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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has concluded its three-year emergency response to the diphtheria outbreak in Kano State after supporting the State Ministry of Health to administer more than 835,000 vaccine doses to children.
The humanitarian medical organisation said the vaccination campaign marked the end of its emergency intervention in one of the states hit by Nigeria’s prolonged diphtheria outbreak.
MSF disclosed that more than 14,700 children had received treatment since the intervention began in early 2023 through MSF-run and supported treatment centres, including both facility-based and home-based care programmes.
The organisation said its intervention extended beyond treatment to strengthening referral systems, disease surveillance, data management, community engagement and support for mass vaccination campaigns.
According to MSF, two rounds of vaccination were conducted in partnership with the Kano State Ministry of Health. The first phase, which ended on April 27, vaccinated 348,080 children, while the second phase, conducted between June 20 and 24, reached 486,948 children across 20 wards, bringing the total number of vaccinations administered to over 835,000.
MSF Project Coordinator for Kano, Abdoul-Aziz Djibrilla, described the outbreak as one that placed enormous strain on families, healthcare workers and health facilities across the state.
“Kano experienced a critical diphtheria outbreak that placed enormous pressure on families, healthcare workers and health facilities. Although the number of cases has declined in recent months, mainly due to mass vaccination campaigns, the disease remains a serious health threat to children in Kano,” he said.
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He attributed the continued risk to low routine immunisation coverage, overcrowding, delayed healthcare-seeking behaviour and widespread malnutrition.
According to the Kano State Ministry of Health, the state recorded more than 31,900 suspected diphtheria cases and over 1,260 deaths, mostly among children, between March 2022 and March 22, 2026.
The figures account for a significant share of the 65,759 suspected cases and 2,229 deaths reported nationwide by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) over the same period.
MSF recalled that at the height of the outbreak between late 2025 and early 2026, health facilities were admitting more than 100 children with diphtheria daily, stretching treatment centres beyond capacity and overwhelming healthcare workers.
While noting that vaccination efforts had led to a sharp decline in infections, the organisation warned that thousands of children remain vulnerable because of immunity gaps.
Djibrilla urged health authorities and development partners to sustain routine immunisation, strengthen disease surveillance and guarantee timely access to quality treatment to prevent future outbreaks.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable bacterial infection that spreads mainly through respiratory droplets or contact with infected wounds.
It primarily affects children and can cause severe complications, including damage to the heart, nerves and kidneys, while untreated cases can prove fatal.
