As diphtheria continues to spread across Nigeria, the federal government is advocating for the reintroduction of facemasks in affected states. Dr. Faisal Shuaib, the executive director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), emphasized the importance of adopting non-pharmaceutical interventions, including facemasks, to reduce the transmission of this airborne disease. He made this plea during a Diphtheria Outbreak Response press briefing held in Abuja.
"Diphtheria is an airborne disease. Like COVID-19, we can reduce air contact with the bacteria by adopting non-pharmaceutical interventions such as the use of facemasks, handwashing, and physical distancing from affected persons," Dr. Shuaib stated. He urged the governors of affected states to implement facemask requirements in public gatherings, contributing another layer of defense against the outbreak.
Dr. Shuaib emphasized the need for these measures to be implemented without stigmatizing or discriminating against sick individuals. He identified six states, including Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Kaduna, and Bauchi, as bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with Kano alone accounting for over 84% of the cases. The outbreak is disproportionately affecting young people, with 73% of cases occurring in children aged one to 14 years, and alarmingly, only about 18% of those affected had received any vaccinations.
Understanding Diphtheria: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention Strategies in Nigeria
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 13,204 suspected cases, out of which 8,406 were confirmed cases from 114 local government areas in 19 states, including the FCT. The director-general of NCDC, Dr. Adetifa Ifedayo, provided a breakdown by states, highlighting the severity of the outbreak in Kano, Yobe, and other affected regions.
The federal government's call for facemask usage underscores the urgent need to contain the diphtheria outbreak and protect public health.
