- The Jigawa State Ministry of Health has confirmed ten deaths in a diphtheria outbreak with 91 suspected cases across 14 local government areas
- The outbreak is linked to the disruption of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting routine immunization
The Jigawa State Ministry of Health has confirmed the deaths of ten people following a diphtheria outbreak involving 91 suspected cases across 14 local government areas in the state.
Dr Salisu Mu’azu, the ministry’s permanent secretary, told reporters in Dutse that two cases had been confirmed in the Kazaure and Jahun local government areas and that some samples had been sent to Abuja for confirmation.
He said the outbreak occurred in areas without routine immunization against the epidemic.
Dr Ma’azu stated that the ministry had already conducted an investigation and gathered necessary information and data in the affected areas and that the ministry had updated the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHDA) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for further action.
He stated that the state government planned to administer vaccines once they became available.
Dr. Muazu attributed the outbreak to healthcare service disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everything was suspended, making routine immunization difficult.
Diphtheria Kills 137, Infects 1,534 Persons Across 11 States – NCDC
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, released on Tuesday, confirmed cases were recorded in 11 states.
According to the report, 4,160 suspected cases have been reported from 27 states and 139 local government areas nationwide.
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.