Over 350,000 Borno children receives vaccines against diphtheria 

By Olayimika Raimi 

The humanitarian medical organisation Medécins Sans Frontiéres (MSF) and Borno State Ministry of Health successfully completed a campaign against diphtheria targeting children below 14 years old in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council(MMC) Local Government Area (LGA) in Borno State.

According to MSF, the campaign began with a first round from 9 to 15 February 2026 with an initial target of 387,000, which was far exceeded by reaching 490,000 children. 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.

Health experts warned; 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, due to its limited health care access during years of insecurity. MSF reported treating more than 7,400 suspected cases since 2023, with 4,200 treated in the past year alone.

Furthermore, MSF also reported treating thousands of people suspected or confirmed to have diphtheria across the country.

Beyond Borno, MSF reported to have close collaboration with State Ministries of Health, and currently supports activities in Bauchi, 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.

Health experts warned that 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 30percent of cases, with young children at higher risk of dying.

MSF reported to have support the Borno State Ministry of Health to run the vaccination campaign, provide comprehensive logistical support including vaccine storage, transportation and remuneration for vaccination teams, health promotion, awareness activities, and program supervision.

MSF also reported that 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.

According to Nao Muramoto, MSF emergency coordinator for the project, the vaccination will help boost the immunity levels of children below 14 years old in Maiduguri; this proactive step is essential to controlling and preventing the disease.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow The Lagos Voice on WhatsApp channel for latest updates

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.

Nao Muramoto concluded that 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

Beyond its support to the diphtheria treatment and vaccination, MSF mentioned supporting 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 their teams treated children under five suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition with medical complications.