Diphtheria Outbreak: Zamfara Reopens Schools as Plateau Battles Severe Vaccine Shortage

Nigerian authorities are facing fresh challenges dealing with the ongoing diphtheria outbreak, which has hit several states in the north.

While improving health indicators have prompted authorities in Zamfara State to clear schools for resumption, Plateau State is grappling with a critical deficit of 250,000 vaccine doses as it fights to contain a deadlier wave of the disease.

Zamfara Schools Set to Resume Amid Declining Cases

Following a downward trend in reported diphtheria infections, the Zamfara State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology has announced that schools across the state will officially reopen on Monday.

The decision follows an official advisory from the state’s Ministry of Health indicating a sustained decline in active cases. However, state officials have warned that the reopening must be accompanied by heightened vigilance across all learning communities.

In an official statement, the Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Abdulmalik Gajam, directed school administrators and teachers to implement daily health screenings for students, pupils, and staff.

Under the new guidelines, anyone exhibiting symptoms associated with diphtheria must be barred from school activities until they undergo a formal medical assessment.

To prevent potential resurgences, the ministry has mandated strict adherence to hygiene protocols, including mandatory handwashing stations and enhanced personal and respiratory hygiene practices.

Optimised classroom ventilation and targeted measures to reduce overcrowding have also been introduced along with the appointment of a health focal person in every school to manage reporting to health authorities.

The state is seeking full cooperation with upcoming preventive vaccination campaigns and intensified health sensitisation for parents and students.

Plateau State Faces Critical Vaccine Deficit as Death Toll Rises

While Zamfara transitions toward recovery, Plateau State faces a worsening public health challenge. The state is currently facing a shortage of roughly 250,000 doses of the diphtheria vaccine, stalling aggressive containment efforts.

The Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Baamlong, disclosed that the outbreak has claimed 31 lives out of 469 suspected cases across ten local government areas since August.

Dr. Baamlong revealed that while the state successfully vaccinated approximately 160,000 children in Jos North Local Government Area—the epicenter of the state’s outbreak—the campaign has ground to a halt because available vaccine stocks are entirely exhausted.

“Our vaccination campaign has been severely constrained by this shortage,” Baamlong stated, emphasizing that the state urgently requires federal and international intervention to secure the missing 250,000 doses needed to protect vulnerable populations in the remaining affected local government areas.

Collaborative Interventions and Next Steps

Despite the resource constraints in Plateau, both states are relying heavily on coordinated interventions with national and international health bodies.

Plateau State continues to collaborate with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF to strengthen its diagnostic and management frameworks.