UNICEF’s Communication Officer in Nigeria, Safiya Akau, on Thursday, affirmed that diphtheria has claimed the lives of 122 children in Nigeria as at July 2023. Accordingly, UNICEF is amplifying its efforts to counter the growing outbreak of diphtheria that has affected children in 27 States of Nigeria.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Christian Munduate disclosed that, diphtheria usually affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.
“Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae that makes toxins. It can lead to difficulty in breathing, heart rhythm problems, and death”.
Akau explained that children between the ages of two and 14 years accounted for 71.5 per cent of confirmed cases from the 3,850 suspected cases that were reported as of July.
UNICEF added that 22 per cent of the confirmed cases received their routine childhood immunization vaccinations. Meanwhile, Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Lagos, Sokoto, Zamfara States and the FCT are affected with diphtheria and accounted for 98 per cent of the suspected cases.
