Diphtheria: Scientist urges Plateau to act fast as cases exceed 300

A Biomedical Laboratory Scientist, Odeh Paul Agabi, Monday  urged the Plateau state government and health authorities to intensify vaccination, surveillance and treatment efforts following the outbreak of diphtheria in the state.

Agabi made the call in an interview with the  Sunday in Abuja.

He was reacting to the diphtheria outbreak, which has recorded more than 300 suspected cases and 27 deaths, mostly among children.

He described the concentration of cases in Jos North, particularly Rikkos community, as a serious warning that the outbreak could worsen if authorities failed to move quickly to interrupt transmission.

He said closing schools in Jos North, Jos South, Bassa and Wase local government areas is a necessary intervention.

He also suggested deployment of drugs and diphtheria antitoxin to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Plateau state Specialist Hospital as a necessary intervention.

He said the current situation in Plateau should not be viewed as an isolated outbreak, noting that Nigeria has been battling diphtheria since a major outbreak began in Kano state in 2022.

“The experience from Kano and other affected states has provided sufficient evidence on how vaccination gaps, delayed diagnosis and inadequate access to treatment can allow diphtheria to spread and cause preventable deaths.

“What frustrates me as a scientist is that we are not short of answers. We are short of speed,” he said.

Agabi said vaccination remained the most important tool for preventing diphtheria, adding that Nigeria still has significant gaps in immunisation coverage.

He also called for stronger laboratory surveillance to determine whether vaccinated people had developed adequate immunity and to characterise the strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae circulating in affected communities.

He said this will help health authorities to establish whether current prevention strategies are providing the expected level of protection.

The scientist further expressed concern about access to diphtheria antitoxin, saying delays in administering the medicine can increase the risk of severe illness and death.

(NAN)