The continuing diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria has resulted in 1,319 documented deaths, says the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
The National Diphtheria Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) released its most recent status report on Sunday, which was made public on the NCDC’s official website.
The bacterium corynebacterium diphtheriae is the cause of the dangerous bacterial illness diphtheria.
Usually affecting the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, the bacteria there creates a toxin that can cause problems including heart failure, neurological damage, or trouble breathing.
Early antitoxin and antibiotic therapy is essential for controlling the illness, and vaccination is the main preventive measure.
Since 2022, the NCDC stated that more than 42,000 suspected cases had been recorded in 37 states.
“The report covered Epidemiological Week 10 of 2025. It highlighted persistent challenges in tackling the disease, including low vaccination coverage, inadequate laboratory capacity and delayed case confirmation,” it said.
According to the NCDC, Kano State accounts for 75 per cent of confirmed cases, with 18,108 out of 25,812. Other high-burden states include Bauchi (2,334), Yobe (2,408) and Katsina (1,501).
The public health agency said that the case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 5.1 per cent, meaning one in every 20 confirmed cases results in death.
“In some states, the mortality rate is even higher. Kaduna recorded the per cent, Plateau has 48 per cent, Lagos has 83 per cent and Adamawa has 80 per cent,” it said.
Twenty new suspected cases were recorded in Lagos and three in Katsina during the most recent reporting week, according to the agency. However, it stated that none have been proven as of yet, and that delays in laboratory confirmation have left 56.5% of cases unidentified.
According to the NCDC, the Federal Government has increased community engagement with traditional and religious leaders and initiated reactive vaccination efforts in states with high burdens.
Experts in public health have cautioned that the high death rates might be caused by inadequate access to therapy and delayed diagnosis.
According to the research, just 4,981 (19.3%) of confirmed cases received a complete dose of a vaccination containing diphtheria toxoid, despite Nigeria’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).
The virologist, Dr Solomon Chollom, said the numbers indicate a critical gap in routine immunisation coverage, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Mr Chollom emphasised the need for urgent mass vaccination campaigns, particularly targeting children aged one year to 14 years, who make up 62.9 per cent of confirmed cases.
He said that another alarming finding was Nigeria’s limited testing capacity.
“In 2024, all cases were confirmed based on clinical symptoms rather than laboratory testing, indicating shortages of reagents and PCR capacity for diphtheria diagnosis. This raises concerns about the actual burden of the disease. Without widespread testing, we could be underreporting or misdiagnosing cases,” he said.
Although implementation has been sluggish, the government has pledged to increase laboratory capacity and enhance PCR testing techniques.
A national immunisation campaign against diphtheria, enhanced disease surveillance, and a consistent supply of diagnostic supplies were all recommended by experts.
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Nigeria is currently dealing with one of the worst diphtheria outbreaks in decades, and health experts caution that things might become worse if better immunisation and surveillance measures aren’t taken.
The government has specified a number of actions that must be performed. Increasing case management assistance, harmonising data across impacted states, and enhancing laboratory diagnosis using PCR testing on clinical samples are a few of these.
Others include enhancing public awareness efforts using social media and community participation, and increasing vaccine coverage to bridge immunity gaps, especially among youngsters. Preventive vaccination is still the greatest line of protection, according to public health experts, who advise parents to make sure their kids get regular vaccinations.
