Yobe records 511 diphtheria cases, 13 deaths in 2026

Yobe State has documented 511 cases of diphtheria and 13 deaths from January to 8 September, according to health authorities.

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

Mr Gana explained that the 13 deaths corresponded to a case fatality rate of 2.5 per cent, which is lower than in most other affected states across the country.

He affirmed that the outbreak impacted 12 local government areas in the state, and that vaccination plans in these areas were well underway.

Mr Gana further stated that the current total of 511 diphtheria cases was significantly lower than the 1,100 cases reported in September 2025 and previous years.

He attributed the decline since 2023, when the state recorded its highest burden of 3,080 cases, to sustained outbreak response activities.

The activities listed by the Commissioner included providing free medication to victims, training health workers on response strategies, conducting intensive vaccinations in hard-to-reach areas, community engagement, and sensitisation campaigns against the disease.

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Additional efforts involved aggressive contact tracing by health personnel, sharing updates with relevant stakeholders, holding regular coordination meetings, and mobilising resources for outbreak response.

Mr Gana praised the support from WHO, UNICEF, and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) for assisting the state’s vaccination campaign against diphtheria, especially in nomadic settlements.

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

It mainly spreads through respiratory droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing, and occasionally through direct contact with infected skin lesions or contaminated secretions.