Nigeria is being forced to confront a disease outbreak in a manner that should embarrass a country in the 21st century. Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease. Yet, in our country today, children are dying from it, hospitals are filling up with suspected cases, schools are being shut in affected communities, and public health authorities are racing to catch up with an infection that should largely be under control.
In fact, the latest figures are sobering. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, between August 24 and 30, alone, Nigeria recorded 69 suspected cases, 48 confirmed cases and four deaths from diphtheria. More significantly, eight states – Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara – account for 98 per cent of confirmed cases. About 68 per cent of confirmed patients were reportedly unvaccinated.
Notably, Plateau State has provided an especially frightening illustration. The state government has reported 143 suspected cases and 23 deaths in the past two weeks, prompting the temporary closure of public and private primary and secondary schools. The affected areas include Jos North, Wase, Jos South and Bassa.
One may then ask: why does the map of Nigerian diphtheria continue to look so heavily northern?
