By Muhammad Amaan
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says it has intensified diphtheria response activities across Borno, Kano and Bauchi States following a sharp rise in suspected cases that has stretched health facilities.
MSF Medical Coordinator, Dr Halarou Assoumana, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja
According to him, the organisation, working with state Ministries of Health, began scaling up emergency interventions in August after Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) reported hundreds of suspected infections within three months.
He described diphtheria as a highly contagious bacterial infection affecting the respiratory system or skin, spreads rapidly through droplets or contaminated surfaces.
Dr Assoumana, said the disease remains deadly without timely treatment.
“Without treatment, it can kill half of the people infected, underscoring the urgent need for early medical intervention,” he said.
“Even with access to care, the disease is still fatal in five per cent of patients. These figures highlight the critical importance of timely diagnosis, availability of antitoxin, and robust vaccination coverage.”
Assoumana said MSF had identified low routine vaccination coverage, limited access to diphtheria antitoxin (DAT), chronic health worker shortages and weak surveillance as some of the factors undermining the response.
“In Bauchi State, MSF-supported activities at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre in Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa University Teaching Hospital recorded 295 admissions between August 21 and November 9.
“The surge has forced MSF and the state to open an additional treatment centre at a specialist hospital.”
In Kano State, MSF resumed support in October, months after responding to a previous outbreak between January 2023 and April 2024.
He added that by the first week of November, more than 2,300 patients had been hospitalised, with over 400 admissions recorded between October 6 and November 2 alone.
“Most of the patients coming for treatment arrive late with complications. And the stories we are getting from these patients is that there are several mortalities from the communities they are coming from already.”
In Borno State, MSF teams continue community sensitisation, surveillance, risk communication and referrals.
Also, that between July and October, they managed 2,553 suspected cases—1,651 through home-based care and 902 through admissions at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).
He noted however, that Nigeria has continued to experience recurring diphtheria outbreaks and citing data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) he said that more than 43,743 suspected cases were reported from 360 LGAs between May 2022 and May 2025.
He said that Kano, Yobe, Katsina, Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna and Jigawa accounted for 96 per cent of the burden.
The MSF however, called for urgent action from federal and state authorities, partners and donors to scale up vaccination coverage and ensure consistent access to DAT, antibiotics and essential supplies.
He also urged investment in the health workforce and in stronger surveillance and data systems to curb the spread of the disease and prevent future outbreaks.
