Yobe Records 511 Diphtheria Cases, 13 Deaths in 2026

Yobe State has recorded 511 diphtheria cases and 13 deaths between January and September 8, health authorities have said.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Muhammad Gana, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Thursday.

Gana said the 13 deaths represented a case fatality rate of 2.5 per cent, which he described as lower than rates recorded in most states affected by the disease.

According to him, diphtheria has affected 12 local government areas in the state, with vaccination campaigns already underway in the affected areas.

The commissioner said the latest figure also showed a decline from the 1,100 cases recorded by September 2025.

He recalled that Yobe recorded its highest diphtheria burden in 2023, when cases rose to 3,080. Sustained intervention efforts have since helped to reduce the spread, he said.

Gana listed free treatment for victims, training of health workers and vaccination campaigns in hard-to-reach communities among the measures adopted by the state.

The response also includes community engagement, public sensitisation, contact tracing and regular coordination meetings among health authorities and other stakeholders.

He added that the state had continued to mobilise resources to strengthen its response and contain further transmission.

Gana commended the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) for supporting the vaccination campaign.

He said the support had proved particularly useful in reaching nomadic settlements where access to healthcare remains challenging.

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that mainly affects the throat and upper respiratory tract.

The disease spreads mainly through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread through direct contact with infected skin lesions or contaminated secretions.

Yobe’s latest figures indicate that continued vaccination, early detection and community-level response remain central to controlling the disease in the state.