By Uthman Baba-Naseer, Minna
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed an outbreak of suspected diphtheria in parts of Niger State, with one child reportedly dead as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the disease.
The NCDC assured residents of sustained collaboration with the Niger State Government to curb further spread and safeguard public health through enhanced surveillance, case management, and infection prevention measures.
Speaking with journalists during a two-day training on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Case Management during Disease Outbreaks in Minna, the NCDC representative, Dr. Ali Wada Aliyu, said the agency had commenced training and equipping IPC focal persons with facility-specific preparedness and response plans in line with national guidelines.
The training, organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with funding from the United States Government, brought together IPC focal persons and clinicians from the 25 local government areas of the state.
Dr. Aliyu said the NCDC remained committed to supporting Niger State through the provision of medical commodities, treatment supplies, and technical expertise to strengthen disease outbreak preparedness and response.
He stressed that strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities is critical to reducing the spread of infectious diseases while protecting both healthcare workers and patients.
Confirming the suspected outbreak, the Director of Public Health at the Niger State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Idris, disclosed that the disease was first reported in the Fadikpe area of Minna and had claimed the life of a child.
According to him, one affected child has recovered, while two others have been evacuated to a hospital for specialist medical care.
He explained that preliminary investigations by health officials indicate that the illness, initially suspected to be an unknown disease, is likely diphtheria.
“A team from the Ministry and partners visited the affected community, interacted with residents, examined patients, and collected samples for laboratory confirmation,” he said.
Dr. Idris noted that surveillance and response activities are ongoing, adding that preliminary findings revealed that some of the affected children were either partially immunised or had not received the diphtheria vaccine.
He described diphtheria as a vaccine-preventable disease and urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children complete the routine immunisation schedule to protect them against the infection.
The public health director assured residents that the Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation and appealed for calm while laboratory confirmation is being awaited.
Also speaking, representatives of UNICEF reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting the Niger State Government in responding to the outbreak. They emphasised that complete immunisation remains the safest and most effective protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and urged parents to take advantage of routine immunisation services available at health facilities across the state.
