Diphtheria Kills 83 In 7 States, FCT

National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has said that Nigeria has recorded 836 confirmed cases of diphtheria in 33 local government areas across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from May to July 2023.

It added that 83 deaths have been reported from the confirmed cases.

Executive director of the NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this yesterday at a press briefing on the ongoing diphtheria outbreak in the country.

He said, “There is concern over the outbreak of diphtheria cases across the country. From May to July 2023, an estimated 2,455 suspected cases have been reported in 26 states. As of July 27, 2023, 836 of these cases have been confirmed in 33 LGAs across 8 states: Cross River, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Lagos, Osun, Yobe, and FCT.

“Tragically, 83 deaths have been reported from these confirmed cases, making vaccination against this deadly disease critically important, especially for our children.”

Faisal described diphtheria as a highly contagious vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria, saying the disease is mainly spread through direct contact with an infected person or exposure to airborne droplets.

He noted that it poses a severe risk to people of all ages, particularly children.

“Unfortunately, there are still children who are unvaccinated despite the availability of vaccines in the country’s routine immunisation schedule’, Faisal lamented.

Diphtheria primarily affects the respiratory system, and symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, neck swelling, and breathing difficulties, said Faisal.

He said if left untreated, the symptoms can lead to death, with a higher risk for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children in crowded and unsanitary areas.

The ED, however, said that diphtheria is totally preventable through vaccination.

He stated: “In Nigeria, pentavalent vaccines are used to protect against diphtheria and are administered to children at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, and 14 weeks of age, with additional doses being given during campaigns.

“Despite the efforts of the federal government to provide safe and cost-effective vaccines, a significant number of children remain unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, compromising the country’s goal of achieving population immunity. Suboptimal vaccination coverage has been the main factor contributing to these outbreaks, with the most affected age group being those between two and 14 years.”