By Oladosu Adebola Oluwaseun
The House of Representatives has mandated the Federal Ministry of Health, the NCDC, and the National Health Care Development Agency to ensure mandatory diphtheria immunization, testing, and treatment are available in all primary healthcare centers across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Furthermore, the House has directed the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to launch public awareness campaigns to educate Nigerians about the dangers, signs, and transmission methods of diphtheria to curb its spread and prevent deaths.These resolutions came after the House adopted a motion presented by Kwamoti Laori, a member from Plateau State.In his presentation, Laori highlighted that diphtheria, a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium, has become a significant public health concern since its initial outbreak in Borno State in 2011, which resulted in 21 deaths. He warned that the current resurgence of the disease poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s already strained healthcare system.Laori stated that between May 2022 and February 2025, Nigeria recorded 41,978 suspected diphtheria cases from several states, with Kano and Yobe having the highest numbers (24,062 and 5,330 respectively). He pointed out that children between 1 and 14 years were the most affected, and alarmingly, only 19.7% of them were fully vaccinated, leading to 1,279 deaths during this period.
He explained that diphtheria, which affects the nose, throat, skin, and in severe cases, the heart, spreads through respiratory droplets, contaminated objects, and in crowded, unsanitary conditions. This makes its transmission particularly rapid among children and individuals with weakened immune systems in densely populated areas.Laori emphasized that diphtheria is prevalent in Africa due to low vaccination rates, while it is virtually absent in countries with high vaccination coverage like the USA and Europe. He added that the disease primarily threatens unvaccinated individuals who travel internationally or come into contact with infected people.He noted that countries in Africa with effective vaccination coverage, early detection, laboratory confirmation, and readily available treatments have reported only a few deaths despite outbreaks. In contrast, Nigeria’s statistics reveal a grim situation with thousands of cases and deaths due to low or absent vaccination.Laori expressed concern that without intervention, the high death rate could worsen and spread beyond the currently affected states. He stressed the urgent need to improve low vaccination rates, ineffective treatments, and delays in diagnosis and test confirmation, which are fueling the outbreak.
The House has instructed its Committee on Health and Health Institutions to assess the level of compliance with mandatory diphtheria immunization and the capacity of healthcare facilities to effectively respond to the ongoing threat. The committee is expected to report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
