The Federal Government has confirmed 7,202 cases of DIPHTHERIA out of the 11,587 suspected cases across 105 Local Government Areas in 18 states, including the Federal Capital Territory.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and other development partners – noted that most of the confirmed cases were recorded in Kano with 6,185 cases, where Yobe have (640), Katsina (213), Borno (95), Kaduna (16), Jigawa (14), Bauchi (eight), Lagos (eight), FCT (five), amongst others.

It stated that 5,299 of the confirmed cases, occurred among children aged one to 14 years with those aged five to 14 years bearing most of the brunt of the disease.

So far, a total of 453 deaths have occurred in confirmed cases, giving a case fatality rate of 6.3 per cent.