By Oluwafunke Ishola, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Twelve-year-old Obiademoh (not real name) was bursting with life. He loved playing soccer with his friends, tinkering with gadgets, and dreaming of one day becoming an engineer.
But on Feb. 22, 2025, he presented with a sore throat and fever to the health facility of his school, King’s College, Victoria Island Annexe, Lagos.
Laboratory tests confirmed he had diphtheria disease, upon which he was referred and admitted to the pediatric emergency ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where he was administered antibiotics and diphtheria antitoxin serum.
In spite of the intervention, Obiademoh died from myocarditis (an inflammation of the heart muscle that weakens the heart’s ability to pump blood), with several other students hospitalised as suspected cases.
Obiademoh’s parents were devastated, left with an unfilled void: “Their little boy, their bundle of joy, is gone.”
Consequently, parents whose children were referred to the teaching hospital were notified through phone calls, and they rushed to keep vigil at the emergency ward.
The diphtheria outbreak later reported in multiple local government areas (LGAs) of Lagos had 10 positive cases confirmed from laboratory tests.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed that confirmed cases were linked to King’s College in Eti-Osa LGA, Lagos State Model School, Meran in Alimosho LGA, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Mushin, De-Emmaculate School, Mile 12 in Kosofe LGA, and Gbara Junior Secondary School in Eti-Osa LGA.
Similarly, a diphtheria outbreak in Mbutu Community in Imo led to the death of ten children, prompting an immediate closure of schools in the area.
Additionally, in May 2025, the disease killed two children in the Tukur-Tukur Community of Zaria, Kaduna State.
A community leader and Director of Publicity in the Northern Elders Forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, disclosed that the two children died within 48 hours.
Sadly, Obiademoh and these children weren’t the only ones, as Nigeria lost 884 persons to diphtheria from Jan. 1 to Nov. 2, 2025.
Regrettably, Nigeria accounted for the highest number of diphtheria cases in Africa in 2025, with 12,150 suspected cases from which 8,587 were confirmed positive.
According to the World Health Organisation, children and young adults represent the majority of the cases, with females accounting for a slightly greater proportion.
In contrast, Nigeria recorded 41,336 suspected cases, 24,864 confirmed cases and 1,264 deaths between week 19 of 2022 and week four of 2025.
Epidemiological week 19 in 2022 marked the start of a severe diphtheria outbreak in Nigeria, which had been recognised as the worst outbreak in a decade.
Analysis of the figures showed that fatality recorded in 2025 is 30.06 per cent above the figure recorded in 32 months, two weeks, which constitutes between week 19 of 2022 and week four of 2025.
In consequence, this alarming trend demands immediate attention and action.
Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease and severe bacterial infection that can affect a person’s nose, throat, and occasionally skin, caused by Corynebacterium species.
The people at the greatest risk of contracting diphtheria are children and people who have not received any, or only a single dose of the vaccine (diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine).
As such, the positivity and fatality rate arising from diphtheria disease call for proactive measures, a Public Health Physician, Prof. Tanimola Akande, said.
Akande, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin, emphasised that diphtheria has continuously posed a significant public health risk in Nigeria, with the country having one of the highest numbers of unvaccinated children globally.
This, he said, had led to recurring outbreaks and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), stressing that the situation demanded urgent attention to boost vaccination coverage and prevent further losses.
He advised parents to ensure their children were fully vaccinated against diphtheria with three doses of the pentavalent vaccine as recommended in the childhood immunisation schedule.
Similarly, Mrs Helen Orji, a Child Health Advocate, said, “In a world where medical breakthroughs happen every day, it’s heartbreaking to think that thousands of Nigerian children are still dying from vaccine-preventable diseases when the solution- the vaccine is readily available.
“Who’s failing these children? Is it the parents who refused to authorise the inoculation of their children because of fear, ignorance, misinformation, or religious belief?
“Or the government that has failed to enforce compliance in schools that disregard safety protocols for monetary gains, admitting more students than their capacity, leading to overcrowding and overstretched facilities.
“Schools are a fountain of knowledge and nurture dreams. Enough of schools being a slaughter slab for promising children.”
She urged the government to rise up to its responsibilities of protecting its citizens by intensifying awareness, hygiene practices and vaccination.
In Nigeria, no fewer than two million children are under-immunised, including those with zero doses, the highest globally, highlighting the high risk of disease transmission.
Preventing the recurrence of diphtheria outbreaks in Africa’s most populous nation would require strengthened health systems, particularly through robust routine immunisation coverage and public sensitisation, a General Physician, Dr Jonathan Esegine, asserted.
However, Mrs Victoria Araoye, a businesswoman, faulted the government’s approach to public health communication, saying, “they’re not being transparent.
“Public health issues shouldn’t be shrouded in secrecy, as is being done in most Nigerian states, especially Lagos.
“Oftentimes, the public only gets to hear about an outbreak if the media breaks the news or from viral social media posts. After that, you will see government officials rushing to explain.
“It doesn’t have to be this way because an informed society is an empowered one.”
She added that timely risk communication played a critical role in informing, educating, and preventing panic, which often drives mistrust, misinformation, and risky behaviour among the populace.
However, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Ibrahim Mustafa, disclosed the state’s efforts in intensifying routine immunisation against vaccine-preventable diseases, especially diphtheria, to achieve herd immunity in communities.
“As we have seen in recent outbreaks, preparedness allows for rapid response when an emergency strikes.”
Additionally, he identified the adoption of a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnership approach to prevent the recurrence of outbreaks in the state.
He listed the stakeholders to include the Ministry of Education, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Office of Education Quality Assurance, State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), religious and traditional rulers, and community development associations.
Mustafa, however, countered that the government’s priority during an outbreak is to control the spread, and sharing information with the public helps people take necessary precautions to protect themselves.
Experts suggested that strengthening vaccination efforts, especially in areas with low immunisation coverage, enhancing surveillance and response systems, and fostering community engagement were essential steps to prevent the recurrence of outbreaks.
The experts emphasised that timely case detection, coordinated response, and clinical management remain critical to limiting transmission and reducing the high fatality rates observed in recent diphtheria outbreaks.
Additionally, they submitted that addressing vaccine hesitancy and improving access to healthcare services were vital.
By taking these steps in 2026, experts said that Nigeria would mitigate the transmission of diphtheria and protect its vulnerable populations.