The death toll from a diphtheria outbreak in Plateau State has risen to 31, with 469 suspected cases recorded across 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Concerned about the development, the Plateau State Government has activated the Incident Management System (IMS) to strengthen coordination of the response. Dr. Maren Job Damala has also been appointed Incident Manager to lead efforts to contain the outbreak.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Ba’amlong, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Jos.
Ba’amlong said that although sporadic suspected cases had been recorded earlier in the year, the outbreak became a significant public health concern from August.
Of the 469 suspected cases recorded so far, only three have been laboratory-confirmed, while 31 deaths have been reported.
Jos North has the highest number of suspected cases with 370, followed by Wase with 29, Jos South with 22, Barkin Ladi and Mangu with 16 cases each, Pankshin with five, Kanam and Mikang with four each, Shendam with two and Bassa with one.
The Commissioner said the state’s response includes community engagement and sensitisation, intensified active case searches and contact tracing, community diagnosis and treatment of mild cases, as well as the provision of treatment commodities to Plateau State Specialist Hospital and Jos University Teaching Hospital for the isolation and management of severe cases.
He added that teachers from public and private schools in Jos North had been trained to detect diphtheria symptoms early and respond appropriately.
On vaccination, Ba’amlong said more than 160,000 children had received diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, while over 30,000 children had received Pentavalent vaccines.
However, he said the state still has a shortage of 250,000 doses needed to vaccinate children in the remaining parts of Jos North and other affected LGAs.
The government is also using media campaigns, public enlightenment jingles and Information, Education and Communication materials to raise awareness, encourage early treatment and promote community participation in the response.
Ba’amlong said the activation of the Incident Management System would improve coordination of response activities across sectors and partners, facilitate resource mobilisation, monitor containment efforts and ensure effective communication with the public.
He said the next phase of the response would include continued active case searches and contact tracing, possible intensification of vaccination and community sensitisation, regular monitoring and evaluation, and coordination meetings with relevant stakeholders.
The Commissioner described diphtheria as a highly infectious bacterial disease that can affect people of all ages, although children between two and 14 years are reportedly the most affected and more likely to develop severe forms of the disease.
Symptoms include cough, sneezing, fever, sore throat, white or greyish patches at the back of the throat, difficulty breathing, neck swelling and, in some cases, skin rash.
Ba’amlong urged parents and caregivers to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated, stressing that diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease.
He also advised residents to maintain good hygiene, wash their hands regularly, avoid close contact with people showing symptoms, use face masks in crowded places or when interacting with symptomatic persons, and seek immediate medical attention when diphtheria is suspected.
He urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases to their Local Government Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, stressing that early reporting is critical to containing the outbreak.
The Commissioner commended the State and Local Government Rapid Response Teams, as well as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), WHO, UNICEF, Red Cross, FHI360 through the EPiC Project, Save the Children, Life Helpers, Chigari Foundation and other partners for their support.
He also thanked Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang for his continued support and leadership, while calling on partners, community leaders, parents, health workers and residents to continue cooperating with the government to contain the outbreak and protect public health.
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