Katsina Records Nearly 1,000 Suspected Diphtheria Cases in 2026

Katsina State has recorded about 1,000 suspected cases of diphtheria since January 2026, with approximately five per cent of those affected reported to have died as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the outbreak.

According to a report by Channels, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Shaima’u Abba, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the agency’s Emergency Coordination Centre in Katsina on Sunday.

Abba described diphtheria as a highly infectious but vaccine-preventable disease that primarily affects the respiratory system, warning that the outbreak remains a major public health concern.

She said suspected cases had been reported in 29 Local Government Areas as of Epidemiological Week 35, covering August 28, 2026, with Funtua recording the highest number. Kankia, Bakori, Katsina, Mashi and Daura also recorded significant numbers of suspected cases.

The Acting Executive Secretary said the Katsina State Government, under Governor Dikko Radda, was working with relevant health agencies and development partners to contain the outbreak.

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She said the response was being coordinated through the State Emergency Preparedness and Rapid Response Team, the Primary Health Care Agency, Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners.

Abba explained that surveillance, contact tracing, case investigation, data review and preventive treatment for contacts were ongoing in affected communities under the Incident Management System.

She also disclosed that a reactive vaccination campaign commenced on August 25 across 15 high-risk wards in Bakori, Charanchi, Funtua, Mashi and Kankia Local Government Areas, with support from UNICEF.

According to her, the vaccination exercise had received encouraging participation from communities following intensive house-to-house mobilisation.

The state health authorities have also expanded treatment capacity by establishing three additional isolation centres to complement the NCDC-supported facility at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina.

Abba said essential medicines, medical consumables and infection prevention materials had been distributed to treatment centres, while healthcare workers were receiving additional training in surveillance and case management.

She, however, identified low vaccination uptake, delays in seeking medical attention and the porous border between Katsina and Niger Republic as major challenges to the response.

The Acting Executive Secretary urged parents and caregivers to ensure that children receive their routine vaccinations and advised residents to seek immediate medical attention when symptoms including sore throat, fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling or a greyish membrane in the throat occur.

Meanwhile, the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, has raised concerns over pressure on its children’s ward following the increasing number of diphtheria patients referred to the facility.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the hospital management said the continuous referral of suspected and confirmed cases from across the state had resulted in severe overcrowding and exhausted available bed spaces.

Despite the pressure, the hospital said it remained committed to providing timely and quality care to patients, adding that alternative arrangements were being made to accommodate the growing number of critically ill children.

The management also commended its healthcare workers for their dedication and called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, health institutions and development partners to contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable children.