Diphtheria has claimed the lives of 122 children in Nigeria as of July 2023, UNICEF’s Communications Officer in Nigeria, Safiya Akau, stated on Thursday.

She stated that UNICEF was amplifying efforts to counter the growing outbreak of diphtheria that has affected children in 27 states of Nigeria.

Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains that make toxins. It can lead to difficulty in breathing, heart rhythm problems, and death.

Ms Akau stated that 3,850 suspected cases of diphtheria were reported as of July and that 1,387 were confirmed.

She listed states affected as Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Lagos, Sokoto, Zamfara, and the FCT, which accounted for 98 per cent of the suspected cases.

She noted that 71.5 per cent of confirmed cases were found in children between two and 14 years.

“It is heartbreaking to note that only 22 per cent of the confirmed cases received their routine childhood immunisation vaccinations,’’ Ms Akau quoted Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, as saying.

“Most of the affected children, especially those who unfortunately passed on, had not received a single dose of the vaccine. The need to reach the unreached has never been more critical,” she said.

The UNICEF official called for the need to ensure that children receive routine immunisations to prevent them from diseases.

Ms Akau also stated that UNICEF was collaborating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the affected states and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to plan and operationalise the response. 

(NAN)