Abah Felicity 
PLATEAU, Nigeria – The Plateau State Government has confirmed 23 deaths from a diphtheria outbreak after recording 148 suspected infections, as authorities intensify containment measures and express concern over the shortage of life-saving diphtheria antitoxin.
As part of efforts to curb transmission, the government has directed all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state to shut down from Monday, September 7, until further notice.
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, said the temporary closure was aimed at reducing the risk of infection among pupils, students, teachers and other school personnel.
Providing an update on the outbreak, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed that Plateau began recording suspected diphtheria cases in early August, particularly among children in densely populated communities within Jos North Local Government Area.
He said additional suspected cases have also been identified in Jos South, Wase and Bassa local government areas.
According to Baamlong, 13 patients are currently receiving treatment, with eight admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and five at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, where isolation centres have been established.
“The state government has intensified sensitisation and vaccination campaigns in affected communities and has notified the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC),” he said.
The commissioner explained that while logistics for laboratory sample collection and transportation had been received, the lack of diphtheria antitoxin remains a major challenge in treating severe cases.
He noted that the Federal Government and the NCDC were working to procure additional supplies of the medication.
Baamlong added that investigations showed many affected children were either unvaccinated or had not completed their routine immunisation schedules, underscoring the importance of vaccination in preventing the disease.
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Mirian Gom 
