- NCDC reports 1,534 confirmed diphtheria cases, 137 deaths in Nigeria between May 2022 and July 2023
- Majority of cases (66.4%) in children aged 1-14; 81.9% of confirmed cases not fully vaccinated, July saw 1,506 suspected cases
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the country had 1,534 confirmed cases of diphtheria and 137 deaths between May 2022 and July of this year.
According to the organization’s most recent diphtheria report, which was released on Tuesday, confirmed cases were recorded in 11 states.
According to the report, a total of 4,160 suspected cases have been reported from 27 states and 139 local government areas across the country.
Kano (3,233), Yobe (477), Katsina (132), Kaduna (101), Bauchi (54), Federal Capital Territory (41) and Lagos (30) accounted for 97.8% of suspected cases, according to the report.
According to the report, the confirmed cases were spread across 56 local government areas in 11 states.
Majority (66.4%) of the confirmed cases occurred in children aged 1 – 14 years.
Out of the 1,534 confirmed cases reported, 1,257 (81.9%) were not fully vaccinated against diphtheria, it said
The report also said in July this year alone a total of 1,506 suspected cases were reported from 59 local government areas in 11 states across the country.
Of the 1,506 suspected cases reported, 579 (38.5%) were confirmed (29 lab confirmed; While a total of 39 deaths were recorded among all confirmed cases, the report said.
141 LGs At High Risk Of Diphtheria Outbreak
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, 171 local government areas (LGAs) in 14 states are at high risk of the diphtheria outbreak spreading further.
According to the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Olufunsho Adebiyi, the 171 LGAs include all 144 LGAs in Kano, Katsina, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Yobe, Kaduna, and Bauchi states.
Other states with contiguous LGAs include Gombe, Jigawa, Borno, Nasarawa, Plateau, Zamfara, and Lagos and Osun.
He said real-time surveillance data showed active diphtheria outbreaks in 25 local government areas (LGAs) in Bauchi, Katsina, Yobe, and Kaduna states.
He stated that the Federal Ministry of Health was mobilising all necessary resources to respond to the outbreak in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), states, and partners.