By Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA, November 13, 2026 – Thousands of children in northern Nigeria face an increased risk of severe illness and death from diphtheria as shortages of life-saving treatment and low vaccination coverage undermine efforts to control the outbreak, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned.
The international medical organisation said dwindling supplies of diphtheria antitoxin (DAT), the critical medicine used to treat the disease, are making it increasingly difficult for health workers to save patients as infections continue to spread across affected communities.
MSF has called on federal and state governments, donors and international partners to urgently secure supplies of diphtheria antitoxin, vaccines and other essential medicines.
It also urged authorities to ensure that available medical supplies are cleared quickly at Nigerian ports and distributed without delay to communities experiencing outbreaks.
“The global shortage of diphtheria antitoxin is becoming a matter of life and death. Our stocks are dangerously low, and we risk being unable to treat children and save lives as the outbreak continues,” said Dr David Kizito, MSF Medical Coordinator in Nigeria.
He warned that children continue to develop life-threatening complications from a disease that can largely be prevented through routine vaccination.
Diphtheria antitoxin is the only specific treatment that neutralises the toxin produced by the disease. According to MSF, the medicine is most effective when administered within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
However, limited global supplies are forcing medical teams to ration treatment, potentially reducing patients’ chances of survival.
Nigeria has been battling a major diphtheria outbreak since late 2022. Cumulative figures from the outbreak have exceeded 41,000 suspected cases, 24,000 confirmed infections and 1,260 deaths nationwide.
States in northern Nigeria, including Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara, remain particularly affected, with some communities experiencing fresh increases in infections.
As of August 9, 2026, Nigeria had recorded 12,977 suspected cases, 10,476 confirmed infections and 406 deaths in the year alone.
MSF said it has been supporting state health authorities through patient treatment, disease surveillance, infection prevention, community awareness, referral services, vaccination activities and the supply of essential medicines.
Its teams are currently supporting treatment and isolation facilities in Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara, with additional assistance in Bauchi, Katsina and Kebbi states.
Since the beginning of its response in 2026, the organisation has treated more than 9,000 diphtheria patients through healthcare facilities and community-based interventions.
In partnership with the Kano State Ministry of Health, MSF also supported two vaccination rounds in April and June, administering more than 835,000 vaccine doses to children across the state.
The situation in Zamfara State remains particularly concerning.
Following the state’s outbreak declaration in September, MSF-supported facilities in Gusau recorded more than 671 patient admissions within a month, beginning October 6.
Most of the patients were children, while four out of every five admitted had not received diphtheria vaccination.
In Sokoto State, MSF supported two vaccination rounds between February and April, reaching 49,018 children below the age of 15.
Despite these interventions, poor routine immunisation coverage, particularly in rural communities, continues to leave many children vulnerable.
In Zamfara, only 25,000 of the 90,000 vaccine doses required for a reactive vaccination campaign have been supplied. This leaves approximately three out of every four children targeted by the campaign yet to be reached.
MSF said it is working with government health authorities to secure additional vaccine doses and organise a wider immunisation campaign.
For families affected by the outbreak, the consequences have been frightening.
Shafa’atu, a mother whose three children received treatment for diphtheria at an MSF-supported hospital in Sokoto, said her family initially knew little about the disease.
“We were very worried when our first child became sick because we knew very little about diphtheria at the time,” she said.
She recalled how her child struggled to eat and frequently vomited after meals.
“Diphtheria is a dangerous disease,” she added.
MSF stressed that Nigeria must invest consistently in routine childhood immunisation to strengthen community protection and prevent future outbreaks.
The organisation also called on manufacturers and international health partners to increase the production of diphtheria antitoxin and establish a more reliable supply system for Nigeria and other countries experiencing rising infections.
It warned that without urgent action to address medicine shortages and vaccination gaps, more children could face preventable complications and deaths.
Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
