By Deborah Onyofufeke, Abuja
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) yesterday, disclosed that the diphtheria outbreak in Kaduna state has claimed 20 lives in the state.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Executive Director, Dr. Faisal Shuaib made the disclosure to journalists following his visit to the Kaduna Diphtheria Treatment Centre at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital.
Dr. Shuaib who also doubles as the Co-Chairman of the presidential Task force Team on Diphtheria, stated that the reason for his visit was to assess the situation of the diphtheria outbreak that affected some part of Kaduna state.
Speaking further, Faisal confirmed that a total of 156 cases of the disease had been recorded in the state.
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.
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“Since March when the diphtheria outbreak was detected in Kaduna, 150 cases and about 20 deaths were recorded. That is high for diphtheria, but we also recognized that most of the patients were 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,” Shuaib said.
He noted that patients with the disease should be brought in to the hospital early.
He also advised that persons they have made contacts with should also be brought alongside for vaccination as diphtheria is a preventable disease.
Shuaib said “Diphtheria is a preventable disease, about 80 per cent of those afflicted by the diseases did not present themselves for vaccination”.
He added that the diphtheria outbreak was due to low population immunity which was created by low vaccination coverage, stressing that the discrepancy of the outbreak even within Kaduna, shows that the LGAs that have high rate of vaccination, record lower cases of the disease.
“Vaccines are the most powerful tools against diphtheria which is a vaccine preventable disease”.
He commended efforts of the state government in combating the disease, and admonished the people to wear nose masks especially when visiting health facilities.
He further commended the Chief Medical Director of the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital and the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board for their leadership and hoped that the outbreak would soon be contained.
He also commended the effort of the state government in combating the disease.
