An epidemic of diphtheria in Nigeria has begun to spread in earnest. 25 people have died in the northern province of the country due to this infection. Most of them are children. So far, no figures have been released on how many people have been infected and how many deaths have occurred.
Nigeria’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking emergency measures to control the spread of diphtheria. According to its chairman, Dr. Ifadayo Atedifa, out of the 36 provinces in the country, particularly in 4 provinces where the impact of the infection is high, surveillance has been strengthened there.
Kano State Health Commission Chairman Dr. Aminu Sanyawa said, “More than 70 people have been infected in our state. Out of which 25 people have died due to this bacterial infection,” he said. Diphtheria causes respiratory problems, heart failure and stroke. He says the most affected are the unvaccinated, those living in overcrowded and unsanitary places.
There has been no diphtheria outbreak like this in Nigeria in the last few years. The current tragedy is that there are not enough facilities to diagnose and treat infections in rural areas.
As early as 2020, UNICEF had reported a decline in immunizations routinely given to children in Nigeria. It had warned that vaccination had declined, especially after the corona virus. In December last year, children suffering from diphtheria were admitted to the Kano Provincial Hospital for treatment, says Dr. Abdullahi Gauran-Matha, the state’s chief epidemiologist. “As soon as we got information about it, we prepared our health team and started investigating it,” says Gauran.