A diphtheria outbreak in the Mbutu community of Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area (LGA), Imo State, has claimed the lives of several children, prompting the immediate closure of all nursery, primary, and secondary schools in the area.
Chairman of the Aboh Mbaise LGA, Mr. Iheukwumere Alaribe, confirmed the development in a press statement, describing the situation as tragic and alarming. He noted that multiple child fatalities were recorded within a span of one week.
As part of urgent containment measures, the local authority ordered the temporary suspension of academic activities in all schools across Mbutu.
In response to the outbreak, a joint team comprising health officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Imo State Ministry of Health’s Department of Disease Prevention and Control, and the Aboh Mbaise Health Authority has commenced a coordinated emergency intervention.
An isolation centre has been established at the Mbutu Health Centre, where medical personnel are treating infected children and quarantining those deemed at risk.
The local government chairman strongly urged parents and guardians in the area to vaccinate their children promptly, emphasizing that immunisation remains the most effective protection against diphtheria and similar infections.
He appealed for calm among residents and pledged that the government would provide regular updates as efforts to control the outbreak continue. The state authorities have also called for public cooperation and vigilance to prevent further spread of the disease.
