LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has identified eight Nigerian states responsible for 98 percent of confirmed diphtheria cases, as Plateau shuts schools temporarily and health officials intensify vaccination, surveillance and outbreak response efforts.
The affected states are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara, according to the NCDC’s Principal Health Communication Officer, Michael Okali.
Okali said about 68 percent of confirmed cases involved people who had not been vaccinated.
He reported that between August 24 and 30, 2026, Nigeria recorded 69 suspected cases, 48 confirmed cases and four deaths.
“So, these are the states that are actually contributing 98 percent of these cases,” Okali said.
He added that the NCDC, working with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and the Federal Ministry of Health, was providing support to affected states.
“And it’s looking good,” Okali said, noting that the NCDC was already present in Katsina.
He also disclosed that 500 vaccines had been sent to Kano and Katsina, while efforts were ongoing to increase vaccine stocks and ensure primary healthcare centres had enough doses.
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A task force has also been established to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing, case management and laboratory testing.
Nota bly, Plateau State has taken additional steps to curb the outbreak by ordering the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools.
The directive, issued by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, takes effect on Monday, September 7, 2026, including schools that have already resumed academic activities.
The state government said suspected cases had been identified particularly in Jos North, Wase, Jos South and Bassa Local Government Areas.
Plateau has recorded 143 suspected cases and 23 deaths linked to suspected diphtheria infections over the past two weeks.
Katsina State has also raised concern over the outbreak, with the case fatality rate now estimated at 5.6 percent.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Shaima’u Abba, attributed the rising fatality rate partly to patients arriving at treatment centres late, often after developing serious complications.
Abba reported that 32 patients were currently receiving treatment across four isolation centres.
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The disease has now been reported in 30 of the state’s 34 LGAs, up from 29 previously affected.
She urged residents to prioritize vaccination, describing it as the safest, most effective and affordable protection against diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
In Kano, more than 30,000 diphtheria cases have been recorded across several LGAs, according to the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, Muhammad Abbas.
Speaking on national television, Abbas said all 44 LGAs in the state had been affected. He put the number of deaths at 1,744 and said 14.5 percent of confirmed patients had been hospitalized.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium. The bacteria produce a toxin that can affect the nose, throat, tonsils and larynx, while also damaging major organs.
The infection can cause a thick greyish-white membrane in the throat or nose. In severe cases, it can affect the heart, nerves and kidneys.
Diphtheria spreads mainly through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread through contact with infected sores or ulcers, contaminated clothing and other infected objects.
Ultimately, the latest outbreak response highlights the importance of vaccination, early treatment and prompt reporting of suspected cases to prevent further transmission and deaths.
