Plateau State orders temporary closure of primary and secondary schools over suspected diphtheria

 The Plateau government has ordered the temporary closure of primary and secondary schools as part of measures to contain the spread of the diphtheria outbreak in the state.   The directive, issued on Saturday by Caleb Mutfwang, the Plateau governor, takes effect from Monday, September 7 and will be in place until further notice.   No fewer than 23 people have died in Plateau following a breakout of diphtheria in the state early last month.   In an interview with NAN on Friday, Nicholas Baamlong, the health commissioner, said the state has recorded 148 suspected cases of diphtheria.     The commissioner said eight patients were currently receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), while another five were admitted at the Plateau Specialist Hospital, where isolation centres had been established for suspected cases.   He said the state government had alerted the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and requested materials needed for the collection and transportation of samples for laboratory confirmation.   Baamlong said the state had also received materials to enable health officials to collect samples from suspected cases and send them for testing.     Diphtheria is a disease caused by a bacterium that affects the upper respiratory tract and, less often, the skin. It also produces a toxin that damages the heart and the nerves.   It is a vaccine-preventable disease, but multiple doses and booster doses are needed to produce and sustain immunity.   Without proper treatment, diphtheria can be fatal in around 30 percent of cases, with young children at higher risk of dying, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).   INSUFFICIENT DIPHTHERIA ANTITOXIN     Baamlong expressed concern over the low availability of diphtheria antitoxin in the country.   The commissioner urged parents to ensure that their children received and completed routine immunisation, noting that some of the affected children had either not been vaccinated or had incomplete vaccination.   He advised parents and caregivers to seek prompt medical attention when children develop symptoms, attributing some of the deaths to late presentation at health facilities.   Baamlong said the government has intensified sensitisation and vaccination campaigns in affected communities to contain the spread of the disease.     He urged residents to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene and avoid overcrowding as part of measures to prevent further transmission of the disease.   He also said consultations were ongoing with school authorities over concerns that reopening schools could increase contact among children and facilitate further spread of the disease.

The Plateau State Government has ordered the immediate temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state after suspected cases of diphtheria were reported in four Local Government Areas.The directive, which takes effect from Monday, September 7, 2026, will keep schools shut until further notice. Schools that had already resumed academic activities are also required to close from that date.The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Saturday, September 5, and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Rt. Hon. Joyce Lohya Ramnap.According to the government, the suspected cases were recorded in Jos North, Wase, Jos South and Bassa Local Government Areas.School proprietors, administrators and teachers have been urged to comply fully with the order, while parents and guardians are advised to keep their children and wards at home throughout the period of the closure.The state government described the measure as a preventive step aimed at protecting pupils, students and school staff amid concerns over the suspected infection.“Further information on the resumption of academic activities will be communicated to the public in due course,” the statement added.

The Plateau State Government has ordered the immediate temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state following suspected cases of diphtheria in four Local Government Areas. The directive takes effect from Monday, September 7, 2026, with schools to remain closed until further notice. The government gave the order in a […] Plateau Govt closes schools over suspected diphtheria cases

The Plateau State Government has ordered the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools from September 7 over suspected diphtheria cases in four local government areas. The post Plateau shuts schools over suspected diphtheria outbreak appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

The Plateau State Government has directed the temporary closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state, effective Monday, September 7, 2026, as a preventive measure against a diphtheria outbreak. The post Plateau shuts schools over diphtheria threat appeared first on Vanguard News.