Nigeria is currently grappling with a severe diphtheria outbreak that has claimed the lives of more than 600 individuals, mostly children. The outbreak, which began in December 2022, has already surpassed the previous outbreak in 2011, with 14,000 suspected cases reported. The epicentre of the outbreak is Kano state in northern Nigeria, where over 500 deaths have been recorded. However, there has been a recent decline in active cases.
Diphtheria, a highly contagious disease that affects the nose, throat, and can cause skin ulcers, spreads through coughs, sneezes, and close contact with infected individuals. The disease can be fatal, particularly in severe cases. Vaccines are available to prevent diphtheria, but a significant proportion of the children who died in Nigeria had not been vaccinated, according to Dr Faisal Shuaib, the head of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
During a visit to a diphtheria isolation centre in Kano city, Dr Shuaib expressed his profound sadness at witnessing young children suffering from a disease that could have been entirely prevented. As of 24 September, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 453 fatalities and 11,587 suspected cases. The actual figures may be even higher due to limited testing and some patients not reporting their symptoms.
Despite these challenges, various measures, including contact tracing, have contributed to a decline in the number of cases. However, the outbreak has spread to 19 out of Nigeria’s 36 states, as well as the federal capital, Abuja. The worst-affected states are concentrated in the north, including Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Borno, Jigawa, and Kaduna.
Health authorities are actively working to urge parents with unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children to get them immunised as a crucial step in controlling the outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized that vaccination is the most powerful method of preventing diphtheria and has called for at least 80% of Nigeria’s population to be covered by vaccinations to avert future outbreaks. Currently, only 57% of Nigerians receive the pentavalent vaccine, which protects against multiple life-threatening diseases, including diphtheria.
The WHO also noted that the last major outbreak in Nigeria occurred in 2011 when 21 people died and 98 individuals were infected in Borno state. To tackle the current crisis and prevent such devastating outbreaks in the future, Nigeria must significantly increase its vaccination efforts and ensure broader coverage of the population.
The diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proactive vaccination programs and the potential consequences of inadequate immunisation. Efforts must be redoubled to educate communities, enhance healthcare infrastructure, and improve access to vaccines to safeguard the population from preventable diseases like diphtheria.
