‘Diphtheria Claims 20 Lives in Kaduna, 156 Cases Confirmed’

John Shiklam in Kaduna

National Primary Health Care Department Agency (NPHCDA) has disclosed that  diphtheria has, so far, killed 20 in Kaduna State.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib  and  Co-Chair of the Federal Task Team on Diphtheria, made the disclosure yesterday  in an interview with journalists after visiting Kaduna Diphtheria Treatment Centre.

He also confirmed 156 cases of the disease in the state.

Shuaib, however, commended the Kaduna state government for its effort in combating the disease.

He said Kaduna is ranked among the seven states with the high number of diphtheria.

“We are at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital where mild to moderate cases are being attended to before being admitted to the infectious disease hospitals,” he said.

According to him, since the outbreak of diphtheria in March, about 20 deaths and 150 cases were recorded in Kaduna.

“That is high for diphtheria, but we also recognize that most of the patients are presented lately.

“There is also need for the media to step up in creating awareness and providing useful information to the public about existence of the disease,” he said.

He also stressed the need for patients with the disease to be presented in good time for vaccination.

Shuaib said: “Diphtheria is a preventable disease, about 80 per cent of those afflicted by the diseases did not presented themselves for vaccination.”

According to him, the outbreak of the disease was due to low population immunity, created by low vaccination coverage.

Vaccination is the most powerful tools against the disease, adding that it is a vaccine preventable disease.