The Academy of Medical Sciences has issued a Public Health Statement and Advisory over the ongoing diphtheria outbreak in Northern Nigeria, warning of its implications for the rest of the country. According to the Academy's Rapid Response Initiative Group, the outbreak is highly concentrated, with eight states—Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara—accounting for 98% of all confirmed cases.
The Academy noted that diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable, potentially life-threatening disease that spreads primarily through respiratory droplets and close contact. Rapid containment depends on timely clinical care, laboratory confirmation, vaccination, and strong infection prevention and control. The disease has so far claimed several lives, with children being the most affected.
The Academy identified low immunity pockets, household and community transmission in crowded settings, delayed clinical care, and weak laboratory confirmation as key factors fuelling the outbreak. Areas with lower routine immunization coverage, missed campaigns, and vaccine hesitancy remain vulnerable to the spread of the disease.
The Academy warned that national spread is plausible without coordinated prevention, citing human mobility through inter-state travel, markets, religious gatherings, and pilgrimages. It also cautioned that late presentation could increase the burden on healthcare systems, raise demand for isolation spaces, oxygen, and antitoxin, and trigger secondary outbreaks in states with low DPT coverage.
To combat the outbreak, the Academy recommended that Ministries of Health and Public Health Agencies activate outbreak control plans with daily operational reviews, rapid deployment of case management guidelines, provision of PPE, IPC resources, transport for referrals, community-based contact tracing, and public advisories in local languages.
The Benue State Government has strengthened surveillance and preparedness against diphtheria, with the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, stating that the state had yet to record any case of diphtheria. However, increased movement of people between Benue and other parts of the country, particularly neighbouring Nasarawa State, has made heightened preparedness necessary.
The Academy urged immediate, coordinated outbreak response in affected Northern states and preparedness planning nationwide to reduce the likelihood of spread. Protecting vulnerable populations through rapid diagnosis, early treatment, isolation, outbreak vaccination, and strong risk communication can prevent severe disease and save lives.
Key points
- Eight Northern states account for 98% of all confirmed diphtheria cases in Nigeria.
- Children aged 1 to 14 years bear the heaviest burden of the disease.
- National spread of the disease is plausible without coordinated prevention.
