The Katsina State Government has 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.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Shaima’u Abba, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Channels Television in Katsina on Wednesday.
According to her, despite intensified government interventions, many patients are 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 are currently receiving treatment across the state’s four isolation centres, while the outbreak has now spread to 30 of the 34 Local Government Areas, 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.
The health official urged parents and caregivers to ensure children complete their routine immunisation schedule and seek immediate medical attention for anyone showing symptoms such as fever, persistent cough, sore throat, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, and swelling of the neck.
Highlighting ongoing response efforts, Dr. Abba said the Katsina State Government has strengthened surveillance, contact tracing, community sensitisation, case management and the supply of medicines to affected areas.
She disclosed that three additional isolation centres have been established across the state’s three senatorial districts to improve access to treatment, while preventive medication is being administered to people who have had close contact with confirmed cases.
According to her, the state has already vaccinated more than 150,000 people during a reactive vaccination campaign conducted in 15 wards across five of the most affected Local Government Areas.
She added that Katsina has received additional doses of diphtheria vaccines from the Federal Ministry of Health, with another vaccination campaign set to cover 167 wards across the 30 affected LGAs.
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Dr. Abba also revealed that the government has procured essential medicines and medical consumables, while community engagement campaigns have been intensified to educate residents on recognising symptoms and seeking prompt medical care.
Meanwhile, Consultant Paediatrician and Assistant Head of the Isolation Centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, Dr. Olajide Aladesua, described diphtheria as a highly contagious bacterial disease transmitted through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
He warned that the disease can lead to life-threatening complications affecting the heart, brain and kidneys if left untreated.
Dr. Aladesua explained that common symptoms include fever, cough, nasal discharge, severe sore throat, difficulty swallowing and neck swelling, urging parents not to ignore the warning signs.
He emphasised that completing the recommended childhood immunisation schedule remains the most effective way to prevent the disease, noting that unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and malnourished children are at the highest risk of severe illness.
The latest figures indicate that Katsina State has recorded about 1,000 suspected diphtheria cases since January 2026, prompting the government to intensify emergency response measures in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), UNICEF and other development partners.
Health authorities have again appealed to residents to embrace vaccination and report suspected cases early, insisting that timely diagnosis and treatment remain critical to reducing deaths and preventing further spread of the disease.
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