More than 600 people, including many children, have lost their lives to diphtheria in Nigeria since the outbreak began in December 2022.
This outbreak is much more severe than the one in 2011, which had only 98 reported cases.
The outbreak’s epicenter is in Kano state, in northern Nigeria, where more than 500 people have succumbed to the disease.
However, there is some relief as the number of new cases has started to decrease.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease that primarily affects the nose and throat.
In severe cases, it can also cause skin ulcers.
It spreads through coughs, sneezes, or close contact with an infected person and can be fatal.
Diphtheria is preventable through vaccines, but tragically, many of the children who have lost their lives in Nigeria were not vaccinated.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the head of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, emphasized the importance of vaccination during his visit to a diphtheria isolation center in Kano city.
He said, “Witnessing the young children suffering from this entirely preventable disease at the center today was profoundly heart-wrenching.”
The death toll has risen since September 24, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 453 fatalities and 11,587 suspected cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that the actual number of cases and deaths may be higher due to limited testing and some patients not reporting their symptoms.
Dr. Shuaib explained that measures such as contact tracing have contributed to a decline in new cases.
This outbreak has affected 19 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including the federal capital, Abuja.
The hardest-hit states are all in the northern region: Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Jigawa, and Kaduna.
Health authorities are urging parents with unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children to get them immunized, as it is the most effective way to control the outbreak.
The WHO noted that only 57% of Nigerians have received the pentavalent vaccine, which protects against five life-threatening diseases, including diphtheria.
To prevent future diphtheria outbreaks, Nigeria needs to increase vaccination coverage to at least 80% of the population.
The last major outbreak in the country was in 2011 when 21 people died, and 98 were infected in Borno state, according to the WHO.
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