Public health expert, Dr Isaac Egboja has said that incomplete immunisation among children is driving the spread of diphtheria across Nigeria, as outbreaks continue to pose a serious threat in several states, including Kano, Katsina, Plateau, Niger, Bauchi, and Borno, with Kano remaining the primary epicentre.
Speaking in an interview on ARISE NEWS on Friday, the public health expert identified overcrowding in IDP camps and missed vaccine doses as major factors increasing children’s vulnerability to diphtheria, while insecurity further creates conditions for rapid transmission.
“One of the main reasons or indications is that a lot of children have not been immunized at all or are not completely immunized. When I say not completely immunized, they may have taken some doses of the vaccine, but they didn’t complete them. For diphtheria, for example, you have to take DPT 1, DPT 2, 3, and 4. Four doses, even up to five sometimes—the fifth one usually being a booster.
“When we talk about poverty, we are actually referring to overcrowded situations. There are IDP camps—internally displaced camps—where people live in very substandard conditions and are overcrowded, usually with children. As a result of insecurity, many children who should have received their vaccines at scheduled times have not been able to do so because they didn’t have access. Because of high dropout rates, the likelihood of diphtheria spreading is very high. More than that, if one person is infected and it is not detected early, it will spread very fast,” he said.
According to Egboja, shortages of diphtheria antitoxin and other essential medical supplies could further complicate treatment efforts, stressing that early intervention significantly improves patients’ chances of survival.
“The quicker you are able to intervene to treat a patient, the higher the chances of survival for that patient. If a person is infected and you don’t get the antitoxin—because this bacterium produces toxins—there are two approaches to the fight: the fight to neutralize the toxin and the fight to kill the bacterium. If you get one and not the other, you are not okay. Unfortunately, from what we are hearing, they don’t have enough supply of the medical needs that they require.”
Urging state and local governments to intensify immunisation campaigns, Dr Egboja called for children who missed scheduled doses or booster shots to be traced and those who have never been vaccinated to be reached and fully immunised.
“First, ensure that all children are immunized. Those who have been immunized but need to get booster doses or complete their series should be traced and given immunization. Campaigns should be mounted. Health facilities should check their catchment areas to reach children who have never been immunized, who have not completed their immunization, or who have moved from where they were to another place and consequently lost access to immunization. Whatever the case is, the most important thing is to make sure every child is immunized completely, not partially.”
Stressing the need for early preparedness and rapid response to suspected cases, he urged health authorities to ensure prompt treatment and reporting of patients showing symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, a grey coating on the throat or a swollen neck, while isolating confirmed cases to prevent further transmission.
“The best time to start preparing for any emergency is when there is no emergency. Once you hear a report of one child or one person having this disease—especially when there is mortality—you should speed up making sure you get all the supplies you need, send out the health staff required, and sensitize people on how to prevent deaths for those who have already been affected.
“You make sure that anybody who presents with severe fever—or even if the fever is not severe, but the patient has difficulty breathing, a grey coating on the throat, or a swollen neck with swollen lymph nodes—is treated as quickly as possible and reported to the health authorities.
“Health authorities should try to sensitize people as quickly as possible, especially in affected areas, and ensure that anyone who is a victim is isolated and treated adequately so the infection does not spread to others.”
According to the Public Health expert, early signs of diphtheria include difficulty breathing, extreme tiredness and fever. He also noted that the disease can cause swelling of the neck and a thick grey coating in the throat that interferes with swallowing and breathing.
“For a lay person, one of the main things you would notice is difficulty breathing. This disease affects the upper respiratory tract—the throat, the nose, and the glands, causing the neck to swell. Because of the thick grey coating that covers the throat and the inflammation, it prevents the person from swallowing or breathing properly. If you see someone having difficulty breathing, feeling extremely tired, and running a fever, that is a reason for concern.”
Clarifying that the diphtheria outbreak was not caused by the rainy season, Egboja attributed the resurgence to gaps in immunisation and low vaccination rates, leaving many children inadequately protected.
“It does not have anything to do with the season. The primary reason is that there is a gap in immunization and the immunization rate is very low. It is an indication that many children have not yet been immunized or are not fully immunized and protected.”
Favour Odima
Follow us on:
