As diphtheria cases continue to surge nineteen states have been urged to consider instituting compulsory face covering requirements such as nose masks in public gatherings in order to slow down the progress of the diphtheria outbreak.
Health agencies made this known at the inaugural diphtheria emergency task force team briefing to give an update on the situation of the outbreak and response in the country.
Since the confirmation of the re-emergence of diphtheria in Nigeria in December 2022, Nigeria’s health agencies swung into action to curb further spread of the disease.
The ongoing outbreak affected states like Kano, Yobe, Borno, Katsina, Kaduna and Bauchi at the peak of the outbreak.
Kano remains the epicentre of the outbreak bearing the brunt of more than eighty four percent of the ninety seven percent reported cases.
The concern among these health agencies who make up the national emergency task force team on diphtheria is the risk posed by the large number of the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated who make up more than sixty four percent of recorded cases.
So far, Nigeria has recorded 13,204 reported suspected cases out of which 8,404 have been confirmed cases across 114 local government areas in 19 states including the FCT.
The task force is now urging state governments to consider re introducing the use of compulsory face covering especially in states with a high burden.
The national emergency task team was set up last month by the coordinating minister of health and social welfare to enable a higher level of coordination of the diphtheria outbreak response efforts.
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