Unmasking diphtheria in Nigeria: A multifaceted approach to tackle outbreaks and improve immunization rates among the Nigerian population—An updated correspondence

Abstract

Background and aimsThe World Health Organization has recently declared the frequent outbreaks of diphtheria in Nigeria as a public health concern. Although vaccination efforts have been successful in Nigeria, unfortunately, the recent 2023 outbreak in Nigeria has been nothing short of distressing. Of course, cases of diphtheria incidence are under‐reported in Nigeria. This present article aims to proffer a possible multifaceted approach to tackle outbreaks of diphtheria in Nigeria and improve immunization rates against the disease among the Nigerian populationMethodsIn writing this study, literature search was done about diphtheria in Nigeria using the following keywords: “diphtheria, prevalence, vaccination, efforts, challenges, and Nigeria” on PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate within 10 years.ResultThis study found that an estimated seven million people remain unvaccinated and are at risk for infection in the country, especially people living in the Northern part of the country. Between the June 30 and August 31, 2023, Nigeria recorded an unusual increase in the number of confirmed cases of diphtheria, where a total of 5898 suspected cases were reported from 59 local government areas in 11 states across Nigeria. The majority (99.4%) of suspected cases of the disease were reported from six states: Kano (1816), Katsina (234), Yobe (158), Bauchi (79), Kaduna (45), and Borno (33).ConclusionIf Nigeria is to emerge beyond these frequent epidemics of diphtheria, the Nigerian government must work on tackling this issue on multiple fronts simultaneously, that is, at the national and international levels, as we believe that these levels would give a holistic way to unmask diphtheria in Nigeria.