Representatives demand national diphtheria immunization, treatment as a spread of plague

Responding to the increasing threat of diphtheria in Nigeria, the House of Representatives has urged relevant federal institutions to launch a campaign, testing and national mandatory care campaigns in all 774 regional regions of the local government.

The resolution was passed during the plenary session on Wednesday after the adoption of an urgent public interest motion sponsored by Mr. Bitrus Laori, which represents the Federal/Numan/Lamurde constituents in the State of Adamawa.

Diphtheria, a potentially fatal bacterial infection caused by the Corynebacterium species, has seen an alarming resurrection in Nigeria, a country that has been wrestling with a public health system that is too large. Since the first big outbreak at Borno State in 2011, which claimed 21 lives, this disease has continued to reappear, especially those that affect vulnerable populations.

Laori, a member of the people’s Democratic Party, painted a bleak picture during the plenary, warned that the scope of low Nigeria vaccination had created an ideal environment for diphtheria to develop, unlike in many developed countries where the disease was mostly eliminated through effective immunization programs.

“From May 2022 to February 2025, Nigeria reported 41,978 alleged diphtheria cases,” Laori said. “Kano and Yobe countries themselves contributed more than 29,000 cases. Tragic, 1,279 deaths were recorded, with the majority of children aged 1 to 14 years. With alarming, only 19.7% of those affected by entirely vaccinated.”

He further stated the concern that if the urgent action was not taken, the plague could increase, spread outside the state that was currently affected and deepened the public health crisis. He quoted challenges such as low vaccination levels, limited antitoxin and antibiotic availability, and delays in clinical testing and confirmation as a critical problem that must be addressed immediately.

Also read: Nigeria confirms diphtheria that kills 1,191 in 17 months

The motion received broad support during the session, led by the speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

After adoption, the DPR directed the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Disease Control Center (NCDC), and the National Main Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to implement a compulsory diphtheria response strategy. This includes widespread immunization, timely testing, and maintenance that can be accessed in all major health care centers.

In addition, the DPR asked the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to intensify the public awareness campaign. This is to focus on educating citizens about symptoms, transmission methods, and dangerous danger to stem their spread.

In further steps to ensure supervision and accountability, the DPR mandates the Health and Health Institution Committee to assess national compliance with immunization instructions, evaluate the readiness of health institutions, and report back within four weeks for further legislative actions.

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