In a bid to address the dangers posed by diphtheria, the House of Representatives has called on the relevant Federal Government agencies to carry out a mandatory immunisation, testing and treatment of Nigerians suffering from the disease across the 774 local government areas in the country.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance during Wednesday’s plenary sponsored by the member representing Demsa/Numan/Lamurde Federal Constituency, Adamawa State, Mr Bitrus Laori.
Diphtheria, a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium species, has become a critical public health issue since the first outbreak in Borno State in 2011, which claimed 21 lives. The outbreak’s current resurgence poses significant threats to Nigeria’s already overburdened public health system.
The disease, which affects the nose, throat, skin, and, in severe cases, the heart, is transmitted through respiratory droplets, contaminated objects, and crowded, unsanitary environments, making its spread particularly rapid among children and those with compromised immune systems.
Speaking on the substance of the motion, the Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker noted that diphtheria thrives in Africa due to low vaccination rates while remaining virtually absent in countries like the United States of America and Europe, where vaccination coverage is high.
He noted that the disease primarily threatens unvaccinated individuals who travel internationally or come into contact with infected persons.
He said, “The House is aware that in Africa, nations such as Niger, Gabon, and Mauritania have reported outbreaks with only a handful of confirmed deaths due to effective vaccination coverage, early detection, laboratory confirmation, and the availability of antitoxins and antibiotics for treatment. In stark contrast, Nigeria’s statistics paint a dire picture, with thousands of reported cases and associated deaths due to the low or absence of vaccination.
“We are alarmed that from May 2022 to February 2025, Nigeria has reported 41,978 suspected cases of diphtheria from Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, with Kano and Yobe States accounting for the highest numbers- 24,062 and 5330, respectively. Most cases were children aged 1-14, and only 19.7% were fully vaccinated, resulting in 1,279 deaths within this period.
“We are concerned that if nothing is done, the high case fatality rate could worsen and spread outside of the states already impacted, underscoring the urgency of improving on the low vaccination rates, ineffective antitoxins and treatments, and delays in clinical detection and test confirmation that fuel this outbreak.”
The motion was overwhelmingly supported in a plenary session presided over by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House called on the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and the National Health Care Development Agency to enforce the mandatory diphtheria immunisation, testing and treatment across healthcare centres in all 774 Local Government Areas;
It also tasked the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to raise public awareness through sensitisation campaigns regarding the dangers, symptoms, and transmission modes of diphtheria to prevent further spread and fatalities.
It further mandated the House Committee on Health and Health Institutions to assess the level of compliance with the mandatory Diphtheria immunisation, the capacity of health institutions to effectively respond to the current threat of Diphtheria spread across the country and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
