The Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders has concluded its emergency diphtheria intervention in Kano State with a mass vaccination campaign conducted in collaboration with the Kano State Ministry of Health (MoH), marking the end of three years of support during one of Nigeria’s largest recorded diphtheria outbreaks.
Since the start of the response in early 2023, MSF has treated more than 14,707 children in MSF-run and supported treatment centres, providing both facility-based and home-based care.
Beyond medical care, MSF strengthened referral systems, disease surveillance, and data management; conducted community engagement activities; and supported mass vaccination campaigns against diphtheria. Across two rounds of the vaccination campaign, more than 835,000 doses of the diphtheria vaccine were administered to children in Kano State. During the second round, conducted from 20 to 24 June 2026, MSF and the Kano State MoH vaccinated 486,948 children across 20 wards, following a successful first round that reached 348,080 children and concluded on 27 April 2026.
“Kano experienced a critical diphtheria outbreak that placed enormous pressure on families, healthcare workers, and health facilities,” said MSF Project Coordinator for Kano, Abdoul-Aziz Djibrilla. “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, driven by low immunisation coverage, overcrowding, delayed care-seeking, and malnutrition.”
Kano State has been one of the worst-affected states in Nigeria’s ongoing diphtheria outbreak. According to the Kano State MoH, more than 31,900 suspected cases and over 1,260 deaths—most of them involving children—were reported between March 2022 and 22 March 2026, highlighting the devastating impact of the disease. These figures represent a significant proportion of the country’s 65,759 suspected cases and 2,229 deaths reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) as of 22 March 2026 since the outbreak began in May 2022 and was officially declared in 2023.
Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable acute infectious disease that spreads primarily through respiratory droplets or contact with infected wounds. Symptoms include a sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a thick, grey membrane in the throat that can obstruct breathing. In severe cases, the bacterial toxin can damage the heart, nerves, and kidneys, potentially leading to complications such as paralysis. Among unvaccinated people who do not receive proper treatment, diphtheria can be fatal in around 30% of cases, with young children facing the highest risk of death.
The outbreak has mainly affected children between the ages of 5 and 14 years, many of whom were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. Persistent gaps in routine immunisation coverage, high population density, overcrowded living conditions, delayed health-seeking behaviour, and limited access to quality healthcare have contributed to the continued transmission of the disease.
At the peak of the outbreak—between late 2025 and early 2026—health facilities and treatment centres came under immense pressure, with more than 100 children admitted for diphtheria treatment each day across supported facilities and home-based care programmes. Bed occupancy rates exceeded capacity during some periods, while healthcare workers struggled to meet the growing demand for specialised treatment and referral services.
The recent decline in cases reflects the impact of vaccination efforts implemented through close collaboration between MSF and the Kano State MoH. However, immunity gaps remain, and thousands of children are still vulnerable to infection.
“Continued commitment from health authorities and partners to sustain high immunisation coverage, strengthen surveillance, and ensure timely access to quality treatment will be critical to preventing future outbreaks and protecting the lives of children in Kano,” Djibrilla said.
