The humanitarian medical organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has concluded its three-year emergency response to the devastating diphtheria outbreak in Kano State after supporting the vaccination of more than 835,000 children, citing mass immunisation as the principal driver behind the sharp decline in infections.
Despite the success of the intervention, MSF cautioned that diphtheria remains a significant public health threat, warning that sustained routine immunisation, strengthened disease surveillance and timely access to treatment are essential to prevent future outbreaks.
The organisation announced the completion of its emergency mission following a two-phase mass vaccination campaign conducted in collaboration with the Kano State Ministry of Health.
The intervention followed one of the worst diphtheria outbreaks ever recorded in Nigeria, which claimed more than 1,260 lives in Kano State alone, the majority of them children.
During the emergency response, MSF provided treatment for 14,707 children through its treatment centres and supported healthcare facilities, combining hospital-based care with community and home-based treatment programmes. The organisation also reinforced referral systems, disease surveillance, data management and community mobilisation while supporting the state’s vaccination efforts.
According to MSF, a total of 835,028 doses of diphtheria vaccines were administered during the campaign. The first phase, completed on April 27, vaccinated 348,080 children, while the second phase, conducted between June 20 and 24, 2026, reached an additional 486,948 children across 20 wards.
MSF Project Coordinator in Kano, Abdoul-Aziz Djibrilla, described the outbreak as an unprecedented public health emergency that placed immense strain on families, healthcare workers and medical facilities across the state.
“Kano experienced a critical diphtheria outbreak that placed enormous pressure on families, healthcare workers and health facilities,” he said.
Djibrilla noted that although reported infections had declined substantially in recent months, largely due to the mass vaccination campaigns, the disease had not been eradicated.
“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,” he added.
Kano remains the epicentre of Nigeria’s diphtheria outbreak. Data from the Kano State Ministry of Health show that the state recorded more than 31,900 suspected cases and over 1,260 deaths between March 2022 and March 22, 2026.
The figures account for a substantial share of the 65,759 suspected cases and 2,229 deaths reported nationwide by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) since the outbreak was officially declared in 2023.
At the peak of the outbreak between late 2025 and early 2026, treatment centres operated beyond capacity, with more than 100 children admitted daily across MSF-supported facilities and home-based care programmes. Healthcare workers struggled to manage the overwhelming influx of patients requiring specialised treatment.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable bacterial infection transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets or contact with infected wounds. It causes sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes and the formation of a thick grey membrane that can obstruct the airway. In severe cases, toxins produced by the bacteria can damage the heart, kidneys and nervous system, while untreated infections can prove fatal, particularly among young children.
The outbreak has disproportionately affected children between the ages of five and 14 years, many of whom had either never been vaccinated or had received incomplete immunisation.
While acknowledging the significant progress achieved through the emergency response, MSF warned that immunity gaps remain and continue to leave thousands of children vulnerable to future outbreaks.
Djibrilla stressed that sustaining the gains recorded during the intervention would depend largely on continued government commitment and support from development partners.
“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,” he said.
MSF, which has operated continuously in Nigeria since 1996, currently provides free medical care across 10 states through funding largely derived from private donations. The organisation affirmed that although its emergency diphtheria mission in Kano has ended, it will continue supporting healthcare interventions across Nigeria.
