Nigeria Records 65,759 Suspected Diphtheria Cases, 2,229 Deaths

Nigeria has recorded 65,759 suspected cases of diphtheria and 2,229 deaths since the outbreak began in 2022, highlighting the persistent threat posed by the vaccine-preventable disease despite progress in containing its spread.

The latest figures, released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), coincided with the conclusion of a three-year emergency response by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, in Kano State—one of the states hardest hit by the outbreak.

According to MSF, Kano alone accounted for more than 31,900 suspected cases and over 1,260 deaths between March 2022 and March 22, 2026, with children bearing the brunt of the outbreak.

During its intervention, which began in early 2023, MSF said it provided treatment for more than 14,700 children through dedicated treatment centres as well as facility-based and home-based care programmes.

The organisation, in a statement issued by its Communications Officer, Abdulkareem Yakubu, said it also partnered with the Kano State Ministry of Health to conduct two rounds of mass vaccination campaigns against diphtheria, administering more than 835,000 vaccine doses to children across the state.

The second vaccination round, conducted between June 20 and 24, 2026, reached 486,948 children in 20 wards, following an earlier exercise that vaccinated 348,080 children.

MSF Project Coordinator in Kano, Abdoul-Aziz Djibrilla, said the number of reported cases had declined significantly in recent months but cautioned that the disease remains a major public health threat, particularly to children.

“Kano experienced a critical diphtheria outbreak that placed enormous pressure on families, healthcare workers and health facilities,” Djibrilla said.

He attributed the decline in infections largely to the success of mass vaccination campaigns but warned that low routine immunisation coverage, overcrowded living conditions, delayed healthcare seeking and widespread malnutrition continue to increase children’s vulnerability to the disease.

At the height of the outbreak between late 2025 and early 2026, more than 100 children were admitted daily for treatment across MSF-supported facilities and home-based care programmes, stretching healthcare resources to their limits.

MSF said the outbreak predominantly affected children between the ages of five and 14, many of whom had either not received routine immunisation or were only partially vaccinated.

The organisation urged federal and state health authorities to sustain routine immunisation programmes, strengthen disease surveillance and ensure timely access to treatment to prevent future outbreaks.

MSF has maintained a presence in Nigeria since 1996 and currently provides free healthcare services across 10 states, supporting government efforts to respond to disease outbreaks and other humanitarian emergencies.