Arresting the diphtheria scourge

Nigeria’s continuing diphtheria outbreak is a grim reminder that preventable diseases can become deadly when public-health systems fail to sustain basic immunisation. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says more than 10,000 confirmed cases have been recorded in 2026, with Kano, Borno and Bauchi among the worst-affected states. The figures are particularly disturbing against the cumulative burden. Since the outbreak began in 2022, Nigeria had recorded 65,759 suspe