Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported three new confirmed cases and one death from diphtheria in its latest situation update for week 11.
The cases emerged from 16 suspected infections across four local government areas in two states. “All the three confirmed cases were clinically diagnosed, with no laboratory confirmations or epidemiological links reported,” the NCDC stated.
The agency also highlighted that the recent fatality resulted in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 33.3 per cent.
Since epidemiological week 19 of 2022, Nigeria has recorded 42,805 suspected diphtheria cases across 351 local government areas in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Of these, 25,977 cases have been confirmed, with Kano, Yobe, Katsina, and Bauchi being the most affected states.
The report noted, “Most confirmed cases, 16,579 (63.8 per cent), occurred among children aged one to 14 years.”
The NCDC also raised concerns over persistent vaccination gaps, which have fuelled the outbreak. As of the latest reports, diphtheria has claimed 1,319 lives among confirmed cases, reflecting a CFR of 5.1 per cent.
In response to the outbreak, the NCDC, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, has ramped up public health interventions.
These include enhanced surveillance, expanded vaccination efforts targeting unvaccinated populations, and awareness campaigns to promote immunisation.
The NCDC urged the public to ensure children receive the full diphtheria vaccine series as part of routine immunisation.
“Healthcare workers are also advised to maintain a high index of suspicion for diphtheria and adhere to recommended infection prevention and control measures to mitigate the spread of the disease,” the agency stated.
“Thanks for sharing such valuable information!”