The House of Representatives has issued a directive for mandatory diphtheria vaccination, testing, and treatment across all healthcare centres in Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas as the country battles a severe outbreak that has claimed over 1,200 lives.

The directive, addressed to the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, follows a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Kwamoti Bitrus Laori, who described the resurgence of diphtheria as a major public health threat.

According to data presented to the House, Nigeria has recorded 41,978 suspected cases of diphtheria between May 2022 and February 2025. The outbreak has predominantly affected northern states, with Kano and Yobe reporting the highest numbers at 24,062 and 5,330 cases respectively.

The disease has proven particularly deadly for unvaccinated children, with most fatalities occurring among those aged 1 to 14 years. Alarmingly, only 19.7% of affected individuals were fully vaccinated, highlighting critical gaps in the country's immunisation coverage.

"The first outbreak was recorded in Borno State in 2011, claiming 21 lives. The current surge poses a serious risk to Nigeria's already strained health system," Laori explained during the presentation of his motion.

The lawmakers have also tasked the Ministry of Information and National Orientation with launching widespread public sensitisation campaigns to educate Nigerians on the dangers, symptoms, and modes of transmission of this highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium species.

Laori pointed out that poor access to antitoxins, inadequate early detection, and delays in laboratory testing have worsened the situation. In contrast, neighbouring countries like Niger, Gabon, and Mauritania have managed recent diphtheria outbreaks with minimal fatalities due to better vaccination coverage and more effective health response systems.

The House has mandated its Committees on Health and Health Institutions to assess compliance with the vaccination directive and evaluate the readiness of health institutions to contain further spread of the disease.

Health experts have consistently warned that diphtheria thrives in overcrowded and unsanitary communities, making preventive measures and widespread vaccination crucial to controlling the outbreak.