Nigeria is grappling with a second wave of a diphtheria outbreak, warns the World Health Organization (WHO). Diphtheria is a bacterial infection affecting the nose, throat, and sometimes the skin, with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, and difficulty breathing.
The country's childhood immunization schedule recommends three doses of the pentavalent vaccine for infants at the 6th, 10th, and 14th weeks of life to combat this infection.
Since the initial outbreak report in 2022, Nigeria has experienced a surge in cases and related deaths. Out of 8,353 suspected cases, 4,717 diphtheria cases have been confirmed.
The second wave emerged between January 2023 and May 2023, and the situation has continued to worsen. An unusual spike in confirmed diphtheria cases occurred between June 30 and August 31, 2023, with 5,898 suspected cases reported from 59 local government areas in 11 states. The majority of cases were reported in Kano, Katsina, Yobe, Bauchi, Kaduna, and Borno states.
The low national coverage of the Pentavalent vaccine and suboptimal vaccination rates in the pediatric population have raised concerns about the risk of further spread. Urgent measures are needed to improve diphtheria vaccination coverage, particularly in the most affected states like Kano
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