The NCDC says nine states are responsible for 98% of confirmed diphtheria cases in Nigeria, with 48 confirmed cases and four deaths recorded between August 24 and 30, 2026.
Tetanus and diphtheria blood test, conceptual image. (Photo by WLADIMIR BULGAR/SCIENCE PHOTO LI / WBU / Science Photo Library via AFP)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that eight states in the country account for 98 per cent of the confirmed cases of diphtheria, a vaccine-preventable disease.
Principal Health Communication Officer in the Department of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the NCDC, Michael Okali, disclosed this to the reporter on Saturday.
According to him, the affected states are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara.
He said that data showed that about 68 per cent of the confirmed cases were unvaccinated.
Okali said that the confirmed cases and fatalities recorded in Nigeria from August 24 to August 30, 2026 stood at 69 suspected cases, 48 confirmed cases, and four deaths.
“So these are the states that are actually contributing 98 per cent of these cases. And right now, NCDC, in collaboration with NPHCDA and FMOH, are actually sending in support, both on the ground, on-site, and off-site to make sure we help them contain the outbreak,” he said.
“And it’s looking good. NCDC is actually present in Katsina. Five hundred vaccines have been sent to Kano and Katsina, and we are also doing more, building up our stockpile to make sure this distribution goes ahead, to make sure that the PHCs have enough vaccines to give.
Okali, who is also the Head, Risk Commnication, Community Engagement and Infodemic Management Pillar of the National Diphtheria Incident Management System, further revealed that support to the states includes the inauguration of a task force co-chaired by the DG of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, with the NPHCDA and FMOH, working around the clock together with the Emergency Operation Centre for Diphtheria that has been active since 2022.
He explained that the task force covers surveillance, contact tracing, case management, and boosting the capacity of laboratories for testing.
There have been growing concerns about the reported cases and deaths from diphtheria in the country.
In Plateau State, 23 people have died from suspected cases of the infection in the last two weeks, with 143 suspected cases recorded.
As part of efforts to contain the spread of the infectious disease, the state government ordered the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state as part of urgent preventive measures to contain the spread across the state.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, in a directive, said that suspected diphtheria cases were found particularly in Jos North, Wase, Jos South and Bassa local government areas.
The directive to shut all schools takes effect from Monday, September 7, 2026, and applies to schools that have already resumed academic activities.
On Wednesday, the Katsina State Government raised fresh concerns over the worsening diphtheria outbreak, revealing that the disease’s case fatality rate has risen to about 5.6 per cent, with health authorities blaming the increase on the late presentation of patients at treatment centres.
Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Shaima’u Abba, said despite intensified government interventions, many patients were still arriving at health facilities only after developing severe complications, making treatment more difficult and increasing the risk of death.
Dr. Abba said 32 patients were receiving treatment across the state’s four isolation centres, while the outbreak had spread to 30 of the 34 LGAs, an increase from the 29 LGAs previously affected.
She stressed that vaccination remains the safest, most effective and cost-efficient protection against diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
In Kano, over 30,000 cases of diphtheria have been recorded across several local government areas of the state.
The Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Muhammad Abbas, told Channels Television on Tuesday that the 44 LGAs of the state were affected.
Abbas noted that the fatalities are 1,744, while 14.5 per cent of them among the confirmed cases had been hospitalised.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by a bacterium known as Corynebacterium, which produces a toxin that affects an infected person’s nose, throat, tonsils, and larynx, and also some major parts of the body.
It can lead to the appearance of a grey-whitish pseudomembrane at the back of the throat or nose, and it can affect the heart, nerves, and the kidneys.
The bacteria spread from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets, like from coughing or sneezing.
People can also get infected from touching infected open sores or ulcers.
It may also be spread by contaminated clothing and objects.
