By Joyce Ekeh
Two people have died from diphtheria in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, out of five laboratory-confirmed cases, with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, revealing that a child also bled to death after a local barber allegedly attempted to cut a membrane from the youngster’s throat.
The disclosure came yesterday as the FCTA intensified measures to contain the disease, deploying a multidisciplinary Incident Management Team to affected communities and warning residents against self-treatment and other dangerous interventions.
Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environmental Secretariat, FCTA, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, disclosed the figures during a community sensitisation and advocacy programme on diphtheria in Karshi.
Fasawe said the FCTA had investigated 15 suspected cases as of last week, five of which were confirmed through laboratory testing, resulting in two fatalities, while several other patients had been successfully treated and discharged.
But beyond the fatalities, Fasawe expressed concern over the dangers posed by misinformation and unorthodox treatment, recounting the tragic case of a child who died after a barber attempted to intervene in the child’s throat infection.
According to her, the barber attempted to cut the membrane formed at the back of the child’s throat, resulting in severe bleeding and death.
She therefore warned residents not to attempt to remove the membrane associated with severe diphtheria infection.
“People should not attempt to remove the membrane. It can lead to severe bleeding and death,” she cautioned, urging residents to immediately take suspected cases to health facilities.
Fasawe explained that diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that primarily affects the nose and throat and can sometimes affect the skin.
She said early symptoms could include fever, cough and catarrh, but the disease could rapidly progress to neck swelling and severe difficulty in breathing if treatment was delayed.
The Mandate Secretary said the FCTA had activated a comprehensive response to prevent further transmission, particularly in communities where suspected cases had been identified.
She disclosed that a multidisciplinary Incident Management Team had been deployed to Karshi and surrounding rural and urban communities to conduct contact tracing, administer preventive antibiotics and intensify community sensitisation.
According to her, health officials were also engaging residents in local languages, including Hausa and Gbagyi, to ensure that vital information reached vulnerable communities.
Fasawe urged residents to report suspected cases promptly to health authorities rather than resort to self-medication or unverified local remedies.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Karshi, Ismaila Mohammed, represented by the District Head of Karshi, Alhaji Ahmed Doka, clarified that the reported fatalities did not occur directly in Karshi town but in a neighbouring border settlement along Nasarawa State.
He commended the government for its swift intervention and pledged the support of traditional and religious leaders in the response to the disease.
He said community leaders would encourage residents to take sick children to designated health centres instead of seeking unverified remedies.
Also speaking, Hanatu Bello, who represented the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, said the agency was providing technical and operational support to the FCT to interrupt transmission.
She said the NCDC was also supporting risk communication efforts to ensure that accurate information about the disease reached residents across the Territory.
Similarly, FCT Coordinator of the World Health Organisation, WHO, Imaobong Adebayo, represented by Dr Jibril Alkasim, stressed the importance of routine childhood immunisation in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases.
He said the availability of free and safe childhood vaccines meant that parents should ensure their children received all recommended doses.
Adebayo reiterated WHO’s commitment to supporting local health authorities with field operations, active case searches and efforts to increase vaccination coverage among vulnerable populations.
Director, FCT Public Health Department, Teresa Nwachukwu, also assured residents that there was no need for panic, saying the FCT health system had activated the necessary structures to contain the outbreak.
Nwachukwu said the response covered surveillance, case management and risk communication.
She disclosed that available data showed that children aged five to nine years remained the most vulnerable group, urging parents and caregivers to take preventive measures seriously.
She stressed that adherence to childhood immunisation schedules, maintenance of clean environments and early presentation at healthcare facilities remained critical to eliminating diphtheria from the Territory.
The officials appealed to residents to remain vigilant, report suspected cases promptly and avoid practices that could worsen the condition of infected persons, as health authorities intensify efforts to break the chain of transmission.
