Yobe State has recorded 511 cases of diphtheria and 13 deaths from the disease between January and September 8, the state government has disclosed.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Muhammad Gana, disclosed the figures in Damaturu on Thursday, saying the cases were recorded across 12 local government areas of the state.
Gana said the 13 deaths represented a Case Fatality Rate of 2.5 per cent, which he described as lower than the rates recorded in most other states affected by diphtheria in the country.
He said the state government had advanced plans to commence vaccination against diphtheria in the affected local government areas as part of efforts to further contain the outbreak.
Despite the current cases, the commissioner noted that Yobe had recorded a significant decline compared with previous years. He said the state recorded about 1,100 cases by September 2025, while the highest diphtheria burden was recorded in 2023, when 3,080 cases were reported.
According to him, the decline has been driven by sustained outbreak response activities by the state government and its health partners.
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Gana listed the measures to include the provision of free drugs for victims, training of health workers on outbreak response strategies and intensified vaccination campaigns in hard-to-reach communities.
He added that the government had also intensified community engagement and sensitization campaigns to increase public awareness about the disease and encourage residents to seek timely medical attention.
Other measures include aggressive contact tracing by health workers, regular sharing of outbreak updates with relevant stakeholders, coordination meetings and mobilization of resources to strengthen the state’s response.
The commissioner commended the World Health Organization, WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and African Field Epidemiology Network, AFENET, for supporting Yobe’s vaccination campaign.
He particularly acknowledged their support for vaccination activities in nomadic settlements, where access to healthcare services can be challenging.
Diphtheria is an acute bacterial infection that commonly affects the throat and upper respiratory tract. It can spread through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The disease can also spread through direct contact with infected skin lesions or contaminated secretions, making early detection, vaccination and effective contact tracing important in controlling outbreaks.
The Yobe government is therefore continuing surveillance, vaccination and other response measures across affected communities as it works to further reduce infections and prevent additional deaths.
NAN
