…..Plateau Govt Quarantines Patients, Intensifies Campaign
A diphtheria outbreak in Plateau State has claimed 23 lives, with 143 suspected cases recorded in the last two weeks.
The Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed this to journalists in Jos on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
Baamlong said the state government and the Ministry of Health have intensified efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious bacterial disease.
He explained that identified patients have been quarantined and are receiving treatment in isolation at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, and the Plateau Specialist Hospital. Nine patients are currently on admission at the two facilities.
According to the Commissioner, the government has also activated awareness campaigns in communities through traditional rulers and other stakeholders to curtail further transmission.
“Diphtheria spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets and close contact such as coughing, sneezing and close association,” he said.
Baamlong, however, noted that the state was facing challenges in confirming suspected cases due to the unavailability of specialised containers required for collecting and transporting samples to laboratories.
“So far, we have 143 suspected cases; we have had 23 deaths and nine currently on admission at JUTH and the Plateau Specialist Hospital,” he said.
He added that late presentation of cases and difficulty in obtaining antitoxin were also major challenges.
The Commissioner assured that the state government had stepped up sensitisation efforts to educate residents about the disease and ways to prevent its spread.
