The Silent Return: Diphtheria Kills 39 Children in Zamfara as Authorities Race to Vaccinate

The ward at the Infectious Disease Centre in Damba is quiet as health workers treat the consequences of a diphtheria outbreak that has killed 39 people in Zamfara.

The state Ministry of Health has recorded 261 suspected cases across 10 local government areas. Many of the children in treatment are between six and 10 months old, health workers said. A nurse at the WCWC Primary Healthcare Centre in Kwata, Gusau, said some children arrived too late for treatment. “By the time the parents realise it’s not just a cough, the breathing is already difficult,” the nurse said.

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By the time the parents realise it’s not just a cough, the breathing is already difficult.

Diphtheria, caused by Corynebacterium, affects the nose, throat, and sometimes the skin. Its early symptoms include fever, a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and red eyes. The illness can then cause neck swelling and breathing difficulties. Without antitoxins and antibiotics, it can be fatal.

Gusau Local Government Area accounts for 191 of the 261 suspected cases, the highest number in the state. Laboratory testing and contact tracing continue. The state government has formed a rapid response team and sent it to affected areas to identify cases, provide emergency treatment, and limit further transmission.

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We mobilised across the state the moment we saw the trend. But we need government at all levels to intensify efforts, more vaccines, more health workers, more sensitisation in every ward. This cannot be a one-state fight.

Rilwan Musa, permanent secretary of the Zamfara Ministry of Health, said the response had the backing of Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration and development partners. “We mobilised across the state the moment we saw the trend,” Musa said. “But we need government at all levels to intensify efforts, more vaccines, more health workers, more sensitisation in every ward. This cannot be a one-state fight.”

The article says most of the children who died had not been vaccinated. UNICEF data indicates that only 22% of confirmed diphtheria cases in Nigeria had received routine childhood immunisations, while Nigeria’s disease control centre reports that 68% of confirmed cases nationwide involved unvaccinated people. UNICEF Representative in Nigeria Cristian Munduate said many children missed vaccines during COVID-19 lockdowns and that zero-dose children remained a primary concern.

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It’s heartbreaking to note that only 22 per cent of the confirmed cases received their routine childhood immunisation vaccinations. Many children did not receive their vaccines during the COVID-19 lockdown. We now urgently need to catch up. These zero-dose children, those who haven’t received a single dose of vaccine, are a primary concern.