Health
Diphtheria: Lagos boosts preparedness as cases rise nationwide
Iyanuoluwa Abiola
The Lagos State Government has strengthened surveillance and preparedness against diphtheria as cases of the infectious disease continue to rise in several states across the country, with the state recording 53 suspected cases and six laboratory-confirmed cases in 2026.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, disclosed this on Wednesday at a press briefing on Lagos State’s diphtheria preparedness and response held at the Conference Room of the Folarin-Coker Staff Clinic, Alausa, Ikeja.
Abayomi, however, reassured Lagos residents that the state was not currently experiencing an outbreak, explaining that its large population and constant movement of people between Lagos and other parts of the country made preparedness necessary.
“Lagos, being a highly populated state, is always in a state of preparation when it comes to the opportunities for dangerous pathogens to enter into Lagos, especially if they are upper respiratory pathogens and are spread by coughing or by sneezing. It makes or puts our population in a state of high vulnerability,” he explained.
Diphtheria is a bacterial respiratory infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae that primarily affects the nose and throat. The infection can cause a thick membrane to form at the back of the throat, making breathing or swallowing difficult.
PUNCH Healthwise earlier reported that suspected cases in Plateau had risen to 303, with 27 deaths, while a recent analysis noted that Nigeria recorded 69 suspected cases, 48 confirmed cases and four deaths between August 24 and 30.
Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara states accounted for 98 per cent of confirmed cases, with about 68 per cent of confirmed patients reportedly unvaccinated.
The Federal Government had earlier deployed 500,000 doses of diphtheria vaccines to Katsina and Kano and activated an emergency task force to contain the outbreak, while strengthening disease surveillance and treatment in affected communities.
Speaking further, the Lagos State Commissioner noted that the bacteria could also produce a toxin that enters the bloodstream and damages vital organs, particularly the heart, where it can cause abnormal heartbeats, heart failure and death.
“What we worry about in an active infection of diphtheria is blockage of the airway, which can lead to death, or the effect of the toxin on the heart, which can also lead to an abnormal heartbeat or failure and also death,” he warned.
He identified severe sore throat, fever, weakness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling and a white covering at the back of the throat as some of the warning signs of the infection.
He urged residents who develop such symptoms to seek prompt medical attention at public or private health facilities.
“If you have any of these symptoms, please present yourself to any of our primary healthcare facilities, our general hospitals, or your private clinicians, clinics, or hospitals, wherever your care provider is. Bring yourself to our attention so that we can take the appropriate measures,” he urged.
The commissioner explained that suspected cases would be assessed clinically and through laboratory testing, stressing that early diagnosis was important to ensure prompt treatment and prevent serious complications.
“So when we find you and we make the diagnosis, both by examination and by laboratory diagnosis, we will immediately start antibiotics and a drug that neutralises the poison that the bacteria is producing so that it doesn’t affect your heart,” he stated.
Giving an update on the situation in Lagos, Abayomi disclosed that the state had recorded 53 suspected cases in 2026, six of which were confirmed through laboratory testing.
“Of those 53, six have been confirmed to be positive by laboratory diagnosis, have been actively treated, and got better,” he disclosed.
He said the state was conducting active surveillance across its 57 local governments and Local Council Development Areas, providing free testing at designated laboratories and following up people who had been in contact with confirmed cases.
Abayomi said the state was particularly monitoring the movement of people from areas recording high numbers of diphtheria cases into Lagos, noting that infected or incubating individuals could unknowingly introduce the disease into the state.
“There’s always a possibility that a patient who is incubating the bacteria or even a patient who has the active infection may fly into Lagos, either inadvertently or to access health care, in which case anybody that person comes into contact with is at risk if their vaccination schedule is incomplete,” he stated.
He said healthcare professionals had been instructed to take patients’ travel histories when they presented with symptoms suggestive of infectious diseases.
According to the commissioner, a patient presenting with a sore throat and neck swelling who had recently travelled to a state with a high number of suspected cases would attract a high index of suspicion and could be isolated while investigations were conducted.
Abayomi dismissed any link between poor waste management and the spread of diphtheria, explaining that the disease was transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets and contact.
“Poor waste management can cause other problems. Diphtheria is a respiratory bacteria. It is spread by droplets, by coughing, by sneezing, by contact, by shaking hands, and by poor respiratory hygiene,” he clarified.
He advised residents to maintain good respiratory hygiene by covering their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing, washing their hands frequently and avoiding close contact with others when experiencing respiratory symptoms.
Abayomi also expressed concern about the reopening of schools, saying the state was working with the Ministry of Education to strengthen awareness and vaccination among school children.
He said environmental health and extension workers were involved in school health activities, while teachers were being sensitised to potential health risks.
“Whenever we have an outbreak that may affect a school, and we’ve had it on a few occasions in Lagos, we go to the school and we identify the case and we identify the classmates within the school,” he explained.
“We quarantined some of the students. We established a sick day within that school. And we try to manage the outbreak within the school, particularly by minimising contact between the students, but more importantly ensuring that all the students in that school are vaccinated,” Abayomi added.
The commissioner identified incomplete vaccination as a major vulnerability to diphtheria and described immunisation as the most important public health measure for preventing the disease.
“Immunisation is the number one prevention, public health prevention, against this fairly serious infection,” he emphasised.
Abayomi urged parents and guardians to check their children’s immunisation records and ensure they had received the recommended doses of pentavalent vaccine at six, 10 and 14 weeks.
He disclosed that Lagos had 64 per cent full immunisation coverage among children under five, leaving some children either partially vaccinated or completely unvaccinated.
“There are a few children in Lagos who have had zero vaccinations. This group of children are of great concern to us,” he stated.
The commissioner urged parents of children who had received only one or two doses to complete their vaccination schedule, while those whose children had received no doses should take them to health facilities for vaccination.
He disclosed that 1,127 healthcare facilities across Lagos provide routine immunisation services, comprising 398 public and 729 private facilities across the 20 local government areas and Local Council Development Areas.
Abayomi added that vaccines remained free at government health facilities, while private facilities could charge for consultation and other services.
The Commissioner listed the four designated facilities for the management of suspected diphtheria cases as Mainland Hospital, formerly Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba; Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos Island; Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
The commissioner urged residents not to panic but to remain vigilant and seek prompt medical attention when they notice symptoms associated with diphtheria.
“On that note, I would like to reassure Lagosians that we don’t have the current outbreak in Lagos. We are being cautious. We are raising the understanding of the features of diphtheria in Lagos so the public can get a full understanding of what it looks like and what it feels like,” Abayomi reassured.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, also urged parents to ensure that their children were fully vaccinated, stressing the importance of accurate public information.
“More importantly, we have to make sure that all our children are vaccinated,” she said.
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