38 Fatalities And 123 Confirmed Cases Of Diphtheria Are Reported In Nigeria.
As of January 22, 2023, Nigeria has 123 confirmed cases of diphtheria and 38 fatalities throughout the nation. Kano had 100 confirmed cases and 32 confirmed deaths, Lagos had five confirmed infections and three confirmed deaths, Yobe had 17 confirmed occurrences and three confirmed fatalities, and Osun had one confirmed case and no known deaths as of yet.
Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, the director general of the center, revealed this during the ministerial update on COVID-19 yesterday in Abuja. He said his organization had written to states urging them to increase diphtheria monitoring and report cases quickly.
Adetifa, who was represented by Dr. Priscilla Ibekwe, Director, Special Duties, suggested that NCDC was assisting states in their efforts to react to the outbreak and prevent its spread. She also said that the government was under pressure from doctors to quickly identify and contain the pandemic.
He said that the disease center assisted states by providing antitoxins for the treatment of confirmed diphtheria cases. He also said that the disease center had organized a workshop for laboratory scientists in states to improve diphtheria diagnostic capabilities.
He claimed that participants received instruction on how to directly analyze clinical samples to cultivate, identify, and determine the susceptibility of diphtheria-causing substances.
