Abuja, Nigeria- 24 November 2025: Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in collaboration with several state Ministries of Health (MOH), has been scaling up its emergency response for the last few months due to a growing increase in suspected diphtheria cases in Borno, Kano, and Bauchi. These suspected cases have been identified and reported by the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DNSO) and strained health facilities, exposing critical gaps in treatment capacity and vaccine coverage.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious, fast-spreading bacterial infection that affects the respiratory system or skin. It spreads through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces.
“Without treatment, it can kill half of the people infected, underscoring the urgent need for early medical intervention,” said MSF Medical Coordinator Dr. Halarou Assoumana. “Even with access to care, the disease remains dangerous, and the disease is still fatal in five percent of patients. These figures highlight the critical importance of timely diagnosis, availability of antitoxin, and robust vaccination coverage to prevent severe outcomes and reduce mortality.”
MSF has identified several challenges affecting the response, including low routine vaccination coverage, limited access to lifesaving diphtheria antitoxin (DAT), and chronic shortages of health staff. Improved routine surveillance and data collection could also play a key role in mitigating the spread.
In Kano State, MSF teams began supporting an MOH intervention of suspected cases beginning in October, although MOH has been handling suspected cases before that. (MSF responded to a previous outbreak in the state from January 2023 until April 2024.)
By the first week of November 2025, more than 2,300 patients suffering from diphtheria had been hospitalised in Kano, with the highest surge—over 400 admissions—recorded between 6 October and 2 November 2025.
Due to the high number of people coming to the DTC at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Kano, the MSF team is prioritizing the severe cases and refers cases that require specialized treatment to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
In Bauchi State, MSF-supported activities at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre (DTC) in Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) were 295 admissions between 21 August and 9 November 2025. The large number of patients has prompted the opening of a treatment centre at a specialist hospital.
And in Borno State, MSF teams continue to do routine sensitization, community-based surveillance, risk communication and referrals. Between early July and late October 2025, they managed 2,553 patients with suspected cases: 1,651 patients were seen through home-based care and 902 were admitted in the isolation wards in University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in collaboration with state MOH.
Diphtheria continues to be a recurring disease in Nigeria. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), over 43,743 suspected diphtheria cases were reported from 360 LGAs between May 2022 and May 2025.
MSF is calling for urgent action from national authorities, partners, and donors to increase and sustain vaccination coverage and ensure reliable access to DAT, antibiotics, and essential supplies. Strengthening routine surveillance and data systems and investing in the health workforce by recruiting, training, and retaining staff is also key to curbing the spread and future infections.
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Related:
- Diphtheria
- MSF in Nigeria
- Nigeria
