One child dies as suspected diphtheria outbreak hits Niger community

The Niger State Ministry of Health has confirmed a suspected outbreak of diphtheria in the Fadikpe area of Minna, with one child already dead, one recovered and two others receiving treatment, as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the disease.

The disclosure was made during a two-day training on Infection Prevention and Control, IPC, and Case Management during Disease Outbreaks organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, with funding from the United States Government.

Speaking with journalists, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, representative, Dr. Ali Wada Aliyu, said the agency had strengthened collaboration with the Niger State Government to curb the outbreak and improve disease surveillance and response.

He said the NCDC had commenced training and equipping Infection Prevention and Control focal persons with facility-specific preparedness and response plans in line with national guidelines.

“The NCDC is committed to supporting Niger State through the provision of medical commodities, treatment supplies and technical expertise to strengthen disease outbreak preparedness and response,” Aliyu said.

He stressed that effective infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities remain critical to protecting health workers and patients while reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

Also speaking, the Director of Public Health at the Niger State Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Idris, confirmed that the suspected cases were reported in Fadikpe, noting that preliminary investigations indicate the illness is likely diphtheria.

According to him, a joint team from the ministry and its partners visited the affected community, examined patients, engaged residents and collected samples for laboratory confirmation.

He said surveillance and response activities were ongoing, adding that preliminary findings showed some of the affected children were either partially immunised or had not received the diphtheria vaccine.

“Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease. We urge parents and caregivers to ensure their children complete the routine immunisation schedule,” Idris said.

He assured residents that the ministry was closely monitoring the situation and appealed for calm while laboratory results were being awaited.

A UNICEF representative reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting the state in responding to disease outbreaks, stressing that full immunisation remains the safest and most effective protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.

The representative urged parents to take advantage of routine immunisation services available at health facilities across Niger State.

The training brought together IPC focal persons and clinicians from all 25 local government areas of the state to strengthen the prevention, detection and management of infectious disease outbreaks.

One child dies as suspected diphtheria outbreak hits Niger community