The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports that at least 1,191 people have died from diphtheria since May 2023.
Muzzammil Gadanya, the Incident Manager of the National Diphtheria Emergency Operations Centre, made the announcement during a National Intra-Action Review Meeting in Kaduna.
Gadanya revealed that over 38,000 suspected cases have been recorded, with 23,000 confirmed cases. “Our primary focus is to assess Nigeria’s response and strengthen efforts to prevent further spread of the disease,” he stated, noting a significant reduction in diphtheria cases nationwide.
Vaccines are currently available for routine immunisation, and Gadanya stressed the importance of sustaining these efforts.
Director of healthcare at the Nigeria Red Cross, Manir Jega emphasised the organisation’s support for government initiatives. “Since the outbreak, we have deployed 3,700 community-based volunteers for house-to-house sensitisation,” Jega noted. He also highlighted educational roadshows aimed at informing the public about the disease’s signs and symptoms.
Recommendations from the meeting include expanding vaccination efforts, enhancing public awareness initiatives, and implementing active contact tracing in affected regions.
