Authorities in West African nations grapple with massive diphtheria outbreaks, particularly in Nigeria, where millions are being vaccinated to address gaps in immunity against the disease.
In Nigeria, the current diphtheria outbreak, which began in December 2022, has led to 573 deaths among the 11,640 diagnosed cases.
Officials believe the actual toll, now declining due to treatment efforts, might be higher in states struggling to detect cases.
In Niger, there have been 865 cases with 37 deaths as of October, while Guinea has reported 497 cases with 58 deaths since its outbreak started in June.
Ifedayo Adetifa, head of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, states that this is the largest diphtheria outbreak in the region’s history.
Diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial infection, has been reported in 20 of Nigeria’s 36 states.
Doctors Without Borders notes that a historically wide vaccination gap is a major factor driving the high infection rate in the region.
In Nigeria, only 42% of children under 15 are fully protected from diphtheria, well below the 80–85% rate recommended by the World Health Organization for community protection.
Global shortages of the diphtheria vaccine exacerbate the situation, with increased demand to respond to outbreaks.
Dr. Dagemlidet Tesfaye Worku from Doctors Without Borders emphasizes the urgent need for a massive scale-up of vaccination.
The Nigerian government is intensifying vaccination efforts for targeted populations and assisting states in enhancing their capacity to detect and manage cases.
However, challenges persist in states like Kano, which accounts for over 75% of cases but has limited treatment centers.