Nigeria’s Plateau State has ordered all public and private primary and secondary schools to close indefinitely from September 7 following a diphtheria outbreak that health officials say has killed 23 people.
Cases have been reported in Jos North, Jos South, Bassa and Wase local government areas, the state government said on Saturday.
Information and Communication Commissioner Joyce Ramnap said the closure was intended to curb transmission and would remain in effect until further notice. The directive includes schools that have already resumed classes.
School owners, administrators and teachers were instructed to comply, while parents and guardians were urged to keep children at home.
State Health Commissioner Nicholas Baamlong said earlier in the week that authorities had recorded 143 suspected cases and 23 deaths. Nine patients were receiving treatment at Jos University Teaching Hospital and Plateau Specialist Hospital.
Baamlong said shortages of diphtheria antitoxin and delays in patients seeking treatment were hampering the response.
Health authorities also face difficulties confirming suspected infections because they lack specialised containers for collecting and transporting samples to laboratories, he said.
The state has notified the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and is awaiting federal assistance, including antitoxin supplies and sample-collection materials.
According to the NCDC’s latest available figures, eight states — Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara — accounted for 98% of confirmed cases. The agency said 68% of confirmed infections were among people who had not been vaccinated.
Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable bacterial infection transmitted through respiratory droplets. It can cause severe complications affecting the throat, heart, nerves and kidneys.
