GUSAU, NIGERIA – The Zamfara State Ministry of Health has confirmed 44 fatalities resulting from a diphtheria outbreak affecting several local government areas across the state.
Providing an update in a telephone interview in Gusau on Monday, September 14, 2026, the State Director of Public Health, Dr Yusuf Haske, disclosed that 367 clinically suspected cases have been recorded.
Laboratory tests conducted on patient samples sent to the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja confirmed the presence of the diphtheria-causing bacterium.
Following confirmation of the outbreak, Governor Dauda Lawal directed the immediate activation of the state’s Incident Management System and Rapid Response Teams across all 14 local government areas to coordinate containment and case management.
Education Ministry Postpones School Resumption to September 28
Acting on advisory directives from the Ministry of Health, the Zamfara State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced a two-week postponement of school resumption for all public and private basic and secondary schools.
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Announcing the decision in Gusau, the Commissioner for Education, Mallam Abdulmalik Gajam, stated that the delay is necessary to protect pupils, educators, and the broader school community while health authorities intensify contact tracing, vaccination checks, and campus decontamination.
“The decision follows the latest health advisory from the Ministry of Health on the prevailing diphtheria situation in the state and is aimed at protecting the health and wellbeing of pupils, students, teachers, and the wider school community,” Gajam stated.
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“The extension will allow health and education authorities to strengthen disease surveillance, contact tracing, vaccination verification, public sensitisation, and other preventive measures before schools reopen.”
The Ministry of Education announced Monday, September 28, 2026, as the tentative new resumption date for the academic term, subject to joint review and clearance advisories from health officials.
School heads across the state have been instructed to utilise the extended closure to disinfect school premises and set up functional handwashing stations.
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