No fewer than 17 people have died from diphtheria in Niger State over the past seven months, with 124 cases recorded across Bida, Suleja and Shiroro local government areas, the state government has confirmed.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana, disclosed the figures during a press conference in Minna. He said 103 patients had been treated and discharged, while three new cases were recently identified, with one person currently on admission. Authorities have intensified surveillance, case management, immunisation drives and public awareness campaigns to contain the outbreak.
Dr Samuel Jiya, Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, attributed the surge to poor vaccination coverage. He warned that children who miss or fail to complete routine immunisation remain particularly vulnerable. Investigations revealed that some affected children had received only one dose of the pentavalent vaccine, while others — including those aged nine and 10 — had never been vaccinated.
“Anywhere you see a diphtheria outbreak, it means a child has not completed that vaccination or has not had access to it,” Jiya said. The pentavalent vaccine, administered at six, 10 and 14 weeks, protects against diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases. He emphasised that vaccine refusal endangers not only individual children but entire communities.
Jiya linked immunisation gaps to migration, vaccine myths and cultural beliefs driving refusal in the state. As a preventive measure, pregnant women are now receiving tetanus-diphtheria vaccines during antenatal care to protect newborns in their early weeks of life.
On measles, Jiya reported a decline in infections, with 31 cases recorded this year. Nine tested positive and were treated, while two deaths were recorded.
Health officials continue to urge parents and caregivers to complete immunisation schedules and report suspected cases promptly. The state government says it remains committed to strengthening routine immunisation and community engagement to prevent further outbreaks.
