A diphtheria outbreak in Plateau State has reportedly claimed 23 lives, with 143 suspected cases recorded across the state within the past two weeks.
The Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed the figures while speaking with journalists in Jos on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, as the state government intensifies efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious bacterial disease.
Baamlong said identified patients were being immediately quarantined and treated in isolation at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos.
“So far, we have 143 suspected cases; we have had 23 deaths and nine currently on admission at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, and the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos,” he said.
The commissioner explained that diphtheria can spread from person to person through respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Transmission can also occur through close contact and prolonged association with an infected person.
He identified late presentation of patients and difficulties in obtaining diphtheria antitoxin as some of the major challenges confronting the state’s response to the outbreak.
Baamlong also disclosed that the state’s ability to confirm suspected cases has been hampered by a shortage of specialised containers required for collecting and transporting samples to laboratories.
“We are having challenges with the diagnosis because the sample is supposed to be collected in a special container so that we can send it for confirmation, but we do not have such containers,” he explained.
Despite the challenges, the commissioner said the government had intensified measures to raise awareness and prevent further spread of the disease.
According to him, community sensitisation campaigns have been activated across affected communities in collaboration with traditional rulers and other stakeholders, with residents being educated about diphtheria, its symptoms, transmission and preventive measures.
“We have so far activated awareness campaigns in communities through traditional rulers and other stakeholders to curtail the spread,” Baamlong stated.
The development has raised concern among health authorities and residents as the state continues efforts to identify suspected cases, provide treatment to affected patients and prevent further transmission of the potentially life-threatening disease.