The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that the country is still battling a diphtheria outbreak.
According to an update on its official website, a total of 41,336 suspected diphtheria cases have been recorded across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
These cases were reported in 350 local government areas between Epidemiological Week 19 of 2022 and Epidemiological Week 4 of 2025.
According to the latest data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), 24,846 cases (60.1%) have been confirmed, while 7,769 (18.8%) were discarded. Meanwhile, 3,546 cases (8.6%) are still pending classification, and the status of 5,175 cases (12.5%) remains unknown.
The agency highlighted that the outbreak is primarily concentrated in a few states, with Kano recording the highest number of suspected cases at 23,784. Other severely affected states include Yobe (5,302), Katsina (3,708), Bauchi (3,066), Borno (2,902), Kaduna (777), and Jigawa (364). Together, these seven states account for 96.5% of all suspected cases.
Among the confirmed cases, the majority—15,845 (63.9%)—occurred in children aged one to 14 years, underscoring the disease’s significant impact on younger populations.
Alarmingly, only 4,963 (20%) of the confirmed cases were fully vaccinated with a diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine, highlighting gaps in vaccination coverage, the agency stated.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported that the ongoing diphtheria outbreak has led to 1,262 deaths, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 5.1% among confirmed cases.
Kano recorded the highest number of confirmed cases at 17,770, followed by Bauchi (2,334), Yobe (2,380), Katsina (1,088), Borno (1,036), Jigawa (53), Plateau (31), and Kaduna (44). Collectively, these states account for 99.4% of all confirmed cases.
The agency also noted that eight suspected cases were recently reported in two states across five local government areas. Of these, six cases (75%) were clinically compatible with diphtheria. However, no deaths were recorded among the latest cases, maintaining a CFR of 0% for the period.
NCDC emphasized the critical role of vaccination in controlling the outbreak, particularly as the majority of cases have been reported among children. Strengthening immunization efforts remains a top priority.
“Public health campaigns, enhanced surveillance, and rapid response measures are being implemented, especially in the most affected states,” the agency stated.
