said the Health Services and Environment Secretariat was sustaining coordinated interventions covering vaccination, disease surveillance, health promotion, community engagement and prompt response to suspected cases.
The Director urged traditional rulers and community leaders to support health authorities by mobilising residents, encouraging routine immunisation and ensuring that suspected cases are promptly reported and referred for medical attention.
She also reminded parents and caregivers that diphtheria is vaccine-preventable, urging them to ensure that eligible children, particularly zero-dose and under-immunised children, receive their routine vaccinations.
The engagement was attended by medical doctors from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, district heads, the Local Immunisation Officer, the Area Council Health Educator and members of the FCT Public Health Department’s Health Promotion and Education team.
Participants identified community-based surveillance, improved vaccination uptake, early detection, prompt reporting and referral as key measures for strengthening diphtheria prevention and control in Gwagwalada and other parts of the FCT.
Meanwhile, the FCT Health Promotion and Education team has continued community sensitisation activities in public spaces, including Garki and Wuse Markets, where residents are being educated on diphtheria symptoms, prevention, vaccination and the importance of seeking medical care early.
The department is also using social media platforms to disseminate health information and promote timely reporting of suspected cases.
The engagement with the Gwagwalada traditional institution is part of the FCT Administration’s broader strategy of working with community leaders to strengthen disease prevention and ensure that essential health information and services reach residents at the grassroots.
