Death toll on Diphtheria soars in Northeast Yobe,
BY BABAGANA JIDDA KANEMPRESS
21TH JULY, 2023
Yobe State Government, Northeast Nigeria has a report of 30 deaths involving 289 cases of diphtheria in six local councils.
Diphtheria, is a bacterial infectious disease, and is contagious by direct contact or through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.
Announcing the death toll, on Thursday, in Damaturu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Muhammad Gana, said “the death toll of 30 were recorded in Potiskum Local Council from 289 reported cases in Gulani, Bursari, Nangere and Damaturu local councils in the state.”
Dr Gana said the active cases were isolated at specialist hospitals in Potiskum and Damaturu.
He said that 219 diphtheria cases had been treated and discharged from the hospitals.
On curtailing the spread of disease, he said the state government and partners intervened in fighting the outbreak and spread of the disease in the affected local councils.
“We are strategising to coordinate a result-oriented means of preventing and managing the disease. This will ensure a diphtheria-free state, including the border areas with Niger”.
Diphtheria affected mainly the zero-dose vaccination households in five local councils.
Dr Gana also said the Ministry of Health is identifying the households for vaccination of children under five years. There are essential drugs, including Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT being distributed to health facilities in the state.
The government, Dr Gana said, is training clinical staff to effectively manage diphtheria cases.
Gana expressd fear that malaria cases were also complicating diphtheria outbreak.
He called on Nigerians to embark on massive sensitisation of communities on the outbreak to curtail the spread of diphtheria.
“We should concentrate on how to prevent the spread of the disease among communities and the border areas with Niger,” Dr Gana noted.
On the need for adequate mobilisation of the people to immunise their under-five children, he said the Ministry of Information would embark on result-oriented advocacy, sensitisation and mobilisation of communities on the disease.
