Given the recent surge in diphtheria cases nationwide, nineteen states are considering reinstating mandatory face mask usage in public gatherings as a preventive measure against the community transmission of the disease.
The federal government on Tuesday, October 3, urged state governors of affected states to institute face-covering requirements such as facemasks in public gatherings in order to slow down the progress of the diphtheria outbreak.
The government revealed that as of October 3, 2023, a total of 8,406 confirmed cases have been reported from 19 states and 114 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the country.
Kano, however, is the epicentre of the outbreak, as the state has reported 7,188 confirmed cases out of all the confirmed cases in the country, representing 86 percent of the total infection.
The breakdown of the affected States is Kano, 7,188 (86 percent); Yobe, 775; Katsina, 232; Borno, 118; Jigawa, 23; Bauchi, 20; Kaduna, 17; Lagos, 8; FCT, 6; Gombe, 5; Osun, 3; Sokoto, 3; Niger, 2; Cross River, 1; Enugu, 1; Imo, 1; Nasarawa, 1; Zamfara, 1; and Kebbi, 1.
