On Monday, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) said that 117 children had passed away since Yobe’s diphtheria outbreak began in 2022.
However, the organization said that 1,600 kids had recovered from the illness within the time period under consideration.
During an inspection visit to the diphtheria isolation center in Potiskum, the state’s epicenter of the disease, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the executive director of the agency, made this statement.
He added that the ailment was more common in youngsters between the ages of five and 14 years old and that 1,796 cases had been documented in Yobe since November 22.
Shuaib, who oversaw the state’s Diphtheria Emergency Task Team, expressed pleasure with the effectiveness of the diphtheria immunization program in Potiskum and 17 other local government areas.
“By October 12, more vulnerable kids will be provided with vaccines to curtail the disease. Vaccines are powerful, they are safe and they work.
“Diphtheria is a disease of ancient times; with vaccination, deaths are preventable,” he said.
He noted that low vaccination rates were responsible for the recent outbreak of the disease across the country.
“In 2016 and 2017; MICS NICS survey, an independent survey of National Bureau of Statistics, indicated that only 33 per cent of Nigerians were covered by vaccinations.
“Due to concerted efforts by the Federal Government and development partners, the figure rose to 70 per cent in 2019.
“But the outbreak of COVID-19 which prevented many people from taking their children for vaccination due to lockdown and fear of contracting COVID-19, there was a deep in coverage down to 57 per cent,” he said.
Shuaib said that improvement in environmental and personal hygiene would eliminate the disease in spite of Yobe being second only to Kano State in cases of diphtheria across the country.
The NPHCDA boss commended the Yobe government and development partners for their roles in tackling diphtheria and pledged continued support to enable the state to improve healthcare service delivery.
He stressed the need for an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for effective monitoring, referral and management of diphtheria cases.