LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has confirmed five cases of diphtheria out of 15 suspected infections investigated, with two deaths recorded as health officials intensify vaccination awareness, surveillance and early treatment efforts.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said 15 suspected cases had been investigated as of last week, with five confirmed through laboratory testing. Two of the confirmed cases resulted in deaths, while others were treated and discharged.
Speaking during a community sensitization and advocacy programme in Karshi, Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environmental Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, assured residents that measures were in place to contain the disease.
She said a multidisciplinary Incident Management Team had been deployed to Karshi and nearby communities to strengthen surveillance, trace contacts and provide preventive treatment where necessary.
Health officials are also engaging residents in local languages, including Hausa and Gbagyi, as part of efforts to improve awareness and encourage early reporting of suspected cases.
Fasawe explained that diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that mainly affects the nose and throat, although it can also affect the skin.
She explained that symptoms may start with fever, cough and catarrh before progressing to a membrane in the throat, neck swelling and severe breathing difficulties.
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The official warned residents against self-medication or attempts to remove the membrane from a patient’s throat.
She recalled a case in which a child reportedly bled to death after a local barber attempted to cut the membrane from the child’s throat.
Fasawe therefore urged anyone showing symptoms of diphtheria to seek immediate medical attention at a designated health facility, stressing that early treatment can improve the chances of recovery.
Also, the Chief of Karshi, Ismaila Mohammed, represented by the District Head, Alhaji Ahmed Doka, clarified that the two deaths did not occur directly in Karshi town but in a neighbouring border settlement in Nasarawa State.
Mohammed commended the FCTA for its quick response and pledged the support of traditional and religious leaders in efforts to contain the disease.
He also urged residents to avoid unverified remedies and take sick children to health facilities.
A representative of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Hanatu Bello, pledged technical and operational support to the FCT.
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Bello said the agency was working with FCT health authorities to stop transmission and strengthen risk communication across communities and public spaces.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also called for stronger preventive measures, particularly routine childhood immunization.
FCT WHO Coordinator Imaobong Adebayo, represented by Dr Jibril Alkasim, said vaccines included in the routine immunization programme were available and safe.
She noted that the return of vaccine-preventable diseases highlights the need to close immunization gaps, especially among vulnerable children.
Similarly, Director of the FCT Public Health Department, Teresa Nwachukwu, urged residents not to panic, saying the territory had functioning systems for disease surveillance, case management and risk communication.
Nwachukwu stressed that available data showed that children aged five to nine years were among those most vulnerable to diphtheria.
She advised parents and caregivers to ensure children receive all routine vaccinations and seek medical care promptly when symptoms appear.
Ultimately, health officials stressed that vaccination, good hygiene and early treatment remain key to limiting diphtheria transmission and preventing further deaths in the FCT.
