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, underscoring the continued threat posed by the vaccine-preventable disease despite recent gains in containment efforts.

The latest figures, released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), come as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, announced the conclusion of its three-year emergency response to the outbreak in Kano State, one of the country’s hardest-hit states.

According to MSF, Kano accounted for a significant share of the national burden, with the state Ministry of Health recording more than 31,900 suspected cases and over 1,260 deaths, most of them children, between March 2022 and 22 March 2026.

To support efforts to contain the outbreak, MSF said it treated more than 14,707 children through its treatment centres and facility-based and home-based care programmes since the intervention began in early 2023.

The organisation, in a statement issued by its communication officer, Abdulkareem Yakubu, made available to LEADERSHIP, stated that the organisation partnered with the Kano State Ministry of Health to conduct two rounds of mass vaccination against diphtheria, administering more than 835,000 vaccine doses to children across the state.

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

MSF Project Coordinator for Kano, Abdoul-Aziz Djibrilla, said that although the number of reported cases had declined in recent months, the disease remained a serious threat to children.

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

He attributed the recent decline in infections largely to mass vaccination campaigns. Still, he warned that low routine immunisation coverage, overcrowding, delayed healthcare-seeking behaviour, and malnutrition continue to leave many children vulnerable.

At the peak of the outbreak between late 2025 and early 2026, more than 100 children were admitted daily for diphtheria treatment across MSF-supported facilities and home-based care programmes, overwhelming available health services.

MSF said the outbreak mainly affected children aged 5 to 14, many of whom were either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated.

The organisation urged health authorities and partners to sustain high routine immunisation coverage, strengthen disease surveillance and ensure timely access to quality treatment to prevent future outbreaks.

MSF has operated continuously in Nigeria since 1996 and currently provides free healthcare services in 10 states across the country.