Diphtheria kills 1,191 persons in 17 months – NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Wednesday that no fewer than 1,191 people have been killed by diphtheria from May 2023 to date across Nigeria.

Dr Muzzammil Gadanya, the Incident Manager, National Diphtheria Emergency Operations Centre (NCDC), disclosed this in Kaduna during the National Intra-Action Review Meeting for Diphtheria outbreak.

He said the country recorded suspected cases of more than 38,000 people while the number of confirmed cases stood at 23,000.

Gadanya said the primary focus of the review meeting was to assess Nigeria’s current response mechanisms and strengthen coordination efforts to prevent further spread of the disease.

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He, however, said that there was a significant reduction in diphtheria cases nationwide.

Gadany said vaccines were available for routine immunisation, emphasising the need for continued efforts to sustain progress in containing the disease.

Also speaking, Dr Manir Jega, the Director of Healthcare, Nigeria Red Cross, said, ”Since the outbreak of diphtheria, we have supported the government by sending 3,700 community-based volunteers, who also engaged in house-to-house sensitisation.

“We also sensitised the populace by road shows, educating them on the signs and systems of the disease.”