Country: Nigeria Source: Médecins Sans Frontières Maiduguri, Nigeria – 16 April 2026: The humanitarian medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Borno State Ministry of Health have successfully completed a vaccination campaign against diphtheria targeting children until 14 years old in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) Local Government Area (LGA) in Nigeria’s Borno state. The campaign began with a first round from 9 to 15 February 2026, which reached 490,000 children, far exceeding the initial target of 387,000. A second round was conducted from 9 to 15 April 2026, targeting 360,000 children reached during the first round to strengthen immunity. Despite the high number of children reached, limited vaccine availability constrained the scale of response. Nigeria is grappling with one of its most severe diphtheria epidemics in history, with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reporting 65,759 suspected cases and 2,229 deaths as of 22 March 2026 since May 2022 and officially declaring an outbreak in 2023. In Borno state, one of the most affected areas, MSF has treated more than 7,400 suspected cases since 2023, with 4,200 treated in the past year alone. Furthermore, MSF is treating thousands of people suspected or confirmed to have diphtheria across the country, in close collaboration with state Ministries of Health, and currently supports activities in Bauchi, Borno, Kano and Sokoto states. Diphtheria is an acute infectious disease that spreads primarily through respiratory droplets or contact with infected wounds. Symptoms include a sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes and a thick grey membrane in the throat that can obstruct breathing. In severe cases, the bacterial toxin can damage the heart, nerves and kidneys, potentially leading to complications such as paralysis. For unvaccinated persons without proper treatment, diphtheria can be fatal in around 30% of cases, with young children at higher risk of dying. MSF supported the Borno State Ministry of Health to run the vaccination campaign, providing comprehensive logistical support including vaccine storage, transportation and remuneration for vaccination teams, health promotion and awareness activities, and program supervision. The Ministry of Health provided the vaccines used in the campaign. This collaborative effort ensured high coverage, with communities responding enthusiastically to outreach efforts across both rounds. ‘This vaccination will help to significantly boost immunity levels of children below 14 years old in Maiduguri, the area responsible for most of the diphtheria cases we saw in our treatment centre. This proactive step is essential to controlling and preventing the disease.’ said MSF emergency coordinator for the project, Nao Muramoto. In addition, MSF supported the diphtheria treatment unit (DTU) at Maiduguri Teaching and Training Hospital in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. The DTU saw a surge in suspected cases during the campaign, reflecting heightened awareness and improved referrals by community health workers during the vaccination efforts. ‘Sustained routine immunization against diphtheria, improved access in volatile areas and tackling vaccine hesitancy remain essential to prevent future surges of vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria. Access to more vaccines is needed, as efforts to reach the children of Borno State should remain a priority to avoid further contaminations, to cut the transmissions and save lives’ concludes Nao Muramoto. Beyond its support to the diphtheria treatment and vaccination, MSF also supports the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) in Maiduguri, a 60-bed referral maternity and obstetric emergencies hospital with an intensive care unit (ICU) and neo-natal ICU, and the Shuwari Primary Healthcare Centre and the Nilefa Kiji nutrition hospital, where our teams treat children under five suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition with medical complications. Maiduguri Diphtheria Patient testimonies: Aisha Lawan, 26 I have four children. The oldest is 11 years old, the youngest is 2, and I lost my five-year-old child. About seven weeks ago, at the start of January 2026, my eight-year-old son became sick. I initially took him to a local pharmacy for medication. Later, when my other son, who had milder symptoms at first, also became ill, the pharmacy advised me to rush him to the hospital. I then took both of them to Gwange hospital (in Maiduguri, Borno State). I used to take my children to Gwange hospitalwhenever they were sick. When I took them this time, we were referred to this other clinic (Diphtheria Treatment Unit (DTU)) at the [University of] Maiduguri [Teaching] Hospital. He complained of throat pain and difficulty swallowing. He was admitted for three days and seemed to improve, although his body became swollen. A day before he died, he drank a lot of water, and I thought he was getting better. But the next day, he passed away. My children had not been vaccinated. My husband, influenced by his brother, did not allow us to go to the hospital unless it was absolutely necessary. I had never heard of this disease until it took my child from me. Some of my neighbours vaccinated their children, but my husband’s elder brother discouraged it. He did not want us to go to the hospital unnecessarily. From the beginning, we usually tried local herbs first, then went to the pharmacy if there was no improvement and only went to the hospital as a last step. Safia Saleh Mohamed, 44 I make handmade crafts and carpets for sale and I have lived here for six years. I have nine children; the eldest is 25 and the youngest is 7. All of them are vaccinated, including my eldest. I understand how important vaccination is. It protects children from diseases and reduces the severity if they fall sick. This is my first time hearing about diphtheria. I did not know about it before. A neighbour’s child had the disease, and they called a traditional herbalist, but the child did not improve. When my own child developed symptoms, including difficulty swallowing. I was directed to the DTU at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, managed by MSF), where my child received care. Around mid-January 2026, two of my children, 13 years old and 7 years old, became sick. A health promotion worker from MSF was passing by and sharing information about an ongoing vaccination drive for children, explaining the symptoms. I approached them and they referred us to the hospital. The seven-year-old was treated and discharged from the outpatient department, while the 13-year-old was admitted for 24 hours before being discharged. In general, we accept vaccination, although some people still rely on traditional medicine. Personally, I believe vaccinations are beneficial and help prevent diseases, and they are also accepted in our religion. Access to healthcare is relatively easy here, but the challenge is cost. Both private and public facilities often require payment, and money is not always easy to find. A’ie Yakubu, 50 (mother of Alima Yakubu, 12) We arrived here on Saturday after my daughter developed neck pain and difficulty swallowing for three days. Today is our third day in the hospital. Community mobilisers came to our home as part of a vaccination campaign for the disease. When they saw my daughter’s condition, they arranged for us to be brought here in a TukTuk. I have four children. We usually only go for vaccination when we are specifically told to. I did not know that children are supposed to receive vaccinations routinely. Aisha Isa, 25 (mother of Mohamed Usman Mohamed, 6) We have been here for nine days. When we arrived, my son’s neck was very swollen and he was struggling to breathe. Now, he is doing much better. I have two other children, and they are all vaccinated. I was very worried about Mohamed’s condition, but I believe everything comes from God, including such illnesses, and I accept it. I had never seen a disease like this before. I only heard about the outbreak on the radio. Before that, I did not know about this disease. Hearing that message is what made me bring my child to the hospital. Alima Yakubu, 44 (grandmother and caregiver to Shafa’atu Sanusi, 9) Shafa’atu developed swelling in her neck and complained of pain when swallowing food or drink. I had heard that some of my neighbours’ children had the disease, which is why I decided to bring my grandchild to the hospital. We came together with other neighbours’ children. Four were treated and discharged as outpatients, but Shafa’atu was admitted. This is now our fourth day here. I had also heard messages about the disease on the radio, so when I saw the symptoms, I recognised them. I encouraged other neighbours with similar cases to come with us to the hospital. In general, I accept vaccination. Just two days ago, a team came to my neighbourhood and vaccinated children there. Since then, five of my grandchildren have been vaccinated at home. I thank God that Shafa’atu is improving, and I appreciate the work of the doctors. Although we have access to healthcare in the village, we prefer coming to the town because the quality of care is better.

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