Diphtheria ravages Kings College Lagos

Suspected Diphtheria outbreak has been reported at King’s College, Lagos (KCL), resulting to the hospitalisation of some students, while some of them who manifested symptoms have been isolated, taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for diagnosis and results awaited.

Penpushing reports that the parents made this known in interviews blaming the outbreak on the unsanitary condition of the school, as well as faulting the school’s management for its seeming silence.

The parents some of them who preferred anonymity equally blamed the school management for failure to swing into action promptly in the face of the outbreak.

‘If there are no cases, why are the students mandated to wear nose masks and some of them taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for treatment? There were cases late last year’, a parent stated

“We heard that officials of the World Health Organisation (WHO) were in the school yesterday (March 8), to sensitise the students on preventive measures against diphtheria disease.Why is the school secretive about the issue?

“Parents had complained several times about the poor environmental sanitation of the school and toilets, including food given to the students. Students even complain about some members of the food committee and what they do’.

“A few weeks ago, some parents raised concerns that their children had fallen sick and were diagnosed with diphtheria at the hospital. Even, some PTA Exco don’t like parents to openly complain about such. Last week, the school sent a message to parents to sign a consent form that would enable their children to receive diphtheria vaccines in the school premises’, the parent added

Penpushing further reports that another female parent complained about the state of the college clinic, pointing out the need for a medical doctor to be consulting there regularly, for it to operate optimally.

The parents equally confirmed that last December their sons were hospitalised and treated for diphtheria, recalling that it was by God’s grace the students survived, adding that they were called to pick them

“It was by God’s grace that my son survived. I was called to pick him up. He complained of sore throat. His neck was swollen and he had high fever. When we got to the hospital, he was on admission for over a week. In fact, there was another student who was hospitalised for same ailment the same time, but he didn’t pull through’, a parent emphasized.

Penpushing also reports that she appealed for intensified preventive measures to be put in place in Kings College, as well as  other schools and the students to be constantly sensitised.

‘These are still children, most of them restless and full of play. They need constant supervision especially in their toilet, washing and also eating and recreational habits.”

Penpushing reports that in same vein, the parents urged Nigerian government to improve infrastructure, especially water and WASH facilities, teaching quality, teachers/ staff attitude, and educational standards in the college and other colleges across the country.

The reports showed that a relative of one of the students, who is her nephew was among those taken to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for treatment on Saturday, calling for prayers for the affected students.

“Let’s keep praying for the children. My sister is panicking and distraught especially since she heard a student died from the disease in December. I believe that all will be well. However, the federal government and the school’s management should look more into improving the standards of KCL and, indeed, all unity schools’, she said.

‘The PTA should work to better the lot of schools and students and not cover up things that aren’t right. These schools are very good and should not be allowed to continuously fall below standards all around’, she added

Penpushing further that the Public Relations Officer, King’s College Parents Teachers Association (PRO, KCPTA), Ngozi Ogbonna, in a message to parents, called for calm, assuring that efforts were ongoing to control the situation.

The college spokesperson in her message titled, “Issue of Diphtheria Disease in Annex Campus, King’s College”, explained that the college management and Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Executives are collaborating to address the situation.

‘As part of their efforts, the management and PTA EXCO met and contacted the relevant government health agencies, who, in collaboration, advised that booster doses of vaccines should be administered to the students’, she stated.

“However, some of the students who manifested symptoms have been isolated, taken to LUTH for diagnosis and results awaited. Other students who manifest symptoms subsequently would be taken to LUTH accordingly, and parents contacted for follow-up’, Ogbonna said.

‘Delegates of the World Health Organisation visited the Annex Campus this evening to play their own role in controlling the situation. On this note, we, therefore, implore parents to remain calm and prayerful as everything is under control. We shall overcome’, she said.

Penpushing also reports that the World Health Organisation(WHO) ,explained that  diphtheria is a contagious disease that is caused by toxin-producing bacteria and can spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The world health body added that diphtheria toxin damages the respiratory tract and can spread throughout the body, stating that common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and swelling of the neck glands, emphasizing that it can affect anyone but is most common in unvaccinated children.

Penpushing reports that it added that overcrowding in residential camps increases the risk of infection, and that the risk of complications or death decreases considerably if appropriate treatment is provided early in the course of illness.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on prevention explained that diphtheria can be prevented by vaccines that are often given in combination with tetanus and pertussis and other diseases.

Penpushing further reports that the health agency recommends giving a total of six diphtheria-containing vaccine doses starting at six weeks of age through adolescence to provide long-term protection.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), however, said the country continues to grapple with a diphtheria outbreak, disclosing that 41,336 suspected cases of diphtheria were reported from 37 states between Epidemiological Week 19, 2022, and Epidemiological Week 4, 2025.

Meanwhile, a sighted copy of the consent form showed that the routine immunisation was done by the school in collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board through Eti-Osa Local Government.

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