The Academy of Medical Sciences has raised the alarm over an ongoing diphtheria outbreak in parts of Northern Nigeria, saying more than 10,000 confirmed cases have been recorded across the country in 2026.
The Academy, through its Rapid Response Initiative Group, said children aged between one and 14 years were bearing the heaviest burden of the disease, with the vast majority of confirmed patients reportedly unvaccinated.
In a public health statement dated September 17, 2026, the Academy said the outbreak was highly concentrated in eight states — Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara — which together account for 98 per cent of all confirmed cases.
Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease that can be life-threatening and spreads primarily through respiratory droplets and close contact. The Academy said rapid containment requires timely clinical care, laboratory confirmation, vaccination and effective infection prevention and control.
Low immunisation coverage heightens risk
According to the Academy, areas with low routine immunisation coverage, missed vaccination campaigns and vaccine hesitancy remain particularly vulnerable to outbreaks.
It warned that immunity gaps among children and under-immunised communities could increase the intensity of transmission.
The Academy also identified crowded environments, poor ventilation and close contact as factors that could facilitate household and community transmission.
It further cautioned that severe disease could develop rapidly when treatment is delayed, particularly where diphtheria antitoxin and appropriate antibiotics are not administered early.
The medical body stressed the importance of laboratory confirmation and surveillance, noting that early diagnosis helps distinguish diphtheria from other causes of sore throat and tonsillitis and supports effective outbreak containment.
Warns of possible spread beyond affected states
The Academy said the outbreak could spread to other parts of the country without coordinated preventive measures.
It identified inter-state travel, markets, religious gatherings and pilgrimages as potential channels through which cases could be transported to new locations.
It also warned that outbreaks and late presentation could increase pressure on healthcare systems, including demand for isolation facilities, oxygen and critical care, as well as diphtheria antitoxin.
States with gaps in DPT, DT and TT immunisation coverage, or those experiencing disruptions to routine immunisation services, were identified as being at elevated risk of secondary outbreaks.
The Academy also expressed concern that rumours about supposed cures and vaccine safety could delay treatment and reduce vaccine uptake.
Academy calls for urgent government action
The Academy urged federal and state health authorities to strengthen outbreak control plans and conduct daily operational reviews.
It called for rapid deployment of case-management guidelines to healthcare facilities likely to receive diphtheria patients, increased infection prevention and control resources, referral transport and community-based contact tracing.
It also urged authorities to ensure adequate personal protective equipment for healthcare workers in affected areas and to provide public health advisories in local languages and formats accessible to different literacy levels.
For surveillance and laboratory networks, the Academy recommended prompt confirmation of cases, improved reporting, community and local-government-level geographical tracking, stronger specimen collection and transportation systems, and faster diagnostic turnaround times.
Hospitals urged to strengthen early detection and treatment
Healthcare facilities were advised to strengthen case detection and early referral, while frontline health workers should be trained to recognise suspected diphtheria, including symptoms such as a pseudo-membrane or throat involvement, neck swelling and systemic symptoms.
The Academy said patients should be referred to facilities capable of providing isolation, antitoxin and supportive care.
It particularly stressed the need for prompt initiation of antitoxin when clinical suspicion is high, saying treatment should not be delayed while waiting for laboratory test results where clinical indications warrant immediate intervention.
It also called for adequate supplies of diphtheria antitoxin, appropriate antibiotics and supportive-care resources, including airway-management readiness, fluids and patient monitoring.
Targeted vaccination urged
The Academy called for accelerated outbreak-response immunisation campaigns in affected states and high-risk neighbouring areas.
It recommended prioritising children and under-immunised groups, while addressing missed opportunities for routine vaccination with DPT-containing vaccines.
It also urged health authorities and community structures to map vaccination status and barriers to access, mobilise community influencers to encourage vaccine uptake and counter misinformation, and monitor trends among under-immunised populations.
Schools, boarding facilities, faith communities, camps and densely populated communities were identified as high-risk settings requiring particular attention because of high levels of interpersonal contact.
Academy urges nationwide preparedness
The Academy cautioned states where cases have not yet been reported against complacency, urging them to maintain readiness for early detection and referral.
It called for stronger inter-state and national communication channels for reporting suspected cases and sharing guidance, while stressing the need to protect routine immunisation services from disruption during the outbreak response.
It also recommended consistent risk-communication messages in Nigeria’s three main local languages, focusing on early care-seeking for throat symptoms and suspected cases, completing vaccination and safe practices for patients and caregivers.
The Academy further urged authorities to monitor supplies of antitoxin, antibiotics, vaccines, personal protective equipment and diagnostic materials to prevent stock-outs.
In its call to action, the Academy’s Rapid Response Initiative Group urged an immediate, coordinated response in affected Northern states, alongside nationwide preparedness planning.
It said rapid diagnosis, early treatment, isolation, outbreak vaccination and effective risk communication could help prevent severe disease and save lives.
The statement was signed by Prof. Obinna Onwujekwe, Chairman of the Rapid Response Committee, and Emeritus Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie, President of the Academy.
