By Safia Abdulrahman

A medical doctor at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr Nankwat Jeplah, has expressed concern over the continued burden of diphtheria in Nigeria, urging stronger prevention efforts and public awareness.

Jeplah said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday, urging Nigerians to embrace vaccination and preventive measures to curb the disease’s spread.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in its Week 32 epidemiological report, recorded more than 10,000 confirmed diphtheria cases in 2026, reflecting the disease’s continued prevalence.

The NCDC classifies diphtheria as an emergency disease in Nigeria and has established a dedicated national surveillance and outbreak response framework to strengthen detection, monitoring, containment and response efforts.

Jeplah explained that diphtheria is a serious and highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, posing significant health risks, particularly among unvaccinated individuals and vulnerable populations nationwide.

According to him, the disease spreads through respiratory droplets produced when infected persons cough or sneeze, while contact with contaminated surfaces can also facilitate transmission and increase infection risks.

He said that individuals without symptoms could carry and transmit the infection, making early detection, surveillance, prompt diagnosis and adherence to preventive measures essential for reducing disease spread.

Jeplah said diphtheria mainly affected the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and throat, although it could also occur as a skin infection, resulting in additional health complications.

“Symptoms appear three to five days after exposure and include mild fever, sore throat, running nose, drooling, red eyes, neck swelling, painful or difficult swallowing, and difficulty in breathing.

“An ash-to-grey-coloured pseudomembrane covering the affected mucous membranes is a characteristic feature of diphtheria,” he said, noting that prompt medical attention remained essential for effective management.

The doctor warned that severe cases could lead to airway obstruction and oxygen desaturation, requiring urgent hospital care and, in some situations, admission to an intensive care unit.

According to him, management of severe diphtheria requires securing the patient’s airway, hospital admission and close monitoring in an intensive care unit to improve outcomes and prevent complications.

He emphasised that vaccination remained the primary preventive measure against diphtheria, warning that incomplete immunisation could contribute to increased transmission and a higher disease burden within communities.

Jeplah urged Nigerians, particularly parents and caregivers, to ensure children received recommended diphtheria-containing vaccines and seek prompt medical attention whenever symptoms suggestive of the disease were observed.

Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease that can cause severe complications and death, particularly when diagnosis and treatment are delayed, highlighting the importance of vaccination and timely healthcare intervention.(NAN)

Edited by Cecilia Odey/Abiemwense Moru

Nigeria Football Federation Acting General Secretary Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme has challenged the Falconets to go all the way and win the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after their commanding 3-0 victory over England sent them into the quarter-finals in Poland.

Ikpeme hailed the result as a major achievement for Nigerian football but made it clear that reaching the last eight should not represent the end of the ambition for Moses Aduku’s side.

“This win is a great feat by the Falconets,” Ikpeme said after Thursday’s Round of 16 triumph.

“We are delighted at the dominant performance and we will continue to encourage and motivate the girls until they go all the way to clinch the trophy.”

His comments came after the Falconets produced arguably their biggest performance of the tournament to eliminate England and preserve Nigeria’s hopes of winning the U-20 Women’s World Cup for the first time.

Nigeria took control of the knockout encounter early, with Tosin Rafiu opening the scoring in the eighth minute.

England were presented with a major opportunity to equalise in the 36th minute, but Rachel Maltby failed to convert from the penalty spot, allowing the Falconets to carry their advantage into half-time.

Nigeria then struck almost immediately after the restart.

Janet Akekoromowei doubled the advantage in the 47th minute, putting England under enormous pressure before Mercy Mamudu added the third in the 73rd minute to effectively settle the contest.

The 3-0 victory was particularly impressive given England enjoyed more possession, but Nigeria were considerably more clinical in the decisive areas.

It also continued an extraordinary turnaround for the Falconets.

Aduku’s team collected only one point from their opening two Group F matches after losing 2-0 to Spain and drawing 0-0 with China PR.

With their tournament survival on the line, Nigeria responded by demolishing New Caledonia 10-1 in their final group fixture, the country’s biggest-ever victory at the competition, to qualify for the Round of 16.

They have now followed that 10-goal performance with three unanswered goals against England, meaning the Falconets have scored 13 goals without conceding across their last two matches.

Nigeria also entered the England encounter carrying the continent’s remaining hopes after becoming Africa’s last surviving representative in the tournament.

For Ikpeme, however, the journey should extend considerably further.

Nigeria have come agonisingly close to becoming world champions at this level before, reaching the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup final in 2010 and 2014 but finishing runners-up on both occasions.

The NFF acting general secretary now wants the current generation to take the additional steps required to finally bring the trophy home.

Head coach Aduku is equally looking ahead rather than dwelling on the England victory.

Following the match, he expressed satisfaction with his players’ performance before immediately turning attention towards the quarter-finals.

“I am happy they did that. We will go back to Łódź and aim for victory against either Poland or Colombia on Sunday,” Aduku said.

Nigeria will therefore return to Łódź knowing another victory will put them into the semi-finals and move them closer to the ultimate target Ikpeme has now publicly set.

The Falconets have already survived a difficult group stage, produced a record 10-goal victory and eliminated England without conceding.

But the message coming from the NFF is that none of those achievements should represent the finishing line.

For Ikpeme, the target has moved beyond reaching another round: keep winning, go all the way — and return from Poland as world champions.