UNICEF Raises the Alarm Over Unprecedented Diphtheria Outbreak in Nigeria, Claims 453 Lives

•Calls for urgent vaccination

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

UNICEF Nigeria  has called for an urgent need for widespread vaccination to arrest the rising spread of diphtheria outbreak in the country.

To respond effectively to the outbreak, UNICEF Nigeria said it  needs to raise an additional $ 3.3 million before the end of the year.

It said the outbreak has so far resulted in over 11,500 suspected cases, more than 7,000 confirmed cases, and has claimed the lives of 453 people, mostly children.

A  statement by UNICEF-Nigeria, yesterday, explained that most of the cases were children aged between four to 15 years, who have not received even a single dose of the vital vaccine, laying bare the urgency of the vaccination situation in Nigeria.

UNICEF said it was  providing urgent support to the Nigerian government in its efforts to combat the outbreak.

“A crucial part of this support includes the procurement of vaccines to support the government’s response. So far, on behalf of the government, UNICEF has deployed 9.3 million doses of diphtheria vaccines to affected states including Kano, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa. “Of these, 4 million doses have been dispatched to Kano, the epicentre of the outbreak. Another 4 million doses of vaccines are being procured and will be handed over to government in the coming weeks.

“The devastating impact of this diphtheria outbreak is a grim reminder of the importance of vaccination. Nigeria is home to a staggering 2.2 million children who haven’t received even a single dose of vaccine – the second largest such cohort in the world. We must collectively take urgent actions to drastically reduce this number. Every child deserves protection from preventable diseases. This is not negotiable”, said UNICEF Representative , Dr Rownak Khan, C

UNICEF also urged  partners, stakeholders, and the international community to rally together to ensure that every child in Nigeria is reached with life-saving vaccines. The children’s agency emphasises the importance of strengthening routine immunisation, community engagement, and health systems to avoid similar outbreaks in the future.