Nigeria’s diphtheria outbreak has intensified in 2026, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reporting more than 10,000 confirmed cases to date. The epidemic, which began in 2022, has claimed 2,229 deaths nationwide, according to the latest March 22, 2026 figures.
State‑level data show that Kano alone has recorded 32,633 confirmed cases and 1,747 deaths since the start of the outbreak. Borno, Bauchi, Plateau and Niger have also reported fresh cases and fatalities, while the Federal Capital Territory confirmed five laboratory‑confirmed cases, including two deaths.
Diphtheria is caused by the toxin‑producing bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It attacks the throat and airways, forming a thick membrane that can block breathing, and its toxins can damage the heart, nerves and other organs. The World Health Organization lists Nigeria among eight African countries that have experienced outbreaks since early 2025.
Only 14.3 per cent of confirmed cases in the NCDC’s earlier cumulative dataset had been fully vaccinated, underscoring large gaps in routine immunisation. Children who are unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated, especially those in overcrowded, displaced or hard‑to‑reach communities, remain at greatest risk.
The federal government, through the NCDC and partners, is conducting surveillance, case detection, laboratory investigation, vaccination campaigns, contact tracing and treatment support. State governments are mobilising communities, while humanitarian agencies are providing treatment and mass immunisation in severely affected areas. However, emergency campaigns cannot replace a functioning routine immunisation system.
Health officials urge that suspected cases be isolated and treated promptly and that families avoid self‑medication. To stop the disease, governments must identify zero‑dose and partially immunised children, intensify door‑to‑door vaccination, restore confidence through trusted community leaders, and ensure vaccines reach IDP camps, nomadic settlements and insecure communities. A disease with an effective vaccine should not continue to claim Nigerian children’s lives.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
