Dr. Muzzammil Gadanya, the Incident Manager at the National Diphtheria Emergency Operations Centre, disclosed this on Wednesday in Kaduna during the National Intra-Action Review Meeting for the diphtheria outbreak.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported that no fewer than 1,191 persons have been killed by diphtheria from May 2023 to date across Nigeria.
Dr. Muzzammil Gadanya, the Incident Manager at the National Diphtheria Emergency Operations Centre, disclosed this on Wednesday in Kaduna during the National Intra-Action Review Meeting for the diphtheria outbreak.
He noted that the country recorded suspected cases of more than 38,000, while the number of confirmed cases stood at 23,000. Gadanya stated that the primary focus of the review meeting was to assess Nigeria’s current response mechanisms and strengthen coordination efforts to prevent further spread of the disease.
However, he remarked on a significant reduction in diphtheria cases nationwide.
Mr. Gadanya highlighted that vaccines were available for routine immunisation, emphasising the need for continued efforts to sustain progress in containing the disease.
Dr. Manir Jega, the Director of Healthcare at the Nigeria Red Cross, discussed the organisation's role as an auxiliary to the government.
He said, “Since the outbreak of diphtheria, we have supported the government by sending 3,700 community-based volunteers, who also engaged in house-to-house sensitisation.
“We also sensitised the populace by road shows, educating them on the signs and systems of the disease.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that stakeholders gathered at the meeting to evaluate current strategies in combating the outbreak and to identify areas needing further improvement.
Key participants included the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC), and representatives from sub-national bodies. They shared experiences in managing diphtheria cases and provided updates on state-level responses.
Officials highlighted the need for increased public awareness about vaccination and the importance of active case-finding.
It is hoped that the discussions and insights from the review meeting will play a crucial role in further mitigating the diphtheria epidemic in Nigeria.
Key recommendations included expanding vaccination efforts, increasing public awareness initiatives, and implementing active contact tracing in affected areas, with the expectation that these actions will significantly reduce the diphtheria epidemic in Nigeria and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to future outbreaks.