Lagos Proactive Stance on Diphtheria

By Sherif Salau

Lagos State health authorities have completed a comprehensive review of preparedness and response capacity for diphtheria, underscoring a deliberate shift from reactive measures to systematic readiness. The exercise brought together clinicians, epidemiologists, laboratory specialists and partner agencies to examine the full continuum of detection, care and prevention.

National data for epidemiological week 35 of 2026 show 16,184 suspected cases, 13,026 confirmed infections and 365 deaths across 26 states. Lagos is not currently a high-burden area. However, the state’s population density, extensive mobility networks and continuous interstate linkages create conditions in which importation can rapidly escalate into local transmission within households, schools and other congregate settings. Low case numbers therefore do not equate to low risk.

The review focused on operational readiness across key domains: surveillance sensitivity, laboratory confirmation pathways, clinical management protocols, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, vaccination coverage, referral systems and the availability of critical commodities. Emphasis was placed on the principle that clinical suspicion must trigger immediate action. Suspected cases require prompt isolation, investigation and treatment; laboratory confirmation should not delay the initiation of care when clinically indicated.

Referral arrangements for severe presentations—particularly airway compromise and toxin-mediated complications—were examined to ensure that ENT, anaesthetic and intensive-care capacity can be accessed without delay. Equally, stock levels of diphtheria antitoxin, antibiotics and essential laboratory supplies are being verified to confirm that rapid deployment is feasible should case numbers rise.

Vaccination remains the cornerstone of long-term protection. Attention is directed toward zero-dose and under-immunised children, as well as older children and adolescents who may have incomplete schedules. More than one thousand facilities across the state deliver routine immunisation free of charge at government centres. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to verify vaccination records and complete any outstanding doses.

With the school year underway, strengthened collaboration with the education sector and enhanced school- and community-based surveillance form an integral part of the preparedness framework. Lagos has demonstrated the capacity for rapid mobilisation in previous public-health challenges. The present objective is to ensure that systems are fully aligned and resourced before any significant increase in cases occurs.

Diphtheria is a preventable disease. Sustained attention to surveillance, clinical readiness, commodity security and immunisation coverage constitutes the most effective safeguard against preventable morbidity and mortality.