Late presentation at health facilities has emerged as a major factor behind the rising death rate from diphtheria in Katsina State. The case fatality rate now stands at about 5.6 per cent.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr Shaima’u Abba, disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television in Katsina on Wednesday.
Abba explained that many patients were reaching treatment centres only after the disease had progressed into severe complications, reducing the chances of successful treatment.
She said 32 patients are currently receiving care across four isolation centres, while the outbreak has spread to 30 of the state’s 34 Local Government Areas. The figure represents an increase from the 29 LGAs previously affected.
The development has intensified concerns among health authorities as Katsina has recorded about 1,000 suspected diphtheria cases since January 2026.
Abba said the state had expanded its response through disease surveillance, contact tracing, community awareness, case management, and the distribution of medicines to affected locations.
Three additional isolation centres have also been established across the state’s three senatorial districts to bring treatment closer to affected communities.
The health agency is also administering preventive medication to people who have had close contact with confirmed cases, as part of efforts to interrupt transmission.
Vaccination has become another major component of the response. Abba disclosed that more than 150,000 people had already been vaccinated during a reactive campaign conducted in 15 wards across five of the worst-affected LGAs.
Katsina has also received additional diphtheria vaccine doses from the Federal Ministry of Health. Another campaign is scheduled to cover 167 wards across the 30 affected LGAs.
Abba said essential medicines and medical consumables had been procured, while community engagement had been stepped up to help residents recognise symptoms and seek medical attention without delay.
Consultant Paediatrician and Assistant Head of the Isolation Centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, Dr Olajide Aladesua, described diphtheria as a highly contagious bacterial infection transmitted mainly through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
He cautioned that untreated infection can produce severe complications involving the heart, brain, and kidneys.
Aladesua listed fever, cough, nasal discharge, severe sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and swelling of the neck among the warning signs. He also identified unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and malnourished children as being particularly vulnerable to severe illness.
He said completion of the recommended childhood immunisation schedule provides the strongest protection against the disease.
The Katsina response is being carried out with support from the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, UNICEF and other development partners.
With the outbreak now affecting 30 LGAs, health authorities are placing particular emphasis on early recognition, prompt treatment, and vaccination.
The message from the state’s health officials is that, delaying care can allow diphtheria to advance rapidly, and can thereof turn a treatable infection into a life-threatening illness.
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