Nigeria’s Disease Control Center Reports 1,191 Deaths from Diphtheria Outbreak
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported that 1,191 people have died from a diphtheria outbreak in the country over the past 17 months. Muzzammil Gadanya, Director of the Diphtheria Emergency Operations Center at the NCDC, stated that between May 2023 and September 2024, 1,191 individuals lost their lives to the outbreak.
During this period, over 38,000 suspected diphtheria cases were recorded, with confirmed cases numbering around 23,000. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the country is experiencing a second wave of the outbreak due to the rising number of diphtheria cases.
In response to the crisis, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) sent 9.3 million doses of vaccine to Nigeria last year as part of the effort to combat the outbreak.
Diphtheria, also known as “corynebacterium diphtheriae,” is caused by a microorganism that infects the throat, nose, eyes, and skin. The contagious disease can lead to severe health complications and even death.