The Federal Government of Nigeria has disclosed that the country has recorded a total of 453 deaths among 7,202 confirmed cases of diphtheria since the onset of the current outbreak in December 2022.
This information was made available in a statement jointly issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday.
As of September 24, 2023, there have been 11,587 reported suspected cases, out of which 7,202 were confirmed. These cases were spread across 105 Local Government Areas in 18 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Kano recorded the highest number of confirmed cases at 6,185, followed by Yobe (640), Katsina (213), and several other states with varying case numbers.
The statement noted that the majority (73.6%) of the confirmed cases affected children aged 1 – 14 years, with a particular impact on those aged 5-14 years.
Among the confirmed cases, there have been 453 deaths, resulting in a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 6.3 percent. In response to these alarming statistics, the Coordinating Minister of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, established a National Emergency Task Team to oversee the coordination of outbreak response efforts.
This task team is co-chaired by the Executive Director of the NPHCDA and the Director General of the NCDC, with the involvement of key stakeholders such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, USAID, GAVI, and other organizations.
Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is typically covered by vaccines provided routinely through Nigeria’s childhood immunization schedule.
In response to the outbreak, the ministry and its agencies have been actively coordinating surveillance and response activities across the country, including vaccination, case management, laboratory investigation, and risk communication efforts.