Posted on: Wed 06-12-2023

The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), in conjunction with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), has pledged to mitigate impact of diphtheria outbreak.

It made the promise at a press briefing on Diphtheria Emergency Appeal, yesterday, in Lagos. NRCS president, Adeaga Adetayo, explained that people at the greatest risk of contracting the disease were children and those that have received only a single dose of the vaccine and others that have not.

Diphtheria, according to him, is a severe bacterial infection that can affect a person’s nose, throat, and occasionally skin, it is brought on by the bacterium Corynebacterium species.

He added that residents of densely crowded places and unsanitary areas are also at risk of contracting the ailment. Healthcare professionals, frontline workers and contacts are equally predisposed. He advised the public to get free healthcare at nearest facilities.

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