{
  "id": 326941,
  "title": "Diphtheria kills 17 in Niger as 124 cases recorded in seven months",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/diphtheria-kills-17-in-niger-as-124-cases-recorded-in-seven-months",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-08T19:01:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/08/08/diphtheria-kills-17-in-niger-as-124-cases-recorded-in-seven-months/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Diphtheria has claimed the lives of 17 individuals in Niger State over the past seven months, with a total of 124 cases reported in the Bida, Suleja, and Shiroro local government areas. During a press conference in Minna, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana, disclosed that 103 patients had been treated and discharged. He also mentioned that three new cases had recently been identified, with one patient currently admitted to the hospital. The government has intensified surveillance, case management, immunization, and public awareness efforts to combat the outbreak.\n\nDr Samuel Jiya, the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, attributed the outbreak to poor vaccination coverage, stating that children who miss or fail to complete their routine immunization are particularly vulnerable. Investigations revealed that some affected children received only one dose of the pentavalent vaccine, while others had never been vaccinated at all. Jiya emphasized that \"Anywhere you see a diphtheria outbreak, it means a child has not completed that vaccination or has not had access to it.\" He warned that vaccine refusal poses not only a threat to individual children but also puts entire communities at risk of preventable disease outbreaks.\n\nThe pentavalent vaccine, administered at six, 10, and 14 weeks, is crucial for protecting children against diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The Director of Disease Control and Immunisation also linked the immunization gaps to migration, vaccine myths, and cultural beliefs that have contributed to vaccine refusal in the state. Pregnant women in the state are now receiving Tetanus-Diphtheria vaccines during antenatal care to protect newborns during their early weeks of life. Regarding measles, the number of infections has declined in the state, with 31 cases reported this year; nine tested positive and were treated, and two deaths were recorded.",
  "summary": "No fewer than 17 persons have died from diphtheria in Niger State in the last seven months, with 124 cases recorded in Bida, Suleja and Shiroro local government areas of the state. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Murtala Muhammad Bagana, who made this disclosure during a press conference in Minna, said a total of 103 […] Diphtheria kills 17 in Niger as 124 cases recorded in seven months",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}