8 confirmed cases, 1 death, and over 33 Million CFA francs for the response
A meeting of the Regional Epidemic Management Committee (CRGE) was held yesterday at the Kaolack governor’s office. The region has recorded eight confirmed cases of diphtheria and one death, amidst a nationwide resurgence of the disease.
According to the regional health director, Dr Aïssatou Barry-Diouf, 92 samples were collected in the region, resulting in eight confirmed cases, primarily involving children aged five to 15.
“This situation is all the more concerning given the national context, where 610 suspected cases were recorded between 31st July and 25th September, 2026, bringing the total to 114 confirmed cases and 11 deaths,” she stated.
She also noted that five patients have recovered and that 87 contacts are currently being monitored by regional health services.
Chaired by Mouhamadou Habib Kamara, the deputy governor in charge of development, the meeting allowed stakeholders to review a regional prevention and response plan. A budget of over 33 million CFA francs has been allocated for its implementation, scheduled for October through December 2026.
The plan includes training 300 healthcare providers in diphtheria surveillance and case management, as well as deploying 132 community health workers to raise public awareness. Ensuring the availability of vaccines and antibiotics is also a priority of the response effort. For his part, the deputy governor emphasised the need to step up awareness-raising and communication efforts. He called for a collective mobilisation to curb the spread of the disease. Most Gambians travelling to Senegal go via Kaolack.
Dakaractu