Diphtheria: Make immunisation mandatory, Reps tell FG
The House of Representatives has urged the appropriate Federal Government authorities to implement a mandatory immunization, testing, and treatment program for Nigerians afflicted with diphtheria throughout the nation's 774 local government areas in an effort to combat the threat posed by the disease.
The House's resolution came after a motion of urgent public interest was adopted during Wednesday's plenary, which was submitted by Mr. Bitrus Laori, the representative for the Demsa/Numan/Lamurde Federal Constituency in Adamawa State.
Since the initial epidemic in Borno State in 2011, which claimed 21 lives, diphtheria—a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium species—has grown to be a serious public health concern. Nigeria's already overwhelmed public health system is in grave danger due to the outbreak's recent return.
The disease spreads most quickly among youngsters and people with weakened immune systems because it is conveyed by respiratory droplets, infected items, and crowded, unhygienic situations. It affects the nose, throat, skin, and in extreme cases, the heart.
Speaking on the motion's content, the member from the Peoples Democratic Party pointed out that while diphtheria is almost nonexistent in nations with high vaccination rates, such as the United States of America and Europe, it flourishes in Africa due to poor vaccination rates.
He pointed out that unvaccinated people who travel abroad or come into contact with infected people are the main targets of the disease.
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.
