Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has raised the alarm over an unprecedented outbreak of diphtheria in Nigeria, with an estimated 17,000 suspected cases and nearly 600 deaths recorded.
In a statement on Tuesday, MSF highlighted that a significant portion of patients admitted to their facilities in Kano State, one of the hardest-hit areas, had not been fully vaccinated or vaccinated at all. The organisation emphasized the critical need for comprehensive vaccination efforts to prevent future outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria, measles, polio, and tetanus.
According to MSF, a large-scale vaccination campaign led by the Nigerian authorities, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and UNICEF is currently underway across 14 states: Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Yobe, Lagos, Nasarawa, Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara.
However, the low vaccination rates in the northern regions are a major concern. In Kano State, where nearly 12,000 suspected cases have been reported, around 70% of patients admitted to MSF facilities were not fully vaccinated. The vaccination coverage in the North-West region is particularly worrisome, with figures as low as 6% in Sokoto, 10% in Zamfara, and 18% in Katsina, compared to the national average of 36%. In the North-East, only 15% of patients treated at MSF’s facility in Maiduguri were fully vaccinated.
While acknowledging ongoing efforts by international and national bodies to contain the outbreak, MSF urged for the implementation of long-term routine immunisation programs across Nigeria to safeguard children’s health. The organisation also called on donor countries and institutions such as GAVI, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to invest in both immediate and long-term vaccination initiatives.
MSF has been actively responding to the diphtheria outbreak since early 2023, supporting treatment centers in Kano and other regions. In Kano, MSF operates two diphtheria treatment centers with a combined capacity of 146 beds and collaborates with local health authorities to decentralize care through hospitals and health facilities across various Local Government Areas (LGAs). In Maiduguri, Borno State, a 20-bed treatment clinic has been added to Gwange Paediatric Hospital, where 448 patients have been treated. Additionally, in Bauchi State, a 20-bed diphtheria treatment center at Ganjuwa Hospital has treated 173 patients.
The statement concluded by emphasizing the need for continuous support to increase vaccination coverage across Nigeria and prevent the recurrence of such outbreaks in the future.
