Health
Diphtheria outbreak: Vaccination gaps fuel deaths in northern states
Our Reporters
At least 98 people have died from diphtheria in Zamfara, Plateau and Gombe states, with health authorities attributing the outbreaks partly to poor immunisation.
The situation is particularly worrying in Kano State, where health officials said more than 55 per cent of confirmed cases since December 2022 were among children who had never received any vaccination, while more than 16 per cent were partially immunised.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that Zamfara has recorded 261 cases and 39 deaths, Plateau 303 suspected cases and 27 fatalities, while Gombe has recorded 311 cases and 32 deaths since January 2026.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the throat and nose and can lead to breathing difficulties, heart failure and death if not treated early. It spreads through direct contact or respiratory droplets.
10 LGs affected in Zamfara
Saturday PUNCH gathered that in Zamfara, the disease has spread to 10 of the state’s 14 local government areas, with Gusau Local Government Area accounting for 191 of the 261 recorded cases.
The Permanent Secretary, Zamfara State Ministry of Health, Dr Rilwanu Musa, attributed the outbreak partly to the failure of parents to take their children for routine immunization, saying 39 people lost their lives to the disease.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on Thursday, Musa said the state had an adequate number of health facilities but that poor attention to routine immunisation remained a major challenge.
“The state has an adequate number of health facilities but the problem is that many parents did not give necessary attention to taking their children for routine immunisation,” he said.
He added that the state government had activated a rapid response team to identify new cases, provide emergency treatment and prevent further spread of the disease.
The permanent secretary said the government had also opened treatment centres in Damba and Kwata areas for affected patients.
Musa urged parents and guardians to ensure that their children were taken for routine immunisation to protect them from preventable diseases.
Kano battles persistent cases
However, health officials in Kano State said more than 31,000 diphtheria cases had been confirmed since the disease emerged in the sttate in December 2022.
The Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, Prof Muhammad Abbas, said the state had recorded more than 38,000 suspected cases during the period.
He said more than 55 per cent of the confirmed cases were among zero-dose children who had never received any vaccination, while more than 16 per cent were partially immunised.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, Abbas said, “More than 55% of those are what we call zero-dose children who have not received any form of vaccination. More than 16% of the cases and another 10 to 15% of them were partially immunised. Only a few of them were fully immunised, which means we have a very big deal in our hands.”
The KNCDC boss said the state had deployed 126 disease surveillance and notification officers across its 44 local government areas to strengthen the detection and reporting of epidemic-prone diseases.
He, however, expressed concern about suspected cases that were not reported to health facilities, warning that delayed presentation could make treatment more difficult.
Abbas said the state government had appealed to the Federal Government for additional vaccines to intensify mass vaccination.
Gombe records 32 deaths
In Gombe, the state has recorded 311 cases of diphtheria since January 2026, with 32 deaths recorded.
The state epidemiologist, Dr Bile Nuhu, disclosed this to one of our correspondents on Friday, saying 20 patients were receiving treatment across three designated treatment centres in the state.
The centres are Bajoga, Specialist Hospital and Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
According to him, 291 cases had so far been managed, out of which 32 patients died while 259 were treated and discharged.
Nuhu said children between the ages of four and 15 years constituted the largest age bracket affected by the disease.
He noted that only three of the 311 cases were recorded among one-year-old children, stressing the importance of vaccination in preventing diphtheria.
“The largest age bracket affected is between four and 15 years of age. Out of the 311, only three are one-year-old. It means it doesn’t affect those below one year,” he said.
The epidemiologist urged parents to ensure that their children were vaccinated against the disease, while advising them to seek immediate medical attention whenever children develop symptoms suggestive of diphtheria.
“Parents must ensure their children are vaccinated. If you have a child with fever, or has fever and pain while swallowing, take him to the nearest hospital. It could be diphtheria,” he said.
Nuhu further disclosed that the disease had been recorded in virtually all the local government areas of the state, except Dukku, Kaltungo and Shongom.
Kaduna prepares mass vaccination
In Kaduna State, health authorities have commenced preparations for a mass response immunisation campaign following rising cases of diphtheria in neighbouring states.
The Director of Public Health in the Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Dr Abubakar Sadiq-Idris, said the state had also intensified active case searches and contact tracing to prevent the disease from spreading into communities.
He said suspected cases reported in the state had been successfully managed, while designated treatment facilities had been provided at the Infectious Disease Centre in Mando and other secondary healthcare facilities.
Sadiq-Idris said the government’s response was focused on prevention, early detection and rapid containment.
“We understand that one of the reasons behind diphtheria is that some people do not take their children for immunisation.
“We have decided to embark on a response immunisation campaign and encourage mothers to ensure that their children are immunised,” he said.
He added that Kaduna was working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board to obtain additional drugs and medical commodities for the response.
The state has also deployed Rapid Response Teams to intensify community sensitisation and public awareness.
The teams have visited markets, transport points and other public places to educate residents on the symptoms, transmission and prevention of diphtheria.
Kebbi contains imported cases
In neighbouring Kebbi State, the Deputy State Epidemiologist, Alhaji Murtala Jibrin, said the state had recorded a few cases of diphtheria, but all identified patients had been treated and discharged.
Jibrin said the cases were believed to have been imported into the state, adding that suspected patients were tested and isolated after detection.
“We don’t have it in Kebbi. It is an imported disease due to visitors coming into the state. But when we suspected it, a test was conducted and the victims were isolated, treated and discharged to stop its spread,” he said.
He said the state’s emergency response team remained on standby, while its surveillance unit continued to monitor emerging and existing diseases across urban, semi-urban and rural communities.
The official urged residents to report suspected cases early to health authorities to prevent further transmission.
Plateau tightens prevention measures
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Government has directed all public and private primary and secondary schools in the state to resume academic activities on September 14, following a one-week closure to contain suspected cases of diphtheria.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, on Friday.
The government had on September 7 ordered the temporary closure of all schools across the state after reports of suspected diphtheria infection in some communities.
At the time, the Ministry of Health said the closure was to allow health officials to conduct contact tracing, sensitisation and surveillance in affected and neighbouring areas.
Plateau recorded isolated suspected cases in September, prompting health authorities to activate emergency response protocols in line with guidelines from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Announcing the school resumption, the commissioner said the decision followed the implementation of “precautionary and public health measures to contain the reported cases of suspected Diphtheria infection in some parts of the State.”
She noted that the move was in line with “the administration’s commitment to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of pupils, students, teachers and other members of the school community while ensuring continuity in the education sector.”
“The temporary closure of schools, which took effect on September 7, 2026, was a preventive measure designed to provide health authorities with the opportunity to assess the situation and strengthen surveillance and response mechanisms in affected and potentially affected communities.”
The commissioner assured parents and school owners that measures had been put in place to reduce transmission risks.
“Government assures parents, guardians, school proprietors and administrators that appropriate health measures are being put in place to combat the disease and minimise the risk of transmission as schools reopen.
“All schools were directed to have basic precautionary measures, maintain a clean and hygienic learning environment, while teachers and school management are encouraged to remain vigilant for symptoms or signs suggestive of Diphtheria and promptly alert the appropriate health authorities.”
The government urged parents and guardians to prioritise hygiene at home and seek medical care immediately if symptoms appear.
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