No fewer than 11 people have been confirmed dead following the outbreak of the communicable disease, diphtheria, in the Chachanga and Katcha local councils of Niger State.

It was gathered that 17 people died between January and early August 2026, while 124 cases had been confirmed and 84 patients treated and discharged.

The disease was recorded in Bida and Agaie local councils, with surveillance now increased in the Suleja Local Council Area.

However, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr JunaiduInuwa, has blamed the casualty rate on parents and guardians who have denied their children vaccinations.

According to him, “most parents are not immunising their children, and the community structure needs to do a lot for us.

Meanwhile, amid the recent outbreak of diphtheria in communities in Rano council, during which some victims, including children, have reportedly died, the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) has called for an immediate supply of nine million doses of vaccines to curtail its spread in the state.

The Director-General of KNCDC, Prof. Muhammad Abbas, told newsmen that a growing number of children in the state have zero-dose vaccines, and that at least nine million doses would be required to tackle the disease.

Noting that though hundreds of children in rural communities are susceptible to infectious diseases, including diphtheria, with over 16,000 children in communities across Rano as zero-dose carriers, the state government had resolved to procure the vaccines for its 784 wards, but was restricted by the Federal Ministry of Health.

Abbas also expressed concern that some parents of affected children refused to report suspected cases to the nearest medical centre but often resort to local healers and traditional practices, which he said could damage vital organs and cause serious complications.

KNCDC also disclosed that the state investigated about 39,000 suspected diphtheria cases between December 2022 and August 2026, with about 32,000 cases confirmed positive and 1,800 deaths recorded.

Abbas said over 55 per cent of the confirmed cases involved children who had received no vaccination. He added that though over 27 local councils of the state had recorded diphtheria cases, the situation was largely under control due to strengthened surveillance and response mechanisms.

According to him, the state government has provided drugs and other medical supplies to support patient treatment, while reactive vaccination campaigns are conducted in communities and schools whenever cases are detected.

On cholera, Abbas said the state had identified 227 suspected cases, with laboratory tests confirming six current cases. He urged residents to promptly report suspected cases to the nearest healthcare facility, stressing that early detection and treatment remained critical to preventing deaths and further transmission.

Meanwhile, the state government has constituted a Special Committee on Diphtheria Outbreak Response, chaired by Abbas, to coordinate ongoing response efforts, conduct a comprehensive assessment of the outbreak and take immediate measures to prevent further spread of the disease to neighbouring local government areas.